Week Twenty Eight – Can you believe it!

Ahhhhhh for the first time in Twenty Eight weeks I FORGOT TO WRITE MY BLOG!!! Must be all the excitement of finally getting to that Winter Half milestone along with the fact it’s nearly Christmas, I haven’t finished my shopping and we’ve had in the inlaws to stay!

So the wet and muddy big day finally arrived and it seems we all lived to face another day, I found race day tough. I got the time I wanted but came away feeling like I should have pushed harder or it should have hurt less, either way I am looking forward to having another go!

The next few weeks for me are all about ticking over, enjoying Christmas and a holiday away before the hard work starts again in January.

I have loved the second half of this year, I have met so many new friends and challenged myself more than ever. This time next week I’ll be skiing in the mountains (or getting drunk at the bar) so I will wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I will see you on the other side in 2016 ready to face a marathon! 

Week Twenty Seven – Woooahhh we’re half way (almost) there!!

The weekend has arrived, the countdown has begun and whilst Tweedle is hyperventilating in the corner with a brown paper bag I am looking back over the last 27 weeks and bringing you my highlights:

In Week 1 I was immediately facing my fears at Sgt Mack’s obstacle course, I decided then and there that I wasn’t going to let anything beat me, I went over that wall (even the big one) and I never looked back.

Week 6 was my first taste of being an ‘injured runner’ with a strained Achilles which taught me that I am not in fact superwoman (worse luck).

In Week 12 I got my parkrun PB 22:47, it still stands today and I am hoping to tackle that in the new year!

Week 14 saw me in total awe of four of the Z2H team who victoriously succeeded in taking on the Tour of MK. These guys have formed such a tight unit and its awesome to see the support they give each other.

Week 16 was the 10k graduation and another PB for me, a brilliant morning out with lots of happy Zero’s.

My happy journey took a nose dive in Week 19 with a fractured foot. I apologise profusely to anyone that had to speak to me during those few weeks, it was emotional.

Week 23 and I was back out there testing the foot and making up for lost time, the foot rehabilitated well and with only a few slight niggles brings us to today, the eve of the winter half and our biggest milestone yet.

Have we all been through a lot to get here? Yes, are we feeling confident? No, not always. Can we do this? Hell Yeah! Deep breath now, watch out MK ……

THE ZERO’S ARE COMING!!

Amanda 

Week Twenty Six – A picture paints a thousand words!

They say a picture paints a thousand words, in certain circumstances I am not sure that’s such a good thing!

Running has gone well this week, a nice speedy one gave the foot a bit of a niggle but a rest and a gentle jog with tweedle seemed to sort things out so all that’s left to say this week is …….

Thanks for the party Redway’s, it was fun! (I think)!

Amanda 

Week Twenty Five - Baby it's cold outside!

We kicked off this week with a fantastically freezing 11 miles with the Sunday Club Run. 3 weeks ago I would never even have dreamt this would have been a possibility but with the support of the club and my zero’s I made it to the end with the foot behaving itself.

My GP wasn’t too impressed when she looked at my X-Ray Monday and followed through with the phrase “are you running on this”? Awkward silence followed …. Er yes! There was much eye rolling but in the end she agreed with me – if it doesn’t hurt …...!! Don’t get me wrong I am being VERY careful and will rest at the slightest hint of pain but so far so good, the only pain has been of the self-inflicted heel wearing variety!

After a particularly difficult Tuesday morning club run I had a pretty epic hissy fit involving much sobbing about being too unfit to run. I had a word with myself then went out Thursday and got some of my pace back. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t easy and every single step was a massive effort but it’s given me a glimmer of hope that all the hard work hasn’t been totally lost.

That said this morning’s venture out at 6am went from bad to worse. It was cold, my chest hurt, I couldn’t make my legs move and after three miles of what was supposed to be a five miler I decided I was just wasting energy and shuffled off back home!

These winter months are going to be a test for all of us but we have survived this far and nothing’s going to stop us now!

Stay warm (and stop wearing shorts Tweedle)!!

Amanda 

Week Twenty Four – Yo Yo Yo

Not Ho Ho Ho but Yo Yo Yo this week and for two main reasons; Firstly, despite what all the supermarkets will have you believe it is NOT nearly Christmas. Accepting that it is means I am grossly unprepared for the big day and also that the MK Winter Half is fast approaching and secondly because this week has been spent with totally mixed emotions about the foot!

It all started so positively with an almost eight mile run with some of my much missed zero’s. We had a lovely jaunt following sections of the winter half route and the foot held up well. I almost skipped home with happiness at being back out there thinking if I can do 8 miles’ pain free and still have 4 weeks we could be on!

Monday was the long awaited day that left foot was finally going to be X-Rayed. It was absolutely fine from Sunday’s run so much so that I contemplated cancelling the appointment. Alas I figured it would be good to find out once and for all so off I went. I have to hand it to MK Hospital I was parked, registered in and out within the free 15 minute parking allowance. 15 minutes … that’s all it took to convey my greatest fears “yes there is clear evidence of a stress fracture”. The rest of Monday was spent with a fair about of irrational sobbing.

