August round up

Wow...has it really been a month since I made a blog entry! Things have been fairly hectic at work but it's really no excuse not to update my progress (or lack thereof)

Anyways here goes:

Mon 2- Vets Track & Field 5 @ Monkton
300m - 54.4
800m - 2:59.3

Thu 5 - 2.02mi 17:21 warm up for track session
Thu 5 - 10x300 parlufs : 60, 66, 67, 69, 68, 68, 67, 68, 68, 60, (100 jog recovery)

Sun 8 - 10.3mi 1:29:09

Tue 10 6am 2.49mi 18:40 Run to work with Murph
Wed 11 6am 2.49mi 18:58 Run to work with Murph

Sun 15 - 5k 23:41 Powerade Race ready session on South Shields leas

Mon 16 2mi 16:48 warm up for race
Mon 16 10k 47:48 Jarrow & Hebburn AC Robin Hood 10k, naff time, but not bad considering injuries

Tue 17 5pm 1.3mi 11:00 warm up for club session
Tue 17 6pm Valley View x2 x1 x2
rep 1: 10:34 - 2.3k,
rep 2: 5:08 - 1.15k,
rep 3 10:46 - 2.3k

(Hideous, hideous session - note to Coach Jim - put this one in again at your peril :P)

Sun 22 10am Scuba Diving: North Sea (off Blyth), testing new twin set cylinder set up
Eston: 26m, 13 degrees, 7m vis. 240/240 in, 120/70 bar out
Han: 20m, 13 degrees, 8m vis. 120/70 in, 40/15 bar out

Tue 24 1.2mi 9:25 warm up for club session
Tue 24 Jarrow: Wood Terrace (1/2 lap) 625m, 2:16, 2:26, 2:29, 2:31, 2:33, 2:33
+ half lap jog recovery

Thu 26 Track session@ Monkton, 12 x 300m 1:10, 1:13, 1:09, 1:11, 1:09, 1:12, 1:08, 1:02, 1:10, 1:15, 1:12, 1:00

Sun 29 10mi 1:18:27 Sunderland Strollers, Seaham Hall route

Mon 30 5k 24:05 Easy 5k on my own

Thu 2 track session @ Monkton - 8 x 300 parlaufs 1:13, 1:11, 1:12, 1:10, 1:08, 1:10, 1:07, 1:07
Easy session before Tynedale 10 Jelly Tea

Add to that lot a generous sprinkling of golf and I know where all of my time is going. It's just no good, I've gotta win the lottery because there's not enough time in the week for all my activities and work, not unless they develop my idea for a 10 day metric week with a 4 day weekend.

Not too bad on the speed front anyways, just not enough mileage, but at least I survived last Sunday's strollers session, which means I'll definitely survive the Tynedale Jelly Tea (10 mile) race tomorrow.

On the GNR front I've received my number which has me in zone B again. I'll be doing it fancy dress (which my sis is constructing) so I'll post some pictures when its ready. I'm gonna look bloody ridiculous but it's all for fun and the atmosphere on the day!

Happy running folks!

A proud GB Coasters relay team member!

Morning Campers :)

I'm sure I didn't have July penciled in to be this hectic at the start of the year, but it seems that there's no let up in the race schedule. I did thin out a few races I'd normally do this month, but I still seem to be very busy!

Saturday 17th July : Coasters GB South Shields to Sunderland section.

This was a run of all seasons - started with torrential rain in South Shields at the handover, had a savage crosswind up the leas, then blazing sunshine as soon as I crossed the boundary into Sunderland. A canny run in my brand new (and very expensive by my standards) nimbus 12s which I bought in the morning.

South Shields Ferry landing Barry the Baton handover from Tim Taylor

Me on the Leas at the Great North Run finish area

Wearmouth Bridge handover to Philip Teece & team :)

Many thanks to my super photo & vehicle support man and all round great guy - my dad! Cheers Dad you're a star

Overall distance 9.18 miles, 1:16:50

More info on the coasters here: www.coastersgb.co.uk

15th July : Track session

Club track session 8x400m, watch battery died just as the session started, so times were approximate. Was doing around 100 sec laps. 30sec recovery

11th July : Strollers long run

Another mad Strollers training run, hills & dales jobby. Bloody knackered when we eventually got back to the Barnes. Didn't much help that it was blowing a hooligan, but at least it was sunny and not raining. I vaguely know where we went, but was unfamiliar with whole sections of the run - nice to get out and explore!

Overall distance 12 miles, 1:49:37

Strollers website link here

10th July : Newcastle Parkrun

I got several messages on facebook saying that Newcastle parkrun were hoping for 100 runners, so I dashed off before work to take part and help the cause. They got to their 100, and I got round in a reasonable time considering I'd already done two races that week

5k 22:53, 7th lady, 1st L35

Newcastle parkrun page here
Sunderland parkrun page here

8th July : Angel View Run 5m

Bit of a toughy but really enjoy running round this part of Gateshead. It was a bit difficult underfoot on the first part of the big hill as they've redone the surface with fairly chunky stone chippings, but I kept my form up the hill waved to hubby at the top (he was watering our allotment which you can see from the course) then motored back down the hill. Finished in 39:06 & got the 1st L35 prize and by some miracle we had a ladies team out and we won the ladies prize! , pretty happy after doing the Sunshine Run on Wednesday

5M 39:06, 7th Lady, 1st L35

Angel View results here

7th July : Sunshine Run

Had a canny run, even with the heat and the smoke from the staithes which were on fire at Dunston Simon (from Runners World) and Alan from my club both got away from me in the last kilometre, but I still got 4th lady in 22:47 I didn't make the podium this year, but I was 1st vet lady, so pretty happy with that. Well done to my brother in law Pete who did this race as his first ever 5k!

5k 22:47, 4th Lady, 1st L35

28th, Alan Jobling, 22.30
29th, Simon Jamieson, 22.32
108th, Peter Harvey, 28.09

Sunshine Run results here

So after a busy two weeks I was going to go over to Sunderland again this morning to do the Strollers long run, but I'm going to take a well deserved day off and watch the Open from St Andrews ...after I tackle the long and varied list of household chores I've got to do

Happy running folks!

Tags: Sunshine Run 5k, Angel View Run, Coasters GB

Busy busy busy

The last month has been mad work-wise, and more than a little crazy running wise too. I managed to notch up a total of 16 races, but with track meetings that's not so hard really, but I am looking forward to things settling down and getting back to normal!

Here's a run down of my crazy running schedule:

July:

Thu 1 track session 3.11mi 23:09 7:27min/mile (8.06mph)
10 x 500 - 2:20, 2:20, 2:20, 2:17, 2:19, 2:18, 2:20, 2:17, 2:20, 2:18 (aiming for a consistent pace)
Thu 1 gym session @ home (Alyson couldn't make it to Monkton, so I did the session when I got back home after my diving club.

