Peer Pressure!

Tonight I gave in to peer pressure, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience! 

For some strange reason it was decided that tonight's Tri Club Open Water swim would be a wetsuit free event!

Bearing in mind that it was our last swim of September and the water temperature is beginning to plummet I decided it was now or never and knew if I didn't go along with it I would regret it big time!

So tonight at 6.30pm I found myself shivering on the jetty dressed in just my tri suit with "must be mad" thoughts rushing through my head!

When I first got into the lake the cold took my breath away and I had to do breaststroke just to get my breathing under control!

Once my body had become accustomed to the icy cold water I started to do front crawl!

I managed my first ever wetsuit free open water swim - I didn't last long but I did it all the same!

I managed a pathetic 200 metres before I decided my body could cope with no more!

It was really strange because when I got out I felt far warmer than I usually do when I get out wearing a wet suit but then 10 minutes later the shivers set in! 

I am still feeling cold now!

I can't believe I have been Open Water swimming this year since 3rd May and I wait until the end of September to brave it without a wetsuit! 

If I had done it sooner I would have done it more!  

It was an amazing experience and one I will pursue next year!

Feeling G R E A T and very excited for the future!

Tonight was the inaugural run for the Women On The Run Kendal Group!

I was extremely nervous beforehand in case I ended up running alone but I needn't of worried as I had 16 ladies who turned up and enrolled for the 10 week course!

I am feeling very very excited about taking these running fledglings from couch to 5K.

Tonight we did 2 minutes running followed by 2 minutes walking repeated 8 times and ended up covering 2.48 miles!

They were all very friendly and enthusiastic about the mission ahead!

I am thrilled at having 16 new running buddies!

I can't wait until next week!

Officially a Leader!

I did the course and got the T Shirt - Literally! 

Omg I'm bouncing around like an excited puppy!!!!! 

Sooooooooooo deliriously excited to be starting up my own running club tomorrow and can't wait to meet up with lots of new running friends!

Here's hoping people turn up!  

On Wednesday I did a recce of the route I am planning to do tomorrow and did it as the walk/run interval session I will do to check it worked!  

To make it more authentic I took my husband along (a big couch potato!) and put him through his paces!  He managed the session but was exhausted at the end! 

We did 3.02 miles in 47 minutes.  I think the run intervals were probably done at too fast a pace for a total beginner so will have to slow it right down tomorrow!  I will let the group determine the pace! 

I have been trying to increase my mileage this week and have managed to do 3 runs over 10K, I am pleased with what I managed considering I have been so exhausted with work!  However, I haven't managed to fit any swimming in!  I have finally realised I can't do everything and when I am so busy something just has to give!  This week it was swimming!

I also treated myself to some new trainers which I wore for my run/walk session and then again yesterday and I was pleased that they were extremely comfortable - no blisters or aches and pains!

You can now follow our Women On The Run activities and give my lovely ladies some support and encouragement on Twitter!

Bring it on!

Qualified and Raring to go!

Today I have been on a course in Bolton entitled "Leadership in Running Fitness" with England Athletics!

I am not sure whether I am more proud of gaining this qualification or making it down to Bolton in one piece in the dense fog this morning!

The course was far more practical than I had expected and I definitely got some running miles in when I expected to be sitting listening for the majority of the day! 

A week tomorrow I start leading my own club!

Feeling Excited!  Bring it on!

I have had an exceptionally busy weekend as I had to travel down to Reading yesterday to take my daughter back to Uni for her second year and we didn't get home until 8pm, and then I had to be up and out the house by 7.15am this morning!

Not the most restful of weekends but it will be worth it!

A fast one!

This morning when I woke up I felt dreadful!  I had a lot of pain in my back and side so decided to visit the Doctor!  I am glad I did as it appears I have another Kidney infection therefore have another course of antibiotics!  I am really glad I went to the Doctors rather than put it off until Monday!

Anyhow after getting the first 2 tablets into my system I was feeling surprisingly better so I decided to venture for a short run!

Its amazing that when you least expect it and least feel like it you do your fastest run in weeks!

I must be powered by antibiotics! 

I did 3.64 miles at a 8.52 pace and loved every second of it!

My Doctor would no doubt have a fit if he knew I was running in my condition but I survived to tell the tale!

Feeling giddy and happy despite the pain!

Getting Longer!

Tonight I decided to go for my run as soon as I got home from work, before my brain had time to think about it and put me off the idea!

I was feeling very tired, run down and I am still sniffing slightly so I didn't set a mileage goal I decided just to run and see how I felt.

The first couple of miles felt horrendous and I had to really self talk myself into not turning round and going home!  Then my mind got into gear and my body was willing so I ended up doing 7.48 miles - my longest post injury run yet!

