I can see the sun in wintertime

digger2d2

Marthastew wrote: »

I'm disgusted I won't be there:mad:The delectable digger as your own personal pacer.... You're in good hands ladies.
Digger you'll have to get CL to join you on this one also, a whole weekend of pacing:)

Haha... CL is racing this one. That said, she'll be most disappointed you aren't running as she'll stand out post race as the biggest consumer of chocolate in Meath :D

Marthastew

digger2d2 wrote: »

Haha... CL is racing this one. That said, she'll be most disappointed you aren't running as she'll stand out post race as the biggest consumer of chocolate in Meath :D

Racing the day before a pacing gig, meno told me that was strictly verboten;)
The half will of course be a walk in the park for CL even after a race!

Glad to see your marathon recovery is going so well Rach, sub 50 here you come

racheljev

Tuesday:
Plan: 4 miles, easy
Actual: 4 miles @ 9:28 avg pace
Up just after 6:30 for this one - kids off school and OH in work. Followed a 4 mile route I know well so I didn't have to look at the watch at all, just ran at what I felt was a comfortable pace.

Wednesday:
Plan: 3xmile (10k pace)
Actual: 5 miles @ 8:28 avg pace
10k pace, according to McMillan, is sub8 min miles. I thought this would be difficult this morning - very tired getting out of bed before 6:30 a.m. again (stupid school thinking kids need an extra day off school 3 weeks before summer holidays :mad:) Got up and out and told myself, I'll only do 2 fast ones. Mile 1 warmup 9:38. Mile 2 picked up the pace a good bit, 7:59. Mile 3 had the added advantage of a nice bit of downhill and no wind in my face, 7:48. Mile 4 was a bit harder, had to do the uphill to cancel out the previous mile's downhill. And it had that bit of wind in the face again. Actually had to stop for 30 secs for quick stretch and to catch my breath. So adjusted time for mile 5 is 7:56. Cool down mile home, 9:01. 5 miles in 42:23.

Quite happy with the morning's exertions. If I'm doing DCM in October, a lot of my training will be done early morning because of the school summer hols. So speed work will be happening before 7 a.m. - it's good to know I can still go a little bit fast when it's early

jcsmum

Your recovery is going great Rachel. I don't listen to music on my runs, haven't done for months. When I did there was a line from a Keane song 'you could be so much better than this' which I totally zoned in on. Talk about giving myself a complex!

racheljev

Stupid bloody weather. Don't get me wrong, I like running in the rain - but I got wet 4 times today and I'm still cold.
Plan: 4 miles
Actual: 6.4 miles divided into 2 runs - 4.6 & 1.8

Soaking no. 1 - leaving kids into school - 3 kids, 2 umbrellas, 1 wet mammy. Car had to be left into garage for pre-NCT shock absorber fix so decided to run from there. Garmin couldn't pick up signal outside garage so decided to run for 40 mins and mapmyrun it when I got back home. Soaking no. 2 - 40 mins in the lashing rain and buggery drivers who insist on spraying me with puddles :mad:. Got home, had my shower and breakfast, mapmyrun'd my route to discover I'd covered 4.6 miles in 40 mins, just starting to get warm, phone rings - car is ready.
Soaking no. 3 - back to the garage. Garage is just under 2 miles away (1.8 to be precise) so obvious choice was to jog back down, which I did. Wet again. Handed over the dosh, got the car and came back home.
Soaking no. 4 - collecting kids from school - as above, same number of kids and umbrellas and wet mammies.

My feet are cold, I still feel damp even though I've changed clothes and now finally, the rain seems to have stopped. Seriously?? It couldn't happen earlier?? Why haven't we got good weather - it's exam time for crap's sake, it's ALWAYS nice during the exams. Rant over :mad:

jcsmum

Maybe time to dust off Take That again

racheljev

jcsmum wrote: »

Maybe time to dust off Take That again

Nah, unfortunately Take That don't work on cold feet, only low self esteem

Saturday:
Plan: 60 - 90 min run
Actual: 9 miles in 82 mins.

Smallest girl up during the night vomitting so very tired this morning when alarm went off. Dropped middle girl to gym and headed off. Told myself I'd run for an hour and that would be enough. As usual, once I started, I was fine. For the first few miles the wind was mainly behind or beside me and the avg pace was 9:07. Then I had the wind in my face and the pace dropped a bit, but not by much - for one of the miles it felt like I was trying to run into a wall and it was still only 9:17. Quickest mile was 8:55. Still trying not to rely on Garmin too much, trying to run by what feels comfortable - but maybe need to slow down a bit for the longer runs. Hit 9 miles just before the end of my road so stopped the watch at 1:22:04, happy out.
Off now to finish knitting Ireland scarves for fussy girls who very specifically said they didn't want to wear the "horrible scratchy" shop bought ones, just as well I'm a domestic goddess :P

racheljev

10 June
Plan: 35 min tempo
Actual: Nothing
Didn't feel well when the alarm went off - head stuffed, general achiness and dodgy tum so didn't go out. And didn't feel remotely guilty (which tells me I was a bit unwell. If I'd been fine, I would've felt guilty as hell)

