Day 375

1.  If my marathon training were indeed to take me seven hundred and fifty days, today would be HALF WAY!

2.  If I get to run in London it will in fact be slightly less than that, but still no news on that front.

3.  Really didn't want to run today but pep talk from both boys and Billy Ocean's "When the Going Get's Tough" on the radio when I switched it on this morning made me get out there and get on with it.

4.  Same route as Tuesday, very similar splits. Garmin working again. I have no idea why!

5.  Often uncharacteristically rash when let loose with a pair of scissors, one day I will learn that unlike my hair, material will not grow back if I cut a bit too much off.  Unable to get my sewing to look like it did in the pattern instructions I decided I must have made a mistake with my measuring and snipped quite a lot of bits off, only to discover that I needed it.  Many hours later, I have managed to construct one bag! Only another thirty nine to go.... perhaps I'll have worked out what I'm doing by then because my second attempt this evening is not coming together any more easily that the first. Not for the first time I am thinking I would be better off working on the supermarket checkout and just donate my wages!

M - 376

Liverpool Half - 45

Glasgow Half - 157
Distance covered                5.2 miles
Total Distance covered   582.4 miles

Day 374

1.  Back in the gym first thing this morning - not sure how long my new found determination will last so I'm making the most of it whilst it does.

2.  Despite me checking me emails on at least an hourly basis there is no news from Barnardo's.

3.  Perhaps this might have something to do with the fact that they told me yesterday it would be at least a fortnight before I hear anything!

4. The sewing machine is out of the cupboard and fabric has been cut for the first four bags.

5. This would be good news if I had time over the next few days to sew them. As usual I have been ignoring everything else that I should be doing in favour of the bits that I want to do. Having a lot on over the next couple of weeks I would be well advised to put it all away now and concentrate on my other jobs - so not going to happen! (Advance warning sisterofMG750 the house may not be quite as clean and tidy as I'd like to to be when you get here on Friday, but I know you don't care and I'm too excited at the thought of seeing you to worry about it!).

M - 377

Liverpool Half - 46

Glasgow Half - 158 
Total Distance covered   577.2 miles

Day 373

1.  Not every day I come downstairs to find flowers and chocolate waiting for me - thanks Al.  Then again every day you turn forty five! Thanks also to Al for pointing out that I got the maths wrong yesterday and today is actually the first day of my forty sixth year - suddenly I really do feel a whole year older!

2.  There is only one good thing about going to the supermarket on your birthday... you get to buy pain au chocolat to eat after your run and no one else need ever know they were in the house.

3.  Run over, I had a busy morning on the computer getting some cards on Etsy which can mean only one thing....

4.  I HAVE APPLIED TO BARNARDO'S FOR LONDON 2016!

5.  The waiting to hear is already driving me nuts! Luckily I have a lot of nice fabric decisions and a daily consultation with Etsy Favouriter over colour combinations to look forward to and keep me out of mischief in the meantime!

M - 378

Liverpool Half - 47

Glasgow Half - 159
Distance covered                 5 miles 
Total Distance covered   577.2 miles

Day 372

1.  Only one thing for it this morning - time to hit the gym and show that this girl means business!

2.  Blooming heck it was hard work! Last time I take a month off.

3.  Nothing like celebrating the last day of your forty fourth year with a trip to the audiology department to have your hearing tested! No change and no miracle cure since I last went, but the offer of sedatives if my tinnitus is stopping me from sleeping, not sure I need any assistance on that front.

4.  Actually I think I probably need something to help me stay awake - yes sis I know the occasional (or even regular?) bit of caffeine wouldn't go a miss.

5.  Yesterday's wobble over, I can't believe that I resisted the temptation to apply to Barnardo's at the first opportunity this morning.  I'm not going to wait until my Etsy shop is perfect, the day will never come, but I do want to do a couple of things before I submit my application.  Could do with a couple of really productive days - time for a 'proper' cup of tea!

M - 379

Liverpool Half - 48

Glasgow Half - 160
Total Distance covered   572.2 miles

London Marathon Day 2015....

Up early, ironing saved, all ready to watch this year's London Marathon.  A good luck message sent to Marathon Man almost mentioning what a glorious day it was for it... glad I changed my mind over adding that bit when I switched on the TV a few minutes later and saw the rain in London! A couple of text messages acknowledging the fact that this time next year I hope to be among the thousands queueing for the toilets and waiting half an hour to get to the start line (thanks sis and SC) and I settled down (albeit at the ironing board) to watch the race.

