Saturday, 26 March 2016

The Alphabet according to the ZERO’s



A very enthusiastic bunch started on a very special journey
Becoming HERO’s was our mission
Cautiously we approached our first 5k target
Despite some early injuries
Everyone kept on smiling
Following our training plans
Guided by our mentors
Hills were not our friends
In time we started to improve
Just keep going we told ourselves
Kilometer after kilometer
Long runs just got longer
May loomed closer
Nobody felt ready
Of course we can do this
Power to the ZEROS
Quick ones, slow ones
Running is our thing now
So as we approach our final hurdles
Think about how far we have come
Understand the effort that has been made
Victory is close
We stand together
Xpect the unexpected (sorry)
Yes we CAN do this

ZERO’s lets be HERO’S

Sunday, 20 March 2016

Week Forty One – Welcome to Sufferlandria!


When my alarm clock went off at 6 am this morning Facebook reliable informed me it was the first day of Spring. A quick look outside the window confirms yes, it is light, the birds are singing, the lambs are bleating (incredibly loudly), it is spring, which means only one thing right – I am off for a ……. Gym session! Sigh.



There is something incredibly energising about getting up to go for a run with friends, skulking into the gym dragging one leg behind me does not feel quite so good especially when 3 hours of cardio is on the table!

Anyway needs must so despite a few yawns I head up to the spin studio and saddle up (still minus spin shoes I might add) ready for 2 hours of Sufferfest. To be fair it wasn’t as bad as it could have been and for once I wasn’t the only person mad enough to be in there. The 60 minutes on the cross trainer that followed was a whole lot worse. At least when you run there’s fresh air, people to chat too and the scenery changes. My scenery changed from an empty squash court, to a couple of old blokes playing squash, then back to empty again – I am still not sure what was worse!

One things for sure though this isn’t going to beat me, if I can endure the mind numbing boredom of three hours in the gym I can run a marathon right??

Here’s hoping!


Amanda

Sunday, 13 March 2016

Week Forty – Nobody Said it was Easy!

How can you have week forty without week thirty-nine I hear you ask? Well if I could erase week thirty-nine then maybe I would, it was the week of let’s face facts and it was all a little too raw to write about so, I saved you all the grief and I saved my laptop from certain water damage too.

For anyone out there that hasn’t had the misfortune to cross paths with me over the last week or so, I am injured, currently not running and not looking likely that I will make ‘The Big One’. It appears one stress fracture wasn’t enough and that the femur would be the preferred location this time around, opposite leg too of course! I am waiting on an official diagnosis after X-ray so there is always a teeny glimmer of hope that it’s something else with a much shorter recovery time but for now it seems I am bedding down for the long haul of stress fracture recovery.

If I was a bit more tech savvy I would at this moment cue Coldplay’s ‘Nobody said it was easy’ and weep a little more as I consider that no, nobody did say it was easy but I didn’t for one second consider that it was going to be this hard and I am most definitely going back to the start!

Over the last week I have seen some amazing photos of many fellow zero’s taking part in the MK Festival of Running, Wimbledon and Silverstone half marathons and the much missed RR Sunday Run, the grit, the determination and most importantly the smiles and I want in on this! If there is one tiny bit of hope that I will be with you all in May I am going to do everything I can to make it happen. For me this means hitting the gym, keeping up my cardio and if I can get running in time, slowing the pace and enjoying the journey.

To continue my musical compilation, we’ll have D:Ream ‘Things can only get better’ and finish off with chumbawamba ‘Tubthumping’ (I get knocked down).  For now, this is my scenery (it’s enough to make even the dreaded Caldecotte lake look appealing), give me a wave if you see me!




Happy running folks, enjoy the peace. I WILL be back!


Amanda




Saturday, 27 February 2016

Week Thirty Eight - Just Keep Swimming!

There’s a real problem with this weekly blog writing shenanigan (and it’s not just the fact I had to google how to spell shenanigan)! When things are good we can celebrate, you all have to endure sweaty pictures of me looking happy as I cross some finish line or other. When things are tough the motivational quotes come out to play and you’re supposed to get to the last line buzzing with a new sense of enthusiasm (that’s the plan anyway)! When I have had too much to drink on a Friday night all you get is a picture as I am too hungover to type (cue the Redway Runners Christmas Party week) and when I am feeling soppy, tweedle gets a love song!

So what happens when the chips are really down, when I want to curl into a ball, stay under the duvet and eat more than just one family grab bag of peanut M&M’s? I wasn’t going to blog today, despite subjecting you all to my incessant babble week after week I like to think I am a fairly private person, so I won’t lay bare the facts (you can save those tiny violins for the morning after marathon day when I plan to whine with the best of them about every tiny twinge), but not doing what I set out to do just because things get tough is a slippery slope to failure.


There is no doubt in my mind that some severe mental strength is going to be needed come marathon day and maybe even more so in these last few weeks leading up to it. So whilst the rest of my Saturday is probably going to be spent with my head under a duvet calmly pretending it wasn’t just me that ate all those M&M’s, tomorrow I will be back on the road, getting the miles done and feeling good!


