So that's the first week of the London Olympics over and what a week it's been! Many thoughts rushing through my head which is why I'm here, seeing if I can capture them and see where they lead to. The first thing I have to say is how incredibly warm and friendly everyone seems to have become over the past week - there is a real buzz in the city that you can embrace or ignore (it's up to you). It's as if we've been sprinkled with gold dust and rediscovered how much fun it is to grin as we get behind our nation's sporting heroes - and the sporting heroes from the 203 other nations taking part in the Olympics! I was at the Women's Marathon yesterday and while Team GB had two runners, we didn't think it'd be a repeat performance of Saturday night. But the route was crammed with cheerers and flag wavers and every runner got the same rapturous applause, with some of the loudest cheers saved for the runner at the end of the race. The Team GB girls did get a thunderous reception, everyone around me whooping and hollering and shouting at the tops of their voices. It was a sight to behold!
I have loved how you take up your spot at the side of a race and then get chatting to the people around you - the people of London happily chatting to random strangers, this really is remarkable! Or maybe it's that I like talking to random strangers (weren't we warned against this when we were kids?) and suddenly with the Olympics upon us, it's okay to strike up conversation with anyone and people will engage. I got chatting to a couple of ladies who were sheltering from the rain behind me. They had their cameras with them and I had a great spot and no camera so I offered to make room for them so they could get some good shots. We discovered a mutual love of running and races and shared our experiences, the conversation then moved along to taking things you love and turning them into your work - and we're going to stay in touch via Facebook!
It's not just me who's doing this though - the Olympics seem to be giving people the chance to strike up conversations and communicate with the people around them, people they might never speak to otherwise. I ended up watching the Men's 100m Final in some dodgy looking pub in the Elephant and Castle, the sort of place that hasn't been spruced up and gentrified and is the meeting place for generations of locals. This wasn't planned - I'd driven to the Elephant that morning and left the car there as I headed in to watch the Marathon. As I headed back south after the race and an afternoon with friends experiencing sound and energy healing, I forgot I had the car and took the Hipster Express back to Forest Hill - and just before I got off the train, realised that the car was still at the Elephant. Detour back there and all the while trying to work out if I'd have enough time to drive back to East Dulwich before Mr Bolt hit our screens. Time was getting tight and I decided to stay put at the Elephant which is how I ended up in the dodgy looking pub. I sat at the bar, looking up at the screen and heard this gruff voice behind me say "Is this the 100m final love?" and turned to find one of the locals also staring up at the screen. We got chatting about the Olympics and the incredible run of gold medals the night before and he kept telling me how fantastic these games were - we both felt very proud to be Londoners!
Last Wednesday I took my 14-year old nephew Adil to see the cycling time trail road race as it came through Hampton. We'd been to the Olympic Park on the Tuesday to see the swimming and as we wandered round the park and made our way to the Aquatic Centre, he said to me "this is awesome, thank you for bringing me" - I knew we had to experience as much of the Olympics as possible (hence the time trial the next day) - even though it meant him having to get up early again! We got to Hampton early and followed the crowds to find a good spot where you would be able to see both the Women's and Men's races. Once in place, we discovered that the ladies to the right of us were streaming the rowing on their phone and so we got to see Team GB win their first gold amongst a crowd of people. As we all jumped and shouted in celebration, the people opposite us realised what had just happened and you could see the ripple of celebration pass through the crowds! We chatted to the cycling fan from Cambridge who had followed Bradley Wiggin's career for quite a few years and the girl over from Canada supporting both Team GB and Team Canada. The incredibly organised mother and daughter team shared the list of riders with us so we knew who was coming next (my level of organising consisted of knowing where the race was and what time it started so we relied heavily on the information carried by those around us). Once the race started, Adil found himself giving photo taking advice to the lady next to him - she ended up getting some great shots following his tips. And while we all clapped and cheered every rider in the Women's and Men's race, for most people there, it was all about Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins. As Chris Froome came through Kingston, you could hear a crescendo of cheering well before you could see the motorcycle outrider just in front of him. He was past us in a flash but the crowds were going crazy!
We only had to wait a few minutes more before man of the moment Wiggo came blazing through. The roar of noise that greeted him was deafening but I hope that just helps the performance, not hinders! Cheering, clapping, whooping and hollering - I think Adil may even have cheered a bit. The day before in the Aquatic Centre he expressed his excitement by lightly stamping his feet, none of the screaming and shouting and over-excitement of his aunt next to him! The atmosphere was exhilarating but once the final rider was past, it was time to head back to Waterloo with the herd of people all going in that same direction. We'd been stood a few kilometres away from the end of the race so as we weaved our way back through the crowds towards the station, the race finished a little distance away. We knew we'd won gold by the cheer erupting from the house we walked past - it was a special moment! As we got into London and I rushed over east for rehearsals for the Paralympic Opening Ceremony, the tube driver announced that we'd won two gold medals that day - and I felt flushed with excitement that I'd seen one practically happening.
