Peace

and quiet....

It was a little disconcerting the other evening to receive a notification from Facebook to tell me that the post that was outperforming all others this week was my announcement on Sunday night that there wouldn't be a blog! However my faith was restored this morning with the news that it has been outstripped by my return last night!

Lying in bed this morning trying to persuade myself that I really should be getting up and hitting the shower, when it dawned on me that it was a run day and that I really should be getting up and running the scheduled three miles before even thinking about a wash.

It was hard work -  my legs were heavy and it just felt like a long way today. But it felt good to be out, my hip is not discernibly worse for going, and with Christmas Day parkrun to look forward to on Thursday, and our usual parkrun on Saturday, it looks like I might stick to training plan for the first time in three weeks  and will hopefully feel like I'm getting back on track. Email in from Brighton Half... two months to go!

Not quite post run euphoric on my return, but thankfully in a better mood than yesterday, Al was clearly not going to take any chances and suggests a trip to the library (our first in eighteen months).

Although he maintains that it is because he doesn't want to finish his book and be left with nothing to read over Christmas, I can't help but wonder if he thinks our time spent together may be more peaceful if I too have something to read! Consequently I now have a selection of five books to choose from should I ever get the chance to sit down for long enough!

M -504
Brighton Half - 61
Glasgow Half - 285
Distance covered                  3.3 miles
Total Distance covered      436.9 miles

Sparks flying!

The truth will out....!!

Several years ago we had a stove top kettle. It was a thing of beauty despite being rather slow to come to the boil. Rather than get frustrated we used to relish the opportunity to take five minutes to stand still.  It was at some point replaced by an electric alternative which was much quicker yet far from so aesthetically pleasing. Just to add a little sparkle to the Christmas chaos, it blew up yesterday -taking our plans for avoiding the shops today with it!

Although tempted to continue with my pan of water and ladle alternative, in an attempt to get me to slow down, we decided that this probably wasn't the best way to go and so disappeared the first window of opportunity for curling up on the sofa. The second went a couple of hours later, when just as I had closed my eyes for a wee snooze, H called to say his chauffeur was now required at the cinema.

Neither the shopping nor the driving duties did anything to improve my already somewhat shocking mood.  Tired, grouchy and apparently "moaning all the time" I don't think I was the best of company today! Oh dear.... here's me saying I won't write my blog so I can spend time with Al, and there's Al wishing he could just read the abridged version of my day rather than live through the whole of it with me!

Exercise's done all four prescribed times today meaning new leaf has remained right side up for over 24 hours - time to get to work on my cheery disposition.....

M -505
Brighton Half - 62
Glasgow Half - 286
Total Distance covered      433.6 miles

Or not!!

Stealing a quick five minutes, having felt so lost with no blog to write!

I think it is fair to say that sisterofMG750's approach to training differs considerably to mine, I am fastidiously following the training plan (that she found) and beating myself up when I miss a run, she has yet to start her half marathon training! 

Admittedly our lives differ in a great many ways and the fact that she works exceptionally hard and often away from home, is a significant factor in determining how much time she has to train. But when she told me earlier that she wasn't running because of the rain, I must confess I did think, oh for heaven's sake just get your trainers on (now that you have been reunited with them after your luggage didn't make it back from your latest 'jaunt') or words to that effect!

Knowing better than to voice this opinion, I must confess to owing you an apology sis when a while later I heard on the radio that the motorway was down to one lane at Glasgow Airport due to flooding... perhaps I should have pictured something slightly more than drizzle when you text to say "Weather getting worse, I ain't going out in that!"

Busy all day and didn't have the opportunity to write my blog - but I wanted to! Day just didn't seem right without it! Nothing particular to 'report' except from the fact that I contacted the Biomechanics Man about the pain in my right leg, AND followed his advice! He hasn't any appointments before Christmas and isn't working over the holidays, but has sent an exercise which may help. I am obviously more concerned about this pain that I've been letting on because I did the exercise as soon as I got it, and again before going to bed! Who am I and where has Marthongirl750 gone?! 