June:

Wed 30 Hebburn loop 6.4mi 53:27 8:21 min/mile (7.18mph)
Tech loop with Jim & Alan + double backs

Tue 29 5k time trial 23:52 7:40 min/mile (7.82mph)
Jarrow & Hebburn AC 5k time trial. So hot I felt sick, not a good indication of how I should be running
Tue 29 warm up 3mi 24:46 8:15 min/mile (7.27mph)
Tue 29 warm down 0.85mi 7:42 9:04 min/mile (6.62mph)

Mon 28 gym session @ Monkton with Alyson W. Starting to see some improvements in my waistline at the least, even if I do feel like I've been beaten with sticks the day after.

Sat 26 races VAANEE T&F Champs Was a tad too warm for my liking, reached up to 29 degrees by the time we got going for the 3000m. It's a pity we don't do T&F in the early spring or Autumn.

800m 3:17 6:34 min/mile (9.14mph)
3000m 14:01 7:32 min/mile (7.96mph)
200m 35.4 4:52 min/mile (12.34mph)
1500m 6:33 7:03 min/mile (8.52mph)
400m 1:21 5:24min/mile (11.11mph)

Thu 24 track session 2.98mi 20:38 6:55 min/mile (8.67mph)
1000 800 600 x2 4:23, 3:13, 2:21 4:28, 3:33, 2:40

Wed 23 Run 5.75mi 45:50 7:58 min/mile (7.53mph) Warm up run before gym session
Wed 23 gym session @ Monkton with Alyson W.

Tue 22 road session 1.49mi 9:53 6:38min/mile (9.05mph)
4 x 600 slagheaps. Was too hot, felt lightheaded & had to stop 2:21, 2:28, 2:34, 2:30

Tue 22 warm up 1.8mi 15:00 8:20min/mile (7.2mph)

Mon 21 gym session @ Monkton with Alyson W.

Sat 19 track session 1.71mi 10:24 6:05min/mile (9.87mph)
Track session @ Maiden Castle, Durham with Alyson Dixon. 300 (30 sec rec) 200 (60 sec rec) x 6
first rep 350m 1:12.56, 35.25, 1:09.52, 35.68, 1:09.38, 35.78, 1:09.65, 35.54, 1:09.39, 34.18, 1:08.55, 34.54

Wed 16 Penshaw Hill Race 5k 24:38 7:55min/mile (7.58mph)
first time I've done this one and its a cracker...nasty nasty hills, but lovely through the woods. 24.38 - not bad given the terrain.

Mon 14 VAANEE T&F meeting 1 mile 6:39 6:39min/mile (9.02mph)
Mon 14 VAANEE T&F meeting 400m 1:18 5:12min/mile (11.54mph)

Sun 13 1 mile 7:20 7:20min/mile (8.18mph) Great North Dog Walk 1 mile challenge 1 mile on the Leas with my folks' dog Alice.

Wed 9 race 5.9mi 43:10 7:19min/mile (8.2mph) Blaydon Race

Mon 7 VAANEE T&F meeting
200m 34.8 4:43min/mile (12.71mph)
1500m 6:00.8 6:27min/mile (9.3mph)
800m 3:01.5 6:02min/mile (9.94mph)

Sat 5 Northern Senior League Div 3E
400m 1:13.4 4:52min/mile (12.33mph) 4 x 400m relay 73.4 unofficial pb
800m 2:58.6 5:56min/mile (10.11mph)

Thu 3 track session 1.49mi 9:04 6:05min/mile (9.86mph) 6 x 400 1:31, 1:28, 1:37, 1:39, 1:28, 1:21
Thu 3 race 1 mile 6:21.4 6:21min/mile (9.45mph) Fetch Everyone 1 mile challenge

There were a couple of canny performances in there amongst all the naff ones...but I really don't run well in the heat - that's this months runners excuse July isn't much easier race-wise, with something on every Wednesday, but I've got a couple of them to target and a few I'm gonna do just for fun, heck I guess that's the best bit about running, the ones where you finish and say "You know what, I really enjoyed it...sign me straight up for next years race. I can't wait"

July - bring it on!

Happy running folks

Are cucumbers healthy?

Well, most people would think so...

I was sitting in the café of a well know supermarket chain yesterday, having a cup of black coffee [1 calorie] and a slice of cheesecake [prolly 250 calories], for breakfast. Admittedly it wasn't the healthiest of brekkies, but it was just what I fancied, it was only one slice and not the whole cake, and the option of the full fried breakfast after having Chinese for our anniversary the night before wasn't going to cut it.

So, there I was, sitting happy in the knowledge that I knew that my food wasn't the greatest but hey, I run so I can eat whatever the hell I like, and more importantly, I can choose a healthy option for lunch or tea or the next day.

I just happened to be sitting on the other side of a dividing screen wall (you know the trellis type things they have in these places) with two ladies sitting discussing the calorie content of food whilst tucking into their full English & tea. From what I can gather they were in there to do some shopping for whatever diet plan they were going to be following. It all seemed to be fairly sensible stuff, but they were already looking forward to 'getting back off the plan and into real life'.

Why the hell do you even attempt to do this if you're already thinking about ditching it before you've even started. One would think that there's absolutely no way that this plan could ever have worked out for these people as there was no motivation to stay on it 'afterwards', what they needed was a bit of a sitting down and just explaining that in order to maintain any kind of weight loss you either have to a] stay with the healthy eating forever, or b] pull your thumb out and do some exercise. Preferably a combination of the two.

I was just finishing off my cuppa and preparing to leave when I heard the line that told me they were definitely doomed.

'I've got cucumbers on my list here'

'Oh don't get those, I've heard they're really fattening'

If I hadn't of been with my hubby (and didn't want to embarrass him, them or myself by putting my two peneth in) I'd have put them right. But to be quite honest I think I could have sat there for two days talking to the ladies and still not made any impact.

Health professionals, and TV programs, doctors, reports and the government keep banging on about how much of an obesity epidemic the country is in. They seem to put most of the problem at the feet of fast food chains, takeaways, and the cheap processed food which is available for pennies. It's just not the retailers fault. People have a choice with their food. They can chose to eat healthy on certain days have takeaway on others and lead an active lifestyle. There's excellent seasonal veg, meat and bread available for decent prices, it's just that people really don't know what's good for them, or choose not to learn.

I hope that whoever has set the plan for those two ladies can let them know that there's only 0.1g of fat in a cucumber, and around 8 calories, and that they'd have to eat 67 cucumbers to eat the same number of calories than in a Big Mac, and with any luck get them to realise they actually have to change their eating habits forever and not just while they're losing weight.

I'll think about these ladies when I'm out for curry tonight, and on the track running it all off on Monday.

Happy running folks!

