From Start to Finish

Not Waned Yet!

2008-11-05T21:40:00.003Z

Phil and I stuck with it and ran another 3 miles yesterday and today.

Yesterday my head didn't feel the best after being sat in a stuffy office for 9 hours so I honestly didn't think I was up for running, but once I got out in the fresh air my head was clear in no time.

We did the same run as the previous day; running to the local park, running two laps of it and then back home again.

I was a bit slower than the day before as I was a bit breathless so I tried cadence breathing, as I had never tried it before, breathing in for three steps and breathing out for two. I found it helpedmy breathing quite a bit so I was actually able to run the last part of the route faster and even overtook Phil! I don't think he minded though as I think he was just happy to see me putting in the effort he knows I am well capable of.

He gets frustrated with me at times as he is faster than I am so he is never running to his full potential, and also he also knows that when I think too much, thinking negative thoughts, I am not running to my full potential. I am determined to prove to myself and to him though that I can get those thoughts out of my head and just run and dig deeper as and when I need to.

Time 27:26

Pace 9.08

Today I didn't want to run as my legs were feeling a bit lethargic, and Phil was the same too, but we were already changed and had parked the car so all we needed to do was to drag ourselves to our starting point and so we did.

We did the same run again; to the park, two laps and back.

My legs eased up pretty quickly and I was doing cadence breathing again so I was able to speed up towards to end as I had done yesterday, in which case I will most definitely be continuing with the cadence breathing!

Not only does the cadence breathing help my breathing, but I think it distracts me too while I am counting my steps.

Time 28:10

Pace 9.23

We are back out again for ANOTHER three miles tomorrow and then maybe a day off on Friday.

Or not.

Consistency is the key!

More Three Milers

2008-11-03T20:38:00.007Z

Since my last post Phil & I got a new mattress so our intentions of running on Saturday morning went right out the window. We were practically comatosed so we didn't wake up until midday. By that point we then had to go out and after that it was pretty much a lost cause.

So that was Saturday.

Sunday, however, we set the alarm, got up, got dressed and got out of the door before we could find an excuse not to.

We went for a 3 mile run again. We ran the long way to the local park, ran a lap and half, and ran back home.

Time 27:04

Pace 9.01

It felt good running in the park again. Especially at this time of year as it is very picturesque and the air is crisp. My favourite running weather.

We went back again for today's run. Another 3 miles. We ran the shorter route there, ran two laps and back home.

Time 26:51

Pace 8.57

I felt like I put in the effort on both runs. I have lost a lot of my fitness so both runs felt tough. Tough on my lungs though, not my legs.

It's pretty frustrating as I know how much I am capable of but it feels good to get back out there.

We just have to stick with it and not get side tracked.

Consistency is the key!

Tonights Run

2008-10-29T22:17:00.007Z

Tonight Phil and I eased ourselves back in with a 3 mile run.

I know it's not a lot but we have been lazy so we have to start somewhere and I would rather run a half decent 3 miler and feel a bit good about myself than a snails pace 6 miler and feel crap about myself.

It's all in the mind. Or it's all in my mind anyway.

We did one of my favourite 3 miles routes. I call it the "Three Stager". I call it this because I break it into 3 stages; the first stage is about a mile and a half of inclines, the second stage is about half a mile on a straight road with a slight incline, and the third stage is an easy mile... ALL DOWN HILL.

I like the "Three Stager" as it works well with my mind over matter state. The first stage being the tougher of the three and then it's easy peasy from there onwards.

Time 27:36

Pace 9.12

The plan is to run the Three Stager for the rest of the week and then get started on a training programme from Monday in order to give us some structure.

We're hoping to run Belfast again so that gives us a good six months to get fit and get good.

I must say, I am glad to be back.

I'm Back!

2008-10-29T21:17:00.003Z

Bless me Father for I have sinned.... it's been almost 2 years since my last post.

I last posted in December 2006 after I ran the Dublin Port Tunnel 10k. Since then I have ran 5 more races including the Belfast City Marathon 2008 and the Liverpool Half Marathon 2008 (which is my all time favourite race).

The first of these two was the Liverpool Half Marathon, or "The Long And Winding Road" as they call it. This is my all time favourite race for two reasons; it's held in my home town and my fiance and I/ my running partner ran a good time, which felt deserved after working hard.

It was also on the day after my birthday.

The Belfast City Marathon was another good race but to be honest we had let our training slip since Liverpool so our time wasn't as good as it could have been. If we had of kept to schedule we could have ran a sub 4 hour marathon, but we didn't and so we only ran a 4:08.

I blame myself for this to be honest as I probably had a sub 4 hour in me but I have a habit of putting mind over matter and not believing in myself. Phil, on the other hand, just puts one foot in front of the other and runs.

Anyway, I won't dwell on what could have been. It was a tough race to be fair.

Since Belfast , due to sheer laziness, we haven't ran any other races, and since we had no races to aim for, no races to motivate us, our running has suffered greatly.

So here I am, back again to run and back again to Blog.

My aim, a sub 4 hour marathon. So here goes!

Port Tunnel 10K

2006-12-13T14:13:00.000Z

Last Sunday I ran ran my first race since running the marathon. I ran the Dublin Port Tunnel 10k & I loved it!

It was much different to other races I have participated in (all 2 of them. Ha) as this race was in a tunnel.... and what an experience!

Phil & I entered as this was most likely the only time a race through that tunnel will occur. I had heard of other people running/ walking through the Mersey Tunnel before that opened in my home town many many years ago & thought I would quite like to be able to tell my story years from now too. Something to tell the Grand kids I thought! Plus, as an added bonus I also wanted another medal :o)
However, the closer it came to race day, the less excited about it I was. I started to think logically...... how cold would I be standing around for an hour at the starting line in mid December....... how hot would the tunnel be...... would there be ventilation....... would there be loads of walkers lined up near the front getting in the way??? The more I thought the less I wanted to do it, but at the end of the day I thought well I'd have just wasted €25 & the chance for someone else to do it that couldn't get a place, so Phil & I reluctantly set off On Sunday morning to run the race.

We parked by Fair view Park & walked up towards the tunnel, arriving at about 10am. The race was not due to start until 11am but the organisers had stated that for health & safety reasons the starting line would be closed at 10.15am. By time we got there there was already about 5 or 6 thousand there, but they were all quite spaced out so Phil & I were able to get up to about half way of the queue for the start. Everyone soon started to pack in though.
Standing around for an hour wasn't much fun as the weather was Ireland's finest but with everyone packed in tightly we were sheltered from the wind. The commentator cheered up the winter morning too by starting a Mexican wave from the back of the queue to the front.

Soon enough though it was 11am, the starting pistol was fired & we were off. There was a bit of a shuffle to begin with but everyone seems to find their pace quick enough & spread out. It took us a little over 2 minutes to reach the starting line which was good going for 10,000 runners/ walkers all heading for a tunnel.

Once inside the tunnel it was a whole new experience.

I quickly realised the echoed sound of feet stamping down on the ground. It sounded an army of soldiers marching I thought. Everyone else seemed to notice the echo too as then came the cheers & the chants that travelled the lenghtof the tunnel. One guy started an Oggy Oggy Oggy chant which was a lot of fun as everyone was joining in. Everyone seemed to be really enjoying the experience & the novelty of it.

But not for too much longer.......

Phil & I started pretty much at the top of the hill so we didn't have a big incline to welcome us into the race, (unfortunately for the runners & walkers further back in the queue to start, they were staring at that hill until 11am when they then had to climb it) so had a fairly easy start. As did a few others as there were hoards of people sprinting past Phil & I & we had to be careful not to get too caught up in it ourselves as we knew that what goes down...... must go up!

No sooner had the tunnel declined when we were faced with an incline for the second half of the Northbound tunnel. This is when we all started to sweat & fight for fresh air. Not that we were out of breath from our level of fitness, but out of breath as there was simply no air inside the tunnel. The time seemed to drag too & even more so when I noticed a window into the other tunnel & caught sight of runners on their way back to the finish!

After what seemed like forever we eventually seen the light at the end of the tunnel & everyone let out a cheer. We all stepped out into the open air & opened our lungs to the fresh winter air. Only for a minute though as we were soon on our way back through the other tunnel.
Still warm from the first tunnel, layers were discarded (2 from myself) & the sweat was dripping off everybody. It was like a sauna! Some fella even collapsed & so an ambulance was rushed through for him.

After half of tunnel running down hill we were nearer to the finish but not before one last hill. Now I don't know if I was just far too hot by this point or if the hill was actually bigger but it very nearly finished me off. Phil however must have sucked up the only bit of air left between all 10,000 of us & was off like a shot. I reluctantly followed. It was worth it though as soon enough we saw another light at the end of another tunnel & then the finish line.... in 58 minutes, 28 seconds (less the 2 minutes 11 seconds to start).