12 June
Plan: 5 miles
Actual: 5 miles in 44:09, 8:50 avg pace

Enjoyed this one quite a bit. Not too hot, not too windy, a teeny bit of rain, perfect running weather. Tried again to not look at the Garmin too much. Started off with a 9:19 mile and then got progressively faster as the miles went by. One big downhill on yesterday's route but that wasn't the fastest mile - the fastest was the last (8:35) and that had a bit of uphill. Nice run.

13 June
Plan: 3 x mile @ 5k pace
Actual: 4.8 miles in 40:17 (w/2 @ 5k pace)

After yesterday's run, felt ok until I was heading to bed. As I stood up I felt this awful pain and tightness through my back, just under the shoulderblades. I've had back problems for years but mainly lower spine (cracked my coccyx years ago falling down stairs) and now the issues only arise when I don't run. This pain was very strange. It hurt to breathe and I couldn't bend - even bending over the bathroom sink to brush my teeth was awful. I assume some muscle had gone into spasm and that was what was causing the problem. I took 2 nurofen and got into bed. But of course I couldn't get asleep because of the pain, and I couldn't lie in my usual position because I literally couldn't turn on my side. Not good! Eventually fell asleep. Woke up a bit later and could turn on right side but not on left. Woke up a bit later again and could turn on both sides. So maybe the muscle was unspasming or whatever the technical term is :rolleyes: When I woke up this morning, it just felt quite achy and it still hurts a little bit if I take a deep breath.

All of which leads to this morning's run. I decided to do an easy run, just a bit of a loosener because I didn't want to aggravate the back again. So mile 1: 9:12. Then I felt ok so I sped up for mile 2: 7:34. I stopped at this point and stretched. Back felt ok, breathing ok but not great. I stopped in the middle of mile 3, tightness back, then continued - mile 3: 7:50 (7:20 actual running). Last 1.8 were run much easier - avg pace 9:00.

So not sure what the problem was/is. Back still feels a bit dodgy, almost DOMS-like and deep breaths still a bit sore. I did absolutely nothing yesterday that might have caused it - one minute I was fine and the next minute I was in pain, mad stuff. Hopefully it'll be ok, have to get my sub-50 in 10 days time

Emer911

Sheesh. Sounds like a nasty one. Take care of yourself Rach.

racheljev

14 June
Plan: 5 miles
Actual: 5 miles in 43:49, avg pace 8:46
No back pain for this one. Felt ok so decided to run a route with a bit of uphill. Kept up a fairly steady pace, splits all between 8:40 and 8:50. Nice run, this one.

16 June
Plan: 90 mins run
Actual: 7 miles in 65 mins
Misjudged my time for this one - had to bring small and older girl to Morton Stadium for Community Games at 10 a.m. but only headed out just after 8. At least I got 7 miles done. Made sure to keep the avg pace of this one around 9:30ish and added in one of my least fave long uphill drags - I never like doing it but always feel nicely smug when I get to the top
Met MarthaStew at Morton, she was managing the Glenageary runners. Introduced her to my gang. Small girl asked who was she, I told her, and she told me "She definitely looks like a runner Mammy, much more than you do, she must be much faster than you" From the mouths of babes...:p
Older girl got into semifinal of 100m in Morton, but got an awful attack of nerves before the race - tears, breakdowns, the lot - so just jogged the race. Still, I was proud of her for getting out and running even though she cried for every step of the 100m

17 June
Plan: 40 min tempo
Actual: 5 miles in 42:17, avg pace 8:28
Warmup mile 8:43, then 2.6 tempo miles - 8:04, 7:57, 0.6 @ 8:03, cooldown 1.4 mile @ 9:05 pace.
Left the house, headed straight downhill for first mile or so - hence the much quicker warmup than usual. Hit the coast for the tempo miles, first mile and a bit ok, then turned around and rest of tempo done into the wind - but still kept the pace as high as I could. Stopped for quick stretch after tempo bit done, then headed back home the way I came - the road home felt much longer going up than when I was pegging it down at the start!

So 26.8 miles for the week, happy enough considering I didn't think I'd be able to run after Tuesday's back issues. Dunshaughlin next Saturday, really hoping sub50 will happen. Signed up for the 10 mile & half marathon in the Race Series this week as well. Still not completely decided about DCM, kinda thinking I might follow a program anyway and wait till as late as possible before deciding...

