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Janathon Day 3

January 3, 2012 in Exercise, Janathon, London, Running | 6 comments

The weather is vile. I don’t mind running in the rain. I actually quite enjoy it, assuming that it doesn’t start hammering down until I’ve started my run. Actually starting a run in it is a different story.

Anyway, today I did a rather puny token mile. I had planned to jog an easy 5k round the streets, but lack of sleep last night left me feeling rather exhausted. Dreaming about your own death is not nice and makes sleeping tricky. I also have a slightly sore throat and I am blaming Jimmy for that, naturally. Needless to say, running was the last thing I felt like doing and so I just took myself off on my mile loop, running in at 8.54. This is fine as I wasn’t really trying too hard and the wind is awful!

I plan to do my gentle 5k tomorrow instead and then the plan for Thursday is to take Jimmy down to the Waterlink Way. I haven’t been down there for a while and it is a rather pleasant route. It’s only really worth doing if you do a few miles, so hopefully it will be a longer run.

This is not a particularly inspired blog post. I leave you with The 31 Days of Janathon…

On the third day of Janathon, my true love said to me
It’s windy
Lamp the old man
And run and I’ll buy you pastry!

Janathon Day 2

January 2, 2012 in Exercise, Janathon, London, Rants, Running | 9 comments

It’s still not great, but a little better than yesterday. 2 miles in 18.39, a pace of 9.19 minutes per mile. Not too bad.

I woke up to a glorious day in South East London – it’s absolutely gorgeous. Blue skies, sunshine and chilly. This is how all days in winter should be. When I rule the world, this is what I will deliver.

Anyway, I forgot to get a couple of bits in the shop yesterday so I decided to run in a 2 mile loop, finishing at the supermarket and then walk the last half mile or so home. I was feeling fairly positive as I finished as I don’t think it will take too long to get my fitness back and on a day like today, how can you not smile? However, my good mood didn’t last long. I was mooching my way along the supermarket aisles, studiously ignoring the urge to buy pastry, when an old man felt the need to pass judgement. In my lycra with rather dishevelled hair and a lack of make-up, I had quite obviously been running. He decided to comment that it was a good thing I’d been for a run as I was looking a little chubby, but being in a supermarket wasn’t running. Bloody bastard. Sadly, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened; I was spat at in the street and called a fat pig last Janathon.

Because I am a typical girl, I have a bit of a thing about my weight. I was nearly 2 stone heavier a year and a half ago and I worked hard to slim down from a 16 to a 12. I keep telling myself that he doesn’t matter, but it’s comments like that which can really get to a person. I’m fine now, but the world doesn’t need people like that. Thank you Twitter peeps for your lovely replies – I felt the need to reference one of you below!

To continue with my carol…

On the second day of Janathon, my true love Millie said to me
Lamp the old man
Run and I’ll buy you pastry!

Do you want to run the London Marathon?

November 29, 2011 in London, Running | No comments

London Marathon place on tap, courtesy of Ecover!

 Applications to run the London Marathon are always over-subscribed and are highly sought after. If you have not managed to bag yourself one of these sacred places to take part in the 2012 event, then fear not….you’ve still got one more chance with Ecover!

With Marathon places confirmed this October for next year, there will be thousands of disappointed runners looking at alternative ways to take part, and eco-friendly cleaning brand, Ecover is teaming up with WaterAid to make a place available for one lucky Marathon entrant.

Ecover has worked with WaterAid since 2008 with the joint ethos of providing safe, clean water, improved hygiene and sanitation for some of the poorest people around the world. Money raised through their partnership has been used towards a specific project in Ethiopia which has provided 14,750 people across eleven villages with access to safe water and effective sanitation. Working together on the London Marathon is a new initiative for 2012.

To run for Ecover, applicants must secure at least £1,750 in sponsorship for WaterAid and be prepared to complete the London Marathon dressed as a tap (lightweight costume provided!) The selected runner will also keep us up to date with their progress by writing a regular blog about their training and preparations in the lead up to the big day.

 Emma Bennetts, Brand Manager at Ecover, comments: “Following the great work we have done with WaterAid, we are pleased to extend our relationship through this fundraising opportunity. The London Marathon is a real challenge, and with so few places available, we hope to let one determined athlete realise their own sporting ambition. In doing so, we will continue to provide vital facilities to those without a reliable clean water supply.”

WaterAid’s Corporate Account Manager, Anissa Msallem added: “We’re delighted that Ecover’s London Marathon runner will be wearing one of our special tap costumes when they take part. It’s a fun way to will bring attention to the very serious fact that 884 million people are without access to clean water. We wish the hopeful applicants the very best of luck!”

Anyone interested in applying for the chance to run the London Marathon in 2012 for Ecover and raise money for WaterAid, should visit http://www.the-splash.co.uk/ for more information. You will be invited to prepare a short submission, explaining why you should be selected. The lucky runner will be selected on 30th November 2011.

Royal Parks Half Marathon 2011

October 10, 2011 in Exercise, London, Running | 9 comments

I am writing this blog following yet another night of “post-race insomnia.” After Folkestone, I didn’t sleep. I didn’t sleep last night either and now I am in a stroppy mood.