Feeling brighter the next day I decided to just continue as I had been, slowly increasing the duration and intensity of my running with a view to stopping if there is any pain. So far I have completed a further 6 and 7 mile run with sections close to my pre-injury pace.

So what does any of this mean for the Winter Half? …. Who knows. I remain hopeful that over the next two weeks I can get my mileage up to 11/12 without pain I can hopefully give it a shot on the day! If I can survive the half marathon we should be game on for some serious marathon training over the next few months!

The week ended with some great new friends and far too much wine! Long may it continue, Tweedle has certainly ordered enough curry to see us through the next few drinking sessions. I am not sure Stony will welcome us back though!

Amanda 

Week Twenty Three - A Letter to Left Foot

Dear Leftie,

I think it’s time that you and I arranged a heart to heart. We have been together now for over thirty years and have covered a lot of ground. Maybe you think that I have taken you for granted, or that I have favoured your right counterpart, and if we are being brutally honest I guess I have.  Rightie is always my first port of call and he’s stronger than you too plus he doesn’t have the weird squished little toe but that doesn’t mean I don’t love and need you.

You are 26 of the 206 bones in my body, that’s pretty impressive and not something to be sniffed at.

I know you blame me for breaking you, I was too hard on you and expected too much but I only want what’s best for us and together we can be stronger.

I hope this goes some way to help you understand how much I need you. I have tried to show you how much I care over the last few weeks. I promise to keep up the late night massages and yes, the hot water bottle and ice packs can stay! I know I am starting to sound desperate but I will do anything, new socks, trainers, you name it it’s yours!

I am sorry leftie, I do feel like we are starting to make progress so lets fix this for good and move on.

I need you!

Amanda

Week Twenty Two – Starting over!

There may be light at the end of the tunnel …… only maybe mind and it might be a firefly that’s on it’s last legs but for now it’s light and I am going with it.

I have tried two very short jogs (and I mean short, like quarter of a mile), the foot started to hurt both times so I stopped but it recovered very quickly afterwards so I am taking this as a good sign and after spending the last four weeks not even wearing my trainers let alone running in them this feels like a victory!

This week has been distracting for lots of reasons but as it draws to a close it feels like a fresh start. So many people have picked me up (physically and emotionally) over these last few weeks and I am eternally grateful, one in particular has earned herself a special song:

Ode to Tweedle

(heavily plagiarised with the help of Rick Astley)

…. Sing along ……

We’re no strangers to pain

You know the miles and so do I

A full commitment's what I'm thinking of

Any less and we both might die!

I just want to tell you how I’m feeling

Got to make you understand

Never gonna give you up

Never gonna let you down

Never gonna run away and not loop back!

Never gonna make you cry

Never eat all the pie

Never gonna run in May without you!

Amanda

Week Twenty One – Spooktacular News!

This week the foot has continued to improve and I am appreciating every little milestone and counting down the days till I can get out and run again. I can put my foot flat on the floor, curl my toes, jump, hop and walk without a limp. I think if I was being chased by a zombie I could probably run too but I know it’s too soon to try so I will stay in tonight just in case!

We celebrated Toby’s birthday this week with a spectacularly chocolately birthday cake and a surprise trip to Centre Parcs. There’s currently a spooky witch and a devil sitting at the front door of our villa waiting for trick or treaters. I think they have eaten more treats than they have given out, as have I so I am well on my way to that double chin!

Bring on next week – hopefully I can report a successful gentle jog!!

Amanda

Week Twenty - Appreciating what you have

This week is all about appreciating what you have instead of dwelling on what you don't (in my case two fully functional unbroken feet)! So this week I am thankful for the following:

The amazing Zero 2 Hero friendships that have formed so far, so many of you have checked in on me this week with offers of food, alcohol and non-running related shenanigans and ensured I haven't turned into a rocking recluse.

My beautiful children who ask me every morning, "is your foot better now mummy?" and continually remind me that I look funny limping on the school run!

Campbell Noon - I wouldn't think it was possible to be thankful for someone able to inflict such great pain in a such a short amount of time but Campbell has kept me from despair and given me hope that everything will be ok.

The Gym - Despite being in the middle of massive renovations and being somewhat lacking in my favourite Sauna and Jacuzzi facilities it's doing a great job of making sure I don't wallow and develop that double chin!

and this bloke .....  (not sure who he is, I picked him up in a bar!). This weekend I should have been running the Great South Run but instead I am enjoying a naughty weekend away from the girls with a few cheeky drinks!

Amanda

Week Nineteen - Tissue Time!

This week is a bit of a sorry tale of woe as a slightly niggly sore foot from XC on Saturday evolved into someone stealing my fairly normal looking foot and replacing it with one that even an elephant would consider swollen.

On reflection the ten mile run along the towpath with the pain in my foot gradually increasing was probably a fairly good indicator that I should stop but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

A quick "Dr Google" analysis left me feeling mortified so I booked in to see Campbell Noon who confirmed yes, either a stress fracture or tendon damage to the top of the foot.

As the week has progressed the swelling has subsided and range of motion has increased so I am feeling hopefully. I have been following Campbell's instructions to the letter with ice and self-massage 3-4 times a day.

I am hoping to try a run early next week to test the waters as the Great South Run looms next weekend however only time will tell whether I will be waiting on the start line!