A day later and I'm still struggling to really put into words how it made me feel.  For so long I've watched with the same feeling of 'if only' washing over me, wishing that I was there running the twenty six miles, to the extent that the day after watching last year's marathon I started writing this blog and set myself out to actually do something about the feelings!  I had expected to feel buoyed up by the sight of it all, instead it made me want to run as far as I possibly could (currently about half a marathon's worth) in the opposite direction!

For the past year, it's still been a dream, something I'd like to do, something I've talked (and written) about doing, not something I've actually had to do something about.  The minute the race started, that changed.  Now it is a reality.  I either get a place or I don't.  I either survive the training or I don't.  I either raise the pledge money or I don't.  There is no middle ground.

By taking a dream and turning it into a reality I also have to acknowledge that it might not live up to my expectations.  There is sooooo much made about the atmosphere in London, but I don't know what that actually means, having never been to watch I can only imagine what it's like, what if it's not the experience that I think it's going to be?  It might of course be better than I could ever imagine but I'm scared that it won't be.

Trouble is, by saying that I'm actually going to do something about it, I have already changed forever how I will feel on London Marathon Day.  If I bail out now and don't run then I will always be filled with regret for getting so close and giving up.  If I run then I'll never again be able to watch without being reminded of the experience good or bad. It is already too late.  My morning of watching and feeling inspired has gone.  I need to find some sprint athletics to watch and quick! Something that I can feel admiration for and gain inspiration from without the follow on feelings of I could do that!

I wasn't expecting to feel like this, and it's kind of knocked me sideways, inadvertently I've burst my bubble of enjoyment from being an armchair spectator.  In which case marathongirl750 there's nothing else for it, you're going to have to go and find out what it feels like to be a competitor!

PS Well Done Marathon Man! 3 hours, 34 mins and 10 secs... fabulous run!

M - 380

Liverpool Half - 49

Glasgow Half - 161
Total Distance covered   572.2 miles

Day 370

1.  Last parkrun in the 40-44 age category. Not a PB, but I was the fastest female in the category which is a nice way to end that particular era!

2.  My time might have been better if Dougal hadn't decided to stop for a poo en route! Although thinking about it, poo over he then was determined to get back to where he'd been in the 'pack' before he stopped and dragged me round at an alarmingly quick pace till we made it.

3.  He then set his sights on catching up with Al, my legs were having none of it however and when we got close enough I had to shout to Al to wait for us (I was popular!) so that he could take him and I could finish the final lap at my own pace!

4.  I am really quite excited to announce that I have reached the momentous milestone of ten thousand page views of my blog! It was made even more exciting by Etsy Favouriter being the ten thousandth page viewer, and we got to watch the counter change as she logged on to read Thursday's instalment!

5.  The fabric is out of the cupboard and the selection for the first bag has been made, nothing like a bit of female company and interest in such things to spur me into action!

M - 381

Liverpool Half - 50

Glasgow Half - 162
Distance covered                 8 miles 
Total Distance covered   572.2 miles

Day 369

1.  Two days until the London Marathon 2015, three days before I can apply to Barnardo's.  It's all starting to feel a little real and the enormity of it all is a little overwhelming!

2.  I'll explain why at a later date, but I have had to adjust my target amount to £2150 which means I've got £530 to raise, which equates to one hundred cards and forty bags - time to get sewing....

3.  I have no idea whether or not I have enough fabric to make forty bags (nor if I'll be able to sell them) but there's only one way to find out.  The thought of opening the cupboard doors on the fabric emporium and pulling it all out to have a look is almost as scary as the whole marathon thing!

4.  Going to have to take the plunge soon, but don't have to sort all forty bags when I do.  I just have to concentrate on making one bag, the rest can follow.

5.  Unfortunately I didn't have the most productive of days, falling asleep for a couple of hours this afternoon!  I'm sorry that this meant you'd to come in from work and walk Dougal Al, perhaps I'll make him run with me to parkrun so you can have a day off tomorrow.

M - 382

Liverpool Half - 51

Glasgow Half - 163
Total Distance covered   564.2 miles

Day 368

1.  Determined to have a better day than yesterday I headed out for a run first thing.

2.  Curious as to how fast I could run the four miles on the training plan for today, and feeling a little sorry for him because of the heat (who would have ever thought it), I decided to run on my own and left Dougal at home.

