Day 229: Giving up, but not giving in!

RUN: 1.2 miles

Gah! Headed out for six miles and managed barely more than one!
Set off and my leg was really hurting. The pain usually goes off before the half mile, but not today. iIwas literally limping, so six was certainly out of the question.
I've run out of tape AND ibruprofen so was crossing my fingers it would feel a bit better, but no. More tape is due in the post, so will try again tomorrow. This leg has got another thing coming if it thinks I'm giving up that easily.

Here's today's little run

Day 228: What this running madness is all about

RUN: 1.0 miles

A late night one-miler today. I decided to swap my rest day from tomorrow, since I have a day off work and can do my six miles in the daylight. Here's today's run

Take three minutes to have a look at this video from Smile Train - the charity I'm doing all this running for - and the children like me with cleft lip and palates that benefit from all their good work.

 

Day 227: Reaching 600 miles on a run to work

RUN: 7.6 miles

After last week's nightmare conditions, the weather was much kinder to me. A good run into Bradford with only one stop. My leg still hurts, but taping and stretching along the way seemed to help. Here's today's run

The 600-mile mark feels like a good milestone to reach this week. I feel well on the way to reaching my goal now and have the half marathon (in Liverpool next month) and the full marathon (in Edinburgh in May) firmly in my sights now.

I'm going do a marathon... never thought I would say that. Argh!

Day 226: Taking it easy ahead of my midweek effort

RUN: 2.2 miles

The training schedule suggests six miles for today, but given the pain in my right leg, I just did the two to take it easy before tomorrow's run to work.

Here's today's run

Day 225: Injuries persist on a 'rest' day

RUN: 1.0 miles

I'm glad to be on one of the training schedule's rest days today, meaning just the one mile for me.

Here's today's one-mile

The tendonitis in the top of my foot seems to have improved with the taping, stretching and ibruprofen, but now it's my leg (up behind the ankle bone on the inside of my right leg) that's quite painful. Posterior tibial tendonitis, apparently. It's different to the shin pain I had a few months ago, but just as annoying.

Day 224: Sluggish morning run... but looking forward to party time!

RUN: 3.2 miles

A busy day today, so a morning run is in order. Early runs are never the best, and this was no exception. Pretty tired and sluggish. Here's today's run

On a more positive note, I have booked a venue for a fundraising party to mark the end of my running year. It will be on Saturday, June 29, at Bradford and Bingley Sports Club in Bingley. There will be food and fantastic entertainment from the brilliant Beatleaders - Otley's finest and most awesome ten-piece party band. Check them out here.
I'll be sending out some invitations, but drop me a line at the Contact Me form above if you'd like tickets. Hope you can come!

Day 223: Back to the canal to avoid the downhills

RUN: 8.3 miles

Today I took a trip to the lovely flat canal. Although I am usually a fan of running downhill, it's the downhill that hurts my foot, so I thought I stood the best chance on the flat for my longest run of the week.

It is a lovely sunny day, so there were all sorts of people enjoying a walk/run/cycle on the towpath.

Having taped up my foot and taken some painkillers I managed a good 8.5 miles. On the training plan, this is a 12-mile day, but I'm still pleased with today's effort. The inside of my leg is also hurting now - the shin splints return. Here's today's run



Day 222: Foot pain on a one-mile rest day

RUN: 1.2 miles

My foot is in a bad way. I watched this video to get some tips and I'll be taping it up for tomorrow's run.
I'm going to attempt 12 miles, but it's looking doubtful I'll make it that far. Tonight's one mile was pretty painful, so it doesn't bode well. Hopefully some ibruprofen and tape support will help.

 Here's today's one-miler

Day 221: Six miles and a good chat

RUN: 6.2 miles

Tonight I was joined by my friend Amy for part of my Thursday six-miler.
It was lovely to have company again. The chatting defintely helps to distract from the actual running, and before you know it you're at the top of the hill. It's all in the mind.
A few months ago I couldn't even run half a mile without stopping, let alone run up a big hill and talk. Thanks for joining me, Amy!

By the end of the run, the top of  my right foot was really hurting. I think I'll have to tape it up and hope for the best. Fingers crossed it behaves for my big 12-mile run this weekend.