It was a cool, dry and calm evening, perfect conditions and I really enjoyed this run once I stopped thinking how horrible it was!

It was a chilly one!

Tonight I went swimming with the Tri Club and the colder weather has sorted the men (women!) out from the boys!

For the last few weeks whilst the weather has been fairly nice the club swim has attracted about 24 swimmers! 

Tonight after a wet cold day there was just the hard core (stupid?) who turned up - 10 of us who were willing to risk hypothermia!

I cannot believe how much colder the lake can become in a week and I must admit when I first got in it took my breath away!

Once I got swimming I warmed up slightly but my feet and hands were white and very cold when I got out!

We still managed our usual mile before heading back indoors for coffee and cake in front of the log burner!

I'm not sure how many more weeks we will be able to continue or which will get us first - the cold or the dark!

A few of us swimming caught on camera by another club member.  Such beautiful colours it makes me forget how cold it was!

Furthest run in quite a while!

It has been a much cooler day today but thankfully it stayed dry!

I was feeling tired after a busy day but forced myself out the door to do a "little run!".

However, once I got going I started to really enjoy it and pushed myself to go further than I had planned!

It was a fairly hilly route and I hadn't realised just how tired I was until I got back home!

Feeling good now the mileage is starting to creep back up!

Can't find the time to blog!

I am really struggling with everything that is going on in my life to find the time to blog!  I am just about managing to fit in exercise but with work and setting up my new running club I am feeling slightly stressed out!

With just coming back from injury it is quite good to be so busy as I don't have the time to be tempted to over do it on the running front!

It makes me laugh (or should I be totally honest and say it pisses me off big time!) when people claim to be injured but still continue training and running in races!  When I say I am injured it means I REALLY am injured and even with all the will in the world and determination I REALLY CANNOT run!

Some people just like to claim they are injured when they are no longer getting PB's instead of just admitting they are going through a bad period!

Anyhow, rant over!

On Tuesday night I went swimming with the Tri Club and was pleasantly suprised with how pleasant the water was!  A few days of good weather meant the lake had warmed up!  There was 24 of us at training tonight and we split into 2 groups.  As usual I went with the "short" group and swam a mile before being rewarded with coffee and lemon cake!

On Wednesday I had a well deserved rest day!  After having the new children in for 3 days I was exhausted and wilting!

On Thursday despite still feeling tired and full of cold I forced myself out for a run! It was a very hot and windy run but I was pleased with my efforts and managed to run 5.78 miles.

Friday was a particularly busy, hectic but very enjoyable day! 

After a full day at work I was in the Kendal Torchlight procession!

The only problem was that straight after getting rid of the kids at 3.30pm we had to "dress" our carnival float and ourselves before hotfooting it to the start at 6.30pm without a break!



Dressed as a giant crayola crayon I then had to walk along the carnival route (a total of 4.5 miles), but had a fantastic evening high fiving the crowds and dancing along! 

I didn't get home until 11pm so I was exhausted but it was well worth it!

On Saturday morning I woke up to torrential rain but was determined to run!  I donned my wet weather gear and headed out the door!  Surprisingly I really enjoyed my run in the wind and rain and managed 4.78 miles!

Today I stayed in bed with a cup of coffee and watched the Great North Run!  I really enjoyed watching the Elite runners! 

Its much easier than running it as I have done previously!

I was also very excited to discover that my running club had actually gone live on the website!  

We now officially exist!
You can view it here!  

2 weeks tomorrow we start!  Bring it on!

Busy Busy Busy!

I have been very busy over the last few days but it's all good!

Thursday was my first day back at work and then I had to hotfoot it down to Preston straight afterwards to attend a "Women on the run" training session.  

I am setting up a "Women on the run" beginners running club in Kendal and need to be trained before my first session on 28th September 2015.

I really enjoyed running with The Preston ladies and learnt a lot about how to pace a run to suit everyone's needs. We ran 5 miles in total and then went to the pub afterwards to discuss all the necessary paperwork.  I'm feeling excited about my new venture but slightly daunted too!


On Friday we had a team building day at work which comprised of us all going to Lake Windermere, building canoe rafts and paddling around the lake in our creations!  

The sun shone on us and we all had a fabulous time!  

Definitely a day to remember!

On Saturday I was supposed to be doing a 17K trail run at Keswick but due to being out of running for so long with my calf injury I decided not to risk running a 17K hilly route with very little training behind me. As it happens I didn't feel very well on Saturday either so had a rest day from running, I think I must be getting sensible in my old age! 

On Sunday I still didn't feel right but decided to try and "run it off". 

I felt sick for the first mile and really wasn't feeling it but then I started to feel a little better and managed to run 4.28 miles.