3.   I knew something wasn't quite right when I looked at my Garmin and it told me I was running at fifteen minutes miles one minute and five minute miles the next, but I was happy to believe it when occasionally it settled somewhere around eight!

4.  On arriving home and looking at my splits it turns out I ran the first mile in seven minutes forty one (which I find highly unlikely given the elevation gain of forty three metres, and I know I'm usually much nearer eleven), ten minutes for my second mile, which given that I was trying quite hard was a bit disappointing.  I'll take the third mile of seven minutes fourteen even if the forth mile of just under nine is probably much nearer the truth! On loading the information onto my computer I got an even bigger surprise, apparently I wasn't running around here at all! But have been plotted as running several miles away where I have never even been?!

5.  I wish I wasn't so interested in my run stats.  I wish I could just take the run for what it was, fairly enjoyable and relatively fast.  But I am.  They keep me going.  I knew all the time I was running I was jeopardising my chances of a quick parkrun on Saturday but kept telling myself it didn't matter because I'd have my own proof that I was getting better from today, and now I don't.  Except that I do, it's just in my head, I know I had a good run, and if I need further proof then really I need look no further than the aches in my hips and feet!

M - 383

Liverpool Half - 52

Glasgow Half - 164
Distance covered                  4 miles
Total Distance covered   564.2 miles

Day 367

1.  Glorious sunny morning, far too nice to spend it in the gym.  That was the first excuse.

2.  Having fallen behind on so many of my jobs over the holidays, I decided that I would be far better staying at home and trying to get a bit more organised, a tidy house after all equals a tidy mind (or so I'm told).  That was the second.

3.  Al dropped C off at the gym this evening, I dropped H off at drama and was then supposed to go and join C, I didn't.  Far better to get the ironing done so there are less jobs standing in the way of cleaning tomorrow, and there's the third.

4.  The thing that would be of most benefit to me at this current moment in time is foam rollering my legs and a bit of  tennis ball torture on my IT Bands, both of which can be done at home without the need to get changed into any gym kit, thus saving time - four!

5.  Falling asleep whilst writing this, I clearly didn't have enough energy to spare today.  Just as well then that I didn't expend what little I had on exercising, and that would be five!  Night night!

M - 384

Liverpool Half - 53

Glasgow Half - 165
Total Distance covered   560.2 miles

Day 366

1.  Today is Dougal's third birthday and MG750's first!

2.  We celebrated in style by going on a lovely five mile run in the sun.

3.  I'm not altogether sure how impressed Dougal was with this, nor how much my alter ego will enjoy spending her birthday doing much the same this time next week!

4.  But I was four minutes quicker than when I ran the same route a fortnight ago, and am daring to believe that the training plan may be working and I might be getting stronger!

5.  Unfortunately my hips are still very unhappy with my recent increase in both frequency and distance, more unfortunately still my determination to get foam rollering on Saturday has not been repeated and I fear it is all going to come crushing down sometime soon if I don't make a concerted effort to sort it out!  Whether or not this concerted effort will stretch as far as the gym in the morning remains to be seen.

M - 385

Liverpool Half - 54

Glasgow Half - 166
Distance covered                5 miles
Total Distance covered   560.2 miles

Day 365

1.  Back to school after the Easter holidays and the first chance in three weeks to sit back and catch my breath - or not!

2.  The delight of another casting audition in Manchester this afternoon saw me and H hitting the road in search of stardom.

3.  Yet again I have no idea why he wants anything to do with this industry! The other children attending today went beyond the usual standard of annoying, from the boy sitting opposite who, clearly looking for an upgrade, dropped his phone at least twice whilst telling his mum that it wasn't working properly, to the child who replaced him once he'd gone in for his audition who seemed to find it amusing to break wind and then, when presumably he'd run out of air, simulated the effect with his hand under his armpit just in case we were missing the sound.

4.  If they don't want my gorgeous, well mannered and charming son then more fool them.

5.  My other gorgeous, well mannered and charming son decided after a busy weekend playing underwater hockey he had earned a night off training thus meaning I got a reprieve from Boot Camp for another week! Thanks C x

M - 386

Liverpool Half - 55

Glasgow Half - 167
Total Distance covered   555.2 miles

ONE YEAR DOWN...

ONE TO GO!!

I can't quite believe I've been doing this for a year?! All those things I said I'd do and still haven't, all those things I've done instead!

