Trying to speed up!

After a very busy tiring week at work I tried to push myself tonight to do a fast 5K. 

It didn't really happen, although I did try my best to push myself!

It was very hot and sunny but windy too which made it difficult! 

I did just under a mile warm up, then the 5K route I have done the past 2 Fridays then ran just under a mile for a cool down run!

The first week I did this route I finished in 26:01, last week I did it in 26:04 and tonight I matched my first week and finished in 26:01.

I'm chuffed I managed to get ever so slightly faster than last week and can't believe I have got an identical time to the first week!

Something to work on!

Now I am off into town because I deserve a Cocktail or 2 after the week I have had!  CHEERS!!!

Supporting a Newbie Trail Runner!

For the last three Wednesday's I have been trail running with a friend who is training for her first trail 10K in September!

Considering she has never done "off-roaders" before she has managed remarkably well on the hilly routes I have introduced her to!

The first week we ran 3.69 miles, last week we ran 4.10 miles and tonight we did 6.54 miles with only a couple walk breaks!

Now that we have done the distance, we need to up the pace!

I love supporting and encouraging others to love running as much as I do!

I only hope she continues with her running when I go on holiday in just over 2 weeks time - I don't want all her hard work to go to waste!

Now that I am getting back into my exercise regime again I am feeling much more positive about life!

I am even looking forward to starting Marathon Training again - although it's a long way off!

I'm Back in the Lake - finally!

I am feeling on quite a high after having an amazing swim in Lake Windermere this evening!  This is my first lake swim since my cycle accident 9 weeks ago and I must admit I felt very nervous when I first entered the water!

The last time I swam in the lake the water temperature was a chilly 9C, tonight it was a near tropical 18C although it was much choppier than I would have liked for my first swim back!

However, I was determined to succeed and tried not to let the waves bother me!

It felt fantastic to be back in the lake and before I knew it I had swum half a mile and we were heading back to the boathouse - this is when things got a little trickier!  I felt like I was swimming through treacle and didn't appear to be making any progress!  The direction of the chop was now holding me back and I had to put a lot more effort in to keep moving forward!

However, I persevered (not that I had much choice about it!) and dug deep to get back! 

I was chuffed to get back without experiencing any shoulder pain after swimming just under a mile in 40 minutes! You can view my swim here!

With only 42 weeks to go until The London Marathon I have already started raising money for Blackwell Sailing based on the shores of Lake Windermere! The charity provides sailing and some other outdoor activities to people with disabilities in Cumbria. They rely very much on volunteers and local support, and I am relying on you to help me to help them!! Please sponsor me by visiting my fundraising page here!

Running is ... Therapy!

After a horrendous nights sleep I felt exhausted at work, combine that with a busy day, a late meeting and torrential rain and I really wasn't in the mood to do my two Ladies running groups tonight.

To dampen my mood further I was getting constant "sorry I'm not running tonight messages" and I started to think "What is the point?".

Anyhow, having no choice in the matter I dragged myself out to meet my first group and although the weather had put off a large proportion those who did turn up managed to lift my mood! By the time we were a mile in I remembered why I started the group in the first place! It is so refreshing to do "no pressure" running and just to enjoy the social side and not stress about pace!

After running with both groups I had covered 8.5 miles and felt like a new woman!

Ready to face another day!

A New Month ... a new beginning!

Since my last post a month ago I have been concentrating on getting my running fitness back as well as dabbling in the pool to see what my shoulder and arm can stand!

The first pool swim I attempted 3 weeks ago was a depressing affair!  It was too painful to swim front crawl and I ended up wallowing around doing some weird form of breaststroke which wasn't a pretty sight!

However, not to be defeated I kept returning to the pool and did a mixture of front crawl and breast stroke until yesterday HALLELUJAH I managed a slow mile but ALL front crawl!

I feel like I am finally getting back to the old me, although my shoulder is grumbling about it today! 

However, I did promise myself that once I could swim a pool mile I would get back in the lake!  So on Tuesday I am meeting my swimming buddy for my first lake swim in 9 weeks!  I am both excited and nervous about it! Fingers crossed the weather is kind to me and it goes well!

I have been managing 3 runs a week for the past month and have enjoyed being back out there! 

On Sunday I was supposed to be doing Windermere Olympic Triathlon but due to my accident I am unable to, HOWEVER I am unable to feel too depressed about this as I have just found out today that I have been offered a charity place for the 2017 London Marathon!!!

After years of being rejected through the Ballot I am thrilled that I will be finally running my dream race 10 days before my 50th Birthday!


I will be running to raise funds for Blackwell Sailing which is a sailing school for people with disabilities based in Windermere!

Just over 42 weeks to get Marathon Fit!!

Sod's Law suggests that I will also get in on the Ballot this year too!!!

Now I can spend the forthcoming months fundraising and looking for my "ideal" training plan although I am not going to stress about running for a PB, I am just going run for the experience and enjoyment of it!

Bring it on!

I am back!

Happy Days!

The man from Physio, he says YES! 

I am feeling really really happy as my Physio today said I had much more movement in my shoulder and elbow than previously so I could try some short runs but no more than 40 minutes, but still definitely no swimming or cycling! Although I am gutted not to be able to swim in the lake in this fab weather I am ecstatic to be able to run again!

I didn't need telling twice and had my trainers straight on and out I went!

I put my Garmin in my pocket as I didn't want to be depressed at how slow I was running, I just wanted to enjoy the act of running!

I had planned on just doing a couple of miles but it felt so good to be out running again I extended my planned route and ended up doing 3 miles!

I loved every minute of it and was A-M-A-Z-E-D when I got my Garmin out to stop it that I had actually run 3 miles at a 8:51 minute mile pace!  I was worrying about not being able to maintain a sub 10 pace and never dreamt  that I would manage a sub 9 pace!  
Happy Days!

I was so excited about it I texted all my family and friends to tell them about this huge achievement!  Thankfully most of them understood my excitement at being back out there and were delighted for me as I haven't been easy to live with recently!

Onwards and upwards - this is just the start!

A new month ... still no sign of my old life!

I truly am trying my best not to be a miserable cow but being in constant pain is very wearing and not being able to do all the things I love to do is like torture - especially in this glorious sunny weather!

I have suffered the freezing temperatures of the lake all winter and now that it like a bath I am unable to swim!

This past weekend has been particularly difficult as it was Liverpool Rock N Roll Half Marathon which is an event I love and I had high hopes at getting another PB this year.  However, in hindsight I don't think I will have managed the PB as it was way too hot to be running!

I have my up days and my bad days pain-wise!  Monday was a horrendous day and I could barely move without crying but then yesterday I woke up with very little pain!

I have no idea when or even if I will ever get back to swimming, running or cycling!

I am very slowly turning into a over-weight lazy couch potato and I really don't like what I see!

I have another race this weekend that I will have to cancel and then The Great North Swim the weekend after that!

I keep telling myself I am lucky to be alive but it really isn't helping me in the current circumstances!

Its 26 days since a daft old lady changed my life ...

... and the scary thing is she will still be driving around the roads "not seeing" people!

She doesn't want to give up driving as she will lose her Independence! I didn't want to give up exercise but she has taken that choice away from me!  GGGRRRRRR!

This is more than just a shoulder and arm injury to me, Its a huge part of my life put on hold - indefinitely!