Keep on tracking

Afternoon Folks :)

It's been a bit of a mad weekend sportswise, Had a track & field meeting @ Whitley Bay on Saturday, then golf @ Tyneside on Sunday, then another t&f meeting last night @ Monkton. It's all go in whippet-land ;)

I'll start with Saturdays efforts.

Northern Senior League Div 3E : Churchill Playing Fields, Whitley Bay

I did have all intentions of doing the 3k, or the 1500m, but both events had enough entrants from my club (shock horror), so I was left with the decision of a] trying to find space in the 800, or b] volunteering for anything that had a gap on the list.

After some frantic fb updates to and from our ladies captain I ended up in the 800 and the 4x 400m relay. I did get the offer of the 100m & 100m hurdles too, but really, I'm not going to be taking up hurdles at my age, the effort would probably finish me off.

800m - 2:58.6
Got off to a pretty decent start, and tried to hang on for as long as possible. It was very hot (no real excuse I know) but I felt ok and I'd done a decent enough warm up. Felf canny until about 600m when I started to flag. Came through in 2:58 which is only 2 seconds slower than my pb so was chuffed :)

4 x 400 relay (unofficial pb)
An unofficial pb in the 400m (because it was as part of the relay) ran the third leg in a fairly blistering time (for me) of 73 and a bit seconds (going off my watch). Will be focusing on getting a real pb at 400m distance for sure this year. Well done to Angela, Steph K, & Claire for our finishing time of 4:43.8

Full results are available here: link to Northern Athletics

Sunday: Teetime @ Tyneside

Thinking that I may not have enough hobbies to fit my shrinking free time I thought I'd have a shot at golf. The ladies section at Tyneside Golf Club are running beginners golf sessions, so I decided to sign up and give it a go. I'm not too bad to be fair (I can make contact with the ball which is a real bonus), but it's going to take a whole lot of practice to get the hang of it.

For more info (if you're a lady who may be interested in taking up golf) check this out: link to Tyneside Ladies section

Monday: VAANEE T&F 2 @ Monkton

Okay, I originally decided that because I'm doing the results, I'd just do the 800m then focus on getting all the paperwork done, but on the night the 200m was looking pretty tempting so I signed up for that too.

800m - 3:01.5
A bit disappointing, but not surprising considering I only warmed up in the 10 metres from the results box to the starting line. Actually quite surprised it wasn't much much worse :S Gonna try and target 2:50.x sometime this year

200m - 34.8
Probably the second worst warm up in history (after my 800m warm up tonight) as I ran from the results box to the start in spikes one size too large for me, but somehow, amazingly, managed a pb...what the heck is that all about?

After the 200m I dashed back round to the results box just as Ron was writing out the entrants for the 1500m and I thought "sod it, I'm gonna give that a go too" :P So quick change from the spikes back into my trainers, and onto the track again.

1500m - 6:00.8
Third in the series of last minute warm ups as I decided to run this one around two minutes before the race started. Quite pleased that I managed to hang on for the 3 and a bit laps without being sick, and romped home in bang on 6 minutes. Just about held onto Helen from Blyth so I was happy enough with that.

Quite a fun packed weekend all in all, just wondering what to focus on next, short stuff or long stuff, though I don't really have any decent long races planned in till the Jelly Tea 10m in September. Hopefully the rest of June won't be so packed in together.

Happy running folks!

Watergate 10k, Newcastle parkrun, NE Athletics 3000m @ Monkton

Morning Campers :)

Got a few more race reports to add to the cyberspace clutter ;)

Sunday 30th May: Watergate 10k 2010

It's a funny race this one, I normally spend the entire race wondering why the hell I'm there, then after I'm thinking how much I enjoyed it. Yesterday was no different. The hills in this one are pretty savage, but a year between this time and last seemed to make me forget just how bad they were.

I met up with a couple of the Jarrow lads before the race and with Stewart - a friendly rival from several local races (we tend to do the cat & mouse thing throughout the race). Watched the juniors set off on their 2k run with Stewart running it as a warm up with his son (who did very well). Then set about doing my own warm up in the rain. It wasn't really heavy but there was a bit of a chill to it so I opted to keep my long sleeved top on under my club vest.

The whistle went off and I set about keeping a fairly steady pace (being careful with my ankle), all went pretty well for the first 5k, I lost a bit of ground on the hills, but managed to claw it back on the downhill sections. As we turned into the wood Stewart shouted at me to catch up from a switchback & about 200m ahead. I did try to respond then, but we were on one of those long drag uphill sections and my legs were really starting to curse at me for the effort. Once we made it off the main path and onto the woodland trails I really picked up the pace and started to enjoy myself. There's something about not running on gravel or pavement, just pine needles & hard earth which is really nice - a bit spongy like a running track.

We crossed a few bridges during the race, but had to actually run through the stream at one point. I kind of just 'went for it' like doing cross country, and was well on my way to catching up with Stewart and the guy who was chasing him. By 7k I'd caught the guy, and about 7.5k I'd caught S. just as we came back onto the paths and the big downhill back to the lake. We then had to tackle the big hill again where I lost ground again. Quite a toughy and I almost started walking near the top, but a bit of encouragement from the marshal there spurred me back on.

Stewart was now chasing a guy from Jarrow, and I was chasing him. I knew my time was rubbish by now, but was just wanting to finish without the girl I knew was only about 400m behind me catching up. The guy who I passed in the woods was also chasing, so I put on a bit of an effort on the last hill as we turned round to come down the flat straigh to the finish. I caught Stewart again, but told him to press on, as the guy who was chasing us caught up and flew past. Came through to the finish in a rather disappointing time, but with the hills I wasn't too unhappy.

Will post a link to results when they're available.

I had to dash off to go to work afterwards, but wish I'd been able to hang around for the presentation as I'd won 1st L35 :D

Saturday 29th May : Newcastle parkrun

I turned up for a job I was doing at 7:50am only to find out that the shop I was doing was closed for 3 days for essential maintenance, so since I was too late to get myself over to Sunderland, I opted to do Newcastle parkrun. I'd read on their facebook update that it was a picnic style event and fancy dress was optional, so I quickly grabbed my scissors, savaged a pretty pink dress and dusted off my fairy wings. It was nice to see that a few folks had dressed up too, but it was bloomin' freezing so I musta looked a bit nutty standing on the moor jumping from side to side in a dress.

After a bit of a chat with a few folks I know (and a guy I hadn't seen for years whose lost 8st since I saw him last - amazing stuff, well done Scott!), we bimbled over to the start. I wasn't really aiming for a time, but just wanted to get round fairly briskly so I could get back and get my long sleeved top back on.

I had a pretty canny run, the dress didn't hamper my stride too much, and it was all over in 22:49 - scarily a quicker race than last week at Sunderland ...what's that all about :S

I mustn't be putting enough effort in normally if I can get round the same time or quicker in a dress. Bizarrely it was my quickest ever time on that course by a good 30 seconds too. Maybe I should consider doing all races in fancy dress.