With a few noticeable exceptions of sad times aside, it's been a good year.

I've run further than I ever thought possible; blogged 'daily' which I'm incredibly glad that I stuck to despite coming close to stopping a couple of times; joined a gym which I really must go back and visit sometime; felt the love and support of my family and many friends some old, some new, some I've never even met (one week to go Marathon Man!); sold some stuff online (although that first purchase from a 'randomer' on Etsy still eludes me); sold my soul for a few measly pounds at the hell that was Westival; raised a little over £300 for Wateraid and a whopping £1600 for Barnardo's; ran in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Brighton with my sister and HMG, discovering along the way that HMG and I share an odd pleasure of getting up ridiculously early on a Saturday morning to run in the dark to parkrun and that my sister won't be talked into joining us under any circumstances - but we're all members of the half marathon club however we got there!

I may not have lost an ounce overall of the half stone I was going to when I started out, I may have spent far too much of my time procrastinating and I might have moaned more than I should have but I am proud of all that I have achieved. and am really getting rather excited about the year ahead.

Saw my first advert for next Sunday's London Marathon this week, and for the first time instead of seeing it, remembering that I once said I was going to run one and filling up with feelings of remorse over wasted opportunities and how I'd never be able to do that now... I was instead filled with emotion, and in truth a little overwhelmed,  over the possibility that next year it could be me! I could be part of that. The sheer volume of people will put me further out of my comfort zone than any distance ever could, but I could be there.  I have the ability to make this happen, I just have to want it enough.

Time to get my sewing machine back out and get my Etsy shop stocked ahead of making my application to Barnardo's, time to start affirming to the Universe that "I AM A BARNARDO'S LONDON MARATHON RUNNER", time to take my health seriously- eat better, drink more water and do my exercises, time to get out there and get running!

But in the wake of Friday, time too to take some time out and spend some time at the beach with the man I love and the four (rather long) legged bundle of joy that is Dougal. Had a lovely afternoon but you'll have to take my word for it - took some truly beautiful photographs to share with you only to discover I'd forgotten to put the memory card back in the camera!

M - 387

Liverpool Half - 56

Glasgow Half - 168
Total Distance covered   555.2 miles

Day 363

1.  Back in Bronze medal position at parkrun this morning - third female home! Whoooo Hoooooo!!

2.  If I'd only been able to keep up with Al and Dougal at the end I could have been second, but I was spent and got beaten coming up the final hill.

3.  If most of the regulars who are faster than me hadn't been missing I wouldn't have come third!

4.  My time was back to where it was on the first of January, before all the trouble with my IT Bands, I am so hoping that perhaps I might be moving on from there. (It may also have a little to do with the fact that I didn't run to parkrun this morning!).

5.  For any readers fortunate enough never to have encountered a foam roller - remove any link between the words foam and soft, squishy or comfort from your mind! The foam is dense and knobbly and adhered to a tube made of very strong and unforgiving plastic. The roller is then placed under your leg and you use your body weight to push down into the knobbly bits as you roll up and down the muscle.  IT HURTS, but unfortunately it also works. So when I tell you that I went upstairs this afternoon and spent some time foam rollering my legs I think this should be taken as a near a show of determination as you can get!

6.  Special mention must go to Mrs Motivator who got a parkrun PB today! So very well deserved Mrs M xx

M - 388

Liverpool Half - 57

Glasgow Half - 169
Distance covered             3.1 miles
Total Distance covered   555.2 miles

Day 362

Today was the funeral of my friend's brother.

1.  Tell those you love that you love them.

2.  Be happy.

3.  If there are more good times than bad, be thankful and take the time to enjoy them.

4.  If the bad days outweigh the good, do something about it.

5.  Run.

RIP Chris.

M - 389

Liverpool Half - 58

Glasgow Half - 170
Total Distance covered   552.1 miles

Day 361

1.  We did it! Seven mile round trip, one hour and three minutes!

2.  Garmin playing ball today so here goes... one 11 minute mile, three 9s in the middle and three 8s to finish (plus an extra minute spread across the run before anyone tells me that my numbers don't add up!).

3.  I've only run this route once before (way back in September on Seven Mile Sunday) when I was six minutes slower making it a PB!

4.  You may have noticed that I am still ever so slightly euphoric about today's run.

5.  I am however paying for it now.... my hips are screaming at me, I have blisters on my feet, a patch of chaffed skin elsewhere on my person and all I want to do is go to sleep!  BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!

