Slow Fast Slow Fast, etc.

 I did some fasty-slowy running.

It was the first time I've tried it properly with a Garmin. I didn't do it for specific amounts of time or distance, but more like a fartlek session, just pressing lap before and at the end of each spurt (or accidentally pausing the time if I hit the wrong button). I wasn't running as fast as I possibly could, but it as a considerable effort, so nice to see on the link above that I was in the 7s.

I then went swimming and did 78 slow lengths, as that brings me up to 2 miles for the week. The positive I am taking from that is I wasn't as red-faced and exhausted as I am when I get out of the pool, and my arms feel stronger.

Tomorrow I'd like to bike, and maybe a small run after work on Saturday, as I have a 10k race on Sunday. 

In more exciting news, I have made a Goodness Direct order, which is not something I do a lot as I can't get over the minimum £35 to get free delivery. However, I have ordered lots of protein bars this time, so managed it. The thing I am most excited about is amaranth, which is a grain that is not only higher in protein than oats, but contains lysine, iron and magnesium. I hear it can be a bit slimy, so may end up mixing it with oats. In general my eating has improved, and from now I shall be reducing sugar further, keeping it for training purposes, like gels and bars, but when at home I shall restrict refined sugars.

Craft Fail.

I am getting my head into Edinburgh mode.
The thought of running for something like five and a half hours is just too hideous, I really want to get it done in 4 and half or so.
I have a number belt as I will want to carry gels, I hate safety pins, and I don't want to carry a drink or waist pack as it will annoy me. At Garioch I will as they just give water in silly little paper cups, but at Edinburgh there will be proper bottles I can run along with and discard when I want.
My number belt is green (for GO, obviously) and will be handy for triathlons.

Earlier this week I wasted half a day trying to make a pin-board to store my medals on in the shape of mountains, with plastic trees and a little bike lady going down one of the peaks.
It was a terrible failure, so instead I have just stuck some pins in the frame of a mini-whiteboard, and put my next races and goals for the year on it. It's in my bedroom. I see it the minute I wake up.
Anyway that I can combine training with stationery is always going to make me happy.

I am feeling quite a lot of marathon fear. The next ten weeks will be all about preparation.
Training, eating and making sure when the big day arrives at no point do I think kick myself for not trying hard enough. I will know I am as prepared as I possibly could be.

So today I woke up to a fresh snow dump. The road was quite clear, though, so I decided to bike.
 The weather got worse, and more snow fell while I was out, the spray from passing vehicles was blinding, I was gritted twice (OWWW!) and came home soaked and frozen, and only did 15.5 miles in 1 hour 8 mins. There were certain stretches of road that were just white, packed snow. Just moving my hand position on the bars made me wobble, it was like cycling on air.
I didn't swim, but did an hour of yoga and weights instead, as I have to go to town tomorrow anyway, so to save petrol will swim then.

Hemp!

I'm going to drink hemp!

I have ordered this, as I'm struggling to get enough protein, and I thought I'd try something new after the previous soya and rice ones I've had.

I have found I can mask the disgustingness of all protein powders with a teaspoon of cocoa and banana, so hopefully that will apply to this, as well.

I have also been buying omega-rich stuff, as I definitely have Reynaud's now. I don't get it on every finger, it's mainly my left middle finger that turns deathly white and hurts like hell, but it's getting worse, and apparently an omega deficiency can be to blame. It could also be because I have had carpal tunnel in the past. Or,  I have lupus or some other nasty auto-immune disease, but it's more likely that I don't.

Anyhoo, I have recently been putting my body through more than it's ever been used to, and so no wonder it's using nutrients by the bucket-load, and handlebars are not comfy, and the weather has been dismal, so it all makes sense.

I was about to go for a 20 mile bike before work, but it started to snow again, so I did 45 mins on my cross trainer, and will of an hour of weights, rollering and core work tonight.

Unless there's an apocalypse tomorrow,  I will bike (or run if snowy) and then swim.

Better Than Nothing

I'm going to try and draw some positives from today.

I had planned 16 miles, and sorted my route in my head. About a third of it was still snow/icy, so I was either crunching along, or trying not to slip. Four times I slid along on my heel. Snow that had fallen over icy puddles was the worst, as I assumed it was safe to run on.

At 8 miles I had a gel. I have read there will be High 5 ones available at Edinburgh, but after the High 5 drink I didn't need another bad run, so tried an SIS one. I quite liked it, it's tasted weak, like over diluted orange squash, which is just fine.