Full results are here

Really enjoyed the sushi & flapjacks afterwards too!!

Not the most flattering of images - but you get the idea (thanks to Lesley for the piccie and for securely attaching my wings)

Wednesday 26th May - North East Athletics League 3000m

I decided to do this one as a bit of a spur of the moment job on Tuesday night, as I actually didn't know it was on till then. I blame Alan Wears entirely ;) I turned up at around 6:30 (as I didn't know the start time) only to find out that there was a good chance my race wouldn't get going till at least 8:30pm, then add into that the power cut that the stadium had, and the record attendance, I should have brought a deck chair, comfy blanket and a flask :S

Still, it was really good watching all of the other events (hope the guy who fell in the hurdles is okay!) and the Jimmy Hedley Cup 800m runners were fantastic. It was actually 9:10pm when my race got started, by this time I was bloody freezing, and all thoughts of a decent time were thrown out the window. Since there were only 5 ladies we went in with the men's race (or we may have been there all night) and the only thought that got me round the 7.5 laps was that I hadn't had anything to eat since 2ish, and there was a good chance that Andy had ordered Chinese.

So with the carrot Chinese & stick mental image, we lined up and set off. I was expecting to get lapped, but I was also in last place (by quite a margin) by the 400m mark, so it was just a mental will thing that kept me going. I was trying to keep a nice steady pace and not get slower every lap, even though the leaders went past not two but three times :S At least the leading lady one went past the once :P

By the time I was on my last lap pretty much everyone else had finished, I had 250m to go and I was the only one left running, but I stuck with it and ran through to the end. Surprisingly I'd managed a better time than all of last years 3ks (13:14) so I was over the moon with that.

Results from the powerof10 website : excel sheet

That concludes this weeks racing efforts...happy running folks!

Pier to Pier, Clive Cookson 10k, & Sunderland Parkrun

Okay, Okay...I know I've been a bit lacking in recent updates, but I have been really really busy with work recently, so I do have a reasonable excuse. I need to keep myself in pennies for all my race entries ;)

I do have a couple of race updates though, so I'll crack on with the reports:

Sunderland Strollers: Pier to Pier (7miles)

Again the Stollers must have said their prayers to the sun gods as there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Temperature was perfect with a light westerly breeze, excellent conditions for the run. I'd decided to wear my innov8s with the beach & grass sections which turned out to be a good choice, they had just enough cushioning for the promenade section and excellent grip for the sand on the beach. I set off pretty steady, and just aimed to keep a canny pace throughout. I did manage to pick it up for the last 2 miles passing more than 20 runners, but my initial pace must have been a bit too slow as my time really didn't come close to my time from 2008 of 50:44.

Finishing time: 54:06 (5th L35) full results here

Clive Cookson 10k

Wow...don't think I've ever ran in more humid conditions. It's an excellent race with really good PB potential (if you're fit), but with the Pier to Pier still in my legs I couldn't really give this race the effort it deserved. I got there in plenty of time to warm up, and felt ok before the race, but I kind of flagged just after 5k (22:49) and the second 5k was a bit of a struggle. I'm working on getting back to form though, so hopefully I'll have a better crack at this one next year. PB for this race is 43:52 so I was a bit dissapointed with my time.

Finishing time: 46:15 (3rd L35) full results here

Sunderland Parkrun 5k

I had a couple of days off after CC10k to rest and nurse a bit of a bruised ankle (not sure how or when I did that), but I thought with the continuing heat which was forecast I'd ditch all attempts at a long run this weekend and concentrate on just doing a couple of tick-over runs. I popped over to Sunderland and it was pushing 22 degrees even at 9am. I thought I'd just give the run my best shot and run steady.

By about 3k I'd caught the lady in front of me, but she pushed on once I caught her, and I couldn't match her efforts. She managed to get away by 3.5k and I aimed just to hold onto my current position. I came through the finish as third lady in a not too bad time. On the results though I'm down as being 1st Lady - this isn't the case, but the two ladies who finished ahead of me mustn't have been registered. I'll not count it as a victory, hopefully the two involved will get their times sorted out.

Finishing time: 23:22 (3rd Lady (1st Lady) 1st L35) full results here

Other than those three races I haven't done a lot recently - I did play golf on Sunday which was fun (at the TeeTime @ Tyneside event), and I did manage to get to the club last night for half the session - my ankle was niggling a little so I decided to cut it short. It seems to be worse going downhill and doesn't really hurt at all on the flat or uphill.

Tuesday session - 3 mile warm up 26:20, 3 x 1000m - 4:04, 4:14, 4:16

I'm in two minds whether to do 3k on the track tonight at Monkon as there's an athletics meeting on - will have to see how I feel later on!

Happy running folks :D

April round up

Morning Campers,

I hadn't forgotten about you, just been really really busy with work and some other stuff. Will do a bit of a round up for last month and plans for May

Ok April was a really busy month for races

4th - North Tyneside 10k: After a decent run at the Marina 5m the week before I was hoping for a canny run at NT10k but a bout of food poisoning put pay to that. At least I managed to get round in a fairly mediocre time of 47:30. Was worth it just for the goody bag ;)

11th - Sanddancer 10k: Had a really good run, enjoyed the race and seemed to have pretty much recovered from the week before. Finished in 45:25

17th & 18th - A weekend double! On the 17th I thought I'd have a crack at the Sunderland Parkrun, chased Alyson from Strollers most of the way but couldn't catch her at the finish and came home in 22:15 (third lady & a season best). I know I can do at least 21:30 on the course but I'm carrying too much weight and I'm just not fit enough yet.

18th - Wallsend 5m: I never seem to have a decent run at this race, but the sun always shines on the Rising Sun 5m so it's a canny morning out! Went over with Frankie (who had a storming race) and I came in in a fairly disappointing 37:05. Still somehow managed to get 2nd Lady 35, but couldn't stop for the presentation.

The next weekend could have been the Blyth 10k for my next race, but I was up at Lochaline diving - had a cracking weekend there and really enjoyed the break. This has really inspired me to go diving some more.

On with this month...

1st may - Sunderland Parkrun: I should have been going to Carlisle for the senior league, but I was working on Saturday and couldn't make it, so I nipped over to Silksworth to do the parkrun instead. I met up with Mick for a warm up jog, then got stuck into the race.

It was actually much warmer than I'd expected so I think the guy behind me was a bit startled when I stripped off my tshirt on the first downhill and chucked it at a marshal! I set about just keeping a nice steady pace and trying not to slow down too much. I did start to tire a little on the second lap of the lake, but dug in and kept going right through to the finish. That last uphill to get to the finish is a killer but I came through in 22:33 (1st Lady).

I'm guessing that if I can keep going with my speed work and lose half a stone my times should start tumbling back down again.

