Its Nearly ready / A big thank you.

Hi everyone, just letting you know I'm still here and I haven't forgotten about my blog. I'm only 6 miles from the finish in my race report/ story /account / 10,000 word dissertation (I'm not joking!!) ,  so I'm hoping to get I finished tonight and post it before the weekend.

I've just been recovering this week,  was sore Sunday and stiff on Monday but I feel great now. I'm dying to go for a run but deep down I know need to rest for a couple  weeks and let the damage heal properly. The damage you do to your central nervous system is massive and you can easily get sick, injured or infections. You cant see it but its there in the background. I've read lots of accounts of athletes being out of action for months after coming back to training so soon so I will wait and keep walking to work for now.

Thank you...whoever you are

I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to a anonymous friend who has paid  for a few hours cleaning service for  me and my family. Totally out of the blue, I was phoned by a cleaning company who said they had been contacted by someone who had read my blog and wanted to help. We were shocked and stunned by this persons generosity and good soul.

Whoever you are, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm so grateful for the help you've given to my family and we will put the hours to good use. You are a true friend (whoever you are) and your generous gift made me cry. Thank You

Race Day

Wow what a journey its been. The race was brutal, beautiful, epic and possibly the hardest thing Ive ever done. I probably wont blog for a couple of days now as its gong to take a while or me to write the race report.

44 miles in and still smiling!!

Thanks to everyone who supported me along the way, you really helped me push through the pain.

Im still waiting for the final results but I think I finished in the top 10 in 11hrs 40 min.  Im extremely pleased and proud of the result. I am very, very sore today, I totally went for it yesterday and pushed beyond anything I thought was possible.

Right Im off to write a mini adventure story. See you soon :)

1 Day to Go..

278

 

Sorry again, its a very short blog tonight. Ive be at work all day and have been up to Cartmel to register. Im just about to go to bed as Im getting picked up at 5am. The race starts at 8am from Caldbeck in north Cumbria. To track my progress go to: http://live.lakesinaday.co.uk/

Registration

Im registered.
Im relaxed.

IM READY.

See you on the other side! Night Night.

2 Days to Go...

Sorry readers, Im going to keep it short tonight. Ive got lots to sort out and I need to get an early night.

Ive got most of my kit together and my nutrition is sorted. My talented sister has made the most amazing flapjack with Chia seeds, honey, rock salt, dried fruit, oats and cashew nuts. Shes got the consistency spot on too and they taste amazing, a bit like salted caramel. They are packed full of minerals and calories so they will give me the fuel I need. My kit is all laid out ready for inspection tomorrow. All that's left to do is go to Cartmel after work tomorrow and register.

Running 3.1miles 9.50/mi  30 min

Tonight's run was just a light effort up to Biggar Bank and along the easy trail. I didn't want to over complicate things so I  stuck some slow, relaxing tunes on my Ipod and let the soft music of Bob Marley and a few other artists, chill me out. Three Little Birds came on and I relaxed into the mellw Reggae beat, almost swaggering like a Rastafarian. The lyrics smoothed way the stresses of he day as they always do. "Don't worry, about a thing, coz every little thing, is gonna be alright"

I completed the run and stretched out feeling calm and relaxed.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:
Oatso Simple Porridge with Chia Seeds and Nuts

Lunch:
Mackerel Salad with Brown Rice, avocado and egg

Fat free greek yoghurt with berries

Dinner
Beef Casserole and Brown Rice

Snacks
2x apples, banana, Paulas Ultra Flapjack (tester!), vegetable crisps.

3 Days to Go!

 

3 days, that's all that's left! Its been a hell of a journey, I've so enjoyed getting here. 

Today has been a whirlwind, it started early as it usually does. I rose with the alarm and headed downstairs, Oliver right behind me. I got a coffee and started making my lunch and dinner. A slow cooker beef and tomato casserole was on the menu for dinner and should hopefully last us 2 days. After breakfast I got ready and walked to work, suddenly noticing the cooler weather, creeping in under my jacket. My work day flew by and was highlighted from a visit from my Sister and my Mum. My little sister, Paula, is a fantastic and talented baker and makes the most amazing and imaginative cakes as “the cake fairy”. Shes doing so well with her new business and Im immensely proud of her, I dont think Ive actually told her that, so there you go sis! ( I will tell her in Person too!)

