Scores on the Doors Miss Ford...

Its time to update all of my vital statistics. Im doing this now as I will be tapering my running right down and my food intake will be going up so I wont be able to get a accurate reading later in the week. Im at work this evening so I did my run early, sorted meals out for everyone, did my jobs then headed out to work.

 

Keep on Running

Blogging:

This has been a revelation to me and made me so accountable. Im really humbled that people have taken an interest in what should be quite a dull subject and Im honoured to have had you along for the journey. Im definitely going to continue it for the Lakeland 100 next year. Its also been a real outlet for my mental state, letting me express feeling and thoughts Ive never been able to talk about before. Because of the blog Im going to see a councillor about my mental health and hopefully come to terms with my personal circumstances. A big thanks to everyone who has been concerned about me and got me talking. Its extremely hard being a double carer but at least now I feel like the old proverb, a problem shared, is a problem halved. Thank you!

 





Start

Final Weigh in and stats.

Starting Stats:

Weight - 11 stone 9
BMI - 24
BF- 22.4
Water content - 57% (must mean I'm full of pee!!)

Finish Stats:

Weight – 11 stone 7
BMI – 23.9
BF – 21.4
Water Content – 58






7 weeks, 500 miles and lots of hard work

What this all means Im not too sure. At first glance Im a bit disappointed in the fat loss to be honest but Ive read a few things about body fat analysis and my scales sound like they are way out. There are pictorial guides online and I look more like Im around 14% body fat, (22% is obese!) so Im at a loss. However I look much more leaner than before and I feel great so thats all that counts. I wanted my weight to stay around the starting weight and Im happy with this.

My body has definitely changed, my oblique's have probably improved the most, giving me a rock solid core. Also my arms and shoulders have become stronger and more defined helping me drive my arms when I run. My hip tensors have developed well too, powering my quads and legs, plus my calf muscles have exploded, giving me loads of spring in my stride. Ive noticed a difference in the small muscles around my knees and shins, those help to stabilise my balance. Overall Im happy with the changes, Im still a work in progress and Ive got far to go!

Food

Looking back at my blog Im extremely happy with what Ive eaten. The health benefits have been massive and I feel really healthy and Im recovering very quickly after heavy workouts.

Training:

This has been excellent. Ive hit every training session with a clear objective and nailed them all. On the odd occasion where circumstance has stopped me, Ive just swapped my rest day, of made up for my mileage the next day. Ive ran just under 500miles in 7 weeks which even Im impressed with and I smashed my 5k PB out of the park. Ive also competed my strength work very week and noted a big difference every week. My confidence in my ability has definitely grown and I now have to believe in everything Ive done and trust my training and race plan. Bring on Saturday!

Running: 9.38 miles 9.18/mi 1:27 hrs

I dropped Oliver off at school just as the heavens opened and the wind picked up. I headed home, got changed and set out into the cold, wet and windy morning. It was a perfect morning for a run in different conditions as its been a while since Ive ran in the rain. I was wearing my leggings and waterproof jacket today, a polar opposite from running topless two days ago. I decided to keep on Walney and the wind was blowing up from the south east so I headed off directly into it. This reverse loop would have the wind and rain behind me on the long open coastal path. There was no point fighting the weather today, Im on taper and its supposed to be easy (ish).

I had to run with my head down and power into the driving wind and rain as I pushed towards Biggar Village. It was hard going but the drop in pace felt easy on my legs. Ive now dropped a gear so I wont be running under 9 min miles for the rest of the week, keeping it gentle and just letting the muscles tick over until race day.

Once I was on Biggar Bank, the wind was behind me and I enjoyed a strong tail wind, helping me along. The wind and rain cooled my body very quickly and I was glad Id put my waterproof on and a base layer to keep my core warm. I normally run in all weathers so the task wasnt anything new, just a gentle reminder of what I can control and what I cant come race day.

The rest of the run was at the same easy pace and my heart rate never once rose too much to make me feel like I was exerting too much. As often happens on Walney, the weather suddenly stopped, the hard and cold rain ceasing its barrage almost instantly. I added an extra 2 mile loop to my usual route and got home and stretched out.

A good, easy run, if a tad moist! I could have quite happily kept going today, good news for the weekend!

Food Diary:

Breakfast:
Oatso Simple Porridge with nuts and chia seeds.

Post run snack:

2 slices of GF Toast with Manuka Honey and Almond Butter

Lunch:
Salmon Fillet with steamed vegetables, rice and quinoa mix.

Dinner:
Chicken and Chorizo pesto with GF pasta