147 Days To Go

Wish someone had warned me that this running lark is an expensive business. In the interests of actually getting to the starting line for the marathon, I am having to follow all the random advice that is handed out, and this includes the buying of terribly important special running-specific stuff. Tops, "tights", jackets, socks, etc - the list is endless! I normally enjoy shopping, but this might have cured me of that... And don't even get me started on Garmin watches - how much?! Problem is, I haven't worked out how to know how fast or far I'm running (off-treadmill) without one... But I'm going to have to come up with something - daylight robbery!!

Spent today randomly shopping - and cursing the library for being shut. Since when has New Year's Eve been a holiday?! Hmm??!! Random closures are not appreciated when one is desperately trying to return an overdue book... So much for economising in the new year - failed at the first hurdle! (o_o)

Christmas present of the day: lots and lots of chocolate (which I foolishly put in the fridge - will now have to find a hiding place for it or simply never open the fridge again... Life is a constant set of trials...!)

Happy New Year!

:o)

Running time/distance: 0 mins/0 km (rest days are really important, you know)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 0/0 (see above)

148 Days to Go

My earphones have developed a new trick, which is intermittent stereo. This might sound like a good thing, but actually it's even worse than the annoying mono that they were previously dishing out. I am now jogging along lopsidedly and then every so often stereo reappears and I jerk upright - so I am now developing a really attractive twitch to add to my other problems... Really need new earphones...

I have decided that my half-a-Bambi moments post Treadmill of Torture are 50% due to the ridiculous sensitivity of my inner ear - a bit like stepping off a boat and wondering why the ground isn't rocking. Since this isn't a problem that I'll face when I launch myself onto the mean streets outside, then I shall not have to fear looking like I'm about to collapse at any moment before total strangers. At least, that's the theory...


Am still confused as to what "fast" is - I fear that an executive decision might be called for (and if I'm making it then "fast" might well be a bit "slow")...!

Christmas present of the day: John Lewis vouchers.

:o)

Running time/distance: 36 mins/2.7 km (30 mins jogging at 5 km/h, 6 mins walking at 3 km/h)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 0/0 (not today, thank you)

150 Days to Go

For devoted readers of this blog (there might be some, you never know), I'd like to clarify something. I hate running. I hate talking about running. I hate actually running. I hate thinking about running. Hate, hate, hate... But since, apparently, one does not just get up and run a marathon of a morning, it's something I'm having to do until end of May 2012. At which point I fully intend to stop (I'd say cold turkey, but that would be a bad festive joke)...

That being the case, this is not a blog about running (which would be dull) but more  record of how far I've come (when I actually get somewhere). Plus also undoubtedly a source of endless amusement to those who would not have to work nearly so hard to be less unfit... ;oD

Having survived the merriness of Christmas (today's present highlight - a red Delonghi kettle) I have returned refreshed and enthused (must not lie) unwilling and unready to the training schedule. Today the Treadmill of Torture earned its name as I decided to punish myself for the recent inactivity and increase the speed as well as "jog" the full time required.

I say "jog", but I'm not entirely convinced that I'm running fast enough to be jogging yet - possibly more like a quite fast walk. This is important as on Sunday I will apparently be running "fast" for 20 minutes. I am now going to spend 3 days pondering what is meant by "fast" - research is obviously required. I wouldn't want to waste my time doing 20 mins running if I don't hit the dizzy heights of "fast"... This is all very complicated stuff...

Tomorrow is a rest day (thank God!).

Running time/distance: 60 mins/4.3 km (57 mins jogging at 4.5km/h, 3 mins walking at 3 km/h)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 0/0 (let's not over-do things...)

152 Days to Go

Merry Christmas!

Run-free environment for the past few days (resting... It's good for me...). Return to the training regime on Wednesday (after I've consumed by bodyweight in chocolate and undone any good that was achieved before Christmas).

Have spent Christmas eating too much (need the fuel for the running), setting up a Kindle (not mine) and generally enjoying the fact that I don't have to go outside... Sadly, I fear that this will all soon have to change...

Still, enjoy it while I can...

Merry Christmas!

Running time/distance: 0 mins/0 km (resting)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 0/0 (it's far, far away...)

155 Days to Go

Bleh - was supposed to jog/walk 40 mins today. Got bored after 15 mins and stopped (there were hills - bit much).

Training schedule now "on hiatus" while, er, emergency festive works are carried out (i.e. it's the Christmas holidays and I'm off to enjoy myself, which does not involve running!). Might be back on Weds 28th - missing at least 2 whole days of training.... Not sure how I'll handle the guilt...

Did last-minute Christmas shopping today - was much fun (and so active with all the walking and, erm, stuff). Nearly there - ho, ho, ho!!

Merry Christmas!

Running time/distance: 15 mins/? (10 mins jogging, 5 mins walking)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 0/0 (it's far, far away...)

156 Days to Go

Blimey, time's going by quickly!

So, what's been happening? Well, the training schedule was near to being abandoned...