Saturday night and it was all about the athletics. I knew we were in with a chance for another two gold medals so to come away with three in the space of an hour was amazing! Jessica Ennis we salute you - what an incredible role model you are for young girls all around you, such an inspiration! I know the BBC are supposed to be impartial but when the BBC presenter said "Jessica Ennis we love you" I think he was captured the sentiment of the nation. And then it was all about Mo Farah in the 10,000 metres. But hang on, what's this happening? The Men's Long Jump final and a certain Greg Rutherford with his super unique starting style (loving the finger movements and the step back before he commences the sprint) looking like he's going to take another gold for Team GB. And he did it! Now, could it be a hat-trick for us? We watched that 10,000m race with bated breath, wondering if Mo Farah could out-run the African long distance runners. In the first few laps I wasn't sure, willing him to do it (along with millions of others) but wondering if he would. And then the bell to announce the final lap and what a tense time it was! We were all standing up, screaming at the TV "come on Mo, you can do it, keep going" and the giddying rise in excitement as he broke free to lead the race, closely followed by his friend and American training partner Galen Rupp. GB and USA take gold and silver and show the world that it is possible to break the dominance of the Africans in long distance running - what a moment, what a night!
Straight after it was brilliant to see people take to social media to express what they'd just seen, history in the making! I think the world of social media where people have a running commentary on what they're watching on TV is a little strange but straight after the races, I was on Facebook. The comments and status updates were a delight, capturing the joy of so many I know. I loved the fact that some of the Olympic miserablists had been converted by the sheer excitement of what they'd seen, who would have wanted to miss out on such a moment? I would have loved to have been at the stadium but I think I may have spontaneously combusted with all the excitement so probably good to watch it at home. Others were inspired to take up some form of sport and it'll be fascinating to see what these Olympics do for the psyche of the nation. While our athletes were bringing us such immense joy, pride and excitement in the Olympic Park, over in Cardiff our overpaid arrogant footballers lost to South Korea on penalties. Oh dear oh dear, there is something topsy turvy in the world of sport....
Monday, 6 August 2012
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Brighton Half Marathon - 17 days to go....
12 miles - where the endorphins really kicked in!
I get it, I get what this running lark is all about now, I can see why people get a little addicted to it. Never thought I'd turn into a running junkie but it appears to have happened. I'm actually looking forward to the Brighton Half Marathon and already thinking of my first Marathon - now will it be London, Paris or New York?
I did the 12 mile run last Saturday. If I'm completely honest, I was a little apprehensive about it. Not because of the distance but because I suffered so much after the 11 mile run the week before. I was concerned about feeling like that again. Plus I had a blind date (of sorts) the next day and I really didn't want to find myself walking like someone who was about 97. Nor did I want to struggle to stay awake. Post 11 mile run, I could barely move. A combination of extremely stiff muscles and immense tiredness. On the Sunday I didn't wake until after midday - I thought I was being lazy but I think my body was actually taking cover from attack! In between 11 and 12 miles, my training trailed off. I didn't choose that, it just happened like. Which meant that after the 11 mile run on the Saturday, I didn't run again until Wednesday (and it was little 3 mile run). I actually felt better for having a rest. Still didn't stop me from feeling mildly apprehensive about doing the 12 mile run, especially as when the day came, I was awake from 4 in the morning. Not due to the run - I've been waking at this time a lot recently - last week it happened 4 times. I've given up trying to fight it or get back to sleep - there's too much adrenaline so I've started doing work at 5 in the morning, sat in bed with my laptop - weirdly I seem to concentrate best if I'm up with the birds!
My last couple of long runs I've done in Dulwich Park but I decided to go back to Peckham Rye as I much prefer running on that open space. As I can't count laps or keep track of distance on the Rye, I thought I'd keep running for as long as I could before I checked my gizmo (the name I've given to the gadget to measure distance, time etc). I started running and found myself enjoying it somewhat. I kept running and running, oblivious to the distance I'd done. Somewhere around the 7 mile mark, I noticed a change - I felt like I could just keep going on and on and on. My breathing was much deeper, as if I was using bits of my lungs I'd never accessed before (or certainly not while running). I actually felt high and stayed this way until about the 10 mile mark. It did feel quite amazing! A bit like when I felt as if golden champagne bubbles were cascading through my body once when I was on my 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat. I guess these are the endorphins people talk about....
I was so into the running that by the time I checked my gizmo, I was close to the 9 mile mark. How did that happen? My legs weren't hurting, my lungs weren't hurting, everything felt very different to the previous week, particularly at distance. The last 3 miles were great and I listened carefully to what my body was telling me it wanted. Some lucozade as soon as I'd finished and a soak in the bath. I decided that it was time for a little bit of pampering - I'm asking so much of my body with all this running that I do need to give it a bit of tlc. I put some of the Arbonne re-mineralising bath soak in the water and then used 3 different scrubs (face, body and feet) for additional pampering. I don't normally like baths, well I do but I end up getting too hot and having to stand up to cool down again but not this time. The hot water heated up my muscles and it was just what I wanted. I was anticipating the big tired feeling after this but you know what, it never came. In fact I felt positively energised!
Post-run I had a think about why this one had felt so good. Not running so much in the week made a big difference. I've been following my training plan religiously but perhaps wasn't giving my body the rest it needed. A couple of days without running does work wonders. I know I can run the distance (even if I don't do it before the big day) - now it's all about finding out the things that help make it a great experience! I started doing some yoga every morning, maybe about 10 minutes of sun salutations A and B. A great way to start the day and the extended stretching in my legs stopped the muscles from contracting as soon as I finished my long run. The yoga also helped to build upper arm strength which meant my arms didn't ache while I was running. I also made sure I had pasta and bread the night before, increasing my carb intake and this clearly helped with my energy levels. It's been interesting learning these things as I go along, seeing how a run goes and then making changes - there is something to be said for tracking your progress, no matter what you do!