Although, I am an idiot.
I know the best thing to have the night before is rice and mushrooms, and easily digested carb and B vitamin fest. However, I stupidly decided to have normal wheat pasta and some part-baked bread, so an utter wheat fest. I'm not having as much wheat as I did, and so it was a rather unpleasant wheat hangover. My stomach ached and I felt a bit sluggish.

I honestly thought it would be fine. Slow, but fine.
The problem was I had to run back past my house to then complete the last two miles, and by this time my legs hurt like hell, I was out of drink, and my MP3 player had gone dead.
So, I gave up at 14 miles.

Next time, I will take my waist pack, with lots of drink, and two gels, as I think if I'd had another one at about 12 miles, or even a glucose tablet or something, I'd have felt better.

I then came home, pulled off my clothes to discover various parts of me were chaffed and bleeding, especially where my bra had been rubbing. And I was bright red with cold.
I had a quick shower, some orange juice and an energy bar, then went to the pool, where the chlorine reminded me of the parts that were sore, but I did 50 lengths, some of which were drills.

For the first time ever I got cramp in my calf and foot. Only mild and not enough to stop me, but was a good enough reason for a medicinal packet of salted crisps when I came out.

So the positives I am going to draw -
14 miles is better than nothing, and snow, ice and cold are evil.
I went swimming as planned.
Even with having wheat, I can run 14 miles and my stomach may be sore, but nothing terrible happened.
Pain was a contributing factor in my giving up, my legs were much unhappy. However, I was in less pain when I started walking during a half marathon last September, with a sore, twanging foot, so I'm getting tougher.

Foiled!

Alarm went on off at 5.50am.
I didn't care it was Sunday, I sprung out of bed, now quite excited about my long bike, and just how quiet the roads would be.
Then I saw it had snowed in the night. Just lightly.

I went down to the road and stomped about a bit. It wasn't deep. And the main road was bound to be better, so I decided to bike, anyway.

As I was eating my porridge a full-on blizzard started, so I drove to work. As I was up so early I had time to do all the school ironing before leaving. Oh, what a fun Mothering Sunday.

In the end I was glad I drove, the snow didn't let up, and on the way home there were a few times, especially going up and down hills, that the car misbehaved slightly on the untreated roads, so it took forever to get home.

Then I had various visiting to do, and so have decided to make today the rest day for the week. Tomorrow (unless there is an earthquake or something) I plan to do 16 mile run followed by a swim. I want the long run out of the way early as I have a little local 10k race next weekend. But they give out a medal so I'm totally doing it.

Damn And Crap.

I had high hopes for today.
I was going to run 10 miles and get lots of housework and foam rollering done.

Early on a phone call about lost work keys (including a master key that would have given access to lots of people's homes) had me in a panic as I was the last person have them, but luckily it was someone else who had been in and taken them when she bloody shouldn't have. I will have to poke her in the eyes next time I see her. It's a woman I already don't like much.

I then went shopping, did a mountain of recycling, cleaned out the rabbit and set off for my run just before lunch time (feeling rather hungry already).
I had decided to try out one the sachets of High 5 energy drink. It tasted ok-ish to start with, then it began to taste awful as I drank it properly, so I then stopped drinking and felt even worse. I can't do 10 miles without a drink, so after 5 miles at what I hoped would be my 10 mile pace (I was aiming for 10.20, did 10.17) I went home. I tried to man up and just drink it, but it actually make me feel a bit queasy. At least I know for next time.

The rest of my Saturday will be spent watching all 3 Lord Of The Rings films, while foam rollering and massaging my sore calf. There's a knot in it, probably due to my leg imbalance.

I had hoped to have the day off tomorrow, but I now have to work.
If I get up to anything other than a blizzard, I will cycle there. As it's my embalming job, I don't have to look smart, I just wear scrubs, and so very little to take in my backpack. It's about 24 miles away, though, and so nearly 50 by the time I get home, but there will be a 2 hour gap in the middle to recover, while at work.
Probably about 2500ft of elevation overall. That's more than I'd like in a work commute.

Weekend!!

And it's a real weekend, too. Not one of those crappy pretend ones where I still have to work.

My plan is to do a ten mile run tomorrow, and a long bike on Sunday.
Snow is threatened, but I can't see it coming to much. And I refuse to let it, as I want to do 40 miles on my bike. So it had better not be windy, either.

This morning I just ran 3 miles before work, to get my legs going again, at just under ten min miles. I was quite pleased with myself as often my early runs get abandonded as I press snooze too many times, but this triathlon in 6 weeks has made me scared.
I feel the fear. It's like an icy clawed hand grasping at my intestines.

It's also Mother's Day so I'll have to squeeze in a trip up there to see my mum.
And a friend has been asking when I'll go round.
Don't these people realise I have training to do???