Feeling like I belong...

...to Group 4!
5.68 miles completed and 722 calories burnt in a quick Group 4 session today.  Most of the actual running was sub 8m 30s miles.  There were a few turn backs because I most definitely was not at the back of the pack tonight!  :)  My chest over my rib cage is feeling very muscly after tonight's session and I have a lot more confidence in my running ability again.  :)

A regular size bowl of Tesco Blueberry Wheats with semi-skimmed milk for breakfast

At breaktime I ended up having FOUR plums and a Tracker bar...

Graze Gazpacho Dip box on my lunchbreak (63 cals)

I was STARVING after school so had two small tangerines whilst marking my year 11 work

Stupidly told Dan I had been starving.  He makes tea on a Tues/Thurs night as I go straight to running club from school and don't get back until gone 8pm.  Tea therefore consisted of peas, carrots (I've taught him well!), chicken kiev, half a garlic bread with mayonnaise and chips (I don't actually like chips, we only keep some in the freezer for days when I am not there, because Dan would have them wirh every meal.  (If every meal was not a McDonalds!)

Food accountability...

A little like Monica over at runeatrepeat I have had big issues in the past with a binge restrict cycle and as a a runner training for my first ultra-marathon I think it's important to not only track my runs, but also my meals and well, everything I eat in order to see why my runs go well/not so well.
Hope I can be as honest as Monica!...Here goes...!

Breakfast was that tiny bit of plain bagel I left myself from dinner last night with a tablespoonsful of houmous.  I followed this off with a Vanilla and Dark chocolate light yoghurt (just 91 calories!)

Graze box - Banoffee Pie - fudge pieces, almond slices, pecan nuts and banana coins (149 cals)  I'd started this before I'd even gotten to work because I knew it was in my bag!  Bad!

Graze box - Marvellous Macaroon - amaretti drops, almond slices, coconut flakes and white chocolate buttons (157 cals)

Two small tangerines at lunch!

Graze box - Summer berry flapjack (236 cals) - I had this because I was starving when I got in before heading out for my run with Hayley.

Fish slice, with the leftovers of potato, cheese and ham bake and a portion of peas for tea!

I nipped out for a run with Hayley after work - just a chatty run, nothing speedy.  Burnt off 711 calories before tea!  Was feeling really hungry before bed though so did sneak a large tablespoon of Tesco Hazelnut spread which I don't have a photo for...  NAUGHTY!

Valentine's day - and an epic long run adventure!

On Wednesday when I went on my run, I had been planning to do 8 miles, but this lovely cut on my heel stopped me at 5.5...

So, gearing up for a long run today, I whacked three plasters over my wound and headed out for a planned 13 miles at 10.30mm pace.
This was the plan...
What actually happened was I went out for a 14.94mile run which included a lot of fed up walking!
The Garmin took a long while to find signal. I know it didn't take me as long as it said to do my first mile. This then resulted in the next three miles being too quick. I had had nothing in my legs from the very beginning and had felt exhausted before I even started the run. I stopped three a couple of times between 5m and 6m to change the settings on my watch to display the current pace rather than the average overall pace. I got a little lost between miles 6 and 7...ended up coming out of a private road. Turned right towards Titchmarsh and had to climb along railings to stay minimally dry from the water that was up to my shins. Very proud of myself but 0.5miles down the road the water was mid-thigh height so had to turn back and walk along the A14. (Wasn't going to run with my back to the traffic). Stopped to ask a couple directions about mile 10. Fed up and cold by this point so ended up walking patches back.

Pancakes!

Allegedly to use up what you had left in your cupboards before Lent.  Now, ironically spent rushing around supermarkets desperatly hoping there's still lemons in stock!
Anyway, I found these really cute giraffe pancakes on Pinterest.  Mine didn't turn out quite the same and I gave up after just making one for Dan for tea before resorting to standard pan-shaped pancakes!

My attempt at a giraffe pancake!  (Looked more like a horse with chickenpox...)

Dan then decided to make me a heart-shaped pancake for my tea!

Anyway, I stayed at my friends for a really long catchup in Norfolk, which meant I wasn't back in time for running club and really didn't fancy going out in the cold pitch black when I got back last night, so substituted yesterday as one of my rest days.  Ready for 8 slow miles tomorrow though!

A string of PBs!

My last four races have all been PBs...although I was due a rubbish race this time and got it despite the PB!
* Nene Valley 10 (2nd Dec) - 1h 34m 27s (5m 10s PB)
* Bedford half (9th Dec) - 2h 9m 16s (3m 54s PB)
* Northampton Parkrun (2nd Feb) - 26m 55s (1m 3s PB)
* Folksworth 15 (10th Feb) - 2h 33m 03s (16s PB)

It was cold, raining and extremely windy at Folksworth!  I seemed to have nothing inside me and my legs wouldn't work as I wanted them to.  I felt a little light headed at the start.  I was almost sick in my mouth a couple of times, got two stitches, my face was completely numb on the right side and after everything I forgot to stop my watch at the end of the race or even check the clock at the finish line!

I had been running well lately but I had so many run-walk transitions in this race, despite the new PB I was disappointed with myself.

Stamford in the snow.

Fingers crossed it will still go ahead.  I'm getting really fed up of ice on the pavement, snow and very little running!  I did 8.2 miles on the school treadmill Tuesday night and it was very, very dull!  I very much missed my long weekend run last week.  Fingers crossed this cold spell is nearly up.
What's even more frustrating is Dan's off at the football today, so I have a day to myself to go out for a run in daylight (while the roads aren't too icy) but don't want to use up too much energy in case the race goes ahead tomorrow!

Injured and frustrated!

So I have spent the last two weeks completing very few meaningful runs!

Last Tues (x2) at club it we set off at a very fast pace.  So fast, that I think it shocked my right calf to give up completely during the run, and 10 mins before we were back my leg gave way and I could no longer walk!  My whole leg had cramped up and gone really tight.  I half jogged, half hobbled back to my car, but the next day could barely walk around school.

I tried a tiny run Fri (2.5 miles) but this was at 11.5m/m pace and I could still feel the injured leg.  Same again the following Tues (with a very agitated weekend - missing out on 15 miles of training!).  5 miles Fri, still reasonably slow, 4 Sat, and then a long slow run with Kerry at Stanwick lakes on the Sunday.  Aiming for about 10, but hit 11.35 with my leg feeling much better.

It's Folksworth 15 this weekend, so fingers crossed I am capable of getting round...