Just over two weeks to go. The focus has to be on fund raising now - my minimum target was £225 and I've reached that but the goal I've set for myself is £1000. And you know something, if I can get myself up to running a Half Marathon, I can certainly raise at least £1000 for Pass It On Africa!
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Brighton Half Marathon - 9 miles, 10 miles, 11 miles....
Brighton Half Marathon - 29 days to go!
Although this is supposed to function as my online running diary, sadly I haven't written for the last three weeks. I have run though so at least I'm doing the important things! 4 weeks away from race day and I promise I will write more regularly. Since my last post, my running has progressed from 9 miles to 10 miles to 11 - each has been quite different so let me tell you about it.
9 miles - where I hit Runner's Wall
The week after my 8-mile run, I was feeling very off-kilter. I put it down to a very close friend moving overseas and me being more upset than I thought I would be. Either that or I was channeling her stress (and she had been very stressed) after the move, hence feeling absolutely dreadful. It's usually me who does the "going off on adventures" and this was the first time that someone so close to me emigrated (to Paris). Well my friend Simone did move to the UAE a few years ago but I was living in Ibiza at the time so I wasn't so affected. I digress, I'm meant to be talking about running. So, in the days leading up to my 9-mile run, I wasn't really feeling it. Training had been going so well, I would look at my training schedule, see the distance I had to run and go and do it. Simple. Not with 9-miles. I was apprehensive in the days leading up to it. I felt tired and the last thing I wanted to really do was run. The 9-mile day came and I got up and ready somewhat reluctantly and off I went.
As this was the first Saturday in January, I noticed something - lots and lots of people out running (you should have seen how many were out and about on the 2nd January!). Good old new year's resolutions - let's see how many are still running by the end of January - apparently (according to Tony Robbins) - 50% of people have given up their resolutions by the 15th January - very poor! This meant that the place where I normally run, a place where there are hardly any people was suddenly quite busy. I realised I don't really like running in busy places (not quite sure how I'm going to cope doing the Half with all those other runners but I'm sure the excitement will take care of that). I started and it felt more difficult than normal. There used to be a point where the first twenty minutes of a run would be quite uncomfortable, it felt as if my legs and lungs needed that much time to realise what I was asking of them. More recently, I'd noticed it hadn't been such a struggle - until now. I kept running but the thought most prominent in my head was "when can I stop?". I got up to 6 miles and called it a day, feeling quite disappointed. It's the start of a new year, there's all the excitement of how this year's going to be - and then I find myself unable to do something which a week or two ago would have been possible.
As soon as I got home, I sent a text to James, Pass It On Africa charity manager and official running coach, in a slight panic. Our exchange went like this:
Me - Help! I think I've hit runner's wall. Or runner's block or whatever it's called. Meant to do a 9-mile run and only managed 6! What do I do (can you detect a slight sense of panic here?)
J - Don't panic it happens to us all and we can talk about it on Tuesday (he was coming up to London for meetings and a work morning with me)
Me - Ok. Anything I can do in the mean time? Should I try again tomorrow?
J - Yes don't worry about it, have the weekend off and we can go for a run and talk about it on Monday evening or Tuesday.
Me - Ok cool!
J - No worries, have a good weekend and don't worry. You have loads of time and you are going to be great, trust me.
Me - Thanks!
After this exchange I felt a little better and did as I was told, took the weekend off and went on a 4-mile run on the Tuesday with James. We ran the course that people will be running at the HEROES RUN in April - it was quite exciting to see what the space looks like, will be even more exciting to see it full of people dressed as superheroes, running for a great cause and having a fun day out!
10 miles - where the power of Facebook made all the difference!
The week after my initial 9 mile attempt I decided to do it again. I was a week behind in my training but I'd still have enough time to get up to half marathon distance - so long as I nailed 9 miles this time. I really psyched myself up for this one. I decided to run somewhere completely different (Dulwich Park) and to listen to completely new music, to change it up as much as I could. I also wanted to run in Dulwich Park as I can measure distance. I know that once round the main track is a mile and I had this new gadget that measures the distance you run - I needed to check it to make sure it was working properly.
The evening before the run, my status update on Facebook said "9 mile run tomorrow morning *I can do it, I can do it, I can do it!* I was amazed at the supportive response from people - it makes all the difference! This is a tactic I've used before when I started my interiors business - by publicly declaring what you intend to do, somehow you make it happen! Or maybe you know you don't want to let down the people who've shown support so you make yourself do it. Clever tactics - they work. When I woke the morning of the run, I knew I had to run the distance. There'd been more messages in the night so I woke to words of encouragement. I set off to Dulwich Park, feeling much more confident. The weather was perfect, cold, crisp and sunny - ideal running conditions for me. I did one lap of the park and checked my gadget - 1 mile exactly. I knew that was working properly, it was a case of running now. I settled into a comfortable pace, listening to classic house tracks on my iPod.