Younganne

Congrats to your daughter getting to the semi, she'll be fine next time on "the big stage"....

hope theres no reoccurence of the back issue. See you next week for our sub 50 attack on Dunshaughlin!!!

Nules10

well done to your daughter sure don't we all get the attack of the nerves before a race... no matter what age. Sub50 no problem to you rachel next week

Dory Dory

Definitely well done to your daughter. Shoot, I feel like throwing up right now just thinking about doing a triathlon, so her nerves are very normal. And I've seen a few photos of Marthastew and she looks like the definition of a runner!

Sub 50 to you....fingers and toes crossed.

Marthastew

Only just got a chance to catch up on your log now.... well done to your daughter on making it into the semis, there was very tough competition there. There was more than one attack of nerves on the day for sure. She should be so proud she ran in spite of it. One of our little girls got down to the track and turned round and panicked and said "I can't remember what we're supposed to do":)
My son was crushed when he was knocked out in the semis of the 200M, after a few tears he said to me "I'll just have to work harder next year, and anyway I'm better suited to longer stuff"
And your little one probably thought I looked like a runner cos I was holding a piece of paper and a pen trying to look like I was in control of all those kids;)

Emer911

racheljev wrote: »

14 June
Older girl got into semifinal of 100m in Morton, but got an awful attack of nerves before the race - tears, breakdowns, the lot - so just jogged the race. Still, I was proud of her for getting out and running even though she cried for every step of the 100m

...ah, bless. Fair play to her for getting out there and doing it - that took a lot of courage! Well done to her.

racheljev

Plan: 5 miles
Actual: 4 miles in 33:17, avg pace 8:19

One of those mornings. Loads to get done today so plan was to go out early. Alarm didn't go off - probably because I didn't turn it on last night, d'oh. Got kids ready for school in horrendously bad form. Oldest boy driving me nuts by sniggering at his baby sister, who then proceeded to whinge and whine while I was brushing her hair. I told him to stop or I'd throw the hairbrush at him. He didn't stop so I threw the frickin' hairbrush at him. Baaaaad mammy... After the alarm didn't go off, plan b was to get miles in before the piano tuner arrived at 10 a.m. - kids in school for 9 a.m. This meant wearing my running gear to school, which I hate - I'm far from a yummy mummy at the best of times; wearing running capris and tshirt? Oh yeah, I'm rockin' that look... Got to school to discover that youngest girl should've had her tracksuit on, and she didn't. First 0.65 mile done was the run back home to get the bloody tracksuit, next 0.65 mile was the run back to the school to put the shaggin' thing on her. Then the other 2.7 miles were done in a temper to get back home for the piano tuner. Got home at 9:55, phone rang at 9:58 to say he'd be a bit late. He's just arrived. I would've gotten the full 5 miles done, no problem. Grrrrrrr.

The run itself was grand. Quite hot out there and my temper helped fuel a few fast miles, even though part of the route had a bit of an incline that I normally hate. This morning, I ran faster to get past the frickin' thing. Off to practice some deep breathing and mainline some toblerone.

Marthastew

It's nearly the end of June... Baaaad Mammys all over the country are flinging hairbrushes at their kids.....tired kids, tired mums all in desperate need of the school holidays:D
And then about two weeks into the holidays we'll want them back in school;)

jcsmum

Sounds like a fun morning
Don't worry you're not alone in the tearing hair out department when it comes to kids.
Do Take That have an appropriate song.....'patience' perhaps

Emer911

racheljev wrote: »

Plan: 5 miles
Actual: 4 miles in 33:17, avg pace 8:19

One of those mornings. Loads to get done today so plan was to go out early. Alarm didn't go off - probably because I didn't turn it on last night, d'oh. Got kids ready for school in horrendously bad form. Oldest boy driving me nuts by sniggering at his baby sister, who then proceeded to whinge and whine while I was brushing her hair. I told him to stop or I'd throw the hairbrush at him. He didn't stop so I threw the frickin' hairbrush at him. Baaaaad mammy... After the alarm didn't go off, plan b was to get miles in before the piano tuner arrived at 10 a.m. - kids in school for 9 a.m. This meant wearing my running gear to school, which I hate - I'm far from a yummy mummy at the best of times; wearing running capris and tshirt? Oh yeah, I'm rockin' that look... Got to school to discover that youngest girl should've had her tracksuit on, and she didn't. First 0.65 mile done was the run back home to get the bloody tracksuit, next 0.65 mile was the run back to the school to put the shaggin' thing on her. Then the other 2.7 miles were done in a temper to get back home for the piano tuner. Got home at 9:55, phone rang at 9:58 to say he'd be a bit late. He's just arrived. I would've gotten the full 5 miles done, no problem. Grrrrrrr.