As you can probably tell from my somewhat dramatic entry today, it was a toughie & I don't think I will be running through any more tunnels anytime soon, but with the atmosphere of the runners & a good run in general, I was very pleased that we stuck with the race after all.
I really enjoyed being part of that secret world of runners again AND I got another medal too to add to my now mini collection :o)

Speeding it up

2006-12-08T08:29:00.000Z

The last time I updated my blog I said Phil & I were starting our marathon training by the end of November, well that was the plan at least. Unfortunately we have been a little lazy as we are still only running for fun at the moment.

We have kept our runs short & sporadic, although lately we have began to pick our lazy butts off the couch & pick up the pace a bit more. We have started training at a 9 minute mile.
Now I don't know how this is going to fair out to be honest as I am still quite new to running having only took it up last January, but if I want to beat my Dublin Marathon time then I do need to step it up a notch.
I am not saying that I will run Edinburgh 9 minutes per every mile (I would have to be Superman to knock nearly an hour off my time), but I am hoping that if I train at that pace & run as many miles as I can at that pace, then if, during the marathon, I need to slow down, stretch, tie my shoe laces or pee, then I know I will have saved time for myself.
That is one thing Phil & I never took into consideration with Dublin you see. We trained at a 10 minute mile every step of the way. We figured if we kept to it then we'd get in at 4:20 though realistically we assumed 4:30........ 20 minutes later we eventually crossed the finish line.

Though our training runs went as high as 21 miles, we always kept to our pace & finished at approximately the time we estimated. But what we never did on the training runs was keep the time going if a) we needed to pee, b) we got stopped at traffic lights & c) if we needed to stretch. (I know there are no traffic lights to worry about when running a marathon but during long runs they do come in useful if you need to stretch or take a breather). We assumed as we were not moving forward then neither should the time. I have now learned this is not the case & when training for a marathon, or any race, I should now always make time for any possible eventualities.
Our first marathon taught us a lot actually. There are many factors that I have taken into account that I will need to consider in my next marathon. I think that is what your first marathon is all about though. It is a learning curve. You learn about the type of marathon runner you are & what training is required.
And above all else, it's a marathon to enjoy.

With all this in mind we are now ready to start our training. We have a training plan that we are 99% certain we are going to train by.

But before that Phil & I are having a bit of fun this Sunday running the Port Tunnel 10k in Dublin.
I say fun as there will be 10,000 running/ walking through a tunnel so I can not imagine the pace being very fast. That is ok by me though as I just want to enjoy the experience of it & soak up the atmosphere around me. I will let you know how it goes anyway!

Liam, we might see you there though it will be like looking for a needle in a hay stack! We are bib numbers 2112 & 2111 just in case you can spot us.

Is it time for a name change?!

2006-11-14T12:39:00.000Z

As of yesterday, Phil & I are now entrants into the Edinburgh Marathon 2007.
(I did tell you we caught the marathon bug & even 2 weeks after our first Marathon I still believe it).

We chose Edinburgh for a few reasons:

Although we want to run Dublin next year, we can't wait a whole 12 months so decided on another marathon in between.
As tempting as the Paris Marathon is, we are only new to marathon running & decided we would feel more at home running in either the UK or Ireland.
Neither of us have been there before

The marathon is on 27th May so we better get cracking the whip if we want to shave a good chunk of time from our first marathon.

Both of us are back running this evening, though we did run separately on Saturday. Our first run for both of us since running 26.2 2 weeks & 1 day ago.

I ran with my friend Heidi who has gotten into running in the gym & wanted a chance to run outdoors (she won't run outdoors on her own) so we went to the Phoenix Park for a leisurely 3 miles. To be honest, I expected after a week and a half off that I would have lost all the fitness I had & not even be able to run 3 minutes, let alone miles (I don't know why I thought this because it's a bit out there as far as thoughts go), but to my surprise, I ran with no problems at all. My legs were surprisingly supple & my lungs weren't like my Granddad's after all. Overall, it wasn't as scary as I had been telling myself. I felt great afterwards too AND I am now even more looking forward to training for & conquering my next marathon.

Now I know I said Phil & I are training tonight, but that is not part of our marathon training. For the next 2 weeks, training will be casual & then from then up until May 27th, we'll be working hard, and harder than ever. We will be training from a schedule to suit our expectations, though for now that is still under construction. I will, however, post our schedule when it is complete as I would welcome any hints or tips that you may want to suggest.

Wish us luck on our new marathon journey!

Ps.... with the Dublin City Marathon 2006 over now.... do I need a blog name change?!

We Did It!!!

2006-11-06T07:24:00.001Z

Sitting here in work it is hard to believe that this time last week I was a nervous wreck, about to run my first marathon... and what is even harder to believe is that I did it. I ran the Dublin City Marathon 2006!

As most of you know from reading my blog it all started with a 2 mile run on the treadmill. A 2 mile run that took me half an hour. A 2 mile run that has changed my life.

From starting as non-runners, Phil & I put in a lot of hard work this summer. We spent countless evenings after work & countless weekends, in the Phoenix Park, running in rain, hale or shine, increasing our miles as the weeks wore on, and realising as these weeks passed, just how determined & motivated we had come to be. We went through highs & lows, feeling excited & proud following some runs, to feeling disappointed after others. There were times when I doubted myself. I doubted my fitness, my motivation & my belief in myself. I doubted if I could actually complete the goal that I had set for myself, but on this day last week, after 4 hours, 50 minutes & 43 seconds of running, all that doubt was washed away & all the hard work payed off when Phil & I, hand in hand, crossed the finish line.

Here is the full story.......

Monday, 30th October 2006. I awoke at 5.45am by the sound of the 3 alarms that I had set. With everyone in bed (my parents & my flat mates) I crept out of bed to change into the running clothes I had layed out ready the night before & headed to the kitchen for a breakfast of porridge & banana.
Many times on a long training run I have started my day with porridge & banana as I find it is the best fuel for me but for some reason I had decided to try a new porridge that I had never tasted up until that morning.
Big mistake! The porridge was foul.
I added my banana in some hope it would help but unfortunately the porridge could not be saved & after a few mouth fulls & a lot of retching, it had to be binned. Not to worry, Phil told me he had our usual porridge at his apartment so I headed over there for breakfast. To be honest though, I still found myself retching when trying to eat the good porridge. I was that nervous!

Back at my apartment Phil & I were kitted up & ready to go, so along with my parents, we headed to the starting line. Once there the nerves had gotten to our bladders, and to everyone else's so it seemed judging by the toilet queue in Burger King. Phil even had to go again down the lane by Lillies & by time we were lined up & waiting for the gun we both needed to go again!
I'm not surprised though, we were both about to face the moment of truth. After 4 months of consistent training the time had arrived to put our training to the test. As we waited for the gun to fire Phil told me to look ahead of us & behind us. As I am only small I had to jump to look but when I did I just saw masses & masses of runners in both directions. I just thought "this is huge & I am part of it!"

Eventually, after what seemed like hours rather than minutes, the starting pistol was fired & after 7 minutes of shuffling our way to the starting line, our feet crossed over the mats & our heads under the balloons. We were off.

Only a minute over the starting line we passed my Mum, Dad & best friend. They were the first of my friends & family that I seen & would see until mile 11. It was great to see them as all 3 of them seemed to be beaming with pride that I had the motivation to even start a marathon. I hoped I would see them 26 miles later with the same smiles.

For the first 3 miles we somehow managed to lose 4 minutes off our time. This was not from waiting to cross the line as we had started our watch when we crossed it. Instead we could only guess that we were being overly cautious not to get caught up with the faster runners & burn out too soon. For the next 7 miles or so we did try to make our time back up but after every mile we were still the same 4 minutes behind.

Up until mile 11, apart from the missing 4 minutes, our running was great. We felt good & we were still soaking up the atmosphere around us. We'd encountered people in fancy dress & even a woman who's T-shirt told us she was almost 71! We also passed by my friends that refueled us with energy drinks & mini Mars bars & one of them even ran along side us for a minute or 2.
But from then for the next 4 miles, things went horribly wrong for me.

After having a Mars bar stuffed into my mouth I began to feel sick. I had already taken 2 gels on board & since waking that morning I had drank approximately 4 energy drinks. My body did not seem to be processing the sugar too well. I felt like I was about to vomit. On top of this we were running up the Crumlin Road while the wind was running down it. I told Phil of how I felt & he spurned me on as much as he could but then I reached a point where I felt so sick & disappointed in myself that I began to doubt myself & whether I would or could continue on for another 13 plus miles.
Eventually, after having to stop to retie my shoe laces as my feet had swelled, Phil started to get frustrated with me & was running on ahead. I had been feeling this way for 2 miles & had made it known to Phil so much that I was probably just complaining. I told myself that if I did not either buck up or shut up, I would be running this marathon alone, if at all.