M -506
Brighton Half - 63
Glasgow Half - 287
Total Distance covered      433.6 miles

Over and out

but I don't think I'll be able to stay away for long!

Woke up this morning and really struggled to drag myself out of bed, at which point I realised that had we be running our thirteen miler, we would have left half an hour before and I would have been up for two hours already! Definitely made the right decision!

My cold finally seemed to have broken and I could happily have stayed in bed, C decided to stay in his, and I'm not sure how much persuading Al would have taken - but he's on course for hitting his parkrun fifty if he does the double on New Year's Day and I wasn't going to be the one who talked him out of that one!

Odd running weather, too cold to stand around, too warm once we started! Missed our post run catch up with the café being closed, but rushing home and having my cup of tea in the bath will take some beating!

So this is it... last blog for a while. Feels VERY strange, and I'm not sure how I'm going to manage being away! Thoughts are oscillating between having a whole fortnight off, or blogging every day in reduced form, or just writing when I've got something to say!  But if today has taught me anything then it's not to get too hung up on deciding in advance exactly how things are going to pan out!

HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! There isn't a one of you out there who believes I've learnt that lesson! But I'm trying! I'm going to take the next couple of weeks to have a rest and run a bit, and curl up on the sofa with Al, and spend time with family and friends, and do some tidying up and get myself organised for starting again next year, and maybe just maybe do my exercises!

In the meantime the damson gin Al has made in the summer has been opened, the fire is lit, my Christmas shopping is finished and even more surprising than doing my exercises, I may just start to relax!


M -507
Brighton Half - 64
Glasgow Half - 288
Distance covered                  3.1 miles
Total Distance covered      433.6 miles

Learning

and difficult as it is, I think for once this isn't the hard way!

I received a letter this morning inviting me to phone the Ear Nose and Throat clinic to make a follow up appointment and on doing so was offered one at 9.15 on the 24 February.  Usually I laugh when offered a date a couple of months away and then asked if this will be OK, in a sort of who could possibly have plans this far in advance kind of a way. However this morning, mid chortle alarm bells started to ring - I HAVE PLANS THIS FAR IN ADVANCE! All being well I will have only just returned from Brighton, and if I can still walk I think my presence in the supermarket will be better appreciated by my family than attending a clinic to be told there is no change in my hearing loss! The lady on the other end of the phone very kindly offered me one a week later - to give me time to gather myself!

But I was a little shaken by the fact that I am now booking post Brighton! It's a bit like when you look at a sell by date and it's after your birthday or some other significant date which at the time seems like ages away - or is this just me?!

The sad and deeply disappointing news of the day is that HMG and I have made the decision not to run thirteen miles tomorrow, despite our best efforts to the contrary.  In the end we made it slightly earlier than I thought we might, when I was sat staring at a pint of water unsure has to how many more of them I was supposed to be drinking!

Disappointing as it was, I think we have made the right decision. Better to wait, repair and run another day than set out tomorrow and have to call Al to come and rescue us.  More importantly I believe that it shows us to be the intermediate runners that we've become and not the beginners that we try to pretend we still are.  HMG says she is taking a leaf out of Mrs Motivator's book of resting when things aren't quite right, and as she has PB'd twice recently we decide that this isn't bad advise to follow, and something that I would be well advised to pay more attention to!

A lie in tomorrow - what's one of those?!

M -508
Brighton Half - 65
Glasgow Half - 289
Total Distance covered      430.5 miles

Bankrupt!

Potentially in more ways than one!

By the time I've made the necessary alteration. the date above will read Thursday 18 December... the fact that I'm writing this on Saturday 20 December is by way of a small reflection on just how behind I am this week - with everything - oh that it was all so easily adjusted retrospectively!