As Ive been planning for my race and trying different fuels, my weapon of choice seems to be flapjacks. However you cant seem to get a really good, moist and calorie laden one without paying a lot of money. A thought popped into my head last week. Could I make them how I wanted? The answer is no I cant bake for toffee (no pun intended), I can cook, make an exquisite sauce but baking seems to allude me. Its a good job I know someone who can. I asked Paula if she could bake me some flapjacks to my specification with the ingredients I needed, such as salt carbohydrate and sugar. She relished the idea and brought me a sample today. It was amazing and she went off to buy the final ingredients. She joked about making them for a living, I will let her know if they work!

I walked home, popped into Tesco for some supplies and made my way home. Oliver was out with his carer so my 4 mile taper run beckoned. I completed the run, had some dinner and tidied up. Oliver was tired when he got back and we played minecraft for a bit before bed.

I cant believe the race in nearly here, Im as excited as I am nervous. Bring it on!!!

Running: 4.41 miles 9.30/mi 40 min

This evenings run was all about keeping my muscles loose and not using too much energy. I ran half of my normal Walney route, keeping my pace light and low. It felt very slow in parts but I was still

going the required pace. Hopefully training at a higher intensity will make the slower pace feel effortless. It certainly did tonight.

My race plan is now set in my head, I know what Im going to do and how Im going to do it. After talking my plans through with my good friend Gareth, he helped me solidify my ideas into a plan. I thought about them as I ran, visualising key points in the route, pulling them from memory. Tonight's run was effortless and I enjoyed the cool evenings breeze while I ran along the trail, watching the sun drop into the ocean, far beyond the horizon. I got home and had a gentle stretch session.

A nice easy run, at a very low intensity and I felt like I could have ran all night.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

2 pieces of fruit and a flapjack at work (I was busy and ran out of time)

Lunch:

Piri Piri Mackerel Salad with Quinoa, Avocado and egg

Fat Free Yoghurt with Blueberries

Dinner:

Slow Cooked Homemade Beef and Tomato Casserole with Sugar Snap peas and wholegrain rice.

Snacks:

2x apples, banana, nuts and seeds

Dream runner

I was a bit stressed when I left for work this morning. Oliver hadnt had a good night and he ended up asleep on my side of the bed. I slept in his bed (shhh... dont tell but I got the best nights sleep in ages!). Hed struggled last night and we had a bit of a poo incident that left two beds and six towels smeared in the stuff. Joanne was exhausted. It meant there was a ton of washing, ironing and bed making, all waiting for me to return. We were also out of food and waiting for a big shop. There was nothing for lunch so I had to nip to tesco, looking for a healthy meal. Nothing was under my control as I left for work. The guilt rode up as the mess shouted me from the house “come back”, “Joanne cant manage”. I pushed the thoughts aside and made my way to work. On my return the house, mess and jobs were still there, digging their fingers into me, clawing and reminding me to continue. “Dont stop” they said, “dont rest”, “dont you dare stop ”. I really do worry and stress when I have to leave the house upside down. More often than not, Joanne sees Ive not managed that morning and tries to help, hurting herself in the process. Its so frustrating.

Running: 7.14 miles 10 / mile 1hr 15 mi

Alarm rang, eyes opened, 5.15am.

I was dressed, shoes laced, jacket on.

Confused, half asleep but automatic, committed.

A cup of dark liquid steamed,

I stood before the door, the key turned.

I ran.

Morning air, slightly awake.
Torch cuts a bright swathe through the darkness.
The lane jogged, not a thought in my head.
Breath; measured, shallow and calm,
Footsteps; so light and so soft.
I ran

Pace; slow, easy, effortless.
Though inky blackness,
The ocean whispered gently
Trail dark, strange, new and untrodden.
Different but familiar in the warm, early morning.
I ran

Sweat clung to me, hot, sticky, pungent.
Sand moved; soft, moist, malleable.
Pebbles rocked.
Round shadows shifted and danced.
Morning light, rose from black water.
I ran

Figures walked and drove to an early start
Pavement hard, smooth
headlights bright, hurried in the dusk
Home beckoned
Slow down, heart rests
Id ran

A bizarre, semi dreamlike run this morning. I was half asleep, sat back as if in a running armchair, my mind, separate, drifted along side.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

Oatso Simple with Chia Seeds

Lunch:

Chicken breast salad with humus

Dinner:

Roast chicken with sweet potato mash, carrots and broccoli.

Greek Fat Free Yoghurt

Snacks:

2x Apples, nuts and seeds, 9bar.

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