For the next 2 miles I kept my head down & my mouth shut until we reached a water station & mile marker 15. I hadn't looked at a mile marker since I started to feel sick, but the minute I looked up & saw "15" I knew I could & would make it. I even remember looking around at the runners along side me & thinking "some of you might never have even run this far before, but you're doing it & if you can do it, then so can I."
After that there was not a doubt in my mind that I would cross the finish line & even though my legs & feet were feeling the increasing miles behind me, I felt great & I was loving every minute of it.

By mile 18 we saw Phil's sister & her children which really gave Phil the boost he needed at that point as he had began to tire. We were soon to also reach our friend from work. We wanted to be in good form when we saw her, and as we were also at an incline, we decided to walk for a few minutes. This really helped us. My feet were feeling the effects from the constant pounding on the road. It was strange though as the rest of me felt great. I wasn't out of breath or feeling fatigued. I just had sore legs & feet. If I could have taken off my legs & changed them for a fresh pair I'd have finished a lot quicker than I did.

At mile 21 I looked at Phil & looked up at the mile marker. He had not seen this as I had & as we ran past it I was delighted to tell him that we had just run the furthest we had ever run. We had 5 miles to go. Nearly finished.

The highlight of the run for me came a few miles after that when we reached mile 24. My parents were waiting for us at the corner of Merrion Road & Shelbourne Road. Just before we approached them we decided to stretch a little as our legs were quite stiff & I wanted to appear in good form for them, even though I was absolutely shattered.
Coming up to the corner where I knew they would be my eyes were wide open ready to spot them. For the past few miles I had thought of nothing but seeing them & I had to fight the tears back. I saw my dad first & started to wave my arms erratically above my head. He caught sight of me & I saw the joy on his face. It was probably just as much from the heat of the sun as it was seeing his daughter at mile 24 of a marathon, but whatever the reason, his face shone. I saw my Mum a split second after I seen my Dad but by that point my eyes were clouded over with tears & I ran as fast as I could to hug them. You'd have thought I hadn't seen them in years, rather than hours. They both looked so proud & it made me feel very special.

After a quick hug & a few tears shed Phil & I said our goodbyes & made our way along the final 2 miles towards the finish line.

Shortly after seeing my parents we saw Phil's nephew just before mile 25. He started to run along with us for a few minutes & I could see the smile spreading on Phil's face by the second. I knew he would get emotional by the last mile but I didn't realise how much until we turned the corner just at mile 25, and he saw his entire family screaming & cheering him on. We passed them on Westland Row & by time we were at Pearse Street Phil had gotten so emotional that he was losing his breath. The tears in his eyes were contagious & I had to stop myself from crying too soon. "There's plenty of that for mile 26.2" I thought.

At mile 26 my friends seemed to appear from nowhere to cheer us on. They were clapping & shouting as we ran passed them.
We rounded the corner & then all of a sudden, there it was. The finish line.
I took Phil by the hand & running past a loud cheer from Phil's father we ran toward & across the finish line.
All of a sudden every emotion I had in my body for the past 26.2 miles, every tear, every smile, all just came flooding out of me. I cried so hard I could barely breathe & had to stop to catch my breath.
We had done it. Every early morning run, every cramp, my sore knees, my sore feet, my sore hips, it was all worth it for that single moment when we crossed the finish line. It was the best feeling I have honestly ever felt in my life. I was overwhelmed & mostly, I was proud of Phil & I was proud of myself.

The rest is how you know it from there. We collected our medals & had our photograph taken & went over to the pub for a well deserved pint!!

The 30th October 2006 was the best day of my life. I was astounded as to how I felt & I will not be giving that feeling up for a long time.
Phil & I are already planning our next marathon.
I guess you could say we have the bug now, but not just from running, but also from the rewards that running has brought us.

Listen to me, I'm sounding very cheesy now & I've gotten myself all emotional just recalling it all.
I will be going for now, but you will be hearing from me again.

4 days, 23 hours & counting......................

2006-10-25T10:09:00.000+01:00

At this moment that I am looking at the countdown on the Dublin City Marathon website there are 4 days, 23 hours, 55 minutes & 30 seconds until crunch time. I am sh***ing myself (pardon my language).

This past week I've found myself going through a roller coaster of feelings........
Monday on a training run of just 3 miles I felt exhausted. Whats that about?! Is my mind playing tricks on me. Does it know that since I've been tapering I feel more like a couch potato than an wannabe athlete?!
Tuesday I was having an organizing day. I printed up the map to mark up where our friends will be & if they can get to the finish line in time & I got more sponsors yesterday too (which I've been very lazy with unfortunately). I was fairly relaxed about it all to be honest.
Today my emotions are rolling around, crashing into each other & creating a pile up..... I just do not know what to feel today?! One minute I stop & think "what the hell am I doing? Am i insane?!", the next I'm imaging how I will feel to cross the finish line, to feel how all the hard work has paid off & to see the smile on my proud parents faces. I feel like crying just thinking about it.
I actually think I am losing my marbles this week.

I do look forward to Monday. Whatever happens, good or bad, I'm positive it will prove to be a very eventful day & one in which I will never forget.

This may be my last Blog entry before the big day as my parents are over on Saturday & so I will be a very busy woman. Before I sign off I have to do an Oscar style speech to say a big thank you to Phil. He was the one that got me into this & has supported me all the way. During our long runs there were many times I wanted to stop & give it all up but he just would not let me & for that I am very grateful.
I look forward to running 26.2 miles with you Phil. Thank you for being my mentor, my training partner, my friend & over all, a brilliant boyfriend :o)

Good Luck for Monday everyone! 4 days, 23 hours, 42 minutes, 52 seconds & counting............

Tapering

2006-10-19T07:56:00.000+01:00

Once again I'm a little slack with the updates unfortunately. I suppose I don't know quite what to say.
It's that time of year that alot of you would have gone through many times before.... taper time. For me though, running my first marathon, this is a strange time & I don't quite know what to make of it.
Take last Saturday for example. Phil & I did an 11 mile run as our long run. I feel almost ashamed to admit that after our 21, 18, 16 ect of previous weeks. We spent so long with a goal in mind every week & to complete that goal was always an amazing feeling. I would even tell friends & family (or anyone that would listen) what my target was for that weekend as it would be a way to prevent me from backing out or running less miles. I could only feel proud of myself if I could say with honesty after my run, that I had achieved my goal that week.
Now that it's time to taper, time to decrease all these miles, putting less & less in as the weeks go by instead of more & more, I don't feel so proud of myself anymore. I know I'm running by the book but I feel lazy. This I have discovered is a very confusing time. I do know that I am not alone though. I know there are many runners out there that feel the same, as does Phil, but I just can't seem to shake the feeling.
After the 21 miler I was was really excited about the big day. The feelings I had were indescribable & I could only imagine how magnified those feelings will be when I cross the finish line, but now my excitement has changed. Instead of wanting that feeling of accomplishment again, I just want to get back out on the road & run those miles again. I want to work hard & make myself feel proud & a lot less lazy.
Oh well, only 11 days to go until I can do that. Roll on the 30th!

Happy 21st!

2006-10-09T08:49:00.000+01:00

No, unfortunately it is not my birthday & nor am I 21..... my Blog title is of course referring to my final long training run of 21 miles.......

The run happened yesterday, though as you know, Phil & I prefer to schedule our long training runs for Saturdays, for the obvious reason that we then get Sunday off. However, this did not go to plan as Phil got sick. I'll explain.......

Monday we were scheduled for a training run (we are still doing our midweek runs but I bore myself writing about them now as they do not really differ from each other too much) but Phil had gotten an abscess on one of his back teeth & was feeling very worse for wear, even more so the day later, so we chose the sensible option of rest.
Come Wednesday I was eager to get back out after a lazy 3 days (including our day off on Sunday), I missed running & felt like a couch potato. Phil was feeling much better as his anti- biotics had kicked in so we were back into training for the week, most of which was in the rain (a bit silly I know seeing as Phil wasn't well as it was).

Come Saturday we should have been well prepared for our big run but unfortunately & very unlike us, we were most certainly not. We had forgotten to buy gel packs, glucose sweets & still hadn't invested in a much needed gel belt. As well as that, Phil's good running shorts were still wet from running in the rain so he was left with heavy football shorts to wear.
We knew the night before how unprepared we were but decided to head out anyway. So Phil awoke at 5.30am Saturday morning to make breakfast for the both of us & then the plan was to sleep for a hour or so before getting up to start our run.
A good few hours later we woke up.