I have an infinite number of things to do, in a finite amount of time and I've gone bust! Bankrupt! Where the unit this particular bank is counting in is time (although that said Christmas presents now bought, we might not be too far from the conventional use of the word - but I haven't had time to check!). I have officially gone into receivership! A list of what I need to do has been looked at, the most important obligations will be met, and any remaining time will be shared out amongst the rest.

Question is, where on the list does my blog sit?! The answer is not straight forward. Well in truth it probably is, but knowing me I'll have to deliberate over it for a considerable amount of time before I concede that it has to go.

For the most part I've enjoyed writing it, admittedly some days have been easier than others, but overall it's been a good thing, it has become part of my daily routine and I can tell by the numbers reading that for some of you it has become part of yours too. This makes me smile (and at the same time wonder what you were all doing a week past on Sunday which meant you were too busy to read?!).  But I think I need a break.  I think I need to spend the time actually with Al over the holidays, and not spending it writing and publishing my blog, followed by the obligatory time spent on FB and Blogger checking to see what response it has generated! Especially as we have already ascertained that taking time to write about not having enough time is slightly incongruous.

Following my recent attempt to hash tag my way into gaining a Twitter following, I am now reading the weekly report that they send me with much more interest... especially the news that last week one of my tweets gained twenty four views AND was favourited by a randomer (I know both made up words!) It was then somewhat disappointing to discover that this was my one liner fired out in response to Eddie Izzard's call to get #BigThankYou trending during Sports Personality of the Year!

Hours spent documenting my progression from 5K to one day marathon runner, and "Saturday's wouldn't be the same without you #parkrun" is all I needed to say!

This got me thinking as to whether I should limit my blog to a hundred and forty characters over the Christmas holidays, or perhaps I could go one further and adopt a Simon Mayo approach of 3 words to describe my day. An afternoon was then spent considering the merits of this approach
but I can't decide whether trying to be clever and succinct enough to do it would actually take more time! Getting to the point has never been a strong point!

M - 509
Brighton Half - 66
Glasgow Half - 290
Total Distance covered      430.5 miles

The Hokey Cokey

Is your right leg in or out HMG?!


I think today was best summed up by my friend who called in to see me this morning, and left saying she was glad she'd come as it was strangely reassuring to be in the company as someone as fed up as she was!  Oh dear! Never usually synonymous with Festive Cheer it would appear that I'm doing worse than usual!

A small part of this is down to the fact that there is a question mark hanging over Saturday's thirteen mile run.

Following on from yesterday, I was already having doubts over whether or not it is a good idea to run so far, when a text from HMG late last night informs me that she's got an issue with her right leg, and has yet to ascertain how serious it is.

Checking in with her this evening she is better but erring on the side of caution, and before long we have decided that it makes no sense to do our long run on Saturday especially given how early we will have to get up for a six thirty start.  It is madness, it isn't necessary this far from Half Marathon Day (Take One) and we would be very well advised to sit tight, rest up and allow some injury recovery time to pass.

Trying very hard to resign myself to the fact that we are not going to reach our, somewhat arbitrary, pre Christmas goal I fire off a text saying that for whilst it is the right thing to do, part of me is sad at being sensible...

Before I know it, we're discussing ice packs and skin remedies and leaving all our options open until late on Friday evening! "Stay in Bed!" I hear you cry, "It isn't worth it!" I know this, HMG knows this, yet I also know that both of us will do our damnedest to be fit to run on Saturday

I love having HMG as my running buddy, clearly as nutty as each other, we also share a similar level of determination to prove to ourselves that we can do this! Unfortunately we may HAVE to be sensible, we may have to acknowledge that it just isn't going to happen exactly according to plan. I have no doubt that we will run the thirteen miles before we get to Brighton, it just might not be this weekend. It is going to be a tough decision to call and one that I imagine we will make as late on Friday as possible, obviously taking into account our need for an early night ahead of our early start! In the meantime keep your fingers crossed that much healing happens in the next forty eight hours.

M - 510
Brighton Half - 67
Glasgow Half - 291
Total Distance covered      430.5 miles