Here's our run today

Day 220: A horrible, horrible Wednesday run to work

RUN: 7.6 miles

Well... that was by far the worst run I have done so far.
This morning on the news I saw there was a weather warning for wind and rain, so I expected to get a bit wet.
What I actually got was a trip into a boggy field to retrieve my hat that blew off; swept off my feet by the wind right into (almost over) a wall; stung really hard by rain, plus some hailstones thrown in for good measure.
And as if all that wasn't enough I had to shelter behind a gatepost because I couldn't see. The rain was coming down so hard it was like standing under a shower. Running into the wind all the way was pretty exhausting too, but I got there eventually. Phew!

Here's a very bad photo of the field I waded into - through barbed wire - to get the hat back (the white thing). It's taken through my hi-tech all-weather phone protector (a sandwich bag!)

Here's today's awful run

Day 219: Powering through in the sideways rain

RUN: 6.2 miles

Since I wrote on day 182 that the weather has affected my running less than I'd imagined, I think mother nature has been trying her best to make my life difficult - snow, ice, and now thunder storms, high winds and torrential rain.

Tonight it was wind and rain attempting to put me off going out. But I had six miles to do, according to the training programme, so off I went. It was a really good, strong run, actually. It's very wet but the temperature is a good 10 degrees - so no runny nose! - and the rain kept me nice and cool. Result.

Here's my route up to Yeadon

Day 218: A nice little 'rest' in a storm

RUN: 1.2 miles

On the marathon training programme I'm following, Mondays and Fridays are 'rest days', which means just the one mile (ish) for me.
Luckily today is a Monday, because it was thundering and lightning, chucking it down with rain and really windy. Glad to call it a day after just over a mile.
Here's today's run

Here's my training schedule. It looks like there are plenty of rest days with each Monday and Friday... but, of course, no rest for me!

Day 217: Marathon training begins after the thaw

RUN: 10.0 miles

Today is the first day of the 16-week marathon training schedule, and we woke up to a complete thaw! No more gym!

Sundays are the day for the weekly long runs, so I planned out my first 10-mile run and headed out into the sunshine. Here's today's run

It turned out the miracle thaw didn't reach as far as the old railway path through Yeadon...

And big thaw = big puddles....

Day 216: Short run and some good news

RUN: 1.7 miles (2.75km)

My plans for an early evening trip to the gym were eslightly scuppered today, since boyfriend Andy and I were summoned to my parents' house by my brother... mysterious!

So only time for one-and-a-bit miles since I was on a tight schedule.

Turns out there's been an engagement! - congratulations Danny and Jess!!

Day 215: This is beginning to get boring

RUN: 2.1 miles (3.51km)

Another day in the gym. It's friday night, so it was just me and the very dedicated gym-goers (the type that never take their eyes off the mirror).
I decided not to hang around too long since marathon training starts properly this weekend. Fingers crossed this snow disappears, although it's not looking good at the moment and there's plenty of the white stuff still coming down.

Day 213: No run to work... STILL in the gym

RUN: 2.0 miles (3.36km)

No running to work today because the pavements are still in a really bad way.
I should probably have done the eight miles on the treadmill, but I chose to catch up on some blogging and other jobs before work and kept it to a couple of miles.
The picture is a bit wobbly because there was a gym man behind me - and I don't think taking photos in the gym is strictly legal.

Day 212: Taking no risks with pavement danger

RUN: 2.1 miles (3.35km)

As I was driving home from work I saw a few people out running, making me hopeful of getting back outside myself. They seemed to be running fairly gingerly, though, and some of them were even running on the road - on the A65! - making me think the pavements must be as bad as they look. Back on the treadmill.

I'm not feeling 100% today with a big headache and various other things - so it's likely I would have stuck to a one-miler if it were a normal day. Running outside, I tend to choose my route before I set off, but on the treadmill you can just go by how you feel and even persuade yourself to go that little bit further once you've had enough.

Tomorrow is Wednesday - running-to-work day - but since the hard-packed snow on the pavements is showing no signs of melting it's looking very doubtful indeed. Apparently there is more snow on the way, too. Gym here I come... again!

Day 211: Cabin fever setting in on gym day four

RUN: 3.2 miles (5.27km)

The snow is very bad today. There is certainly no chance of running outside because it's more than a foot deep. I even fell over just walking from my car to the door in the snow today, so it's pretty dangerous. Into the gym I go.

I must admit... it looks very cosy and welcoming among all this white stuff!

I think cabin fever is setting in on my fourth session in the gym in a week. I never thought I would be dying to get outside for a winter run rather than sweating it out in the warm and dry on the treadmill. I hope this snow melts quickly!