The run itself was grand. Quite hot out there and my temper helped fuel a few fast miles, even though part of the route had a bit of an incline that I normally hate. This morning, I ran faster to get past the frickin' thing. Off to practice some deep breathing and mainline some toblerone.

AND...


B R E A T H

Younganne

a lot of my mornings are like that:eek:, and even worse if they don't make the bus at 8.30 which i have to drive them to, then i have to drop them to school at 9.10 and then i have to work late to make up the time!!!!!

I suppose thats what being a mammys is all about....at lease you got the run in, i'd have said ah feck it!!!

shazkea

racheljev wrote: »

Plan: 5 miles
Actual: 4 miles in 33:17, avg pace 8:19

One of those mornings. Loads to get done today so plan was to go out early. Alarm didn't go off - probably because I didn't turn it on last night, d'oh. Got kids ready for school in horrendously bad form. Oldest boy driving me nuts by sniggering at his baby sister, who then proceeded to whinge and whine while I was brushing her hair. I told him to stop or I'd throw the hairbrush at him. He didn't stop so I threw the frickin' hairbrush at him. Baaaaad mammy... After the alarm didn't go off, plan b was to get miles in before the piano tuner arrived at 10 a.m. - kids in school for 9 a.m. This meant wearing my running gear to school, which I hate - I'm far from a yummy mummy at the best of times; wearing running capris and tshirt? Oh yeah, I'm rockin' that look... Got to school to discover that youngest girl should've had her tracksuit on, and she didn't. First 0.65 mile done was the run back home to get the bloody tracksuit, next 0.65 mile was the run back to the school to put the shaggin' thing on her. Then the other 2.7 miles were done in a temper to get back home for the piano tuner. Got home at 9:55, phone rang at 9:58 to say he'd be a bit late. He's just arrived. I would've gotten the full 5 miles done, no problem. Grrrrrrr.

The run itself was grand. Quite hot out there and my temper helped fuel a few fast miles, even though part of the route had a bit of an incline that I normally hate. This morning, I ran faster to get past the frickin' thing. Off to practice some deep breathing and mainline some toblerone.

Is it wrong to admit that I roared laughing at this post...sorry . Hope the toblerone was good and the piano sounds great!

chinguetti

I read that and laughed and then was glad that i don't have a piano and kids.:p

racheljev

Baaaad Mammys all over the country are flinging hairbrushes at their kids.....

For the rest of the day, any time I looked at oldest boy, he said "uh-oh, careful, Mam's hand is veeeery close to that hairbrush again". I think he was caught between being annoyed I threw it, amazed my aim was good enough to hit him and laughing at the fact that he'd pushed me that far

Do Take That have an appropriate song.....'patience' perhaps

Think I actually needed something stronger than Take That - maybe a bit of AC/DC might have made me feel better. A quick blast of "Thunderstruck" would make anyone perk up

Is it wrong to admit that I roared laughing at this post...sorry . Hope the toblerone was good and the piano sounds great!

Reading it back myself, I was laughing at how p**sed off I obviously was while typing the post. And yes the Toblerone was lovely and the piano sounds frickin' amazing

I read that and laughed and then was glad that i don't have a piano and kids.

Yes but you have a cat. End of.

Anyway, back to the point of this log - running. Plan for this morning said 30 mins tempo, but seeing as yesterday's temper tantrum resulted in me running 4 miles in 33 mins - which is close enough to tempo - I decided to do a nice easy 5 miles instead. And I remembered to set the alarm clock, yahoo. Up and out by 6:30, 5.25 miles done in 49 mins, back in time to get the kids to school. No tracksuit/uniform issues, no stupid giggling or whining, and no hairbrush throwing either. Happy days

rainbow kirby

racheljev wrote: »

Yes but you have a cat. End of.

You don't own cats. They own you. :pac:

chinguetti

rainbow kirby wrote: »

You don't own cats. They own you. :pac:

I've asked my cat and he says thats wrong and he told me to say that too.

Nules10

Ahh rachel your log is great fun... some funny people on boards too

Emer911

rainbow kirby wrote: »

You don't own cats. They own you. :pac:

Dogs have owners
Cats have Staff

chinguetti

Emer911 wrote: »

Dogs have owners
Cats have Staff

And a Facebook page;)

menoscemo

Marthastew wrote: »

Racing the day before a pacing gig, meno told me that was strictly verboten;)

He did, yet he has been guilty of ignoring his own advice twice this year already

A free entry has popped up and since I will be out there anyway and under instruction to do 'as many miles as possible' this week I will probably join digger as 50 min pacer.
Now we just have to work out who will be the bad cop and who will be the good one

shazkea

Best of luck tomorrow night Rachel, hope all goes to plan