M - 390

Liverpool Half - 59

Glasgow Half - 171
Distance covered                 7 miles
Total Distance covered   552.1 miles

Day 360

1.  Had a bit of a dizzy spell first thing and I don't think my head has stopped spinning since.  Consequently I have been a bit all over the place today and every room I've been in bears evidence to  this with a string of half finished jobs.

2.  Having my card making stuff out on the back table may work wonders in terms of me being able to pick it up when I've got a spare five minutes, but the trouble is that I don't stop after five minutes. This may have more to do with my half finished jobs than I've alluded to above.

3.  Despite C's best attempts to persuade me to go to the gym this afternoon, it was my turn to decline.

4.  Despite my best attempts to lure Dougal on a different route around the fields, he found his way back to where he was on Monday and the dead rabbit I was hoping to avoid.

5.  Seven mile run on the lead for him tomorrow - IT Bands permitting!

M - 391

Liverpool Half - 60

Glasgow Half - 172
Total Distance covered   545.1 miles

Day 359

1.  Spent most of today watching to see if the weather I could see out of the window (cloudy, rather windy and not overly warm) was ever going to match what it said on the BBC weather app (sunny intervals and fifteen degrees).  It didn't.  But after speaking to sisterofMG750 this afternoon I decided that cloudy, rather windy and not overly warm was better than the rain they were having in Glasgow.

2.  Motivation lacking I tried to persuade C to come running with me this morning. He declined.

3.  I think hiding under the table was tantamount to Dougal declining also, but he didn't get the option and was made to accompany me on my five mile run.  He is the perfect running buddy keeping pace with me however slow or fast I go, and today was a little bit faster than last week (but my most despised Garmin won't upload to the computer - AGAIN - and so I can't analyse my run in any more technical terms - I bet you're gutted!).

4.  Came back awash with post run euphoria! It is the most wonderful feeling, and I am full of resolve to really try and sort the issues I'm still having with my IT Bands so that I can keep running and experience it some more.

5.  Al was, I think, a little on the disappointed side that my good mood didn't quite last until he got home, but I had a lovely lunch with the boys mid glow!

M - 392

Liverpool Half - 61

Glasgow Half - 173
Distance covered                5 miles
Total Distance covered   545.1 miles

Day 358

1.  The one thing that I really needed today was a day that didn't get more complicated as it went on - I didn't get it.  Al left for work around seven and Dougal lasted a whole five minutes before deciding it was time he was up and 'yipped' me out of my bed.

2.  A phone call at half seven changed the course of the day and I spent the rest of it playing catch up, I am still waiting for the opportunity to go for a shower - nice!

3.  My hips hurt after running on Saturday, I desperately need to go and spend some time working on them with both foam roller and tennis ball, but unsurprisingly it was my attendance at the gym that I chose to forgo this morning when the plans for the day changed.

4.  Prepared our tea whilst making the boys theirs, completely forgot that ours needed putting in the oven.  Dougal didn't fare much better forgot to feed him altogether!

5.  Think it's fair to say I missed you today Mr L.  Things don't quite work the same around here without you.

M - 393

Liverpool Half - 62

Glasgow Half - 174
Total Distance covered   540.1 miles

Time Warp

It's just a jump to the left...

I'm not altogether sure how it has happened but somehow we've arrived in the middle of April and I am at a bit of a loss as to what happened to most of January, some of February (won't be forgetting our weekend in Brighton in a hurry!) and the vast majority of March.

I am no where near as fit or as thin as I think I was supposed to be by Easter, nor when I bought all that fabric and put it away until after Christmas did I think it would still be untouched in the cupboard come April.  I haven't looked back at my blog, but I'm guessing that somewhere there's an entry which says I'm just going to focus on getting the house straight once everyone goes back to work and school in the New Year, and yet here I am about to write the same thing after the Easter holidays with no real concept of what happened to the time in between.  So much for seizing the day in a carpe diem kind of a way - at the moment I'd settle for just remembering what I did with the day when I got to the end of it!

Spoiler alert! If I think the past three months have gone quickly there is also an anniversary looming that is a bit scary - I'm almost half way! Just over a week off a full year of being a blogger, fundraiser and increasingly part time runner!