Luckily I have some fantastic support around me providing tea, cake, sympathy and all the peanut butter goodies in the world, I would be lost without you Zero's.

Amanda

Week Eighteen - RunTime FunTime!

Skipping straight to the end of the week which saw the first of the Chiltern League Cross Country races and stepping out of the car was a little like going back in time, suddenly I was 10 again and remembering everything I hated about the sport! Luckily these initial few moments bore the only resemblance to my youth and a fun filled slightly soggy afternoon was had by all. Dare I say I am almost looking forward to the next one especially if Tweedle is treating me to M&S Sarnie's every time (this is not the kind of student diet I remember)!!

Earlier in the week also marked my longest run to date managing to break the 10 mile marker with a quick costume change in a bush and not a drop of beer sick in sight.

It has been great this week to see lots of other Zero's, at the Sunday Run and Stuart's paced 10K session. Obviously a fantastic pattern is emerging, we meet, we run, we find the nearest pub! Long may this continue and hopefully we can get a good crowd for the Beer Festival next week. Who's in?

Amanda

Week Seventeen - Celebrations and Disappointment!

Picture the scene ..... it's Sunday morning, a time for relaxing on the sofa, drinking tea and pondering what time it becomes socially unacceptable to still be in your dressing gown however there appears to be a war taking place, something concerning who ate the last apricot wheats and whether Tiny Pop or CBeebies should be on the TV. The only escape these days seems to be to slip on the new XC trainers and head along the canal for five miles. Luckily by the time the small people arrive to collect me they are more interested in the pound coin they have managed to con Grandad out of and the tiny bit of chocolate they've half inched from the side of his coffee cup!

I decided to brave the Tuesday morning club run again this week. Although it was still tough there was a lot less head down shuffling than the last time and I managed to cover 7.5 miles at 9.12 pace. I love daytime running especially since I pretty much have no idea where we are for 95% of the run. It's like a magical mystery tour of Milton Keynes and then I suddenly catch a glimpse of the back end of Gulliver's Land and send up a little prayer of thanks knowing I have made it to the end!

As a lot of running people will know (as well as those intoxicated enough to enter even though they don't run) this week was the VLM ballot results. I won't name names but there was certainly more than one person in the village this week chasing the poor post lady along her round waiting to see if they would BEE happy or sob into their Spiderman magazine with a family sized bar of chocolate. This year I wasn't even the later with only a 'no thanks' email to show. Although I am gutted it takes any decision making away and I couldn't be happier to be running my first ever marathon with my gorgeous Zero's.

Gym attendance this week has been abysmal (I'm so glad spell check exists)! Of course I have the standard excuses prepared ready:

The dog ate my trainers

The kids were sick in my hair

The wheels fell off the car

The gym was shut

In fact none of the above are true I have just been lazy and will be back in action next week.

I joined the Thursday social run for the first time this week bagging 6.2 miles with average 8.57 min/mile (they are a speedy lot!!) Great run and good company making running in the dark that little bit more bearable!

This week also sees me and Toby celebrate our ten year anniversary (collective ahhhhhhh if you will). I think he is starting to regret encouraging me to run as it's pretty much all I do these days but I reckon I have covered more miles since starting this journey than I have in the last ten years and hopefully he will be proud when I cross the finish line in May. He hasn't opened his present yet but I know he has massive concerns I have brought him running trainers! (I thought his n hers would be romantic?!?) .....

Amanda

Week Sixteen - No Running ..... Are you sure?

This week started on a high and surrounded by Paul's. Our 10K graduation run had arrived and thanks to my need to publicise my whole life on my blog these days, most people knew I was aiming for a sub 50. I had recruited a secret weapon earlier in the week in the form of 'Pacer Paul' who dragged (almost literally) me to victory in 48:08. I definitely owe him a beer along with my fellow zero Paul and his mentor Paul (see what I mean about the Paul's) for encouraging me along route!

Now 10K graduation over and mentor Tony says we have a week off. A week off, really?? No running?? I am not sure about this. I understand the theory and the need to let my body recover but the thought of not running actually terrifies me. I don't ever want to have that first run feeling again!

So, following Tony's instructions Tweedle suggests a gym class and books us in to "Core Stability".  If you score points for turning up we got those and my abs were definitely worked by way of giggling too much. There wasn't even a 'back of the class' to hide at as we all merrily sat in a circle with our 'big balls' and proceeded to determine how to embarrass ourselves for a solid 30 minutes. Will I go back - yes, will I be any better, I hope so!

The Tweedle duo headed back to the gym on Wednesday where Toby described us as "the noisiest people in here". Did we do a great workout? ... probably not but something's better than nothing!

Thursday saw the arrival of my new XC trail shoes. Having been talked into signing up for the league what better way to prepare than buying new kit! I think Toby has just about recovered from his heart attack at seeing the bank statements! I have no expectations for XC apart from the fact I am going to get wet and muddy but am looking forward to the challenge.

Finding it difficult to not run at all for a whole week me and Tweedle snuck out like naughty school children and joined Doug's intervals on Peace Pagoda hill. There was something eerie about being stood halfway up a hill in the dark and definitely highlighted the need for a head torch next week.