Dulwich Park isn't my perfect choice as a place to run. I find it a little claustrophobic, you're constantly dodging runners, people and dogs. Lots of dogs, usually getting in the way. I decided not to pay attention to the things I don't like about running there in case it put me off. Head down, I ran and listened to House. I thought about all the people who'd left Facebook messages for me and felt that I was doing this run for them. I started off counting laps so I'd have an idea of distance. By 4 miles, I was so distracted by the music I was listening to, I forgot to count laps, just enjoying tunes that I love but hadn't heard in a while. Some of these songs are really inspiring, they make you keep going just when you start to flag a little. I've always believed in the power of music - here I was seeing it in action when running. If a song came on that was one of my favourites or had particularly inspiring lyrics (usually inspiring you to go higher, reach further etc), I literally did pick the pace up and feel amazing for it. I was so lost in music that I forgot to count laps. I decided to check my gadget at the point where I thought I'd done 5 miles - only to discover that I was at 7 miles. I was feeling good, I'd run further than I thought and I was only 2 miles away from 9 miles. And when things are going this well, what do you do? You run an extra mile of course and make it up to 10 miles.
So that's what I did, ran 10 miles. I felt very pleased - this was the distance I was meant to run according to my original plan, the one that didn't factor in hitting runner's wall at 9 miles. I felt good, in fact I felt positively ecstatic, especially as I'd got back on track with my training plan. When I announced to my proud parents that I'd just run 10 miles, my dad decided that he'd like to take up running too! Ace - he's 83 years old and wants to start running at this stage in life. It was a good feeling telling people that I'd done it! Using Facebook was great. I had two friends want to sponsor me, one offered to be a running partner and the other wanted to know how he could get involved with fundraising for Pass It On Africa. Fantastic! A few hours after the run, I did feel incredibly tired and had to take an afternoon nap for a couple of hours but apart from that, I generally felt really good!
11 miles - where I realised I need to stretch more
With training back on schedule, I did an 11 mile run today. Generally it went well. I had no idea how many people are in Dulwich Park on a Saturday running around or doing British Military Fitness classes - perfect people to promote our HEROES RUN to. I can see that I'll probably be spending a lot of time over the next two months dressed as my Cat Woman alter-ego promoting our race all across London!
After last week's success using Facebook for support and encouragement, I toyed with doing it again but decided this time just to get out there and run. It went well. There were times early on when I needed to give myself a pep talk but there comes a point where you think "I've run 6 miles, if I stop now the next time I go to do this distance, I've got to start all over again, these 6 miles count for nothing...". That realisation makes you keep going. As soon as I was over the halfway mark, I counted down how many laps I needed to do. There was also a fun run going on in the park for the second part of my run. Even though I was running in the opposite direction to their runners, every time I went past their tent and supporters, I took all their whoops and hollering for myself - I'm sure they didn't mind! The last couple of miles I really felt it in my legs. I kept going but as soon as I'd done 11 miles and stopped, I could feel my muscles contract and get really tight. The usual stretching I do didn't make that much of a difference and I longed to soak my legs in a hot bath. My muscles felt really tight all day, I walked stiffly and it made me realise that I need to get back to doing ashtanga yoga at least twice a week, just so my muscles can get a good stretch and stop them contracting in this way.
Enormous tiredness hit me again a couple of hours after the run. I know that between now and the race I have to pay close attention to what I'm eating. I'm not eating enough carbs (or the right carbs) or protein or drinking enough water so that has to change. I'm so close to the distance I need to run, I'm not panicking about the race ahead of me. This is good, it means I can focus on things like my diet and also the fundraising side of things. I'd set up my online fundraising page at the end of December but it was only this week that I filled it out properly, with my story, and made a point of promoting it as much as possible. I've found the traditional sponsorship form a really effective way of raising money - if you put a form in front of someone and ask "will you sponsor me?" - generally the answer is yes. I even had someone sponsor me £50 the other day which I was very excited about, a few more donations like that would be amazing! I also did an interview yesterday for a Sussex-based publication, talking about my half marathon story. I talked about my intention to raise £1000 for the charity - a little more incentive, now that it's going to be declared publicly, pushes you on to make sure you achieve it!
Something else I discovered this week - I really enjoying running in the evening after a day spent in front of the computer. I was meant to do a run on Wednesday morning before I went to work. Just as I was about to set out, I got a work call which I had to take. Once that was finished, running time had gone and I had to go straight to work. When this happens, it can be tempting to forget that run particularly as I knew that I wouldn't be able to run in the day. When I finished work at 6, I was feeling fairly knackered - normal for me if I've spent the day in front of a computer screen. However I decided not to miss my run, as soon as I got in I changed and went straight out again. As it was dark, I'd have to make do with running round the local Dulwich roads. I set off on a 4 mile run and found that I really enjoyed running at that time of the evening. Fewer people around (mainly other runners), easy to zone out into your own little world and I came back feeling positively energised!