Trying not to get completely overwhelmed by it all, I did manage to spend some time today embellishing the cards that I printed last week (which sounds so much better than 'colouring in', which is how Al has been referring to this latest artistic process!).  I'm relatively happy with the results, yet apprehensive as to whether they will sell.  I have had second thoughts about a market stall and am really hoping I can avoid going down that route, but as I'm trying to hold onto them for my Etsy relaunch I am going to have to wonder for a little bit longer.

Meanwhile the big day is approaching a lot faster for some, as Marathon Man puts in his final preparation for running the London Marathon in a fortnight! Thanks for sending me the email updates as to your progress, and look forward to the debrief.  But an eighteen minute fifty parkrun?! You kept that quiet! Regular readers will know that I'm far more envious of this than the fact that you're running in London a year earlier than I hope to!

M - 394

Liverpool Half - 63

Glasgow Half - 175
Total Distance covered   540.1 miles

Day 356

1.  After a week of lovely weather, it was wet and horrible this morning... not the best start to Parkrun Day.

2.  Thankfully the rain stopped at some point after HMG and I had set off, but I was too busy chatting to notice when!

3.  Got to parkrun and Al was nowhere to be seen, when asked where he was I told everyone that, having left him sitting on the settee in his running kit, my only assumption was he must have fallen back to sleep and was still there.  He arrived with seconds to spare having gone back to get his barcode which he'd forgotten to transfer onto his new trainers, wondering why everyone was smiling at him in a knowing way - sorry Al.

4.  HUGE 100 Parkrun Club Congratulations to fellow parkrunner! At 73 I have a few to go to join you, but at least I'm back at it and heading in the right direction again.

5.  Lovely afternoon and evening with the boys and Etsy Favouriter, watching the Grand National, the First Woman's Boat Race, the Men's Boat Race and, just in case that wasn't enough to inspire them to greatness, Dead Poet's Society. Just hoping I can retain enough of the sentiment to spur me into action tomorrow...

M - 395

Liverpool Half - 64

Glasgow Half - 176
Distance Covered            7.1 miles
Total Distance covered   540.1 miles

Day 355

1.  Dragged myself out of bed this morning, went to the supermarket, came home to put the shopping away and pick up C so we could go to the gym, to discover he'd slept in.  Neither of us took much convincing to decide we wouldn't bother going (although C did go swimming later, whereas I did nothing).

2.  In my defence I'm still feeling a little under the weather and have decided to save myself for parkrun tomorrow.

3.  Had a lovely day with Al.

4.  In fact I've had a lovely week since he came home on Sunday.

5.  Not looking forward to him going back to work on Monday, but am hoping that I might manage to get back into some sort of fitness routine when he does.  My gym attendance has been non existent this week, and I only managed a solitary appearance the week before, I have already missed several runs on my training plan and it's only week three, and my motivation to do anything about it is no where to be seen!

M - 396

Liverpool Half - 65

Glasgow Half - 177
Total Distance covered   533 miles

Day 354

1.  My plan to get an early night and feel better in the morning didn't work.  I got to sleep OK, but I am still poorly. Consequently;

2.  I didn't run today :(

3.  I am now going to have to rejig my training plan as I don't think I've earned next week's rest week. Which is a shame because I was really looking forward to it!

4.  I can't believe how close I am to being able to apply for my Barnardo's place and how far I am from being ready for it.  I want to have my Etsy shop back up and running before I submit my application, but as yet have nothing to put in it!  I've ended up having to buy the cards that I'd started to make a couple of weeks ago which gets the money in the bank but doesn't help with having anything to sell! So I made a concerted effort to start doing something about it today.  At five cards printed it was a relatively small start but a step in the right direction.

5.  C came in to see me after I'd gone to bed to find out what time I was going to the gym tomorrow. Not wanting to give him any excuse not to train nor wanting to pass up the opportunity to spend time with him, I found myself saying 9 o'clock  - when in reality I had no intention of going at all!

M - 397

Liverpool Half - 66

Glasgow Half - 178
Total Distance covered   533 miles

Day 353

1.  The downward movement on the scales is only ever going to be a temporary blip if I continue to eat as much as I did today.

2.  An hour early to meet a friend for lunch, I found myself killing time in a running shop?! Admittedly I didn't spend the whole of the hour there but seems I am more interested in buying new running kit than I am new clothes!

3.  Consequently I am hankering after a new pair of shoes, not entirely sure what's wrong with the ones I currently own (although I have run the treads off in places) but I have a sneaking suspicion that I think new shoes might make running easier.