I managed to avoid running for the rest of the week and used the extra time to plan my training schedule for the next few weeks. I am now booked in to the Great South Run in October and the Dirt Half in November. Fitting all this in is becoming increasingly difficult as the mileage increases so I am hoping to be super organised. Woe be the one that tries to mess with my colour coded schedule!

Amanda

Week Fifteen - The show must go on!

This week has been fairly disastrous by all accounts. After a good run at the Willen 6 on Saturday I skipped my normal Sunday run and headed to the gym instead followed by the club run on Monday night. So far so good, pace felt faster than it really was but nothing to write home (or blog) about!

Needing to fit in a longer run I decided to try the Tuesday morning club run. With the exception of the company it was awful from start to finish. I definitely went out to fast and paid for it later. Still, 8 miles under my belt and lesson learnt (hopefully).

The rest of the week followed a general pattern of grumpiness, overtired children and mediocre workouts. On the bright side (wait for the pun) ..... I brought myself a head torch, now you will be able to see me coming and promptly run, walk, shuffle or drive in the opposite direction. As I am sure you will agree it looks much better modelled on Mr Grumpy than me but will soon be coming to a forehead near you.

Trying to lift my spirits I brought myself the latest Runners World to enjoy with a cuppa and a piece of cake (oh the irony). Therein was an article about motivation and mantra's for running with several examples one of which I have modified to use on Sunday for our 10k graduation run at Caldecotte.

Fit Fast Strong

It will either work and get me the sub 50 I really want or it won't and a suitably fitting alternative will be chanted on the drive home (I will leave you to figure it out!)

Amanda

Week Fourteen - Apprehensively looking forward!

This week started with a 'lovely' Sunday run with the Redway Runners. Note the term 'lovely' is used loosely attributed mainly to having to run up Bow Brickhill PUKE hill! Not my favourite place but I made it to the top and survived the full 90 minute run.

The 'Tour of MK' races run by Milton Keynes Athletics Club started this week and I am in awe of four of my fellow zero's who opted to participate in all six of the races of varying distances across multiple terrains. They are braver souls than me but maybe I will join them next year!

After a rest day Monday and a workout at the gym on Tuesday there was much groaning as my alarm went off at 6am on Wednesday morning. It doesn't matter how they sell it but these newfangled alarm clocks that start slowly and play tinkly music that gradually ascends in volume until you can ignore them no longer are not working for me. It is 6am, it is practically still dark and the idea of going for a run, no matter how short, is not filling me with joy. After taking a few seconds to remind myself of the end goal (and catch 30 seconds more shut eye) I got dressed and left my sleeping family for a quick jog round the village. Once up and out all was ok and I came home feeling much brighter and also very aware that I need to purchase a head torch!

5 miles with Tweedle on Thursday and the weather had decided it was summer again! We made light work of the mileage and got round in a respectable time but it got me thinking a lot about pace. I have established I can ran faster than I ever thought I could over a 5k and I am currently running further than I have in over a decade but finding a happy medium between longer distance and a good pace just isn't happening for me! Maybe I should just forget about pace all together and enjoy the journey.

With our next milestone of 10k fast approaching I have started looking ahead to the next goal, the MK Winter Half in December and something to bridge the gap and make the distance less daunting. The Great South Run looks like a good option so just working up the courage to bite the bullet and sign up. It is Toby's birthday weekend so looks like I might be treating up to water carrying duties in sunny Portsmouth - he's a lucky chap!

The training week concluded with the last race of the tour and a 6 mile race from Woughton. Apparently pronounced "wooften" quite why I am not sure! I had decided earlier in the week that although I would make some effort I wasn't going to go flat out as I wanted to save myself and see if I could beat my 10K PB from the race I did back in July. As some of the zero's are starting to realise it appears I am not physically or mentally able to not go hell for leather in a race scenario. The course measured just over 6.4 miles on my Garmin and my 10k time showed as 51:26 which is definitely a PB and a great way to finish to the week.

A massive well done to Sarah, Paul, Glynis and Jo who finished all six races with happy smiley faces and a special mention to Tweedle who ran even with a stonking hangover!

Amanda

Week Thirteen - Looking Back!

I was scrolling though my camera album on my phone this week when I came across the image below. This was a photo I sent to Toby one evening exactly six months ago, showing him my running kit ready for the morning. I think his response was something along the lines of "LOL let's see if you actually get up in the morning"!

Well I believe I did, it wasn't far and it wasn't pretty but over the next few weeks I got out more and more and by the end of March we had joined the gym. I learned of the Redway Runners and of the proposed Zero to Hero programme and the rest as they say is history!

Since that first run I have vastly improved my 5k from, well, not being able to run 5k, to 37 minutes in those early days to 22:47 at the latest parkrun. I have met so many lovely people and most of all I am having fun!

This week on Sunday a few zero's got together for a long run. On the way out we discussed various disaster scenarios from being struck by lightning, 'death by bumblebee' and bridge collapse. Fortunately there was nothing quite so dramatic and we all made it back in one piece (with a minor detour as we got a tiny bit lost).

Monday was Martin's muddy bank holiday run. I think my abs got more of a workout from giggling so much on the way round. It was a brilliant run although I have to confess my wet stinky trainers are still loitering around somewhere oooops!