Music I've been running to - I'd been of running to the same music over and over so I decided to change that last week. Since then I've been running to The Specials (ska is good to run to) and lots of early House classics. Some songs on my playlist have been:
That's The Way Love Is - Ten City
Where Love Lives - Alison Limerick
Promised Land - Joe Smooth
Tears - Frankie Knuckles
Follow Me - Aly-Us
Let Me Love You For Tonight - Kariya
Reachin' - Phase Two
You've Got The Love - The Source Featuring Candi Staton
Lift Every Voice - Mass Order
Someday - Ce Ce Rogers
Optimistic - Sounds of Blackness
The Masterplan - Diana Brown and Barrie K Sharpe
Got To Have Your Love - Mantronix
All This Love That I'm Giving - Gwen McCrae
Let No Man Put Asunder - First Choice
We Lift Our Hands In The Sanctuary - DJ Oji and Una
Believe - Soldiers of Twilight
Friday, 30 December 2011
Brighton Half Marathon - only 51 days to go...
Shocking - it's been over six months since I last posted. Well a lot's happened in that time - mainly that I was quite ill in July, August and September and October onwards has been all about getting better again. I now feel pretty fabulous and while it was horrible being ill, I think we've finally got those pesky wonky hormones under control!
Not much happened while I was ill - it's as if life shut down for three months. I stopped doing any sort of exercise and my daily challenges which got mentioned so much in my posts this year, they also fizzled out. But I'd really felt the benefits of both regular (daily) exercise and my daily good habits so I was determined to get back into a good routine again. It also plays a big part in me getting better and staying well so fairly essential. Anyway back in October, a friend posted on Facebook saying that she had signed up to do the Brighton Half Marathon in February 2012. As soon as I saw that, I thought "I want to do that too!" - even though I hadn't run for over 4 months and it would be like starting from scratch again. I remembered that the charity that organised the HEROES RUN in Brighton (the 10K race I'd done with a couple of friends in May) had places for the Brighton Half so the next morning I called Pass It On Africa and spoke to co-founder and Charity Manager James Macdonald. Luckily they had some places left so I put my name down and then had quite a long chat with James, saying how much I'd enjoyed the HEROES RUN and how I'd been really impressed with the work they were doing to raise funds to build schools in Africa. One of the things I'd really liked was that they kept admin costs down to a minimum so 70-80% of fundraising goes directly to the projects.
I mentioned some of my previous International Relations experience and the conversation ended with me offering to email my CV over to see if there was any way I could help the charity on a pro-bono basis. It's something I'd been wanting to do for a while and it felt as if the right charity appeared just when I was ready to take something on. I'm now an integral part of the team, working closely with the Chairman and the two co-founders and getting ready to bring the HEROES RUN to London for the first time ever! It'll be taking place on Sunday 1st April 2012 on Clapham Common and if you fancy donning a Super Hero outfit and running 5 or 10K for an incredible cause, click here to sign up.
Anyway, back to the title of this post - the Brighton Half Marathon - only 51 days to go... I know that because I set up my Virgin Giving page for sponsorship and the page kindly told me I had 51 days until the big event. Luckily I have been training fairly seriously for the last 4-5 weeks, otherwise knowing I had 51 days only might have put the fear into me. I wanted to start blogging again, in a somewhat regular fashion, and I thought doing a weekly Half Marathon diary might help. I have to say I've impressed myself with the discipline I've shown towards training (I even ran on Christmas Day in Cambridge) - I'm now running 4 times a week and adverse weather conditions have yet to deter me! The only reason I'm impressed is that discipline like this has never been one of my strong points. However I'm determined to do the race well and I know the only way I can do that is to train properly so I KNOW I can run the distance before I do the race. While I'm happy to wing some things, this is not one of those. Plus working so closely with the charity now adds an extra bit of grit and resolve to my running.
I also have no idea how I'll find the extra distance. I know that I can run 10k but anything beyond that and it's all new to me. I have no idea how my body will react or how I'll feel but that's one of the main reasons that I want to capture it here, as close to real time as possible. I like doing something where I have no idea how it's going to be and charting my progress as I go along. I've found running longer distances easier - once I get beyond 4 miles, it feels so much easier and I feel like I can float on for ages. I'm keeping a close watch on my feet - I have problematic feet and have had since I was a child. The only time I've stayed in hospital was for an operation on both my feet when I was 11. I have this weird bone that grows out of the side of both feet (on the inside), just above where your arches are. As a child it used to cause me untold pain and made both walking and running difficult. The operation was meant to get rid of the extra bone but over the years, its grown back again. Often when I'm running, I'll get a twinge on my left foot but it's never been so bad that it's stopped me so fingers crossed that's the extent of my foot concerns.
In the last two weeks, my long runs have covered 6 miles, 7 miles and 8 miles today. Well those are the distances I'm supposed to have run - I've got a little monitor that checks the distance, just need to set it up properly and I'm good to go. The 6-mile run was great. I was meant to do it on a Friday and whenever I looked out of the window, it was either pouring with rain, hail or snow. I left the run til the next morning and stepped out in sunshine and blue skies. Before I started training properly, I was a bit concerned as to how I'd find running in the winter but the weather has generally been glorious and I've found myself running on cold crisp days with a bright blue sky and sunshine - my ideal kind of running weather. Anyway I set off on my run and half-way through, the heavens opened and the rain came. I kept running. I knew that if I stopped now, that would set the precedent for the future - little bit of bad weather and I call it a day. I ran through the rain and just kept going and then the rain stopped. I was so elated by my lack of wussy behaviour I ran an extra mile!