Sunday - couldn't be bothered. Walked to the library and back - at most 20 mins of the 40 mins walk/jog I was supposed to do. Bad, very, very bad...

Monday - tried, but was in a hotel in deepest, darkest Dorset ("deepest" and "darkest" being literal...). A hotel without a gym. Undaunted, I took to the streets. Except this was - where? - so, no streetlights. Pavement (amazingly) but no streetlights. So I managed maybe 10 mins jogging (should have been 15) and a bit of walking, mostly due to the fear of the pavement ending. It's very hard, it appears, to jog along a pavement that you can't really see and don't know when it ends: the jogging becomes quite tentative. Basically, rather than Bambi, I was channeling a slightly anxious mole person. Think Mr Magoo goes jogging. Need a gym for future stays...

Wednesday - well.... Had to jog/walk for 40 mins... Got on the Treadmill of Torture and started jogging. Apart from a few stray thoughts ("God, has it only been 5 mins"; "My foot hurts - wonder if it's broken?" [thanks for that ZG!]) not really that much bother. Frankly, this says to me that in order to be able to run faster and/or longer then I should run less....! But I might wait until I hit a consistent 6km/h before I put that theory into practice...

Merry Christmas!

Running time/distance: 38 mins/~2.5km (35 mins jogging at 4km/h, 3 mins walking at 3km/h)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 0/0 (far too busy jogging!)

162 Days to Go

One of the good things (who says I can't be positive?!) of the new training regime that I am suffering under is that I now get to say things like "I was in the gym at 7am this morning".

One of the bad things is that I actually was in the gym at 7am this morning. Long, complicated story about home repairs, Christmas lunches and the visiting of friends, but it was 7am or no "run" today... Sadly, I opted for the gym.

As I half-a-Bambied around the empty gym (strangely, no contest for Treadmills of Torture at 7am - weird) I noted that the jogging thing is fine as long as I don't stop. It's dull, it's tedious, I feel like I'm dying, but still, I am capable of putting one foot in front of the other. Minute I step off the Treadmill of Torture - not so much.

I sense that I shall have to continue to brave the gym while no one else is in it, as otherwise I'm going to get a reputation as the weird freaky floppy woman who can't walk so well... Although I have probably been called worse....

Day of rest tomorrow - yay!

Running time/distance: 30 mins/no clue (24 mins jogging at 4km/h, 6 mins walking at 3km/h)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 0/0 (too busy)

164 Days to Go

Gah-ha! Panic! Only 164 days to go...!! Where does the time go...?

So, day I-forget of the blancmange-a-thon, per the schedule I had to walk/jog for 30 mins.

Must not lie on blog...

Got a little confused when dealing with the NASA-standard interface that the Treadmill of Torture requires one to use (it requires my weight, apparently, but then doesn't specify units... Random number generator if ever I saw one!). Only set the Treadmill of Torture up for a 20-min session (plus 3 mins "warm down"). Then couldn't be bothered working out how to change that... Must do better on Friday - falling behind schedule already!

Actually was jogging along (lopsidedly, listening to Abba in one ear - not a bad choice) thinking that the jogging thing was boring but surprisingly not too tricky. All going well until stepped off Treadmill of Torture at end and discovered had the co-ordination of half-a-Bambi. Without the Bambi cuteness (see earlier blancmange references). I fear that this may mean that in future I shall have to keep jogging in order to avoid having to half-a-Bambi around in front of the fit people in the gym who undoubtedly already think I'm a bit odd (normal people don't run lopsided, I suspect). The trials and tribulations continue...

Running time/distance: 23 mins/no clue (18 mins jogging at 4km/h, 5 mins walking at 3km/h)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 0/0 (too busy jogging)

Day 8 - 166 Days to Go

So, accessed the gym tonight (helps if you pull the door rather than push it, apparently... Hey, ho). All the treadmills were busy but then a nice lady (damn her!) finished running and let me have a go. In line with the happy pre-training training scheduled that the EMF sent out, I proceeded to jog/walk for 20 mins. and then sort of flopped my way back to the sofa for a rest...

Things I've learned:
1) treadmills and support clothing all but require one to have an engineering degree in order to operate them successfully;
2) the gym is busy of an evening - may have to ramp up my Paddington stare to get on a treadmill in the coming week;
3) seems to be easier to jog than to use the cross-trainer;
4) jogging is really very, very boring (but then ZG did warn me of this)...;
5) I appear to have the aerodynamic efficiency of a blancmange (perhaps the reason I hate running so much?).

Not entirely sure about the gym experience - it's faintly intimidating to have women running on the treadmill when I arrive and for them to still be running away as I drag myself back out again! Also, only being able to hear music in one ear might be making me run lopsided - amusing for everyone else, just annoying for me. Must find replacement earphones...

Tomorrow is a rest day from running - but I may return to the gym and try out their cross-trainer. Assuming my legs stop wobbling by then... Amusingly, one of the motivational tips for training is that you have to rest as long as you train - so, for example, 2 hours of training leads to 2 hours of guilt-free loafing on the sofa: this is not going to work for me as I can manage 24-hours+ of guilt-free loafing on the sofa as it is... I can see that I shall need to find some very personalised motivational tools to keep this running lark going...