My aim for this week was to get to the gym a bit more as I have been a bit absent over the last few weeks. I made it on Friday night (I know, how rock and roll) but had to settle for a workout at home to finish the week!

Still there is always next week, let see what it brings!

Amanda

Week Twelve - It will end ......

"It will end" ... "It will end" was the chanting occurring in my head on Tuesday evening as myself and Connie scaled the second hill of the evening during the course of our 9 mile run. That's right folks nine whole miles, our longest run to date. There were cheesy fingers, numb toes, ab cramps and a very steep descent but these smiley happy (slightly damp) faces show it was all worth it!

Having started this week with the Sunday club run feeling decidedly mediocre (nothing to do with the route or company I might add) reaching this milestone on Tuesday was a welcome ray of sunshine even though I am still grumping about my lack of Garmin Fanfare - I swear if I don't get one in May after finishing the marathon I am writing to complain!

Having got two decent long runs in already at the start of the week plus a core session at the gym on Monday all that was left for the rest of the training week was a 3 miler and Saturdays parkrun.

Knowing in the back of my mind I was aiming for a PB on Saturday I didn't want to race my 3 mile run on Thursday so decided in advance I would try out some of Stuart's running techniques from last week's group session. With this is mind I headed out off road (less people to laugh and me kicking ass on the way round). It was an interesting run, felt surprisingly tough and left me wondering how I can do a nine mile one day and then feel terrible completing just three only days later.

Parkrun Saturday and lovely to see some of the other Z2H's even if Connie ditched me for a lay in. The course felt tough, really tough and I had literally no sprint finish in me however crossed the finish, glanced at the Garmin and elated to see 22:44 as my finish time. Official Parkrun time said 22:47 either way I am one happy lady!

Amanda

Week Eleven - Getting it Together!

This week has been a busy one with several highlights. Sunday started with a 6 mile jog along the canal to Stoke Bruerne. This has become one of my regular routes which I enjoy mainly as it is flat, not a loop and the smiling faces of my children are always waiting to great me at the other end!

Tuesday was Emily’s “number three birthday”, she loves the superhero outfit that Grandma brought for her along with her long awaited ‘pink and orange’ running shoes! She may be a bit little for junior parkrun but it won’t be long!

It was great to get together with some of the other Z2H’s for Stuart’s training session on Wednesday, there were lots of laughs and definitely some food for thought with regards to running technique.

Thursday was definitely NOT a highlight of my week and Connie will testify I was a massive grump! 7 miles and I felt every step of it! To say I wasn’t feeling the love would be an understatement but we got through it and moved on! (I moved on to the Cinema where I promptly fell asleep half way through a strange film about aliens and a talking dog!)

Trying to break the record for the most consecutive evenings I can spend with running partner Connie we headed up to the gym on Friday for some core. Did we do some core Connie? I’m not sure, but we certainly had a giggle, a (cold) swim and decided that it is not grammatically correct for something to have “glew in the dark”!

I finished the week with a hot sweaty parkrun and a birthday party for the little one! Happy Days!

Amanda

Week Ten - Moving on Up!

So this week we took training to a new level by trying out the 90 minute Sunday club run - what a treat! It amazes me how I can run for 90 minutes, cover over 8 miles and have absolutely no idea where I am for at least 80% of the time! It was lovely to be joined by some of the other Z2H's making the milestone all the more bearable, thanks Ladies!

Joining such a big group of more experienced runners is a great way to learn tips, tricks, do's and don'ts for longer runs. This week we have learnt the following:

- DO make sure your socks are on the right feet (R = Right, L = Left - it's basic stuff)

- DO check your trousers are on the correct way before heading out. Wearing them inside out is not a fashion statement and makes pocket access pretty tricky!

- DO remember to bring water for a long run. Even better charm the lovely tail biker so he carries it for you!

= DON'T assume eating an energy gel from a packet whilst running will be simple!

It's clear we have a lot more practicing to do but luckily there will be plenty more Sunday runs to iron out our inadequacies.

I realise I am not going to get away without mentioning my diet this week. Sunday morning started perfectly with porridge and banana but as the week went on  it definitely wasn't the overhaul I was aiming for and there was certainly at least one Nigella style evening fridge raid. This was however solely the fault of my lovely neighbour who left me the most amazing carrot cake in the world to get through and I accept no responsibility! It was an improvement on last week though so we are moving in the right direction.

This week was my partner in crime Tweedle Dee's Birthday with double celebrations as after a couple of duff run's it appears Connie got her running mojo back after a lovely 6+ mile run in the rain on Tuesday!

6am Thursday saw the start of a speedy 5 miler for me, getting back home in 42:25. This was my first faster run since hurting my Achilles. It's been a bit achy since but all in all feeling positive!

With Grandad helpfully occupying the girls with a trip to the ducks on Saturday morning I finished up my  training week with a core workout up at the gym.  Reading my training plan for the next few weeks is a little daunting seeing the mileage starting to increase however I am confident with the support of the club everything will be fine!

