3...2...1.........3 days till Number 13!

Getting in the Halloween Mood!

Have got the final instructions for the 'Spooky Halloween Challenge Marathon'....very exciting! 31 laps!!! Of 0.85 miles...in the woods...in the dark....

MUST have a head torch, and preferably fancy dress!

Can't wait!

Now for an outfit.....

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7 days to go....

....until the last marathon! Can't believe it's only a week away now!

I need a Halloween outfit. Have looked at the weather forecast for the next week, and so am thinking of some kind of waterproof bin-bag witches cape sort of style. Glam.  

Kind of a weird feeling training at the minute, I know I still have one more marathon to train for for 13 in 2013, but it feels so near the end that it sort of feels like it's over already and I am just running like normal again. Plus, I always have a few weeks at this time of year when you know winter is about to get here, and it's cold a dark, and you know the next few months are going to be, well, cold and dark, oh and probably wet, or maybe icy, every time you head out the door....

What did one raindrop say to the other? Two's company, three's a cloud.

Ha!

So, highlights of training this week:
1. Have recently started going spinning with some of my coursemates. Loads of fun! Have wanted to try it for ages but always been too scared to go on my own! Really hard work and nice to do something new 
2. OK, more like a lowlight, but it was confirmed that even after almost 2 months in Leeds I am still clueless. Headed out for a run to clear my head of from coursework (argh), just for a few miles, but got lost.....sigh. Still, I managed 10.5 miles so I guess it was good for my training!
3. Great 10 miles this morning at home around all my favourite haunts. So pretty now it's autumn and not even cold or rainy! Feeling good again :-)


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:-( ........ :-)

Today I am not feeling at one with the world...

So I did some research to cheer my self up...

At least this didn't happen to me today. And he is still smiling. So if he is then I will too.

Taking chances

Sometimes I am scared of doing things, because I don't know what will happen.

But it must be better to try it and know what it's like, instead of always wondering what if.

Probably, it will be the best thing you ever did, and you will wonder why you were ever scared!

And even if not, you will almost certainly learn something that you didn't know before/ meet someone you would never have met/ see something you would never have seen!

If there's one thing I have learnt over the last year, it's to be less scared of things!

:-)

A gazelle or a lion???

I love this quote! Especially on days when I'm not feeling fast...because who cares really how fast you run, all that matters is that you get out there and do it!

Nice running week last week. Some of my new course mates like running too so we went for a run after lectures on Tuesday to explore the canal. Wow, it's really lovely, after less than a mile running from the city center it feels like you are out in the country. Wednesday was running with running club, tough 7 miles fast and hilly but good fun! Then Friday morning did a 10km around the park.

Had a rest over the weekend in Newbury with Caroline, Malcolm and little Penny who is THREE now! Well, not really resting, Playstation party games shooting aliens, and salsa are a pretty good workout :-D

Am trying to remember the gazelle quote as I get ready for a run...the rain is raining hard outside.....winter running is here....

Marathon #12: The Chester Marathon - a great one!

Well, this was the penultimate marathon for 13 in 2013! I still can't believe that I got to this point already.

Was really excited about this one as was going with my Mum and Dad and Andrew, and also I've heard so many good things about it, and they were all proved to be right :-)

Up at 5.30 am on Sunday = ouch! But so worth it to see the sun rise on the way there. Beautiful. Got stuck in a traffic jam on the  way into Chester, marathons seem to be popular - there are about 5000 people running this one! So we had a quick sprint warm up from jumping out of the car to the start....

We started off with the 4 hour pace group. My aim was to do under 4 hours, but in the back of my mind I wanted to maybe go for my fastest time this year, but thought I'd take it easier to begin with and see how it was going at half way.

We started off by running around the race course, obviously as fast as horses, and then up into the old city of Chester round winding streets and beautiful old buildings. Then across the bridge, and off out of the city, and saw my Mum and Dad and Andrew's Mum too who were all there! Yeah!

The rest of the course was through the countryside, all the way to Wales! Really pretty scenery and amazing views. I felt quite stiff and not very fast for the first few miles, but gradually warmed up and started to feel good at about 10 miles or so. 

The support was so amazing! Even in the middle of the countryside we would round a bend and there would be a little crowd of people cheering us on! And people came out of their farm houses to watch too and they were all so friendly and cheering, it was really a wonderful experience :-)

At 17 miles I felt really good so decided to kick for home. Felt really good and focused for the next 5 miles, then began to worry that I might have pushed to soon as a couple of sloping hills came up and I my legs started to feel a bit tired. But, less than 4 miles to go, keep on it!

Got to 24 miles and realized I was comfortably under 4 hours, and that if I kept the pace steady I would make it back in less than 3:48, which is my fastest time this year. So that simultaneously cheered me up and stressed me out at the same time! Nothing like a bit of time pressure.

The last mile was along the river, and saw our supporting crew again (who had apparently spent the morning EATING BACON BUTTIES!!! SO not fair!)

Oh wow, just so many people lining the route on that last mile, I couldn't stop smiling, even though I was feeling really shaky all over including my face, so I probably looked like a right idiot! 

Round the last corner and there was the race course again! Had enough left for a bit of a sprint finish (relatively speaking, of course), and felt amazing to cross that line with the commentator shouting my name in front of all those people! 3:47:12 was my time, so the fastest time in 13 in 2013. Grand, really happy :-)

Andrew did 3:52 which is his second fastest time, and Kath and Bekki from my new running club were also there and did brilliant times too - well done to everyone :-)  !

Cup of tea and salt and vinegar crisps really help to make you feel better. Didn't want to leave at all, I wish we were still there now, it was such a brilliant day, thanks everyone :-D

One more sleep...till Marathon Number 12!

Today has been spent carb loading....

...and warming up with a walk up to Darwin Tower with my Mum and Andrew...

  

 

...very pleasant views.

Now off to have some tea and an early night before early start tomorrow...

...too excited to sleep!