The Coast to Coast Challenge begins

Or rather, it began a few weeks ago but I forgot to update my blog!  As part of a fundraising challenge (more to come on that later) I'm going to be walking the Coast to Coast across England with 5 other friends (crazy companions).  Just to make things interesting I'll be taking part with two of my three rescue collies, and we'll all be eating a vegan diet throughout.

The dreaded PhD was submitted at the end of January 2012 which meant I had a little more time to get out and about.  Started with a painfully slow walk-run program BUT am now up to running 5k plus at a comfortable pace.  I'm trying not to clock watch or get too hung up on speed - which means I'm slow but loving it!

I have also started going on the twice-monthly training walks for our C2C challenge. So far I've made it along for a 14 mile, a  16.5 mile and a 14.5 mile trip. All of them have been great fun and I've done a bit of running in the last two as ideally I'd like to CaniCross a few of the C2C days - yes I am mad!

So - will be back soon I hope with more details, but officially am back in the fitness saddle and loving every minute of it.  Last year was rather a wipe-out (really bad anaemia, other illnesses plus end of PhD) but here's to a much better 2012!

Leeds parkrun

Leeds results for event #188. Your time was 39:46


Congratulations on completing your 3rd parkrun and your 3rd at Leeds today. You finished in 215th place and were the 85th lady out of a field of 218 parkrunners and you came 22nd in your age category SW30-34.


I enjoyed at least 3/4 of this one, ran most of it but experimented with intentional walk breaks. Dogs had a great time and it seems we're becoming a local feature with the deaf girlies converting non-doggy people all over the place!

So I'm still a newbie really...

Lunch with a friend of mine who has been running competitively since he was 14 years old, and swimming last night with an amazing lady who has completed the IMUK and multiple other very tough events, has helped to put my training and history into perspective. I grew up walking/hiking and rock scrambling, but did very little sports as a kid due to various musculo-skeletal problems. Apart from a brief attempt at duathlons when I was 17 (fail!) and some concentrated hill walking I've only really been working at my fitness levels in the last three years. And of that I've had chunks of time off as well.


So in terms of building up a regular habit I have a fair way to go, and that's okay because I really have just started!




Just keep swimming...or in my version just keep moving!
My newest inspiring quote from Dory, star of Finding Nemo


Interesting quote from Jeff Galloway (promoter of walk/run training)
"Many beginners stop and start again 10 or 15 times before they get the habit established. Beginners who don't put pressure on themselves seem to have an easier time staying with it."

Migraines and SSRIs

So I mentioned in a previous blog that I sometimes struggle with migraines. In fact I suspect I've been having them for over 10 years but with my history of musculoskeletal problems the pain etc was largely assumed to be part of that.

Anyway - since coming off the SSRIs I've had 4 attacks in 3 weeks which is making it rather difficult to assess how I am really feeling. I have also noticed a remarkable amount of emotional upset/lability prior to and during migraine attacks, though not finding much in terms of research...

The journey continues!

Second parkrun Leeds 23rd April 2011

Leeds results for event #183. Your time was 44:09

You finished in 233rd place and were the 77th lady out of a field of 234 parkrunners and you came 5th in your age category SW30-34.

Again with the two girlie dogs though in our defence it was very hot and we stopped several times to try and get them to drink. Bronte seemed unhappy with the run at one point so we had a quick snuggle stop which helped :)

Calves/Right Knee/Achilles are really painful - fine unless running and then just as you feel like you're warming up nicely its as though someone is stretching your muscles in a rack! Not pleasant.

Pleased we finished the run though!

First parkrun 9th April 2011

Leeds results for event #181. Your time was 38:59

You finished in 259th place and were the 85th lady out of a field of 262 parkrunners and you came 21st in your age category SW30-34.

First attempt to run 5k in more months than I care to remember, fairly hot day, running with the two girlie dogs. Walked a fair bit of it and not sure if I can cope with laps!

Driffield Sprint (ha!) Triathlon May 2011

I'll add more details in to this later, but for now I just wanted to log that I managed to complete it (and there was some serious doubt in my mind about that), ran more than I walked, helped another competitor out and managed it all on not much sleep and a rather shaky mental state.

I did come last, which actually bothers me less than I thought, so it really can only get better from now on - right? And celebrated with a veggie Korma!

Results:

Position: 224 Race No:10 Morag Heirs F

Swim 00:11:47

T1 00:03:36

Bike 01:07:20

T2 00:03:03

Run 00:45:33

Total Time 02:11:19