The 7-mile run the following week was not quite so successful. In fact it's probably been my most difficult run yet. I'd been out the night before and eaten a large 3-course meal which really didn't help matters. I think I was also quite dehydrated. I was too hot very quickly and by the time I got to the Rye where I normally run, I was peeling off extra layers and my scarf. As I haven't got myself a suitable running bag yet, all these layers were tied around my waist and it was only a matter of time before they were falling off and tripping me up. In the end, I hid them all on a park bench and kept my fingers crossed that my little bundle of clothes wouldn't be discovered by anyone who might want them. I'm not sure who would want sweaty running clothes though... The run was further disturbed by needing the toilet - and having to wait until the local cafe opened so I could sneak in. Actually they're very good and always let me use the facilities when it's obvious I'm not a customer. I found the last bit of the running hard too. My hamstrings were starting to feel really tight and ache and that's never happened before - a sign that I need to get back into my ashtanga yoga practice to help with stretching - and stop my calves getting too bulky! They have expanded a little already...
Today's 8-mile run was good. Perfect running weather conditions for me and only had to stop once - again for a toilet break (need to sort that out). One thing I did find though, as this is the week between Christmas and New Year, I have switched off from work completely. Normally when I run, I've got work-related stuff going through my head which helps to distract me from the running, as does the music. My head was very empty of work stuff (so happy I can do that) which should have made for a Zen-like running experience - instead I was too aware of the fact that my right foot was hurting slightly and I had a little blister by the time I got home. Apart from that, all good!
Music I've been running to - I've always been a massive music lover and I think the tunes I listen to between now and the Half Marathon are going to be key, particularly when I do my long runs and increase the distance each week. When I was training for the 10k, the last couple of long runs I did (5 miles and 6 miles), I played Sounds of Blackness "Optimistic" over and over again - it kept me going! Michael Jackson's "Thriller" has been great on some of the shorter runs, anything between 3 - 5 miles. Norman Jay's "Good Times Volume 1 (side 2)" has also played a major part in keeping me going. And today I did my 8 mile run to Arcade Fire, starting with "Funeral" and then on to "Neon Bible". I need to think carefully about music selection and put together a 2-hour playlist (or choose some of my favourite songs and have them on repeat 3 or 4 times - I like to hear them over and over again!) - this is what will help to get me there!
Sunday, 19 June 2011
My 30-day challenge - Take 2
How strange. After my last post about my 30-day challenge (when I'd got to Day 17), something happened and it all fell to bits. Literally the next day. I managed to keep up with things that day but by the following day, nothing was happening and I felt awful. My challenge went from being something I'd been finding really quite effortless (it was just a case of being organised and a bit of forward-thinking/planning) to something that felt like a very steep thing to climb. For no apparent reason that I could find...
I'd felt so amazing the first two weeks that I was expecting the last two weeks to be even better. Yet that was not the case. I thought that perhaps my wonky hormones had returned but not only were they still wonky, they were now back-to-front. Such confusion.
So I'm starting the challenge again from tomorrow. To see what it involves, click here. When I've finished this post, I'll get my little chart ready, tape it to the kitchen cabinet and off we go again. I have to admit, I do feel a little apprehensive about how I'll get on but I guess I just need to do it and keep going no matter what! The 30-day Challenge is exactly the same as before but I'm going to add in some daily exercise and see how I get on. I was doing this at the start of the year - I have no idea how I was getting up at 6 most mornings in January so I could go for an early-morning swim but it did happen! The main difference now is that I've been running a lot more these past few months (and in January I was lucky if I could run for 1 minute without needing to stop and walk for a bit) so running doesn't feel like such a chore, in fact at times I really enjoy it! And I've always loved swimming (and my Saturday-morning yoga) so the exercise part should be cool.
There seems to be something about getting past the 3-week mark. When I first did this in January, I got up to 3 weeks okay but then it fizzled out in the last week. It seems to have happened again. I wasn't expecting it to so I know to pay close attention once I'm half-way through. Other things I've noticed. My sleep quality has deteriorated in the past week. It takes me a lot longer to get to sleep and I don't feel quite so rested even if I've slept for a long time. I have absolutely no desire for dairy. I keep trying to tempt myself with some lovely ice cream but then I just think "meh no just don't feel like having it". I've even managed to resist the absolutely amazing home-made mint choc chip ice cream at The Palmerston. Normally I try and sneak a scoop or two at least once a week if I know any is in the freezer. A batch was made about a week ago and I've yet to taste it, I just don't feel like having it. And whenever I've had my beloved Galaxy chocolate (yes 3 bars have been consumed in the last month), I've not actually enjoyed it that much. I don't think I'm off chocolate so much as my taste buds becoming sharper, I think you can tell when you're eating something that perhaps doesn't have the best ingredients. Just need to find myself some superior quality chocolate to have from time to time! So even though my 30-day challenge didn't quite make it, there's still a lasting impact being made on my taste buds.
Wish me luck - my challenge starts tomorrow!
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
My 30-day challenge - Day 17
So more than half way through and the "challenge" has been going well. I think it's the combination of wrapping it all up as a "challenge" and the fact that I've been trying to get into these good habits since the start of the year and at this fourth or fifth attempt, it feels easier as I've had quite a bit of practice. Also, I was expecting to introduce all these new habits and just be able to do it straight away immediately but then I was reminded of the fact that I'm rarely good at things when I first start and get better and better because I keep trying and don't give up.