Sunday, 21 February 2016

Week Thirty Seven – Don’t Quit!

This week has been a toughie, after last Sunday’s twenty miles left me buzzing with a new sense of “I can totally do this” the rest of the week the followed was somewhat less than enthusiastic.

An aborted recovery run Monday and very little running to follow for the rest of the week has made me have to come to terms with the fact that actually I am not invincible (I am truly gutted at this discovery)! I hurt, in places I didn’t even know existed, I miss my partner in crime who’s got far to used to staying in bed on a Sunday morning under the pretence of an injury (I am joking tweedle don’t punch me) and it’s all starting to take it’s toll (get the tissues out)!

Alas, let’s remember why I am here, what I am determined to achieve and how far I have come with such an amazing bunch of total nutters! Us Zero’s are in this together and when the going gets tough we won’t give up, we’ll just fight harder!



When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-- 
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, 
And you never can tell how close you are, 
It may be near when it seems so far, 
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-- 
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

(Author Unknown, but it definitely wasn’t me)!

Amanda

Saturday, 13 February 2016

Week Thirty Six – What Am I Thinking?!?

Sometimes when things are going well, but more often when they’re not I find myself wondering why I am doing all this, usually with a large groan and exclaiming “what am I thinking?!?”! Well you’re in for a treat this week folks, here’s what I’m thinking …….

Oh crap it can’t be Saturday again already
I haven’t written my blog yet
I really don’t have anything to say
I’ve exhausted all options
Haha oh yes it’s Saturday
I’m glad I’m not at XC
It looked hilly and muddy
OK and a little bit fun
But at least I will be fresh for tomorrow
Which I think is also going to be hilly
It’s the MK Dons Run
I haven’t done that one in ages
It was our first ever 90 minute run
How things have changed
We laughed at the madness of people running beforehand
That will be us tomorrow
At least we’ve learned how to get our socks on the right feet now
I think it might be my longest ever run
We’ve all come along way
36 weeks of training
Only 11 more to go
11 more blogs
Not long to convince people I am genuinely not insane
I think it’s too late
They all know the truth
Best run!
With love (as it’s nearly Valentines)

Amanda


Saturday, 6 February 2016

Week Thirty Five – Every Second Counts

This week was ‘Rest Week’ and after the disasters of last week it was almost welcome and I think, very much needed. I am pretty sure however, if we turned back time a year there is no way I would ever have considered two nine mile runs a rest, how things have changed!

I managed to share one of my restful runs with my comedy counterpart Tweedle, we set the world to rights whilst encompassing two laps of the Monday club run route getting round the first in daylight, a sure sign that spring is on the way! We followed our run with dinner out of a costa coffee cup, an oversized tea and a brilliant Marathon Clinic, we know how to live it up!

Lots of things have kept me away from Parkrun since I last took part in August, a broken foot, lack of childcare, long Sunday runs and actually the fact I don’t like running 5K as fast as I can (yes I am aware I don’t have to run as fast as I can but I am yet to actually pull this off once I get over the start line)! So with a planned lay in tomorrow (the last I expect until May) I decided to brave it!

Conditions would be best described by a five letter word starting with M but as I can’t bring myself to use it let’s just say it was wet, windy and generally pretty grim. After a gentle warm up (tweedle will be so proud) we got down to business with the ‘main event’. Within the first mile I remembered how much I hate the feeling of running hard but managed to remember something Faith had said to be as I was leaving, it’s easy Mummy, just one, two, three and then DONE. This circled round and round in my head as I tried to make my legs carry me along the side of Willen Lake which had decided to imitate the world’s greatest wind tunnel! I stumbled over the finish line with a watch that said PB by 1 second, alas Parkrun had other ideas and according to their clock I was 5 seconds off my PB from August!



Next time Parkrun ….. I’m coming to get you!!

Amanda


Saturday, 30 January 2016

Week Thirty Four – Water Water Everywhere ……..

Christmas has long since been and gone, the last of the quality street have been devoured (yes even the coconut ones, I was desperate) and the serious training is now well underway with the mileage really ramping up.

My last two long runs have both been in excess of 2.5 hours, which leads me to wonder what else I could have done with my time and if I would have taken on fluids.
In 2.5 hours I can:

Drive from my house in Yardley Gobion to my old house in Essex and back again. Driving long journeys always requires multiple coffee stops (or tea in my case) and journey sweets accompanied by cries of “are we nearly there yet” (cue the final few miles last week’s Sunday run)

Listen to Justin Bieber’s ‘Love Yourself’ on repeat 34 times. Should you choose to do this (and I don’t recommend you do) you would certainly need a drink and somehow I don’t think water would cut it!

And if the Daily Mail is to be believed (again not something widely recommended) Virgin is busy building a galactic space craft that will fly from London to Sydney in 2.5 hours. I am fairly sure if this one ever comes off there will be drinks flowing!