Amanda

Week Nine - We are what we eat

It was approximately 10 years ago (grey hair alert) that I graduated from University with a degree in Nutrition. That's ten years I have had (3650 days!!) to still not perfect a consistently good diet. Like most people I have peaks and troughs which can easily be categorised as follows:

1. Trying really hard to eat well and totally limit intake of 'bad' foods. Toby refers to this whilst rolling his eyes as "your nuts and berries thing" even though I am not sure nuts and berries feature it sums up periods when I am very focused on what I am and am not eating!

2. Really not paying any attention to what I eat, craving and satisfying the bad food cravings and eating far too much takeaway and processed rubbish.

3. The happy medium, my own version of mainly 'clean' eating with the occasional treat to keep me sane.

This week has most definitely been category two - takeaway and rubbish overload. I would like to blame this entirely on workload and stress levels, meals have certainly not been top priority but it's not really excusable. Since we moved out to Northamptonshire from Essex four years ago I have constantly apologised for the state of my house and told myself, friends old and new and family that "soon I will have more time", I am starting to realise this is never going to happen, the nature of our work and family life means one time consuming activity is constantly replaced with another. If I want something to happen I need to actually make changes and prioritise. So, as of next week Toby will be really please to know that operation EAT WELL is commencing. Never fear it's not nuts and berries time but there will not be a takeaway in sight!

In terms of training this week it's all been very mediocre. I haven't been in the gym much, I don't think lounging round the pool in the sunshine with the kids counts so I won't even try to pretend. I have stuck to my training plan mileage, roped Toby and our four legged friend Ted in for a swelteringly hot 10K on Sunday to start the week and followed up with two 5 milers, one with my Tweedle Dee Connie and one with only the company of my iPod. All three runs felt tough this week and although the Achilles isn't fixed it doesn't appear to be getting worse so I hoping for a lovely Sunday club run to start next week and get me in the mood for this healthy eating lark!

I finished off the week with a core session at home. You know you need a reality check when you find yourself working out in front of the TV with the kids in tow on a Saturday morning. A five and nearly three year old really aren't the best recipe for a decent workout however they nicely demonstrate the importance of foam rolling! ....... 

Amanda

Week Eight ..... Sink or Swim?

This week has been emotional and not very running focused! Up until now my enthusiasm levels have been sky high, running has been the most important factor and my weeks have been organised around which runs need to take place and when. Having eased back on the pace to allow my Achilles to hopefully repair fitted in perfectly with Toby’s summer annual leave. Yes, we knew we had a fair amount of work to do on the rental houses but we were hoping for a few days away by the sea with the kids.

Remember the noise that’s sounded when you got an incorrect answer on Family Fortunes followed by a big yellow cross? That’s what happened to our holiday plans this week when a mountain of work landed on both mine and Toby’s desks. Don’t get me wrong it’s all good but not quite the week we were expecting.

 

 

Having rested Sunday after the first milestone parkrun last Saturday Toby made his Redway Runners debut with me at the social run on Monday evening. It was great to see lots of other Z2H’s along the way. Needless to say I didn’t manage to keep up with him, hopefully he will give me chance too by coming again, we shall see!

In amongst the chaos of the week we have also welcomed three beautiful baby girls into the world. Twins for Toby’s friends Liam and Helena and the gorgeous Quinn, daughter of Ashleigh who continues to rock my world even though she insists on living so far away!

I have managed to squeeze in a couple of runs, three and five miles. The foot is still ropey but seems to be coping so I will be taking it easy for the next few weeks, surviving at work and you never know, maybe fitting in that trip to the sea before the summer holidays are over!

I am in this for the long haul so I guess I have to accept that sometimes work is going to get in the way. Stress not about the missed training and move on!

Amanda

Week Seven - I will Survive! ......

As many of you may be aware I was a little glum at the tail end of last week. Having injured my Achilles and needing to take a break from running  I was feeling desperately sorry for myself.

When I embarked on the Z2H challenge one of the first things I did was to purchase the 'Believe - Training Journal'. It's a handy diary / journal for logging training and setting goals and is interspersed with useful articles, hints and tips. I decided that this may be a good time to explore the section marked 'setbacks'. Now, the article written by Lauren Fleshman reliably informs me that it is important to acknowledge disappointment before moving forward. I think we can all agree  I HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED DISAPPOINTMENT! It then goes on to say that we must not dwell in misery so there shall be no more negative thoughts surrounding the duff foot going forward just a plan of action for the future.

With the foot still requiring rest I have been back in the gym doing plenty of upper body and core interspersed with a bit of swimming (I am very much a bob along breaststroke don't let the water near my eyes kind of girl)!

To fill my time I have assigned myself two goals, one is going to be significantly harder than the other.

1. To complete five unassisted fully extended pull ups

2. To attend a group exercise class

Hopefully number two won't take too long to cross off the list (I am hoping to recruit some of the Z2H David Lloyd goers for this task) but given my current strength I will be working on the first one for a while to come!

By Tuesday the foot had had a complete week of rest and there was no pain or restricted range of motion. I ventured out for a very slow and steady two miles. It felt slightly uncomfortable to begin with, probably more to do with my nerves but once warmed up all was ok, that is until I got home. Over the course of the day the pain returned so looks like I wasn't quite ready for it.

I rested the foot again and took my Z2H companion to the gym it an attempt to kill her off before Saturday's parkrun (it didn't work we both just ended up with sore legs)! The rest of the week was more resting before catching up with the Z2H group on Saturday morning.