After a busy day at work today, with the newbie children being in for the first time I was desperate to get out for a run to destress! 

Despite it being exceptionally hot and sunny I really enjoyed this run and did just over 6 miles, and felt completely destressed at the end!

I started advertising my running club on Saturday and I am astounded that in 2 days I have managed to fill all 15 places!  

Kendal has obviously been waiting for a ladies running club!

3 weeks today until our first run!

It's all over!

Today is the last day of the School Summer Holidays, which means the end of my freedom and it's back to the grindstone tomorrow after a very enjoyable 6 and a half weeks off!  

I am certainly not ready for going back and I don't understand people who can possibly say they ARE ready to go back because they are bored!  

After my run this morning I have made the most of my last day by sitting around relaxing and doing very little at all until this evening when I went for another swim in Lake Windermere with my swimming friend David.

The only problem was after a glorious day the rain had set in and the temperatures had dropped considerably so I was bracing myself for a chilly swim.

Thankfully, yet again by the time I got to Windermere the rain had stopped, but it was exceptionally choppy!  It always seems to be choppy when I swim!  I think the lake just likes pushing me to my limits!

I was pleasantly surprised that the water temperature wasn't too bad, so I only had the chop to contend with!  On the way there it was hard work as the waves were coming at us from a front and sideways angel and I was constantly getting slapped in the face and getting water forced down my throat!

Thankfully, on the return we had the waves behind us so it was a lot easier and more enjoyable!

My only concern was when we were stopped by a boat from the Freshwater Biological Association who informed us he had set nets out and we were to avoid the area!  I didn't ask and don't really want to know what they were hoping to catch or why!

Anyhow after battling the waves I managed 1.27 miles in 41 minutes 52 seconds!

Stopped in my tracks by cows!

When I woke up this morning it was a fabulous day!  The sky was blue and the sun was shining so I decided to take advantage and go for a trail run!

I haven't been for a trail run since my injury as I have been anxious about tripping or twisting something but I felt compelled to give it a go today!

I donned my vest and shorts and set off along the River Kent!

Unfortunately the narrow tracks were very overgrown with brambles, nettles and thistles so my arms and legs were assaualted along the way but it didn't deter me!

However, after I left the woods and had headed out into the fields I was greeted by a herd of cows standing guard at the gate I needed to pass through!

They didn't look like they were up for moving so I took the decision to brave getting stung and prickled again rather than risk being chased by cows, and turned around and went back the same route I came!

Despite returning the same way I still really enjoyed it and ended up running 3.69 miles! You can view my route here!

I do really enjoy going off road as I don't think about the pace I am doing I just enjoy the scenery and terrain!

Blinded by the sun and overtaken by fear!

I left Kendal to drive the 10 miles to Windermere in torrential rain for our weekly Tri Club Open water swimming session.  

I did have my doubts whether it was a sensible thing to do but decided to go for it!  I passed through lots of flooded parts on the country roads and was beginning to question my sanity as the rain continued to pelt down!

However, surprisingly once I got to Windermere it was a completely different evening - the sky was clear and the sun was shining!  It is amazing how different the weather can be in such a short distance!

I got into my wet-suit and there was 25 of us ready to go!  We divided into 2 groups -  the "long group" who were planing on doing a 2 mile route and the "short group" who were to do a 1 mile route! As usual I joined the short group despite every week saying "Next week I will try the long one!", I just haven't mustered the confidence to go with them yet!

Tonight my head was definitely not in the game!

I had 2 issues!

The first was when we set off swimming the sun was so low over the lake I was being blinded despite wearing tinted goggles! I couldn't see a thing and was very anxious about swimming in front of a boat!  If I was being blinded by the sun, the people in the boats were probably having the same problem too and I felt extremely vulnerable!  So much so that I turned pathetic and started doing breaststroke with my head out the water just so I could keep an eye on my surroundings!

Once the sun had disappeared my troubles should have been over but my over-active imagination started getting the better of me!

I am not a confident open-water swimmer and I have always been encouraged by others saying "You have a wet-suit on, you can't drown in a wet-suit!" but then unfortunately this weekend there was the triathlete Paul Gallihawk who drowned in Leybourne Lakes whilst taking part in his first triathlon - in a wet-suit!

I couldn't get this tragedy out of my head and I felt shockingly scared despite the lake being calm and not too cold! After giving myself a good talking to I managed to calm down enough to actually swim front crawl but I didn't enjoy it tonight and was relieved when I was actually out of the lake safely!

I am hoping that I can put it behind me now and not let it affect my enjoyment of Open Water Swimming!

I managed to swim a mile in 36 minutes and 52 seconds so not as bad as I had anticipated, you can view my swim here.


I need to think positive thoughts!