I've had day after day after day where I've been able to do all the things on my list. I've just checked my chart and I had a run of 6 days where I did everything - pretty good going for me. The chart is essential and something I'll keep doing forever, particularly as daily discipline is not one of my strong points. The chart has enabled me to get back on track when I've missed doing something and it shows me the things that are most likely to be missed (daily toning exercises). I've realised that although I have to work on daily discipline, I feel good for doing it and I also get the most out of my day - I need structure, organisation and forward-planning to get things done.
Anyone who knows me well will probably know that I've been struggling with wonky hormones and low energy levels for years now. They've never stood in the way of me doing things but I longed for more energy and not to feel so up and down all the time. At their worst, the hormones had me feeling like some Jekyll and Hyde character, up for two weeks, down for two weeks. They're not so bad now thanks to seeing a kinesiologist and identifying the plethora of reasons why they were so bad but there is still a distinct rhythm to my life. I've felt great the last couple of weeks (and they were "down" weeks) and it makes it obvious that what I eat does make a huge impact on how I feel. I can eat rubbish and not put any weight on but it affects my moods enormously and I've only come to realise that in the past few months.
I'm not sure the impact on my energy levels as I've yet to wake up and jump out of bed, bouncing with energy. The only time I really feel like that it's due to adrenaline, I'll wake up at around 4 or 5 and be buzzing with excitement, unable to get back to sleep. As there are some exciting changes just round the corner for me regarding work I know that the adrenaline will soon be back but that's not quite the same as bouncing out of bed with energy. However maybe I'm just not that kind of person - I like to start my morning in a calm, quiet way and prefer no noise or talking for at least the first 30 minutes. Although I aspire to bounce out of bed, raring to go I'm not sure I'd actually like myself if I was like that as I'd be too noisy and energetic for myself!
I have noticed a change in my sleep quality though. The only way I can describe it is that my sleep feels very sweet. It's been blissful and I do wake up refreshed. I am less likely to wake up in the night and I'm not so affected by noise or light. Maybe I'm sleeping deeper too. I've started doing my 20 minutes of meditation just before I go to sleep so I'll do it sat upright in bed. It consists of taking deep breaths in, holding and letting them out again. I make sure that my lungs fill up completely and then exhale fully. I have a little timer next to me and as soon as 20 minutes are up, I'll switch the timer and bedside lamp off and slide down into the bed, turn over and I'm asleep in about 3 seconds. This is brilliant as I had noticed that I was finding it quite difficult to get to sleep recently. It could take half an hour or more to nod off and the longer it took, the more frustrated I'd feel. All change now...
The other thing I've noticed is that my digestive system is working well through the night (which is what it's meant to do). However we put so much into our bodies that we find difficult to digest or use up excessive energy trying to do so. I have to admit, I am slightly obsessed with bowel movements (if you're not comfortable with this kind of topic, don't read this paragraph). I could go for days without having one or even worse, you can feel it there but it just isn't coming out. I would drink coffee or tea for the specific reason of clearing out my insides but longed for my insides to work properly so I wouldn't have to resort to there kinds of tactics to make me go. I think as I'm quite small in frame, having a few days worth of poo stuck in my system would just make me feel horribly uncomfortable and would always feel a bit disappointed if only a small one came out. On the other hand, a big poo where you feel everything has come out makes me actually feel quite euphoric! Since day 5, my digestive system has got into a regular rhythm and soon after I wake, it's time to go. I feel like everything is coming out without much effort from me and that sensation of "all backed up but nothing coming out" has pretty much disappeared. At times I've not even felt anything until it's time to go.
I think a number of things are responsible. Cutting out things from my diet that I find difficult to digest or just aren't good for me obviously helps. I'm probably having about 10 portions of fruit, veg or salad a day so lots more fibre coming my way. Drinking 2L of water a day definitely helps and keeps everything hydrated and working well. But I think the main thing is the flaxseed. I have a large tablespoon mixed in with a fresh vegetable juice and it is working wonders. I missed my juice and flax seed on Monday for a number of reasons and it's thrown my digestive system out again and I'm now just waiting for it to get back into it's rhythm again.
All in all my challenge is going well. I've seen a number of positive results already and I feel more tuned in to what my body needs or wants. I'm sure that whenever I've eaten junk food my body has responded by making me feel like rubbish but I've always put that down to wonky hormones when actually other things were the culprit! I know that when the 30-days are over, another 30-day challenge of all the same things will start again as this is less a one-off thing, more a way of living a healthier way.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
My 30-day challenge
I've just set myself a 30-day challenge to get into some good habits and I thought I'd write about it as it may help me to stick to what I've set out to do. I think the word "challenge" has got something to do with it - give me something to work towards or something to achieve and I do it. Doing just for the sake of doing never seems to work for me.
I've realised this recently. When I wrote my post about the psychology of running and how I felt like I could run beyond 5k for the first time ever, not only did I write about it, I also told anyone who would listen. When I told my friend Nikki she said "want to do a 10k race in the middle of May then?" It was four weeks away and although I felt like I could run beyond 5k, I hadn't actually done it. But I agreed to the race, it sounded like fun as we had to dress up as Super Heroes and it meant a day down in Brighton raising money to help build schools in Africa via a wonderful grassroots charity called Passing It On. Once I'd agreed to do the race I told a few people because if I know I say to others I'm going to do something, that's what will happen.