Despite several of us having run the parkrun before there was a definite nervous energy in the air. After the obligatory group photo and some warm ups we were off. The Achilles appeared to behave itself (a little niggly but nothing major) and the run was topped off seeing Connie get her PB with a super speedy finish. Amazing effort well done Con, this girls going to be fabulous!

The high spirits, support and encouragement of the Redway Runners out in green was amazing and I am one happy lady to be part of this! 

Week Six - Trying to be sensible ........

This week started with a hangover and a sore foot! Both of which were self inflicted. I maybe overdid the enthusiasm smashing my PB at the parkrun on Saturday and followed up by a weekend drunkenly stumbling around Birmingham in very inappropriate footwear!

I don't know how we did it but me and Toby managed to squeeze in a gym session on Sunday evening, I stayed off my feet and concentrated on upper body and floor work before trying to sweat the rest of the alcohol out of my system in the sauna.

Not wanting to have too long a break from running I cautiously ventured to the Monday night social run which was a new one for me. It was lovely to have some good company, the Achilles felt okay but I was definitely aware that something was not quite right.

By Tuesday morning it was apparent there was a problem. We're not talking unable to walk / excruciating pain but a throbbing sensation and tender to touch and stretch. I booked myself straight into Body Limits on Thursday to have it looked at and went on my way for intervals and core. The foot was fine whilst running but as soon as I slowed or stopped the pain returned. Coupled with my 'gammy hip / tight ITB' I was like a rusty old car that couldn't get started on a cold morning! I returned home and the evening just continued to get worse, the girls played up to their maximum potential at bedtime, new tenants were giving me grief and by nine o'clock the aforementioned along the prospect of an injury that was going to limit by running had me literally sobbing on the sofa.

I headed back to the gym on Wednesday and had another good upper body workout followed by a swim and some time to reflect, hoping I could convince myself that not being able to run for a while wouldn't be all bad.

Thursday I saw Martin at Body Limits and instantly felt in safe hands. I have seen several massage therapists in my time some good some not so good and this guy certainly gets my vote. I was given the advice I knew was coming but that to be perfectly honest I didn't want to hear "rest". The good news is I have caught it early and hopefully with a bit of R and R it will be fine.

I am not going to lie part of me wants to sit here and type that everything is grand and I am relishing the opportunity to rest from running and focus on some cross training but right here and now I am feeling a little bit bitter that just as I had found something I was really enjoying and getting better at something has put a dampener on it especially as I was so looking forward to that Salcey Forest sunday run!

Still these things are sent to try us and I am sure by next week I will be my old chipper self!

Amanda

Week Five - is running taking over? .......

A lot of people I know would say I am really lucky and don’t get me wrong I am, but sometimes having two small children, a partner who works shifts, and being self-employed doesn’t leave a lot of time especially when you embark on training for a marathon. The aforementioned setup can be marvellous, I am lucky I get to drop off and collect my children from school and nursery, I can be there for all those important sports days and assembly’s without having to take annual leave or pull a sickie and most importantly I hardly ever have to do a Tesco shop at the weekend! However this week has not all been fun and games. Work has been demanding, time has been scarce and Toby’s shifts have fallen all at the wrong time. With very little time to spare it has become very noticeable that family life is starting to revolve around my runs.

As I signed off last week I was about to embark on my first 10k race. I had a brilliant day making it to the finish with a chip time of 53:40. I wanted to come in under an hour so was over the moon and the banoffee ice cream freebie at the end made it all worthwhile.

Thankfully I didn’t ache too much Monday and managed the club run route despite being an hour late and running it alone, Pleased to report I didn’t get lost this week and am looking forward to having some company next week. I popped into the gym afterward for some upper body strength work.

Tuesday was rest day before meeting Tony and Constance for our weekly session on Wednesday and boy were we in for a treat this week. Tony kindly shared his favourite hill with us and by the time we had reached the top we truly understood the nickname ‘puke hill’.

Due to the lack of time and childcare issues this week I attempted some core training at home after the girls were in bed and the office locked up for the night but even despite the personal training background and having worked with numerous clients in the home I seriously struggle to get the trainers on and jump around in the sitting room especially not helped by the horse sized German Shepherd that wants to lay in the way!

I am getting a sneaky night away from the girls this weekend and doubt very much I will be running anywhere on Sunday so decided to squeeze in what should be my Sunday long run on Friday morning. It was hot and a bit lonely, having never run as a group before joining Redway Runners I am now finding it increasingly more difficult to get out on my own. I did my 5 miles though before dipping my toe in the outdoor pool at the gym. It was like being on holiday out there and I could have easily stayed all day but work was calling so I went on my way (perhaps past the golden arches in the sky for a quarterpounder with cheese on the way home shhhhh don’t tell anyone!).

So before heading away for the weekend I popped along to the parkrun and bumped into Paul my parkrun angel who managed to drag me round in 23:27 a new PB and a great way to finish the week.

I guess I owe an apology to my friends and family, particularly Toby and a big thank you to my father in law who recently has made a lot of my training possible by helping with the girls. I couldn’t do this without your support and for a while it’s only going to get harder us we up the mileage. I hope you stick with me and that seeing me cross the finish line in May will make all the sacrifices worthwhile.