4.  If I could only run for as long or as fast as my nose has today then I would have completed my marathon AND gained elite status!

5.  Having waited so long for all my boys to be home, they've all gone out to the cinema together to watch a boys film! Going to take advantage of their absence, have a relatively early night and  hope I feel better in the morning.

M - 398

Liverpool Half - 67

Glasgow Half - 179
Total Distance covered   533 miles

Day 352

1.  We got there! Dougal returned to his bed after breakfast, Al got to stay in his and have a lie in, I got some time to potter.

2.  Unfortunately I then inadvertently disrupted the peace in the most upsetting of ways... uploading some photos on to the computer I spotted some video clips of Dougal as a puppy which I thought might be nice to watch, one bark from Sid however and poor Dougal was out of his bed like a shot, tail wagging and yipping in excitement at his return.  Flew out into the garden to greet him and then started looking everywhere for him when, of course, he was no where to be seen. It was awful.  In an attempt to try to divert his attention, I let him go upstairs to find Al instead, at which point there was no settling back down and everyone was up.  A day later and I still feel bad about the Sid bark, but strangely less so about getting Al up.

3.  There has been a slight downward shift on the scales! I think it was this that made me change my mind about running today sis, and put my trainers on.

4.  Dougal and I did a rather slow five miles in the sunshine.  My legs didn't want to get moving at all, but once we'd started I did at least manage to keep them going, and if nothing else we've ticked another run off the training plan.

5.  My boys are home :)

M - 399

Liverpool Half - 68

Glasgow Half - 180
Distance covered              5 miles
Total Distance covered   533 miles

Day 351

1.  Another beautiful morning, another early start! But;

2.  We had company on our morning walk... Al's home :)

3.  Not sure if it's relief that I'm not having to deal with everything on my own, exhaustion at having done so for the past few days, exploitation of the fact that for the first time in a long time I had the opportunity, or a mixture of all three, but I slept from one till two and three till five this afternoon!

4.  Having written Sunday's blog on Sunday I then forgot to publish it, today I forgot to write at all. For someone who finds it so hard to switch off and relax I am taking this absent mindedness as a positive sign, even if I think we all know it is a bi product of mental and physical fatigue and not indicative of any new found ability to be a bit more laid back.

5. Looking at the parkrun results I clicked on my age category by mistake and discovered a new list! I am the eighth fastest veteran woman aged 40-44 to ever run Dewsbury Parkrun out of a possible one hundred and twenty three of us! (Fellow parkrunner you're thirteenth to save to you looking!).  Whilst on the one hand being chuffed to bits I am however slightly disappointed that this is the highest I shall ever be on this list as I change age categories in three weeks. More disappointing still is that my current PB would have me in twelfth on the 45-49 list.... just as well I decided yesterday that there was more to life than my 5K time!

M - 400

Liverpool Half - 69

Glasgow Half - 181
Total Distance covered   528 miles

Ten Weeks till we Rock n Roll!

Help!

Asked if I minded being on my own on Easter Sunday, the answer was no.  Just as long as the only requirement on my time was walking Dougal.  What I didn't quite envisage was that being at nine o'clock this morning!

I thought we had our Sunday morning routine sorted.  I get up, give him his breakfast, he goes back to bed, I get to potter (or go to the gym?) - not so this morning! He was up and showing no signs of settling back down again, arriving at my feet with everything he could find to play with including some items he knew would get my attention as they were most definitely not for chewing! I do hope he hadn't been taking his going back to bed lead from Sid and in his absence this is what he thinks mornings are for!

And so, in what is becoming a bit of a weekly recap, where am I today compared to this time last week? Thankfully in a slightly better place.

Yesterday's run was altogether different from last Saturday's and despite my time at parkrun being almost a minute slower it doesn't matter, the important part is that I did it.  I can't say I enjoyed the actual running, there was no adrenaline rush or post run euphoria, but I enjoyed the fact that I was out running again, if that makes any sense?  It was our favourite route to parkrun, it was good to see HMG and have a proper catch up (I think it may have been this that I enjoyed most) and it was refreshing to get to parkrun and just run it without any consideration to time.  I don't think this was a conscious decision on my part, I just don't think there's space in my head at the moment to think about it, and it made for a nice change to not really care.  Perhaps if the week has shown me anything it's that there are more important things in life than how quickly I can run three miles. I may need reminding of this if I start to get anywhere near my PB ever again!