A couple of days after agreeing to do the run, I got up early to start training. I felt awful and didn't want to get out of bed but I thought I was just being wimpy so I hauled myself out, got ready and went down to Peckham Rye and did a 40-minute run. I didn't have quite the same euphoria as I'd had the day I'd written my running post but I ran for the time without stopping and it was the first time I'd run beyond half an hour. Afterwards I went to work and as the day progressed, I felt worse and worse. I had been coming down with some sort of sneezy/coldy/flu thing and that's why I'd felt dreadful when I'd woken up but I thought I was just trying to get out of running and stay in bed a bit longer and so I'd forced myself. When the illness fully took hold I couldn't run at all and lost about 10 days in my training schedule. The thought did cross my mind about not doing the race as I wasn't sure I could get up to 10k in the time now but I decided that I had said I would do it and I would be my word and just get on with it. I also set two other criteria for myself - I wanted to run the whole race (no walking for me then but Super Heroes don't walk!) and I wanted to complete it in an hour. I carried on running, working my way up to running for 50 minutes and then an hour. We did the race last weekend, it was great fun and I ran the whole 10k, finishing a few minutes after an hour so very pleased with myself. We've now said we're going to do a half marathon in the autumn. I also realised that I'd got up to running 10k a lot quicker than if I'd been just working my way up to it without any kind of goal or challenge to work towards and that's why I've set myself this 30-day challenge.
The things I have to do or not do for the next 30 days are things I've been trying to get into the habit of doing on and off since the start of the year. They aren't difficult, they don't take up much time and can easily be incorporated into your daily routine and they are all things that are good for me and will help sort out my energy levels amongst other things. However I've realised that daily disciplines just don't seem to be my thing. I can take a massive leap of faith and do things that would send most people scurrying away in alarm but doing little things consistently, day in, day out, well this kind of discipline is something that is new to me and I'm learning now. I realised that one of the reasons that my good intentions drift away after a few days is that I had no way of charting progress or any system that would bring me back on track if I missed out on something for a day or two. I've lost count of the number of times I've tried to get into the habit of drinking 2 litres of water a day. I'd do it for a few days, maybe a week or two and then something would happen and I'd forget to drink any water or I'd be out all day without my 2L with me. One day would turn into two days and before I knew it, I wouldn't be drinking any water at all, sometimes for a few days at a time. This is just one example but there are many similar ones. And why is it so easy to get into the habit of doing bad things every day so easily? I could drink a can of coke every day even though I know it's not good for me and the sugar will make my teeth fall out and surges of sugar make me very up and down. I always thought it was wonky hormones that caused this but I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually coca cola!
To help myself I've started using charts this year where I can tick off things as I do them on a daily basis and to remind me of the things still outstanding. Interesting tactics but they work for me to some extent and I need some kind of record as my list of things to do or not do currently stands at 19 things a day and I need some sort of chart just to remember if I've done something or not. Even with my chart I could be a bit haphazard with sticking to what I was meant to be doing. But with no chart at all I noticed I slipped quickly and easily into old bad habits so the chart is back and it's here to stay. Doing the 10k race made me realise that I can do things beyond what I thought if I feel like there's some sort of challenge or I'm working towards something. Even publicly declaring my intention to do something makes it easier for me to stick to my word as I've never been one of those people who talks a lot but does little. I tend to say what I'm going to do and then do it.
Here are the daily things in my 30-day challenge (they are in the order that they happen from morning to night)
- Hot water and lemon
- 3 sun salutations A and B
- Dry brushing
- Flax seed
- Fresh juice
- Daily yoghurt
- Toning exercises
- Supplements
- 2L water
- No coffee/caffeine
- No dairy (but I can have goats or sheep products)
- No sugar
- No wheat
- No fizzy drinks
- No junk food
- No peanuts
- No alcohol
- Meditation
- Night-time routine
So, over time it's gotten easier to give things up but getting into a daily routine is the area where I really struggle. None of the things I'm supposed to do or not do make any immediate impact on me. I don't have allergies to the foods I'm not supposed to have, they don't make me ill but they do affect my energy levels. I read a book recently "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olsen and it really resonated with me. It talked about the importance of doing little things every day and how difficult it can be to do them as it doesn't make any difference on your life today if you do them or you don't to them. They're easy to do and they're easy not to do. But these little things over time do add up to big things and you want the little things you do every day to be good things, not bad things. I have to admit, the book did scare me a little as I know I'm nowhere near good as I should be. I can eat badly and get away with it as I don't really put on weight but a bad diet affects my mood enormously and I do need to pay attention to this. As daily discipline doesn't seem to be my thing, I've had to wrap it up in something I do understand - a challenge and see how I get on with that. I'll come back and write up my progress, ideally on a weekly basis. It'll be good to capture how I'm getting on and more importantly how I'm feeling as I think that will all help to keep me on track.
Progress so far as today is the end of day 2. So far so good. I've got a long line of ticks on my chart for yesterday and today. More of the same tomorrow then!
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