Having overslept we were quite disappointed with ourselves. Had we of gotten out on time we'd have nearly been finished rather than just starting. Such a daunting feeling to have before a 21 mile run so you can forgive us for only barely having the motivation to get out of bed & onto the road. Plus Phil was back to feeling unwell again so we really did have to push ourselves out of the door.
We reached the park (the start of the last 21 miles of the marathon course) & braving the wind & the chilly air, we started our run. About 2 miles into our run we knew we should have stayed in bed. Phil was sick, obviously still not recovered from his abscess & training runs in the rain, and I had a sore right foot that pained me to run on. We walked for a short while to see if we could compose ourselves but it was impossible. We quit right there & then & prayed that a day of rest would have us recovered enough to attempt our final long run the next day.

Good decision.

Come Sunday we decided on a sensible time to run to enable us to catch up on as much sleep as possible. We so desperately wanted to succeed, we wanted to complete the 21 miles we had planned to run & have our tapering to look forward to afterwards.
Thankfully we felt great & headed off to the park for the second time that weekend. We were better prepared with gel, sweets & a gel belt so we both felt good.

Starting off I was still feeling the pain in my right foot that I had done the previous day. I was a little worried about it as it was causing my foot to smack down onto the road. My leg felt like stone. Phil suggested I loosen my laces which I did & it actually did help a little but I was still in a fair bit of pain. Phil & I got talking which took my mind off it a little & after about 4 or 5 miles, it finally warmed up & the pain went. Thank God for that.

That was it from then on out. We felt great, Phil was no longer feeling sick & my foot was no longer sore & we were both out of the boring park & into some new territory.

Come 6 miles into our run I felt brilliant. We were running at our usual pace (10 minute mile) & it felt good running the course. I could imagine the streets lined with spectators, cheering us on & making us feel like proper athletes for that one day.
I pretty much felt this way up until mile 15 when I started to suffer from a slight error I made back on mile 13. We had stopped at the shop at mile 13 to refuel. We got drinks & a chocolate bar each for extra energy but I made the grave mistake of eating a Snickers bar, and scoffing it down at that. At mile 15 I felt sick! The nuts kept repeating on me & I couldn't even rehydrate at this point for fear that a drink would just make me throw up. We eventually stopped to walk for a couple of minutes as I had gotten a stitch on top of wanting to throw up.
This seemed to work & I no longer felt sick, but then I started to get a little panicked & I was worried I would have a panic attack, as they seem to have become a trend for me at some point between mile 13 - 16. "I am not letting a panic attack get the better of me today" I thought & I started to take deep breaths in through my nose & out through my mouth until it had passed. From there on out there was no stopping me. I knew how far we had come & I knew there was not long to go. I was going to complete 21 miles.

During the course I did wonder if Phil was playing tricks on me as he usually does & had lied about what mile we started at what mile were were on every time I had asked him, but not wanting to get my hopes up that our actual finishing line may be closer than he had told me, I put this thought out of my mind. Especially when he gave me an update at one stage telling me were 15 minutes behind target. I could well believe that & I did.
Nearing the end, coming up to mile 19 I knew there wasn't far to go, just 2 more miles, and so I pushed myself as hard as I could. The short gap there had been between Phil & I became non existent. I felt like I was carrying a fridge as I was running, but never the less, I felt surprisingly good.
Soon enough we reached Westland Row, there was only a mile left. Though seeing as this final mile was running through the crowds in town I wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of running it but what has to be done has to be done. Then out of nowhere Phil stopped in his tracks & pulled my arm to stop me too. It didn't register what was happening until he put his arms around me to give me a great big hug & told me we had just ran 21 miles. He had tricked me after all. I was delighted & extremely proud of both myself & him. We had just run 21 miles!
What's more is at the time that I was running my strongest of the whole second half of the run, I was actually at the 20 mile mark! Not only had I managed to not hit the wall, but I had managed to run through it with strength leaving a big Sarah sized hole through the middle.
We had done it & only a little behind target at 3 hours 34 minutes (not 15 minutes behind target as Phil has fibbed to me about).

Now, with sore legs & heavy eyes, I still feel as proud as I did yesterday. My longest run to date was by far one of my favourite runs & to my surprise, much easier than last weeks 18 miler.
With only 5 miles to add I know without a doubt I will complete the marathon & I look forward to it. I look forward to feeling special when my family & friends are cheering me on, I look forward to crossing the finish line & feeling all my hard work has paid off, but for now, I will look forward to the taper.

Why am I doing this?..............

2006-10-02T07:15:00.000+01:00

Phil & I got clocked up another 2 miles on Saturday making it an 18 mile run & wow was it hard!

Saturday morning we awoke at 8.30am for breakfast & then went back to sleep for a couple of hours while we let it digest a little. By time we awoke for the second time & made a move it was pouring outside & continued to do so until we reached the park. Now, I've said before, I do love to run in the rain, but not for 18 miles. I think that's just crazy. We had our rain coats with us anyway so we just hoped for the best & braved the day.

For our 18 miles we chose to do the Half Marathon course plus an extra 5 mile lap. We knew the course as we had done it last week, but I was worried about that extra lap. Would I be able to face those hills a third time round?!

We set off down Chesterfield Avenue and had soon made our way up onto the North Road. I was feeling good but I couldn't help feel like there was something different this week, something missing, and then it dawned on me, I was missing the crowds. Not just the crowds of spectators but crowds of runners. I enjoyed it so much the week before, the atmosphere, the feeling of running with 3399 fellow runners from my new secret world, that I was dreading running 18 miles, just Phil & myself (no offense to Phil, he did say he felt somewhat the same).
Though I pushed that thought as far back to my mind as I could. I could NOT start an 18 mile with negative thoughts!

For the first 12 miles or so we were on target for our 10 minute mile pace & then I don't know what happened but my body started to give up, or maybe it was mind that was giving up. Phil kept his pace, where as I lost mine & soon ended up further & further behind. I hated it. I couldn't believe we had another lap to go & I would have to go it alone, behind Phil. I just wanted to cry. What the hell was wrong with me?!

By mile 13.5 I eventually reached the car for the third & final time. Phil was already there stretching & re hydrating. I was in a mood with him for running off, though mostly in a mood with myself. I also re hydrated & stretched & we set off again for our final lap.

Phil kept with me for a while & then again I lost my pace & he ended up ahead of me. I couldn't do it alone anymore & shouted for him to wait. He did & we continued on together. He did run ahead of me again for a very short time but by about mile 15 he was feeling as knackered as me so we kept to the same pace for the rest of the run.

Our finish line was the Ordnance Survey Road, the same finish line as the week before, and the moment it was in sight I was delighted. I musted up what energy I had left to power my legs forward to the end. We did it. We reached 18 miles.

We had run our 18 miler in 3 hours & 10 minutes, which although is 10 minutes over target, & was just delighted that I had actually finished it. It was by far the hardest run I've ever ran & during it I did question myself a lot.... Why am I doing this? Why would anyone want to run 18 miles with no reward? Is all the hard work, the sore feet & the swollen knee's really worth it? But now that I'm feeling much more refreshed than I was feeling while contemplating these thoughts, I realise that of course it's worth it. I want to feel what I feel after every long run, proud of myself for what I have just accomplished.

I do think this is the hardest goal I have ever set out to achieve in my life, but I am hoping that the second I cross that finish line later this month, it will be the most rewarding goal.

My First Race

2006-09-29T07:26:00.000+01:00

Its a long time since I updated. You might have thought id given up writing my blog entries or even given up running... not a chance, Ive not had time to blog but I have had time to run.

My sister & brother in law have just gone home after a week long visit to see me with their 3 children & as everyone with children will know, it's hard to find time to do much except entertain the little darlings. I loved every minute of it though & although it was a hectic week it was sad to see them all leave. That's the price I have to pay though for living away i guess.
Meg is 6, Lewis is 2 & Aimèe is 1 so they all have their little personalities. Meg is as bright as a button & very caring toward her younger siblings. Sometimes it's hard to believe she's only 6 as she is so mature & helps her Mum with the little ones. Lewis is a typical 2 years old boy but only in the sense that he is always on the go & getting into mischief, as strangely enough he also has a girly side to him in that he likes to dress up in his big sisters clothes & play with Barbie dolls. I even bought him one on his visit as that was his chosen toy. Aimèe is only 1 so is not walking or talking yet but she too has her own character. She is very calm & laid back & to be honest, you forget she's there sometimes.
It was a great week, filled with trips to the zoo, bowling & kids play area's, my sister & her husband also got to have a couple of nights out on the town while I was more than willing to babysit.
Regardless of a busy week Phil & I still managed to get out for our runs, weekly & long, although the weekly runs felt like I hadn't even done them as where they would usuallyhighlight my day, they were overshadowed by my fun with the children. Our long run however, was the hightlight of my Saturday. We ran the Dublin Half Marathon

Now I won't bore you/ myself with all the details as I have already written a full blog entry about it & somehow managed to lose it! (i was actually going to quit my blog altogether after that but Phil persuaded me otherwise)

The day of the race Phil & I were up before anyone in the apartment (even before Aimèe)having a good breakfast of porridge & banana, a breakfast I would usually finish with pleasure but this time nerves had gotten the better of me & I had to force it down. I didn't ponder on that thought too long however as we were running late to register so off we set to Castleknock College.