Until next week ......

Amanda

Week Four - Slowing things down!

This week for me needed to be about taking a step back and slowing things down.

Before getting involved in the Zero to Hero program I had decided I needed to get back into running and what better way than signing up for an event. I chose the Women’s Running 10k at Willen Lake on 5th July 2015 as it felt like a manageable distance. It has come round a lot sooner than I expected!

People close to me will know that sometimes when I get an idea in my head I go off all guns blazing and since starting running again I am constantly trying to up my mileage and beat my times. I am very aware that the ultimate marathon goal isn’t until next May and I need to keep the motivation going until then. With this in mind and next week’s 10k looming this week’s goal was “taking it easy”.

After the high of my PB Parkrun on Saturday I set off for my easy Sunday run. I couldn’t make the Redway Runners group at Olney so I plodded off along the canal down to Stoke Bruerne adding a loop on at the beginning and end to make my total distance 5 miles. It was just me, the ipod and a lot of rain but I found these cuties waiting for me at The Navigation Inn with a cup of tea which made it all worthwhile!

Me and Constance teamed up Monday for a very hot jaunt round the Monday evening club run in a respectable 40 minutes. After being adamant this time that I knew the route I was glad of some other Redway Runners to point us in the right direction as clearly left to me own devices we would have been running a totally different loop!

Tuesday was a resting day so instead of physically exerting myself I headed off to Yardley Gobion primary to watch my eldest, Faith take part in sports day and was proud to see her on the winning team.

Well if we thought Monday was a warm run nothing had prepared us for Wednesday’s speed and core session with Tony. It was hot (the hottest day for 9 years so the radio said), it was hard and it was horrible but we made it through alive despite Tony’s neighbours trying to set off our hayfever by strimming the lawn over us! I managed to pick up two new nicknames during our session. My Z2H “hero” name SUPERGIRL and not quite so flattering by Tony TENT depicting my terrible plank position.

The rest of the week was scheduled mostly for resting in advance of my 10k on Sunday (although I was guilty of sneaking into the gym on one occasion) and a 4 mile run on Friday which was fairly uneventful. Luckily I had plenty of spare time to pimp my trainers just in case you can't see me coming!

I am going to settle in for an early night and pray it's not too hot and sticky tomorrow!

Amanda

Week Three - Getting Stuck In! ......

Into week three and training is properly underway. Sunday was Father’s day but unfortunately for Toby a work day none the less ,so with Grandma visiting for the weekend I left the girls at home and headed to Caldecotte Lake to meet a couple of the other Z2H’s for a morning jog. It turned out it was a superhero marathon and also the Great Greyhound  walk so we shared our 10k with several versions of superman, batman and wonder woman interspersed with some bony four legged friends and not forgetting Kick Ass. Hopefully Glynis and Sarah weren’t too annoyed by my incessantly beeping GPS and will invite me back next time – I promise I will make time to read the instructions beforehand!

I wanted to make the Monday evening social run this week but I was indulging in a guilty pleasure of mine ‘ An intimate evening with Russell Watson’ (not as saucy as it sounds I promise) at Milton Keynes theatre so I headed out early doors for a four mile loop from home. The first three miles were good; it was a lovely morning and not a soul about. There I was contemplating the day ahead and feeling smug that I was already up and running when this sudden wave of nausea washed over me, I slowed to a walk and let it passed and then tried again but the same thing. I shuffled the last mile back home feeling a bit deflated. Maybe it was just lack of sleep and the early start, I don’t know but I didn’t like how quickly I went from feeling fresh to utterly useless.

Intervals and core were on the cards for Tuesday and you could feel the nervous energy as me and Connie climbed out of the car at Tony’s waiting to see what he had in store. At the time the interval session seemed like hell on earth with my breakfast constantly threatening to make an appearance however once we got back to Tony’s for the core session the pain of the intervals paled into insignificance as Tony pulled one horrendous exercise after another out the bag. Mountain climbers, power jumps you name it we tried it. “Same time next week” says Tony ….. “err sorry I’m washing my hair!”

Wednesday was a complete rest day so on Thursday I was up bright and early and off to the David Lloyd. I played with the big boys in the “sweaty-grunty” area of the gym, a place 2 months ago I would never have dared set foot before practicing some of Tony’s torture core exercises and heading for a swim. Earlier in the week I had purchased a new sports bra from Boobydoo and thought I would try it out for the Redway Runners interval session on Thursday evening. A 600kcal burn and a marvellous Houdini impression later and I was ready to go! Ladies beware if you are buying the Shock Absorber Run Bra you WILL need to watch a YouTube video first before you can get dressed! Campbell park was the venue for intervals this week, it was hot and sticky and a tough workout but enjoyed myself and owe a special thanks to Julie for getting me to do the final lap.

After getting myself into trouble the night before with mentor Tony for overdoing it I took Friday as a rest day – swimming counts as resting right? To finish to the week I headed down to the Parkrun. Luckily Doug saw me looking lost and lonely and found me a buddy to run with. I owe a lot to Paul for getting me round still smiling and knocking a massive 2 minutes of my PB coming in at 23:55 a great way to finish the week!

 Amanda