There's no races for me this weekend (shock horror), but I do have the Pier to Pier, Clive Cookson 10k and Watergate 10k this month so I've got plenty to keep me out of trouble ;)

Best of luck to all those who have entered the ballot for London 2011. I was on my 4th refusal, but have decided not to enter again after my disaster on the Town Moor. Give me the short stuff any day!

Happy running folks

Sanddancer 10k 2010

Yes, it's that time of year again when the folks of the North East trip down to the seaside and romp around the leas. I'm talking about the South Shields Harriers - Sanddancer 10k (so named because the folks of Shields are called 'Sanddancers')

The race is a favourite of mine, I absolutely love running at the coast, there's something about running in the sea air which makes you feel alive, and the course of the race takes in the leas which is where the Great North Run finishes (and the Pier to Pier starts), a lovely strip of National Trust land running a few miles from Shields up to Marsden.

The weather was glorious again this year, like a summers day, a little cold at the start, but otherwise perfect. I did my warm up with Micheal Bunn (from J&H), and then set off for my 5th loo trip :s It seems that despite having run more than a hundred races I still get the pre race jitters :(

We set off from the pub (also called the Sanddancer) and headed along the promenade and up onto the leas. There's only one real incline and that's in the first mile, then there's a few uppy-downy bits, but nothing too horrendous. We had to make a wee bit of a diversion to avoid the cliff collapse at Frenchman's Bay, but I'd rather go long, than headlong off a cliff ;)

It was a southerly wind, meaning the wind was in our faces on the outward part of each lap (on the cliff-side path), then behind us as we headed down the grassy path along the middle of the leas. Once we were out of the wind I started to really roast and was glad I'd opted for shorts & vest.

All in all I had a pretty steady race, I knew I was ahead of the two Heaton ladies I'm normally chasing, and just behind one of the Blyth ladies I'm normally miles behind. So I was pretty happy position wise. I'd tagged onto a guy who was doing roughly the same pace as me, and we tag-teamed it round the last two miles, with him pulling ahead as we rounded the quarry and the final decline back down to the promenade. I couldn't catch him even once we rounded into the stadium, so I just did my best not to get caught in the last few hundred metres.

I'm over the moon with my time - still nowhere close to my pb, but still 45:25 - my quickest 10k since 2008 :D

I also managed a bronze medal in the VAANEE 10kMT championships (L35), so a good day all round :)

Will post a link to results when they're available

A non running related update...

Well, there was some running involved in the week, but none today.

No - this update is all about Jane Smallcombe's exhibition at the Mushroom Works in Newcastle.

I met Jane a few years ago *cough* ok...more than a few ;) on my first day at senior school which I guess was September '83, guessing because thinking about it that's actually 27 years ago...omg I feel old :S. Anyways...She was always very good at art, and this exhibition goes to show she's never lost her touch.

Applique Originals is such a perfect name, as every one of the pieces on show are all unique little bundles of creative needlework. I'm happy to have been along to the exhibition with my sister to catch up and take a mooch around the gallery to see her work.

Cheers Jane and all the best!

Applique Originals is at the Mushroom Works from Saturday 10th April until Saturday 1st May.

Hartlepool 5m & North Tyneside 10k

It's been an interesting week, firstly starting with a rather 'breezy' race at Hartlepool last Sunday. It was the Hartlepool Marina 5 mile, incorporating the VAANEE 5 mile championships, so I thought I ought to go down and give it a go. When Frankie and I arrived it was blowing a proverbial hooligan, so I thought I ought to just pick a time and hope for the best.

37 mins was the target, but after a bit of a battering during our warm up, I knew it wasn't going to be every (wo)man for themselves, but everyone verses the elements.

The course itself is a cracking little out and back route with a few switchbacks thrown in where you can see who is in-front and behind you. If it wasn't for the savage crosswind it would have excellent pb potential.

We got started and I could see there was going to be no getting into a decent pace, so it was just a case of pick a person and hang on, try to pass or use them as cover. This tactic seemed to work pretty well overall, and I felt quite strong going round the second switchback and return back to base. I'd counted 20+ ladies in-front of me, but I knew a couple didn't have numbers (the race quickly filled up the last remaining places on the morning of the event), and so I spent the last couple of miles trying to catch and overtake some of the ladies in-front of me.

I caught a couple and managed to hold on to 19th lady overall coming through the finish in 36:54. Very happy with that considering the conditions.

Results are available here

The rest of the week wasn't to great though. On Wednesday I somehow managed to get food poisoning, amazingly not from my own cooking, but from a shop bought sarnie Undecided, so three days in bed and more than a few trips to the bathroom didn't really make for the best preparation for the North Tyneside 10k.

Still...looking on the bright side, I did manage to watch an inordinate amount of crap tv including some random FBI dog movie, Flash Gordon, infomercial tv, and The Sound of Music which I saw for the very first time, and..I lost 4lbs - life doesn't get much better :P

I left it until this morning to decide if I was up to the task of actually getting round the NT10k (rather than actually racing it), and I'm glad I did.

It's a pity I wasn't fit, because the conditions were perfect - little wind and a nice cool clear day. Andy (my hubby) dropped me off and headed off to see me en-route, and I did my warm up with Micheal Bunn from my club, then met up with a few folks I know online, and then Jenny from Heaton at the start. I'd promised a couple of folks I wouldn't go mad and I did'nt :)

Unlike previous years I didn't hurtle off like a whippet, and I feel better for it this afternoon. I met up with Catherine - CC2 speedygoth (she caught me) on the quayside and we had a bit of a chat & natter until the water station at the 3 mile point, then she headed off and I settled in for a bit of a bimble through to the finish.

I was hoping for any time under 48 mins, and by my watch I managed 47:30 so I'm not at all unhappy with that.

Cracking goodie bag as ever - cheers NT council & Start Fitness!


Happy running folks :)

Sunday with the Strollers

Afternoon peeps :)

Just a quick update on last week's running efforts. After a pretty hefty session on New Road on Tuesday I could only manage a couple of short runs on Wednesday & Thursday on the track (due to time constraints). This was more than made up for by my trip over to Sunderland on Sunday.

It was a lovely morning, and in hindsight I should have opted for shorts & a t-shirt cause I was boiling after the first mile and a half. My ninja suit leggings and long sleeved top weren't the best option by a long-shot :S.

There was another good turn out of runners again this week, and I managed to have a pretty good natter on the way round. We set off up Queen Alexandra road towards Grangetown, then along past Ryhope towards Seaham. Once we'd gone through Ryhope I was in unfamiliar territory, and so going round the back of Seaham Hall through the trees I didn't have a sodding clue where we were...still there wasn't a great deal of mud on the menu (how unusual), so at least my feet were relatively clean.