We didn't actually know were the college was so we just followed the crowds of athletic looking people out of the park & hoped we would end up in the right place. We did. We got there with enough time to register, walk with the crowds into the park & soak up the atmosphere before it was time to head for the starting line.

At the starting line there was quite a few people, 3398 others, and I was starting to get nervous again, though my nerves were mixed with excitement this time.
10am came & I was feeling anxious to start. There was about 5 minutes before the starting pistol was fired, but it felt like much longer. Eventually the crowd started to move forward. The race had begun.

For the first mile of the race I was too busy in awe of my surroundings to think about running or distance. I was amazed at how many runners there actually is in Dublin compared to how many I see while training. I wondered if there are more fit & determined people in Dublin than I thought or was this just the reality of the secret world I am now living in.
All around me where runners of all different ages, shapes & sizes, and even one runner I saw was running with his child in a pram!
Eventually my amazement turned into concentration as I began to memorise runners that were along side myself & Phil. I wanted to remember them in hope that I would see them again in a few miles to come.
There was one woman runner that stayed in my mind as she was with us pretty much most of the way, occasionally losing her behind or ahead & then seeing her again. She wore a brown top.

For the first mile Phil & I missed the "mile 1" marker, probably through lack of concentration on distance & more on looking at fellow runners, but we found "mile 2" & Phil was happy to tell me that we had completed the first 2 miles in exactly 20 minutes... perfect for our 10 minute mile pace. We kept this pace all round the course, give or take a few seconds, and it was a comfortable pace which I was more than happy about.

Come about mile 6/7 when we were on our first lap of the course the leaders caught up with us on their second lap. Sandis Bralitis who won the race was the first to pass us & for a while the only leader to pass us. He was clearly ahead of anyone else at mile 11. Though by mile 13.1 the runner in 2nd place was hot on his tale, only a minute behind.
I was amazed watching the leaders pass us. They made it look like a walk in the park.

At the end of the first lap we spotted a work friend in the crowd so she cheered us on which was a great help as we had no one else there to support us.

Most of the course was run smoothly & I enjoyed running very much, but by mile 12 my mind was taking over & telling my body it was tired, even though my body knew full well that wasn't the case, and so my pace slowed a little leaving me lagging behind Phil. I started to feel a little defeated by this point but then suddenly out of nowhere I spotted the woman in the brown top & the closer we got to mile 13 the more i thought "come on Sarah, you can beat her". No offense to this lady, I wasn't trying to out run her to show off, but rather to spur me on. She still had a bit of life left in her & I thought if I can get past her I can get to the finish line sooner.
At mile 13 just as this thought was in my head, the girl from work started to cheer my name. This gave me the boost I needed, my legs took on a life of their own & I powered forward with Phil toward & across the finish line. I felt great! and what's more, once over the line I felt like I could run further.

Phil & I spent a few minutes wandering round after we crossed the finish line, we re hydrated & went to look for our work friend to say thank you. We did not find her but have since thanked her for her much needed support.
I just hope that I have plently of support for the full marathon as it does make a lot of difference. My parents are coming over to watch us so I know that will be the biggest help & best form of support. I hope to make them proud.

So that was my first race & in a little over 4 weeks I will be competing in my second. I am really looking forward to feeling that same thrill & excitment again, though I am sure it will be magnified in comparison.

Wish us luck!

Easy Peasy

2006-09-18T23:42:00.000+01:00

Monday. Back to work & back to running after a Sunday off.

Work wise I started a new job today. Still in the same company but a different department.
I was on the phones before as a Customer Service Representative which i had been doing for the past 15 months. It was all very well but when upset callers are calling in fast & furious, it's time to get out. Besides, I was ready for a change to see how the other half live within the company.
So off I set up 2 flights of stairs to be an Administrator. No phone calls, just me, my PC & a pile of work. It is bliss!
Only problem is, without a stressful day, will I still need to go out running to unwind?! Of course I will. Running is a passion of mine now & I hope that passion stays with me for as long as my little legs can run.

Now, back to running as this is a running Blog after all.
Tonight was an easy run, though never the less, I was still being lazy about getting out. Why is it such hard work on Monday to just kit up and set off?! Still, Phil & I got off our lazy backsides & headed for the park for a run of just a little over 3 miles.
We ran the first 3 and a bit miles of the Half Marathon course but did it backwards today for some variety. I wasn't sure about this at first as we have ran it forwards so many times now that it did feel a little bizarre to run it backwards. Though once we were half way round it felt good knowing we only had the start to finish with. (Does that make any sense to you?!)
We finished our run in 27 minutes which is a little quicker than our usual pace. It felt really easy too & for a moment I assumed we had further left to run. The time flew by!
I wish our 16 miler flew by like that. Ha ha

Anyway, back to running again tomorrow. I'm not going to tell you how far or for how long as if I get lazy & don't do it I'll only be left to explain myself.

Happy running to all you fellow runners/bloggers :o)

16 Miles of Torture

2006-09-17T21:00:00.002+01:00

A day off and a well deserved one after yesterdays run!

Yesterday was our planned 15 mile run. Something i was both dreading but excited about too. The dread was for obvious reasons, ie. the thought of running for 2 and a half hours. The excitement as it would be a run to beat my personal best of 13 miles.
Phil had spent Friday afternoon on Gmap to find us a route & had chosen a route of 7 and a half miles which we would run 2 laps of.
I always leave the routes up to Phil.

We planned to wake early (ish) yesterday morning to eat breakfast, let that settle & then head off to the park. That wasn't exactly what happened though. What did happen is that Phil woke up to get breakfast from the local shop, only to step out of the door & feel what I can only describe as an Irish September heat wave. When Phil discovered this I was still snoring & drooling on my pillow but he soon broke the news on his return.
Now before my running days, as a sun worshipper, I would have prayed for a sunny Saturday, I would have been in the park in my bikini soaking up the rare rays that September has to offer, but now as a runner I find myself cursing them & instead wishing for a day with little breeze & a little drizzle. But there was nothing cursing could do so we had to make a decision.
We chose to wait until later in the day for the sun to go down a little. We waited until about half 5 for this as it was being very stubborn. After parking up & preparing ourselves it was 6pm by time our run began.

On any run my muscles usually take about 2 miles to warm up so for the first 2 miles with my calves feeling very tight I wasn't worrying. It was only after those first 2 miles when they still felt as tight i began to think. I remembered that on Thursday when we ran to my apartment from work, we had not remembered to stretch. Very silly I know. For the rest of that lap that was all I could think about it. I was feeling sore, tired & to my dismay, I felt defeated. I'd had such a good run the week before, in comparison yesterdays run felt like my worse run ever.

By the end of the first lap we stopped off at the car for a couple of minutes to stretch our legs & refuel. I was glad of this rest even though it was for only a couple of minutes. We were soon back running on on to our second lap.
The first half mile of the second lap wasn't too bad after our mini break but that feeling did literally only last half of mile & then I was back to feeling sore, tired & defeated. I continued regardless as we really did need to complete the 15 this week or we would find ourselves off course with not enough time to get back on track. I was very stubborn.
By the 3rd mile of the second lap I was now feeling aches & pains in my feet, my knee's & my thighs. The pains in my calves had either gone or were being over shadowed by my new found pains. Then after an another couple of miles I began to wonder if I was actually just imaging these pains & wondering if in fact, there was absolutely nothing wrong with me at all. I told Phil of how I was feeling & he agreed that it was probably mostly in my head & was probably caused by starting my run with such a negative attitude. He was probably right but I felt it was too late to change my attitude. I would have to push on with my phantom aliments.
Phil tried many tactics to occupy my mind. First of all he tried running ahead so I could watch his feet or legs as I often like to do, but he was getting faster? I was getting slower & so a huge gap would be between us. I felt worse. Telling him so, he decided on his second tactic. Talking. This only annoyed me though as he kept asking me stupid questions that I couldn't think of answers to as I was too tired to do anything else except put one foot in front of the other. At the time I didn't think he was being of much help but now I think of how hard he was actually trying to make me feel better.
Starting the run at 6pm we had guessed it would get dark near the end of the run but it actually got dark a little earlier. We were near the end of our run so I didn't mind too much, but our final stretch was a straight road & though I could see the ground on where to run, I could not see anything ahead of me or surrounding me that I usually could. I could not see the brown bunker or the cricket fields to which I would usually use as a guide as to how far I have left to run. I started to get scared & then out of nowhere I started to panic. My throat closed up & I couldn't get my breath. I stopped running & Phil started to panic & was trying to calm me down so I would be able to get my breath back & after a short while, though it felt like much longer, I did. Phil had gotten a fright though & refused to continue running but we were so close to the end that I said I would continue running with or without him, and so we both continued on. We soon reached the finish line & after a telling off from Phil for not listening to my body & being too stubborn that I caused a panic attack upon myself, he broke the news that we had not completed 15 miles but 16 miles!!
I was overjoyed!
After finishing what I thought was 15, I felt a little disappointed in myself for having a panic attack so close to the end. I felt like I had failed somehow, but as soon as I discovered it was 16 my disappointment turned into pride.