Running time/distance: 20 mins/0 (16 mins jogging at 4km/h, 4 mins walking at 3km/h)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 0/0 (too busy jogging)

Day 6 - 168 Days to Go

Today has been a day of highs and lows.

Notwithstanding being stranded in Scotland when I should be in London (darn weather and flight cancellations!), high point was starting to spread news that have signed up to run the marathon (ha-ha! Can't even write that with a straight face!). Slowly of course - don't want to rush into these things (could still all go horribly wrong... Or even more horribly wrong than it's going to be anyway...). Oh, and I had a nice healthy lunch of pea and ham soup (nutrition is apparently important - it's all very complicated this running lark!).

Lows include earphones for iPod suddenly not working (one ear works, the other not). I could take this as a sign that I need to train like I'm going to have to run (no iPods allowed in the marathon) but it's too much too soon! Must find replacement earphones fast... And my attempts to access the gym were foiled when I discovered that I needed a proximity pass AND a pin code to access it (thought that I was doing well to have the proximity pass) - so, no treadmill for me today. And the EMF (that's the Edinburgh Marathon Festival for those not in the know when it comes to pointless abbreviations) sent out a helpful little pre-training training schedule today, just in case you haven't run in a long time (that'd be me) or feel that you are in need of a little extra training in advance of, er, training (that would also be me). All jolly nice stuff, but at the same time desperately funny: apparently I'll be running for 25 minutes on 4th January 2012, having spent at least 30 mins jogging 3 times a week between now and then... Aye, right! Oh, and I'll be jogging for 25 mins on Christmas Day and 50 on Boxing Day (really...?!). Bit worried that the pre-training is beyond me - this does not bode well....

On the actual exercise front, today I went to the library and back - that's a 10-min walk each way, and I want to count that towards my exercise total (in desperate need of evidence of training application). It's all up-hill one way and so is extra difficult... Honest...

Running time/distance: 0/0 (foiled by gym security!)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 10 mins/no clue (worryingly hard work)

Day 5 - 169 Days to Go

Well, so, highpoint of today was lasting 10 mins on the cross-trainer - double what I have achieved in the past few days. Sadly, it did sort of knacker me and so there's obviously still a long way to go... Still, success! Live in the moment! Enjoy it while you can! Insert motivational hyperbole of your choice...

Some numbers for you:
1 marathon = 42.194988 kilometres

The Edinburgh Marathon must be completed in no more than 6.5 hours.
This therefore requires a consistent race pace of no less than approx 6.5 km/hour.

As you may have noted earlier, I found 6km/h a little fast for my taste... Therefore, initial training goal no. 1 is to be able to actually run at 6-7km/h (even if only for a few minutes!). Obviously, this is likely to require me to do some actual running at some point (apparently that's practically a necessity - who knew?!) but I'll get around to that soon, I'm sure...

:o)

Running time/distance: 0/0 (it's cold out!)
Cross-trainer time/distance: 10 mins/no clue (result!)

Day 2 - 172 Days to Go

Decided to give the Purple Power Plaftorms a short try-out today (emphasis on the short).

So, 5 mins on the cross-trainer (now rescued from the clutter of the "dressing room" (also known as large cupboard off the bedroom)).

Am now completely puggled. Shoes seem OK, but am letting them have a little rest now. Don't want to over-do things....

Running time/distance: 0/0 (was busy cross-training).
Cross-trainer time/distance: 5 mins/no clue (slow and steady start...)

:o)

Day 1 - 173 Days to Go

It is said that every journey starts with a single step: all very wise, but lacking a certain focus on the importance of footwear to the journeying process...

I am, of course, very aware of the importance of the correct footwear, and so today's achievement (the first *ahem* step en route to "running the marathon") was purchasing appropriate running shoes.

Unusually, this involved me walking into a shop and actually speaking to a sales assistant when she asked me if I needed any help ("Um, yes, please, I need some running shoes for, uh, proper running"). The poor woman was put to work quickly and with a will - conversation went something like:
"Do you run often?"
"Uh, no, actually I don't run at all."
"Ah..."
"But I'm going to have to, and soon."
"Have to? Ah, have you entered into an event, or...?"
"Yes."
"Which one?"
"Uh, the marathon."
"... Oh, well, you'll definitely need proper shoes for that. And now would be an excellent time to start your training. You know, ah, to start your training off slowly, plenty of stretching, and...?"
"Uh, yes, yes. To be honest, I'm planning to improve my general fitness this month and start the running off in earnest in January."
"Ah, I see. Well, do you have any particular requirements for your shoes?
"Not pink."

Entire process was actually not too bad, despite the slightly worried look that the sales assistant took when I declared 6km/h to be far too fast for me to run on the treadmill. Oh, and despite the fact that I got cocky on my third visit to the treadmill and nearly slid off the back of it. Still, shoes correctly sized, fitted and bought. Result!

Running (time/distance): 0/0 [don't want to over-do things, starting off slow]