We seemed to go cross country in a few places, then joined back up with the old railway line we had been along last week. At least I knew where we were then :). Once we were back down onto the playing fields I had the option of taking the shorter route with Dave, but he'd a bit of a metronome and I didn't feel up to going at his pace, so I stuck with the main group all the way through to the finish.

12.53 miles, 1:47:21 (8:34 pace)

This seems to be doing me a world of good with my speed, so hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll be fit for the track season coming up.

Happy running folks :D

March madness

or March hill madness to be specific....

This week has been all about the hills, starting on Tuesday with the club session on Springfield bank (Field Terrace). It was 12 reps hard up hard down. I was bloody knackered when I finished, but I worked pretty hard and managed to knock a minute off the last time we did the session (November).

02/03/10, 4.56mi - 32:32, Springfield bank x12
03/11/09, 4.56mi - 33:31, Springfield bank x12
06/10/09, 4.56mi - 32:02, Springfield bank x12
24/02/09, 4.56mi - 32:47, Springfield bank x12

I reckon I should be able to crack the 32 minute mark this year, feeling pretty positive about my running at the mo, so hopefully I’ll be getting quicker throughout the year.

I missed my Wednesday run due to work, but I did make up for it on Thursday at the track. I arrived late, but still in time enough to do 15 of the 16 300m reps. We were doing parlaufs (like a relay) run for 300m, jog back 100m to meet your partner.

1:14, 1:06, 1:06, 1:08, 1:08, 1:12, 1:12, 1:12, 1:13, 1:12, 1:14, 1:14, 1:08, 1:10, 1:12

Took the first one pretty steady, but went for it once I got going. I was pleased to get a few under 70 seconds, but would like to be a bit more even paced.

Saturday was going to be a parkrun at Sunderland day for me, but I had to work in the morning so I missed it again, and had to settle for my trip over there on Sunday

I started the day with a bit of a blast with Murph. It was -5 when I left the house, was wondering whether to go for a long run after or tuck myself back under the duvet with a cuppa & toast. I opted for the exercise (to try and burn off some of Saturday night’s pizza overindulgence), and jumped in the van to get over there before 9.

This is what was described as an 'Undulating' route with Sunderland Strollers. It was a fantastic morning, sunny and not a cloud in the sky. Bit of a tough run passed the lakes, up the werewolf path, up through Doxford and up again to Burdon village. Then we had farmer’s fields, mud and a stream. Back up again (after being informed that this wasn't hilly it was undulating :P) round to the back of the new school in Ryhope, then passed some playing fields and down onto Ryhope Road. Up (again) Queen Alexandra Road, and then back to the Barnes.

Not sure how a route could seem to be uphill for 90% of the time, but it seems that the laws of physics don't apply in Sunderland

So today’s runs:

Doggy woofer run: 1.75mi – 13:51
Strollers Run: 12.03mi – 1:43:34

A much better week running wise, but far too many hills for my liking. I did enjoy both hill sessions but my calves aren’t thanking me for it one bit. I’m gonna sit with my feet up and chill for the rest of the night

Happy running folks!

...and that was February

Hi Folks!

The month seemed to leap past at a blistering pace. Not quite sure what I've achieved running wise, but at least I actually got my arse into gear and got out there to run. I was accused erm..it was suggested that I was being a bit lazy , which is true I guess, so I've put in a bit more effort and tried to get things back on track.

Before I get on with the round up there's some info here for the VAANEE (veterans athletics assoc. North East) cross country championships. The closing date for entries is the 13th of March, so if you read this, and you're resident in the North East of England, and are like me (an old codger) veteran - then you could get yourself signed up for the race and pop down to the championships on the 20th of the month.

All the info can be found here: VAANEE website

It'd be nice to get some new faces down there, so if you're over 35, and a member of a NE running club get your entry form in the post!

Back to the roundup....

February.

Marginally better than last month for running, but my pace seems to be consistent at least, even if it is getting slower

• Sun 28 9am – Long(ish) Run 9.36mi - 1:17:01. Sunday morning run with Sunderland Strollers. Down to the seafront, then back via the shorter route with Dave & Chirpy. This was my first long run with the Strollers since the beginning' of last year - what a friendly bunch - it was like I'd been there only last week
• Thu 25 6pm – Track Session 3.11mi - 22:11. 5 x 1000m
  4:07, 4:31, 4:31, 4:31, 4:31. I tried sticking with Frankie for the first rep which turned out to be a wee bit too quick to be honest. I should be looking at something around 4:22 per 1000m
• Wed 24 6pm – General Run 6.6mi - 54:31. Tech to York Ave, then jog back to meet Jim, then back round to Tech with Jim & Alan
• Sat 20 2pm – Temple Park XC 1.86mi - 15:00. Pulled out of S/Shields xc - pain in calf. I was shown some stretches by Steph Bingham at the xc, and they seemed to have done the trick - cheers!
• Sat 20 9am – Time Trial 3.11mi - 23:51. Newcastle parkrun, took it steady - doing xc later in the day
• Thu 18 6pm – Track Session 2.98mi - 19:33. 12 x 400m
  1:46, 1:40, 1:41, 1:36, 1:39, 1:35, 1:38, 1:34, 1:39, 1:35, 1:36, 1:34. Frankie's idea of fast and slow didn't quite work out and it ended up being fast then faster
• Wed 17 6pm – General Run 6.6mi - 54:51. Tech route with Jim
• Tue 16 6pm – Road Session 5.59mi - 40:35. Wood Terrace 1 lap 2 laps x 3
  4:06, 9:11, 4:21, 9:12, 4:15, 9:30. Felt worn out after Wrekenton xc on the Saturday.
• Sat 13 2pm – Wrekenton XC 3.73mi - 33:16. Enjoyable & very muddy
• Thu 11 6pm – Track Session 2.49mi - 16:53. 8 x 500m
  2:07, 2:08, 2:09, 2:00, 2:10, 2:07, 2:07, 2:10, 2:02
• Wed 10 5pm – General Run 5.42mi - 52:57. Usual Wednesday route with Jim
• Tue 9 7pm – Warm Down 0.92mi - 9:10
• Tue 9 6pm – Road Session 4.8mi - 33:55. Leam lane, 6 x 1300m - 5:29, 5:38, 5:47, 5:37, 5:47, 5:37
• Tue 9 5pm – Warm Up 2.49mi - 21:06. Warm up for club session
• Thu 4 6pm – Warm Up 1.4 10:15 7:19 8.2. Warm up for track session (which I didn't start)
• Wed 3 6pm – General Run 5.42mi - 52:29 Shorter Wednesday route, knackered after last night's hill session. We had snow, ice, wind you name it.
• Tue 2 7pm – Warm Down 0.7mi - 7:15. Bimble back to the car after the hill
• Tue 2 6pm – Hill Session 5.25mi - 43:11. 10 x Springfield, plus along at the top. Hard up, hard along, easy down. Tough session but I worked really hard.