After a good stretch we set off back to Phil's, feeling tired but overjoyed.
Now with our day off today, the aches & pains have finally subsided & I can see the run for what it really was, a great achievement. Both Phil & I can count on one hand how many people we know that have run as far as we did & that includes counting each other & ourselves.
I am very proud of us & even more so that we finished 16 miles in 2 hours & 39 minutes! It actually turns out that what I thought was my worst run was actually my best.

Running from Work

2006-09-15T09:59:00.000+01:00

Last night Phil & I were back out running again after a night off on Wednesday. Phil actually wanted to run on Wednesday, but since we had already clocked up 20 miles between Sunday & Tuesday, I was tired & grumpy.
I had a night in with the girls for my night off & we got in a couple of bottles of wine. I haven't drunk wine for so long i felt pretty merry after one glass! And felt a little bit under the weather yesterday morning though i think that was mostly tiredness (again).
Now I didn't finish work until 5.30pm yesterday so our planned semi long run was debatable as we didn't want to end up running in the dark again, so Phil suggested running home from work. Blackrock to Cork Street is only 6 miles so I was happy enough with that.
Leaving most of our stuff at work & only taking our keys we set off.
We started from work & ran down the Rock Road, i found this to be very long & boring. Usually when I'm bored of running I zone out & go into a world of non-running thoughts, but on the very busy Rock Road I found it impossible to zone out with the sound of the heavy traffic all around. It wasn't that bad a road but it was different to running in the park in near silence. Plus we were only warming up while we were on that road so it probably felt worse than it was.
From the Rock Road we ran up Merrion Road, Pembroke Road & Upper & Lower Baggot Street. This was much better than the Rock Road in terms of noise (or maybe we had gotten used to the noise) & we were warmed up by now too. We did find that the closer we got into town though the more "people traffic" there was. There was a lot of dodging & weaving & I was quite concerned about my right knee as it was feeling fairly weak. I was worried that a sharp turn would have been too much pressure & it twist & buckle from underneath me. My biggest fear remember.
That fear stayed with me from Pembroke Street, through to Cuffe Street, Kevin Street & the Coombe, all the way home to Cork Street. For as long as I'm training for marathons, I don't think that fear will ever go.
We were delighted with our run though. We reached my apartment from work within 59 minutes. This included a few stops at traffic lights too. Plus as an added bonus, we got home quicker than we would if we'd have travelled home by train, bus , tram or car & we had our running finished earlier with a whole evening to relax.
Also, part of the route we ran was part of the last 6 miles of the Marathon course so we got a taste of what's to come. Only a tiny taste though.
Over all, I think we will be running home from work again :o)

Sore Knees

2006-09-13T12:58:00.000+01:00

This is front page on the Dublin City Marathon website. I'm sure it will be of use to pretty much everyone training for a marathon....................

http://www.dublincitymarathon.ie/news.php?article=98

My Biggest Fear

2006-09-13T10:37:00.000+01:00

Last night Phil & I went to the Phoenix Park again for what was meant to be a 7 mile run. Unfortunately, we didn't get to the park until after 8pm so it was too dark for a semi long run & so we settled on just over 3 miles.
We just about managed to finish even that as it was getting darker by the minute & by the last mile & a half we could not clearly see the path in front of us.
Its was a bit silly really as it is a very dangerous thing to do. It wasn't the danger of being attacked by a madman (I don't mean Phil. Ha ha), but the danger of falling & hurting myself. I have noticed lately that I am becoming increasingly worried that I am going to fall & twist my ankle or my knee. I have even become afraid of running on the grass in case i fall into a pothole or ditch or something. After all the hard work I have put into training, I would be devastated to injure myself at any point between now & the marathon.
That means last night was a first & last as I won't be running in the dark again.
Over all the run itself was grand, my legs felt good & my lungs felt good. Phil started sprinting though, half way up the Furze Road & for some reason I am really bad at sprinting but seeing as it was dark I didn't really want to stay behind so i followed with a sprint too.
Anyway we're out again tonight hopefully for our 7 mile run & it will definitely be in day light!

Running in the Rain

2006-09-12T09:43:00.000+01:00

Despite us both still suffering slightly from our 13 mile run (I feel like a have a wooden leg & that I'm walking with a limp, even though it's not actually sore) we decided to head off out again as we were scheduled to do so. We had to stop off in my apartment first to get changed & by time we got there i did not want to leave. I could have easily have curled up into a ball on my bed & fell asleep until the morning. But thankfully Phil had more energy & will power than I & he got me motivated.
We set off in the car to Phoenix Park & even from the minute we drove out from my garage, the rain was pelting down. I looked at Phil & saw the delight on his face. He loves running in the rain. The only time i had ever encountered rain on a run was slight drizzle towards the end of a run a couple of times. I was about to find out why Phil was so happy.
By time we got to the park it was starting to get dark from the greyness of the clouds. All the cars going through the park had their head lights on & with the rain still beating down & bouncing off the roads, we wondered if there would be many people running as we were. Surely they would have to be mad as i was beginning to think we were.
We got to our starting point & parked up, ready for our run. I was looking forward to it. We chose to run the first 3 and a half miles of the Dublin Half Marathon course. Not long had we gotten out of the car & started our run & we were soaked through already. My muscles felt great with the coldness of the rain. I felt great.
Surprisingly there was a good few runners as mad as us running in the rain. Maybe they enjoyed it just as much as we did. Maybe they too are running the marathon next month & they too have to train no matter what. For whatever reason they were running for, whenever i passed a runner i looked at them with admiration. I felt they must be determined & have a passion for running to be out in the rain. I wondered if they thought the same about me & deciding they might. I felt proud of myself. I felt like a proper runner, and I suppose I am.
I hope after the marathon i continue with running. I feel like i have finally found something I love & something that makes me part of a secret world.

Half Way to Victory

2006-09-11T12:53:00.000+01:00

I have been a little slack updating my Blog recently (as Phil pointed out). Unfortunately I've been very busy in work & don't have a computer at home. But I thought no excuses now so I've come back early from lunch to catch up........

After our semi long run on Thursday Phil & I got out for further 2 runs through the week. Both consisted of 3 miles in 30 minutes & were probably the easiest runs I've ever done. Especially the first as we used our old 3 mile course which is just a run through the woods, starting at the cricket field, and back again.
The second run was just as easy but was run though the woods around the American Ambassadors house. We did want to run our old run again but as we were parking Phil spotted a young lad who looked a bit dodgy checked out my little purple corsa so we decided to move away from there or I might have gotten back to no car.
It is just as well Phil noticed really as I was totally oblivious to the young lad & instead was listening the rattling my car was making. As it turned out, my exhaust was broken in half so he probably wouldn't have gotten that far on his joy ride.

Anyway, that leads me to Saturday..................

Phil & I were up early for a good breakfast of porridge & honey in preparation for our 13 mile run, but before our run we had a few errands to run first.
Firstly we had to look for new runners as time was running out as we'd need to wear them in for the end of October. We spent a good part of the days looking for them & still ended up going home without any, though we knew what we were looking for. We decided to head back to the shops the next day instead.
Secondly we I had to take my car to Fast Fit as we'd discovered the exhaust was hanging off & had a hole in it. My car was making so much noise it sounded like a boy racer car. I was mortified to be driving it & had notions of looking in my rearview mirror to see the exhaust on the road behind me. As it turned out the exhaust was basically in half so I had to get a new one.
With that done we then went to see Phil's parents as planned.
Basically, with all the running around we were running very late for our run so we decided to postpone until the next day, Sunday.

So Sunday we were up early(ish) once again & out looking for runners. This time we got exactly what we wanted & set off back to Phil's to get ready for a big run.
I was getting nervous that the time had arrived.

We chose the Dublin Half Marathon course to run our 13 miles as we have registered for the Dublin Half Marathon on 23rd of this month & so wanted to be prepared as to what to expect.
Well now we know to expect VERY sore knees!