Ten weeks to Liverpool! A little bit early to be planning our trip but fuelled by a picture of a rather delicious looking breakfast posted by fellow parkrunner who is there this morning, I did waste a while researching possible places to eat whilst we're there, and with cake on arrival, pasta for dinner, and post run brunch to consider it may take some time to narrow down our options!

M - 401

Liverpool Half - 70

Glasgow Half - 182
Total Distance covered   527.9 miles

Day 349

1.  Dougal, HMG and I ran seven miles - three miles at parkrun and four to get there!

2.  Not sure if it was this, this disappearance of all other family members bar me, or a combination of both but HMG has definitely been given pack status! Dougal was bereft when she disappeared to go to the loo pre parkrun, beside himself when he saw again post parkrun, and selected her for the role of providing some sort of hand pillow for his head in the cafe afterwards. Not entirely sure how she'll feel about this, but I think it's meant as a compliment of the highest order!

3.  So wishing I had been able to accompany H on the train to Glasgow this afternoon as he goes to spend a few days being spoiled by his Auntie and that was before I heard there was a girls shopping trip planned for tomorrow whilst the boys do boy things!

4.  Clearly it is not only Dougal who has a penchant for rabbits.... I have this evening decapitated one of my own.  Mine was, however of the Lindt bunny variety and consequently I now feel a little sick, yet strangely I am tempted to eat the rest.

5.  Been a long day at the end of a long week but I've made it! Am hoping for a period of calm to follow, which I fear may be wishful thinking so I'll settle for slightly less traumatic... keep your fingers crossed.

M - 402

Liverpool Half - 71

Glasgow Half - 183
Distance covered             7.1 miles
Total Distance covered   528 miles

Day 348

1.  Made the decision today to take Dougal on a long walk round the woods to hopefully buy us a little snooze time later in the day.  It was really hard going back just the two of us, but we're slowly getting used to it.

2.  Somebody somewhere doesn't want me to rest! My day did not go as planned and just kept getting busier.

3.  Consequently I now don't know how I'm going to fit everything in tomorrow and am seriously considering taking Dougal to parkrun with me in the morning, this in itself isn't a problem but making him run four miles to get there seems a little cruel, although lets face it what is a run to me is more of a fast walk for him!

4.  H manfully stepped up and took my place this afternoon....

5.  My friends called in to see me after hearing the news of Sid, and came bearing Easter Simnel Buns. Al and C are away, H doesn't like them, his friends don't know there here...  all I've got to do now is keep them out of Dougal's reach and they're all mine! Think it's time to go put the kettle on!

M - 403

Liverpool Half - 72

Glasgow Half - 184
Total Distance covered   520.9 miles

Day 347

1. The wind and rain have finally abated and for whilst I am enjoying the calm and the sunshine I can't help feeling like I've suffered a bit of storm damage and am trying hard not to compare myself to the rather sad looking greenhouse all empty and with several missing panes.

2.  I got a text this morning to say a parcel was due for delivery today.  After waiting in all morning I went on the internet at lunchtime to track its progress only to find that I had signed for it yesterday... took me a while to realise that it wasn't a computer error!

3.  Said it before, will say it again. I have the best sister.

4.  Nice sunny afternoon walk with Dougal, not a dead animal in sight, and my first cup of tea in the garden on our return.

5.  House full for tea this evening, H and his friend, C and Etsy Favouriter, followed by a fun evening trying on items from the aforementioned parcel with a much appreciated female opinion.  Thank you, it was just what I needed.

M - 404

Liverpool Half - 73

Glasgow Half - 185
Total Distance covered   520.9 miles

Day 346

1.  Hoping that the first day on my own with Dougal will be the worst day, and it is now thankfully behind us.

2.  I have a sneaking suspicion that thoughts of a linear progression are somewhat optimistic and that, like my parkrun times, it may be a little more sporadic.

3.  Dougal does great cuddles and he very conveniently seemed to need one just as I'd picked up the iron, or at least I'm sure that's what that look meant.

4.  C and I made it to the gym this evening.

5.  Thankfully the testosterone fuelled beefy bloke who (mistakenly) thought he was really something and felt it necessary to be rude to us last week wasn't there - I may not have managed to hold my tongue or my temper this evening.

M - 405

Liverpool Half - 74

Glasgow Half - 186
Total Distance covered   520.9 miles