• Tue 2 5pm – Warm Up 1.3mi 12:47. Solo warm up for club session

Not too bad overall, but I need to start being a bit more focused about getting out on a Sunday, and maybe doing a couple of extra miles on a Wednesday.

Hoping for some good weather in March too.

Happy Running Folks!

NEHL 4 : Wrekenton xc 2010

Afternoon folks

I've just got time (between coming from and going back to work), to do my race report from yesterday cross country, and a quick catch up on how the training is going.

Saturday 13th

I had to dash back from work to get over to Wrekenton before the juniors started (which also meant I had to give the parkrun in Sunderland a miss), but managed to get there in time to set up shop with Simon and Alan at registration. We had very few entries on the day compared to previous meetings, so the day was a little more relaxed than normal.

Once the under 13s and under 15s results were sorted, there's a little bit of a gap as the senior mens race takes place. This gave me the opportunity to get changed into my xc gear and take a warm up jog over to the course.

Despite the sun trying to get out, the wind was still bitterly cold, but you do warm up once you get going. The course itself is an interesting one with a few hills (well one hill you have to go up and down a few times), and plenty of mud This is what cross country is all about!

I'd opted for my new fell shoes (so I could run back to HQ after the race to do the senior ladies results with Alan) and I was really pleased with how they performed. Very lightweight, the let the water and mud back out when I went plodging, and they were good on the hard ground too - very happy.

They did look like this:

and then like this once I'd finished

My leggings were in a much worse state than normal, but they're easier to clean

Anyways...the race...

I set off with the plan of just bimbling round at a steady pace and hoping not to drop right back down the field. I had an idea that I'd like to finish somewhere around 50th (which is what I did at Farringdon), so when I saw I was around the same position as Helen from Blyth after the first mile I was quite happy to try and stick with her for as long as possible. I seemed to do well on the muddy bits opting for the "plow straight through the middle" approach, and not too bad on the hills, but was losing ground on the flat as I slowed a bit to try and recover.

Lisa from Wallsend caught and overtook me about halfway round lap 2, I was pleased I'd lasted as long without dropping back too far, but I couldn't catch her or Helen as we came round to the final hill. A lady from Elvet caught me on the hill and sped off down the other side (maybe shes a fell runner or something 'cause she was bloody quick on the way back down) and I kind of bimble round to the finish in the not too bad time of 33:16. The last time I did it in 2008 I got round in 30:17, but to be fair I was a lot fitter and had a really good season that year.

I hung about for a few minutes to congratulate some people, then sped back off down to race hq with some results!

Talking of which - you can see all of the results on Sport softs race results page: here

Many grats to Kelly on 21st place - cracking running, and to Helen & Lisa (my main running vet's rivals ), and a big thank you to all of the marshals, officials and folks from Saltwell Harriers who made the day possible!

Thursday

Evil mastermind coach Jim set a fairly easy session by his standards (which makes me wonder if he was lulling us into a false sense of security for this weeks upcoming torture), of 8 x 500 - 50 walk, 50 jog recovery

I couldn't seem to get my pace correct for this one, so my times were all over the place, which is a shame cause I've been pretty good recently

2:07, 2:08, 2:09, 2:00, 2:10, 2:07, 2:07, 2:02

I've got no idea what happened with rep number 4 - must have had a sugar rush or something

Wednesday

Bimbled round the usual Wednesday Hebburn Tech >Victoria Road > York Avenue >Mill Lane route with Jim. It was really nice to set off when it was light outside for a change.

Tuesday

A new session devised by the resident evil genius (I'm getting visions of him sitting stroking a white fluffy cat here now in a Blofeld stylie)

I digress...where was I?

Oh yes evil genius

A new session on Leam Lane involving 6 x 1300m reps. It's tough enough doing 3 or 4 never mind 6, but I gave it a good shot and was pleasantly surprised that I managed ok and didn't collapse into a heap afterward.

times were: 5:29, 5:38, 5:47, 5:37, 5:47, 5:37

Pretty consistent after the first one where I tried (and failed) to keep up with Peter. A canny 10 second difference on the up hill vs downhill reps too.

So all in all not a bad weeks running. I missed my long run (again) today, but I had to work and something's got to keep me in race entry fees

Happy running folks!

Catch Up

Morning Campers

Thought y'all may be due an update, and as I'm loaded with cold I've got time off running to do one

Things have been going pretty well (other than the cold), now that Coach Jim seems to be back with a vengeance, but I'll get to that later. I've been really busy with work so I've missed a couple of the longer runs, especially on a weekend, but I don't think it'll do too much harm at this time of year. After the marathon in November the longest I've managed to get out and do in one go is 8 miles. It seems so short in comparison to the training runs I was doing in the run up to the race, but I'm trying just to get some of my speed back now, so I think I can sacrifice a couple of the much longer weekend runs.

The last couple of weeks have been good for my club sessions. I've been working pretty hard and I'm starting to see some results.

Tue 26 5pm Warm Up 1.8m - 15:00 8:20 min/mi 7.2mph
Tue 26 6pm New Road 3.73m - 26:20 7:04 min/mi 8.5mph

New road session was 4 x1500 (well, just slightly over 1500m). I was a little quick off the mark on the first one, as per usual, but the rest of the reps were spot on:

6:17, 6:41, 6:41, 6:41

Thu 28 6pm Track Session 2.98m - 21:16 7:08 min/mi 8.41mph

8x 600, 100 walk 100 jog recovery. Pretty consistent pace on each rep:
2:37, 2:38, 2:39, 2:42, 2:41, 2:40, 2:39, 2:40

Sat 30 9am Race 3.11 - 24:55 8:01 min/mi 7.49mph

Newcastle parkrun - was 2nd lady in the super slow time of 24:55 (mind you Lynn wasn't that far ahead of me either) - this was due to the 2.5" of snow we had to run through, but at least I got to test out my new fell shoes.

The rest of Saturday was taken up with the Town moor cross country. I decided not to run, but I was doing the ladies & junior girls results with Alan, so I was up there all day. This meant that all of my work from Saturday was shifted to Sunday so I missed my long run again.

Tue 2 5pm Warm Up 1.3m - 12:47 9:50 min/mi 6.1mph
Tue 2 6pm Hill Session 5.25m - 43:11 8:14 min/mi 7.29mph
Tue 2 7pm Warm Down 0.7m - 7:15 10:21 min/mi 5.7mph

Coach Jim's evil hill torture session. 10 x Springfield (Field Terrace & Kitchener Terrace). Hard up, hard along, easy down. This is a really tough session but I worked really hard (and was only lapped by Craig once ). I did look up my time from the last time we did this session, and was well happy - 44:03 down to 43:11.