The run in itself was grand. The straight runs were incredibly boring but when we got to the winding roads it was more interesting & even on the hills, didn't seem so daunting.
(I do hate it when I can see what is ahead of me & usually spend most of my runs looking at the back of Phil's legs).
By about mile 7 Phil was feeling the strain on his knees & hips & at one point I thought he was ready to quit. At the same time I thought this I was feeling great & so was a bit worried whether we would finish at all & I knew this would disappoint us as this was a milestone we would be reaching together.
Soon enough I noticed a big improvement in Phil's attitude. I think he just pushed the pain to the back of his mind & the achievement of completing 13 miles to the front.
By about mile 10/ 11 it was my turn to feel the strain. My knees felt weaker & weaker by each stride & for the last mile, though my head was sure I would finish, I wondered if my legs thought otherwise. Phil too was still suffering but he must have buried deep & found the last of his energy as he was slightly ahead of a very tired me.
Running up the Ordnance Survey road I actually had no clue as to where our finish line was as I usually leave the course up to Phil, then all of a sudden Phil stopped me (not that I was going very fast) & gave me a big hug. We had completed a half marathon.

I did feel great about what we had just achieved but in reality, I was too tired to show it. Phil was the same too.
Now today, after most of my aches & pains have subsided, I feel great about it & I look forward to beating my personal best now when we attempt 15 miles on Saturday.
Fingers crossed!

It's a struggle but we're still going

2006-09-06T13:02:00.000+01:00

Phil & I went to my friends wedding in my home town of Liverpool on Friday.
We arrived there on Friday morning & until we left on Saturday evening we did not stop. We had a great time though at the wedding & I got to show Phil around Liverpool.
It was a very good but very tiring weekend & on the way home I got travel sick too :o(
Needless to say we slept in on Sunday so our run was running late.

We eventually got the Phoenix Park & set off on a 12 mile run. This consisted of 2 laps of a 6 mile run starting at near the North Circular Road gates, down the North Road, all the way around the Ordnance Servey Road & onto the Furry Glen. Foolishly we left our water bottles in the car so by 20 minutes into our run with the wind in our direction, we were already thirsty. Could we continue another 10 miles???

No we could not.

By time we completed the first lap we decided to head back to the car to pick up our water on the way. Unfortunately, once we were at the car, we did not want to leave. So after alot of umming and ahhing we decided to quit for the day.
We were very disapointed about this but we did have a busy weekend & did our midweek runs were cut short last week so it was to be expected & we have learbt a kesson that our midweek runs are just as important as our long runs at the weekend.

Bearing this in mind we have now decided to encorporate a semi long run within our midweek run. Ie, if we are running 12 miles on Saturday we include a 6 miles run midweek, rather than just 3 or 4 milers.

We tried this out on Monday which i know is not midweek but since we did very poorly on Sunday, we needed the confidence back.
Phil picked out a route that was 7 and a half miles & we just said we would see how we could do. And we did it. I know this is more than half of our planned 13 miler this weekend but we needed to get the miles in our legs. It felt great & now i am confident that we will complete our 13 miler on saturday.

Fingers crossed!

Fast, but not that fast....

2006-09-01T00:42:00.000+01:00

Last night Phil & I went to the Phoenix Park for a 3 mile run. The plan was to do the first 3 miles of the Dublin Half Marathon. We ran the course as planned & as we we're going at a quicker pace than usual we ran it in 20 minutes!
3 miles in 20 minutes..... or was it?!
Unfortunately it was not :o(
Phil checked the course today & we were a little off.... by over half a mile! We'd actually took a wrong turn (sound familiar?) and ended up back at the starting line too soon. I'm a little disappointed really as we still had lots of energy in us so we could have easily ran twice what we ran, more even, but we didn't so I can't dwell on it.
Anyway we were back out again tonight in the Phoenix Park. We did 3 miles in 30 minutes. That's about right.
I'm glad we got out, though that's only 2 runs this week which is not good but we don't make a habit of slacking off.
We have our long run on Sunday. 12 miles. But before that we are off to my friends wedding tomorrow in my home city of Liverpool. I'm really looking forward to it as Phil has never been to Liverpool before so I get to show him round which I know I will enjoy doing. I'll be incharge :o)
Tomorrow night will be our last night drinking too, though as I've said before, we're not drinkers anyway. However, that might not be such a good thing as I can imagine we're going to be feeling VERY ropey on Saturday morning.
Anyway, we will have a great time at the wedding & it's a little time off from training or even thinking about training, though in all honesty, I do love running so I will be eager to get back out there on Sunday.
I've a feeling my knee is going to nag me a little on Sunday as it did last week so I really am going to have to get that knee support. It actually sickens me to think that if I am not careful it could damage my chances of running in the marathon. For the first time in my life I actually respect my body & want to look after it as much as I am able to. After all it's the only one I've got.

Rainy Days & Mondays

2006-08-29T07:31:00.000+01:00

Last night was supposed to be a half an hour run. I had taken the car to work so we could change into our running gear there & head straight to the park. Good plan? Not so good. It rained ALL day.
I was really looking forward to running in the rain as I had a bad day in work & just felt like I wanted to wash the stresses & the strains of the day away, but as always, when there is little rain, there is ALOT of traffic!! It was mental. What should take me approx. 35 minutes from work to the park, took me an hour & a half!
Aside from the traffic we had also planned to cook dinner for my housemates. Running would have set us even further behind time so we decided to give it a miss. I hate when that happens & im looking forward to it but I will go tonight instead.
I've a feeling the traffic may be just as bad so I will run a 3 mile course around my block tonight.
Phil has a football match tonight though so he will be missing a session this week. Who am I to talk after my bunking off last week ;o)

Frank Duffy 10 Mile Course

2006-08-28T10:00:00.000+01:00

I was back to normal yesterday, thankfully...... the hang over had lifted ...... so Phil & I got out to the Phoenix Park to battle the Frank Duffy 10 mile course.
We started & finished at a different point to the usual starting line as the start of the course is 2 miles of flat road. An easy start, but we would have ran that at a pace too fast to substain for the duration of the course, or even the first part of it, so we started at the hardest part of the course instead to help slow us down. At least that meant getting the hard work over & done with at the beginning.
The course was grand though for about 20 - 25 minutes I did not want to be there & had every intention of just turning back & going home. I later found out Phil thought the same so it is just as well that we did not tell each other this or we would have quit right there & then. It is just as well that we didn't anyway as we eventually eased into the run at a comfortable pace. I actually spent most of the run behind Phil watching his legs & thinking of day to day chores just to keep my mind off the road. It worked.
The course is 2 laps. The first being just 5 miles, and the second takes a slightly different route which is just under 5 miles.
We mastered the hills quite well. I have a tenancy to increase my pace when running uphill but as I was running behind Phil he kept the pace. This helped a lot as otherwise id have been worn out too soon into the run.
The only problem I found with the course was that since we moved the starting line we had to do the 2 miles of flat road at the end of each lap which was unbelievably boring! For those 2 miles of the second lap Phil increased the pace. He wanted the flat road of boredom to end as quickly as possible. I wasn't best pleased with speeding up our pace but despite my protesting, I am glad we did.
Overall we were very proud of ourselves for continuing when we wanted to quit & for completing the course that we knew we needed to practice. We are on course as usual & I am glad that my lack of training last week did not effect my long run. Though I will not be risking that again & will make sure my midweek training is as much a priority as my long runs at the weekend.
The downside to yesterdays run was that I have discovered that my left knee has become a little weak. I do have problems with this knee when driving & it seems I am now having a few problems when running too. I think I might try out a knee support stocking for this. I am not sure if it will work but it is worth a try. I will let you know how I get on with that.
Back to mid week training today now. My legs are quite stiff but I think the half hour run will help. Next week are midweek runs are increasing from 3 days to 4 days. The heat is on, but right now, I am very much enjoying it.

Light Weight

2006-08-26T22:53:00.000+01:00

For the first time in probably a few months, since we've been broke & training more, Phil & I had a night out on the gargle. We went to a Bohs v Rovers football match & had a few pints before & a few pints after. Phil even got us shots too. Yuk!
To be honest, we didn't actually drink that much, I was a much more hardened drinker in my younger years, but today I feel absolutely wrecked! Even now at nearly 11pm I feel exhausted, I still have a headache & I also still feel a little queasy. I think my healthy body is in shock!
We had a great night, but apart from my friends wedding next week (you have to get drunk after a wedding), I won't be drinking anytime before the marathon. It's impossible.
I actually feel like I did after the I was drunk for the very first time quite some years ago.
We're heading out tomorrow for our long run. Since we missed the Frank Duffy 10 mile race last week we are going to run that course. Like I said yesterday, apart from an extra 3 mile course, the half marathon next month is that same course so we definitely need the practice.
I just hope I am back to my same healthy self by tomorrow.
An early night for me I think!

Uhoh!