Anyway, yesterday I took part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon for the first time and my second half marathon in two weeks. This was a race that I was really looking forward to and had been harbouring dreams of a sub-2 run. Unfortunately, since Brighton, I have been plagued with hayfever and tendonitis and training has been really, really minimal. Following Folkestone, although I was secretly hoping to go sub 2.10, at the back of my mind, I knew that I wasn’t going to run a great time.

I met up with Jimmy on the train at 7.14am and we stopped off for a coffee where we met Captain Jack Sparrow before making our way to the parks. We were starting in blue and managed to get there just in time to start.

I was flying. Yes, not super fast, but when you consider how bad the last few months have been for me, to cruise through 3 miles in just under 27 minutes was flying. I kept telling myself to slow down, that I was going to crash and that I was going to regret it.

I got to 5 miles in just a bit over 45 minutes.

Then I started to slow. And slow. A glance at my watch at the halfway point revealed me to be there in 1.02. Actually, it was just over 1.04, so I obviously can’t read properly. I was happy with this, it meant that the sub 2.10 was potentially still there and that I should be inside 2.15, allowing for things going wrong.

At mile 8, things were still ok, reaching it in 78 minutes but I was starting to feel bad. Really, really, bad. A glance at my hands revealed them to be trembling and my legs felt wobbly and not a bit like my own. I have no idea what’s happening to me in races at the moment, but hydration seems to be an issue. I feel thirsty constantly so I take on water, then I feel sick because I’ve had too much. I stopped for a few minutes just to gather myself and took a gel and some fruit pastels, before picking myself up again and walked for a few minutes.

By 9 miles, thanks to the “8 mile crash” I was behind schedule, having lost the minutes that I’d saved. I started running again but never found my previous pace and started losing time. By 10 miles, I started to feel pretty good again, but never picked up the pace again.

12.5 miles was amusing looking back thanks to a huge chocolate labrador bounding out of nowhere and nearly taking out me and several other runners. I can only imagine how funny it looked to everyone else watching us scream and brace ourselves!

The 800m stretch to the finishing line seemed to go on forever! I didn’t really go for a sprint finish this time, although I did pick up the pace slightly and managed to get over the line in 2.19.55, a little bit faster than Folkestone.

Am I gutted? A little bit, although I know I shouldn’t be. Tendonitis, running once a week with a maximum distance of 9 miles about 8 weeks before the event is not sufficient. I might be fit enough to finish the race in a not-too-terrible time, but until the foot is feeling better and I’m able to run more often, I’m not going to finish any quicker. For this reason, it’s time for a break and build up gradually again. I’m not going to enter any more halves until I feel I can do myself some justice.

That said, it was a lovely day yesterday and it was brilliant to catch up with JogBlog, I Like to Count, Fortnight Flo, Fair Weather Runner and Abradypus. Italian food, cake, alcohol and good people fix everything. As does a good old rant about ridding the world of annoying people.

The rioting in Lewisham.

August 9, 2011 in London | 3 comments

I can’t help feeling that a friend of mine summed it up nicely.

I think riot gives a little too much credit to the degenerates causing the trouble. As far as I’m concerned, “riot” implies some kind of cause resulting in impassioned demonstration and violence. These are a bunch of thugs with no other agenda than to cause trouble and inconvenience for everyone. Maybe Parliament should reprise the riot act proper…

Thanks, Andrew.

I have to say, I agree. Naive? Perhaps, but there is a lot of talk going round about disengagement, nothing better to do, don’t know better, protesting against student fees, the list goes on. Disengagement? Perhaps, but not knowing better should not stand up as an argument. This is theft and vandalism of a high level, of mindless idiots in my view causing trouble to people. I’ve been told that I don’t understand, that I don’t come from the background and have no other choice. I’m not going to get into it; perhaps I am a naive girl from a middle class background, but surely causing widespread fear and terror is not the way to go about putting points across? Family run businesses have been destroyed such as Reeves of Croydon, some families have lost their homes. Disgusting.

In other parts of London, other destruction was underway. A friend of mine rescued a homeless lady who was being attacked by a looter. She had blood pouring down her face and was trembling from the shock. My friend was angered and upset. What does this have to do with anything? What did this lady do? How is attacking her getting a point across?

As many people who know me are aware, I am a huge fan of social networking. Last night, we saw it at it’s worse. Not just the BBM message apparently doing the rounds to encourage people to group at a certain time, but also the panic and hysteria called from people posting nonfactual information. I have been keeping up to date with the ‘Lewisham’ hashtag on Twitter and it became increasingly difficult to tell what was real and what was false. There were rumours of M&S being gutted, Nandos being burnt out and Mothercare being looted. None of this was true. As the night went on, it became more difficult to keep up with things. We then saw lots of posts along the lines of “is this really happening? Oh my god, hope family are ok.” This just shows how social media can cause a lot of worry by over-inflating what is actually happening. It was scary being inside, watching the footage on TV with the sirens blaring and helicopters overhead. We did not need further worry.

Of course, terrible things did happen last night. I live in Lewisham, very close to Lee High Road where it seems most of the trouble was. Please see my gallery below for a selection of a few photos I took today.

 

Now, to finish on a positive. Please follow @riotcleanup on Twitter. The power of social networking can also be used for good, as this organised clean up of London by volunteers has shown.

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