Wed 3 6pm Wednesday Run 5m - 52:29 10:30 min/mi 5.72mph

I did a mile or so before meeting the guys & Helen at York Avenue, then pretty much as we set off it started to snow . I was knackered from the night before, so Alan & I did the shorter route (not that it took much arm twisting). As we made our way back to York Avenue the ground started to ice up and was too slippy to run on, so we were forced to walk. Not the best time in the world but at least I got out.

Thursday was a bit of a write off in terms of running - I woke up feeling a bit off (I thought it was after my trip to the hygienist, but now know it was cause I'm full of cold), so I wasn't gonna go down to the track. Jim texted me the session so I decided just to pop down and let folks know what it was. There was only Jimmy & Alan turned up (and Jimmy buggered off somewhere) which just left Alan. I decided just to go home.

So that's me up to date.

No parkrun for me this morning as I don't want to turn this cold into one of those things that lingers for weeks - I'm actually starting to listen to my own advice!

Happy running folks

January's back to fitness regime

Hi folks
It's great to be back out there running!
After over a month of sitting about on my behind watching telly and eating too much, I finally got myself into gear and went back to the running club. It wasn't that I had an injury, or had even lost my mojo, it was just a combination of work, icy bad weather, and the dark nights which kept me tucked up at night on the sofa, instead of being out there with my trainers on.

So, what better way to get back on track than to set a few goals for the year.

After my holiday in Malta (and the aftermath of my marathon training) I'd put on a few pounds, so the first thing on the list was to shed a few unwanted pounds of excess baggage. I'd somehow managed to get myself up to 10st 4lbs , so I've joined my namesake's (another Vicki Thompson) weight loss thread on the Runners World forums.

1st January : 10st 4lbs
8th January : 9st 13lbs
15th January: 9st 12lbs
22nd January: 9st 12lbs

Ok...so I know it isn't going very quickly, but at least it's heading in the right direction

Second on the list was basically a return to fitness.

Lest I end up with an arse the size of a planet I really needed to get out there. I started on the 12th (due to work etc) but I've managed to stick with it so far. I know that once I get going I'll be fit in no time.

Tue 12th
Warm up - 2m 20:00 10min/mile 6mph
Hill session 2.8m 20:00 7:09min/mile 8.4 mph
Pool session 0.37m 16:00 43:15min/mile 1.39 mph

Thu 14th
Warm up - 2m 17:00 8:30min/mile 7.06 mph
Track Session - 2.49m 18:03 7:15min/mile 8.28 mph (4 x 1000) 4:27, 4:58, 4:39, 4:39

Sat 16
Newcastle Parkrun 5k - 3.11m 23:23 7:31min/mile 7.98 mph

Mon 18
1hr of aerobics & circuits

Tue 19th
Warm up - 3.75m 35:00 9:20min/mile 6.43 mph
Jarrow & Hebburn 5k time trial - 3.11m 23:15 7:29min/mile 8.03 mph

Wed 20th
Short Wednesday run - 3.73m 31:00 8:19min/mile 7.22 mph

Sat 23rd
Sunderland Parkrun - 3.11m 23:13 7:28min/mile 8.04 mph

Sun 24th
Longish run - 8.5m 1:13:11 8:37min/mile 6.97mph

So not too shabby this week - 5k times seem to be heading in the right direction, though I still have another 2 minutes to knock off to get back on target.

Not sure if I'll be doing the Town Moor cross country, but I'll be there to do the results so I can see if I have time on the day - otherwise I may try and do the Parkrun in the morning, then just hang about for a couple of hours.

Happy running folks!

Happy 2010!

Hello Campers

A long, long, time ago (ok last week ) I was in Malta

Episode I : The Floating Menace

...otherwise known as snow. Our flight out there was delayed because of the white stuff. So what was supposed to be a get there for 7:30pm, became a 11:30pm arrival at the hotel. I'm not complaining too much though cause we could have been like the poor souls stuck in the Eurostar, how rubbish was that

Episode II: Attack of the Steps

OMG how hilly is Malta. We were staying in Valletta at the bottom of one of the steepest hills in the city (and there are lots). I had taken my running kit with the thoughts that I'd do at least 3 5ks in the 7 days, but after walking almost 6 miles up and down steps on the first day, both mine and the hubby's calves were aching. We retreated to the comfort of the indoor pool to try and recover.

Episode III: Revenge of the Hills

Unfortunately to go anywhere we had to walk up the hill to get to the main bus terminal. So I'm counting every day of the holiday as a hill session (I'm sure coach Jim won't mind )

Episode IV: A New Hope

The one ray of light in the running aspect of being away was the fantastic gym facilities at the hotel we were staying in. Before a great day out sightseeing and eating some of the great food out there, I could nip downstairs and have a bit of a swim.

So for my only proper session for the week I thought I'd pop my triathlon training cherry and give all three disciplines a go on one day albeit in the gym and back to front.

Run: 5k : 21:20 (treadmill)
Bike: 5k : 13:40 (exercise bike)
Swim: bimbling round in the pool afterwards

The outdoor pool looked lovely, but I was advised by the gym staff that I'd be mad to go in there, as it was quote 'freezing'. Being that I'm a hard diver lass who has been in the North Sea in November in a semi-dry, I thought that an outdoor pool in 24 degrees was no challenge. The outdoor pool was bigger too so I thought I could do some laps and get some proper swimming in.

Wrong wrong wrong.

I stuck my foot in and it seemed ok, then sat down on the edge, bracing myself for the initial omg this is cold factor. Then jumped in.

It was sodding freezing.

I was madly waving my arms and legs trying to warm up (with little effect) but I didn't want to lose face, so I stayed in for a good 10 mins, climbed out, and calmly walked in and got into the indoor pool .

Episode V: The Airline Strikes Back

We had checked out on the last day, and were killing time sitting in a café in Sliema. Hubby was checking the flight times on his phone when the worst thing that could have happened did - they canceled our flight. We had no point of contact with Easyjet, or a number to ring, so we got straight in a taxi and went over to the airport. After some discussion with one of the staff there (we were the first to arrive) it turned out that they had no staff for the flight so they had changed it to the next day. Folks started turning up expecting to fly, but of course there was no plane coming from Newcastle to pick us up.

Fair play to Easyjet though, once everyone arrived they shipped us off to a 5 star hotel, with dinner, brekkie and lunch before our return flight the next day!

Episode VI: Return of the Geordie (I like that one hehe)

Second attempt at getting back to Newcastle was also hampered by the weather. I knew there was something wrong when we flew past the Metrocentre twice. After the two attempts at landing at Newcastle the pilot came on and said there was a problem. It was a great relief when it was only hailstones on the runway (and not that something had fallen off the plane or engine failure etc) but we were low on fuel so we were landing at Glasgow

We did land ok, refueled then got back in not much more than my 5k time - a little over 25mins

Yay!

Anyways - apologies for the epic tale - will be back on this afternoon with my Resolution Run report assuming it's still on with the inch and a half of snow out there!