2006-08-25T11:48:00.000+01:00

Ps...... Just when we thought we had escaped the Frank Duffy 10 mile run last Saturday (with all it's dreaded hills), we have discovered that the half marathon next month that we are entering is a 3 miles course plus the Frank Duffy 10 mile course. I think I am going to need ALOT of hill training!!

Slacking Off

2006-08-25T11:06:00.000+01:00

Well not a very good week for me this week........
As you know, I swapped Monday's training for Tuesday's night off. Still on Track then, but Wednesday nights training was then traded in for a Pearl Jam concert. I was not & am not disappointed with myself though as I have not been out in a while so deserved a night out. Except with a night out comes drink & a late night, so regardless that I spent yesterday in bed reading, rather than working, I was still quite tired (or lazy more like) & only managed half of my run. Very bold of me I know.
Now Phil will tell you that I am a woman of many excuses but seriously, I don't think it helped last night that I was wearing a new sports top that gave too much support to by chest & actually restricted my breathing while doing so. .......I don't care what you say Philip, you don't know how much harder we women have have it :oP
Anyway, Phil & I have 10 miles to run this Sunday. I know that I am going to suffer from my 1 & a half days training this week, instead of 3 days training. Phil won't let me off lightly either & will probably drag me around the course by my ear if he has to.
The heat is on.

Change of Plan

2006-08-23T08:59:00.000+01:00

Last night was supposed to be our night off in our training programme but as I am going to a concert tonight we had to swap days. I supposed I could have just missed it but we had already bunked off on Monday so there was no way out of it.
I am glad we went though.
Due to lack of petrol we did not make it to the Phoenix Park but instead ran to the park by Phil's. Once there, we lapped it twice & then ran back home. We ran just a little under 3.5 miles in 30 minutes & 9 seconds which is good timing. Though to be honest I didn't really enjoy it.
Still, I have a night off to look forward to tonight :o)

Up Hill Struggle

2006-08-21T09:24:00.000+01:00

Phil & I did plan on running the 10 mile in Phoenix Park on Saturday morning as it is part of the Dublin Marathon race series, but due to lack of funds for the entry fee..... and lack of sleep all week, we could not & did not make it.
Still, we decided to do the same course a day later ourselves. Though as usual when we leave a run for the following day... we wished we had run on Saturday after all.
After waking up well into the afternoon it was now or never.
Phil happily munched his way through a piece of toast an hour before running, but seeing as it usually takes my food at least 2 hours to settle, I decided against breakfast.... bad idea!
We got to Phoenix Park about 2.30pm. Due to the lateness of the day, our lack of energy and my lack of food, we decided to run just 6 miles of the 10 mile course. We started off along a straight, down the main road. This was easy as it was only for 2 miles & its a very flat part of the park so no effort is required. But as it is a straight it is extremely boring & I find myself not wanting to look up ahead of me to see the stretch of road ahead of me yet to run.
Thankfully we turned the corner away from boredom & into a series of winding roads. Though I wasn't thankfull for long.
For the first half of the course we were running down hills & up slight hills so it wasn't too much of a strain, even though the sun was beating down on us, but come the second half of the course we encoutered, for the most part, continuous hills!
Nightmare. I wished I had eaten breakfast.
Just when I thought there may be an end to the hills we took a wrong turn & got ourselves lost! We had run out of the park & were running up a hill with no sign of another entrance to get back in. By time we reached the 58 minute mark & we got to a set of traffic lights without a clue where we were or how far we were from the car, I gave up. I was feeling quite light headed.
Phil had every intention of continuing with our run, hoping we would reach the exit eventually, but he stayed back with me. He was quite annoyed as he was convinced we had not run our scheduled 6 miles. I also was convinced of this as we had been running up hills at what I assumed was a slower pace than usual. Running a 10 minute mile we would have ran 6 miles in 60 minutes, but had we been running a 10 minute mile??
Phil wanted to run again but I refused, until we eventually found our way back into the park. A minute or so after running we thankfully saw my car in the not so far off distance.
We stretched a little & then decided to head home. Phil was feeling disappointed with our run, and his disappointment was starting to rub off on me. Just before we left to go home I decided I wanted to know the exact distance we ran & so drove the course counting the miles. We drove exactly 6 miles!
We were delighted we had drove the course. It instilled our confidence that we had reached our target for the day & rather than underachieving, we had ran 6 miles, a lot of which was uphill, in 58 minutes. Just under a 10 minute mile.
Still, we are well aware now that we have a lot of improving to do to be able to battle the hills on the marathon. Sunday has taught us that & im glad it taught us sooner rather than later. We have 10 full weeks left until race day to improve & though I am aware this is going to be even more hard work, I am confident with a lot of training & will power, we will do it.

Feeling the burn......

2006-08-18T11:39:00.000+01:00

Last night we were scheduled for a 20 minute run. Though we were hoping to run 30 minutes as we know we can so easily, I just about made it 25. I could feel the backs of my calves tightening up which I had not really felt before, and Phil also agreed he felt quite the same way. Though the difference being, Phil had much more energy than myself & I am sorry to say, I felt the strain a little on my lungs. It was quite humid so I thought it may have been that but when I awoke this morning with a snotty nose again I figured my cold is just desperate to return!
Im getting a little worried about it now actually as a recurring cold is going to do my training no good.

Anyway, it has made me think that I do need to rethink my diet. With all the training I have been doing I have become too used to being able to eat too much junk food without putting on any weight. Big mistake as now it seems my immune system is suffering & post marathon I will probably turn into a big porker :o(
So this weekend I am going to read up on nutrition as much as I can so I know the right foods to eat with out starving myself of the nutrients I need to train for a marathon.
There is a lot more into training for a marathon than I initially anticipated.

As for running, Phil & I are going to try & get up early tomorrow morning for early registration of the 10 mile run in Phoenix Park. It will be a great chance to prove that last week's 10 mile run was not a fluke & also a chance to pick up a goody bag at the finish line.
Wish us luck!

A cold won't get the better of me.

2006-08-17T14:41:00.000+01:00

Well I guess Sunday's 10 mile run & Mondays 3 mile run caught up with me in the end........ Tuesday night I could feel my throat starting to scratch & I was extremely exhausted..... uhoh! I knew it was more than likely the start of a cold. I woke up yesterday morning for work & could not get up. With a sore throat & a snotty nose, the best place for me was bed! I spent the remainder of the day asleep in bed or on the couch, dosed up on Uni Flu, praying that it wouldn't develop into a full blown cold or I could kiss a couple of weeks training goodbye, and quite possibly the marathon. It seemed to work a treat anyway as I was awoken at 5pm by Phil and after a couple of hours to wake up properly, I was back in the park doing my scheduled half hour run. We ran the same course as Monday in Phoenix Park so it was another 3 miles for us. I think being out in the open air worked wonders. I felt & still feel great. We're back running tonight too. Heidi is joining us again for another 3 mile run. I'm looking forward to it!

I've registered for the marathon!!

2006-08-15T11:01:00.000+01:00

Last January as a gym member, but a non-runner, a work friend persuaded me to try running. I reluctantly tried but was very surprised when I managed to run for a half hour non-stop! On telling my friend, Phil, he convinced me train for the Dublin Marathon this year & depending on my progress, to enter. I got off on a very good start & eventually traded in the treadmill for the tarmac. I hated it at first but I grew to love it and equally grew to hate my faithful treadmill runs. I was hooked! However, training took a turn for the worse when motivation started to slide for Phil & I. We had traded in our training sessions for too many nights out on the tiles & kept telling ourselves "there is plenty of time left!!" Well time was ticking away & what had became our dream of running the Dublin Marathon, had become our nightmare....... it was now or never. Lucky for us Phil found a training programme for us from the official Dublin Marathon website which for the exact amount of weeks left to go until race day so we put on our runners & headed for the park............... Getting back into training was harder than we thought. We had become unfit from living a party life too much & training too little. My lungs felt like those of an old man in comparison to a few months earlier, but I thought "that is the price to pay if I want to reach my goal." We have now put our heart & souls into training & I am pleased to say we have regained our fitness. Last Sunday we even exceeded it when we ran our first 10 miles! I feel like that alone is a huge achievement as I never would have thought this time a few months ago I would make it as far as that. The 10 mile run was hard work for the last few miles but I have surprised myself by not getting an aches & pains yet. Though I did get jelly legs when I finally stopped after running a solid 1 hour and 43 minutes! Ha Ha. Following that we still managed our scheduled run yesterday of 30 minutes (still no aches & pains!) & may even possibly swap tomorrow's run for tonight as we have definitely caught the running bug now. We also persuaded our friend to come along with us yesterday. She did very well as a non-runner & I think if she continues to train she will be ready & able for the London Marathon next year. I hope so as I would hope that after catching the running bug from Phil, I could pass it on too for someone else to feel the growing achievement that we feel.