The point being there aren’t many things you’d do without taking on fluids yet still I turned out last Sunday, ran 17.5 miles and didn’t think to take any water. Am I invincible (er no), was I starting to hallucinate envisaging ways to steal other people’s water? (er yes, sorry), will I take water this week? (hell yes).


After a bit of a demotivating week, putting a bit too much pressure on myself and my body I am hoping to remember why I have come to love running this Sunday with a nice easy paced long run sporting the new addition to my running wardrobe. Whether it’s full of water or I am on loop 33 of Justin Bieber and have hit the hard stuff is between me and the Camelbak!


Saturday, 23 January 2016

Week Thirty Three – Sometimes you just do things!

So I read a Runners World article this week which highlighted the importance of keeping a training log. Smug face, straight to the top of the class she thinks …. Nope crashing straight back down to reality when it went on to say that pen and paper no longer has a place, and, whilst I totally disagree (I very much enjoy doodling in my journal), I decided I should get myself on Strava too so I can remain “down with the kids”. So far I don’t really get it, you can all see how far, how fast and who I have run with, what shoes I wore and how many times I stopped to wee in a bush! And, if you want to steal my oh so un-sexy earmuffs you can probably work out where I live and follow me home too!



This week I finished reading Scott Jurek’s ‘Eat & Run’. This guy is never going to win me over with his vegan diet, I like a rare steak more than I like a run BUT his approach to running, challenging your body and overcoming the impossible is certainly not to be sniffed at. Throughout his book Scott revisits a phrase spoken often by his dad “Sometimes you just do things” and this really stuck with me this week. Why did I get up and run 16 miles in the snow on Sunday morning? Why did my alarm go off at 5am on Wednesday morning for me to run when it was -5 outside? Why was I running mile repeats round Willen Lake on Thursday evening when I had poorly small people at home? Why? Because sometimes we just do things, sometimes we want the end result more than we ever imagined and sometimes we are prepared above all else to put the time in when it counts the most!


I have had some awesome runs this week with some amazing support. I couldn’t do this without some of you, long may it continue! 


Amanda

Saturday, 16 January 2016

Week Thirty Two - Let’s Get Serious!

So, the gloves are off (well, in fact it’s quite the opposite, they are most definitely on, along with the hat, thermals and the double socks, as the cold weather has definitely arrived) but figuratively speaking the hard work has really started this week.

Sunday was my first long run since before Christmas and was amazing to see so many runners in green. I still can’t really believe I am voluntarily up and out of the house before 8am to do ‘early club’ and squeeze a few extra miles in before the main run!

The Zero’s were in for a real treat this week as we gathered like penguins on a cold Wednesday evening learning plenty of new techniques to help with our training. My particular favourite of course involved food, Pringles, and BBQ ones at that! Carrying the delicious snack in your hands whilst sprinting and trying not to tense up and crush it takes some effort, I think I need to practise more, luckily they are on offer at Tesco’s!



I managed two good tempo runs this week, finishing up with an introduction to Friday club. Yes, OK I did have to be massively persuaded to go along and I bailed out at the one-hour option but I will definitely go back for more!


This week I am feeling really positive about the challenge ahead and as I sit with my feet up and a good old Disney film I am looking forward to tomorrows Sunday run which hopefully will be my longest run yet!! 

Amanda 

Saturday, 9 January 2016

Week Thirty One – Welcome to 2016, the year of the Zero’s!

So after a few weeks off, it’s January 2016 and much has occurred since the Zero’s conquered the MK Winter Half. Many, many (tins of) Quality Street have been consumed, far too many wine bottles have been emptied and I have successfully seen in the New Year Skiing in Andorra without breaking any bones!

Despite the best of intentions I only managed one very short run whilst out on holiday. The hills and the mountain air made for a tough affair but still, it’s a nice record to have on the Garmin!



I hit the ground running Monday evening with the club run followed by Stuart’s interval session on Thursday. “Long Hills” should hereby be renamed as “Long and painful, make you want to cry hills”, my face was not a pretty sight (I know this no change from the norm). Remind me to be washing my hair the next time that one rolls round!

I finished off my running week reunited with my old friend Tweedle. Thank goodness for Facebook or we may not have survived being parted for a whole 2 weeks! What better way to spend a Saturday morning than 7 miles round Caldecotte in the pouring rain! At least we blagged a free muffin in the pub afterwards making it all worthwhile!

There’s no doubt that the next few months are going to be tough, I’ve seen the mileage increasing on my training plan to levels I never thought possible but having come this far there’s no way I am stopping now. Bring it on!!



Amanda 

Monday, 21 December 2015

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! 


Saturday, 12 December 2015

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 

Saturday, 5 December 2015

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 

Saturday, 28 November 2015

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 

Saturday, 21 November 2015

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 

Saturday, 14 November 2015

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

Saturday, 7 November 2015

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

Saturday, 31 October 2015

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

Sunday, 25 October 2015

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