The sun is shining ...

the weather is sweet, makes you want to move your dancing running feet!

It has been a really hot day today but I am not going to be a typical Brit and complain! After the recent rain the sun is very welcome to come and shine on me for a while!!!

However, a lot of my Ladies in both my running groups tonight did complain as they struggled to run in the intense heat!

Despite the moaning, they all managed well and pushed on regardless! They still managed to natter and laugh so they weren't too distressed by it all! 

The first group ran 4.44 miles and the second ran 3.80 miles so altogether I ran 8.24 miles.

That's my last run with the group for 3 weeks as I am going away on holiday.  However, I have another Leader taking the groups whilst I am away so the Ladies won't be losing fitness or motivation in my absence!

Parkrun Meet-up!

I went out last night knowing I had to get up early this morning to go to Fell Foot Parkrun with the Women on the Run Kendal Ladies to meet up with the Women on the Run Preston Ladies!

My famous last words "I'm not drinking much tonight" were soon forgotten after the first jug of Pimms!

Despite the bad weather we had a great night and still managed to BBQ and cook Pizza in the garden Pizza Oven!

I got home at round 11.00pm after consuming a lethal cocktail of drinks including Pimms, Cider, Prosecco and Gin!

I had a dreadful night sleep and was actually pleased when my alarm went off at 7.30am and I could get up to face the day!

However, facing the day was slightly harder than anticipated and I didn't feel up to running 5K!

Thankfully I wasn't driving so had an additional 30 minutes to pull myself together on the journey!

Once we got there meeting all the ladies took my mind off just how rough I was feeling and I actually enjoyed the run!  I ran with one of my ladies to try and help her run a PB and I was delighted that she did! Our official time was 30.43 which she was chuffed with!

Afterwards we enjoyed a much needed coffee in the cafe by the lake!!!

When will I ever learn?

A Wet One!

Today it rained all day, not torrential rain but a steady downpour! 

Despite the rain it was still very warm and clammy!

By the time I had survived another busy day at work I was ready to run off my weekly stresses and believe me I have plenty of stresses to run off!

I got home and went straight out for a run as I was going out later! 

I was still feeling "coldy" with a nose like a tap but hoped the run would sweat it out of me once and for all!

I stupidly opted to put my very lightweight rain jacket on, but wished I hadn't bothered as it was far too hot (although it was probably good for sweating the cold out of me!)

I did my usual Friday night one mile warm-up, before doing a "fast as I can" 5K finishing off with a one mile cool down.

Unfortunately, the weather had driven every Tom, Dick and Harry into their cars and the roads were really busy which meant I had to slow down or stop to allow cars to pass and it was uncomfortably hot which meant my time was slower than I would have wanted!

I managed the 5K in 26:17 which is 16 seconds slower than I did the same route last week! 

Hey Ho I need to work harder!

I got home hot, sweaty and very red in the face just after 5pm and I had a text from my friend saying she would pick me up at 5.40pm for the party we were going to! 

Before I had gone for my run I thought I had plenty of time as I believed we were going out at around 6pm, but I was sadly mistaken so I had a frantic half hour running around like a mad fool trying to cool down whilst making myself look less like a beetroot and a little more respectable!

I think I managed a compromise and went out looking like a respectable beetroot!

Cold ... or HayFever?

Yesterday I woke up feeling dreadful!  My nose was totally blocked, I had a really bad headache and my eyes felt puffy and uncomfortable!  It was just typical as I had the day off work to go to my Son's Graduation in Newcastle.

I had to dose myself up with a mixture of paracetamol and Piriton as I really didn't know whether it was a cold or an allergy.

Thankfully I wasn't driving to Newcastle as I felt really poorly on the way and I was beginning to think I wasn't going to get to see my son Graduate after all. I had visions of me being in hospital instead!

Thankfully, once we got there and I got a little bit of fresh air I began to feel a little

better.  I think all the medication I had taken had started to kick in too!

I survived the day with the help of a little Prosecco and we had a super day!

Today, I woke up still feeling under the weather and I was supposed to be running tonight with a friend.

I said I would still go but insisted we did a flat shortish route so I didn't die!

I dosed up with more Piriton before we went and I managed 4.7 miles and enjoyed it.

Thankfully it didn't make my symptoms any worse!

Fingers crossed I feel much better tomorrow!

Back in the Group!

Tonight I was supposed to be going swimming with my swimming Buddy but unfortunately he cancelled on me at the last minute!

I had a very quick decision to make!  

Go and swim in the pool or go back to the Tri Club Open Water Session!  Bearing in mind that it's 10 weeks since I last swam with them and I was one of the slowest then!  

Anyhow, before I could talk myself out of it I decided it was too nice an evening to be stuck in a crowded pool and opted to brave it and was soon on my way to Windermere feeling very apprehensive about how I would fair!

It was nice to catch up with them all again, and although I was one of the ones at the back I wasn't too far behind the other slow ones!  

The group I stuck with did just under a mile, whilst the faster swimmers managed 2 miles! You can view my swim here!

I am pleased I went and now that I have done it I will continue ... until I go on holiday that is and come back very fat and totally unfit!

Double Club Run!

It's Monday so that means just one thing  - Women On The Run!

It was a lovely evening and I really enjoyed the club runs with my 2 groups!

The first group managed 5.2 miles and the next group did 3.7 miles which means altogether I did 8.9 miles! Not bad for the start of the week!

My ladies are ALL awesome!

They are all at different levels of fitness and all have different running abilities but all pull together and we stay as a group by the faster ones looping back for the slower ladies! This ensures everyone gets what they want from the run!

It is fantastic to run with such a great group of people who all encourage and help each other! 

Really looking forward to Fell Foot Parkrun on Saturday with this bunch, another opportunity to laugh and run!

One of the groups having a sneaky breather!

WET ... and Windy!

After a fantastic night out last night where I enjoyed one or two too many cocktails I woke up this morning feeling slightly delicate!

It took me until well after lunch-time to even contemplate moving very far, and by 2 O'Clock I decided a little bit of fresh air might do me good so we ventured out in the rain to take the dog for a short 2 mile walk!

It worked wonders!

So much so that by the time we got back I decided I would risk a run!  

What better way to get all the toxins out of my body!!

It was raining torrentially but I decided if I wore my shorts and vest I wouldn't be too uncomfortable as it was still very warm although exceptionally windy!

Shorts and vest worked well as there wasn't too much wet fabric sticking to my skin!

What I want to know is what pleasure do motorists have in aiming for the biggest puddle as near to the kerb as possible to drench those trying to be fit and healthy! GGGRRRR!

Anyhow, despite this minor irritation (I was already drenched so it really didn't make that much difference), I enjoyed being out and enjoyed putting my body through it's paces - however, I don't think my body would agree as it seemed to be objecting about every step!  
However, I pushed on and managed 3.62 miles at a 8:51 minute mile pace! 

Not too bad for a hangover run!

Once I got home I had just enough time to get showered before having to head off to Manchester Airport to pick my Daughter up from her Thailand adventures!  

We were incredibly lucky as there was an accident on the M6 which probably happened about 10 minutes before we passed it so the traffic was still flowing fairly freely in 2 lanes, however 10 minutes later the entire Southbound M6 was closed for the Air Ambulance to land!  If we had been slightly earlier we might have been caught up in the collision, if we had been slightly later we wouldn't have got to the airport on time ... if at all as it is still closed 6 hours later!

I call that impeccable timing!