Falling in love with London again...

Woke: 07:48 AM
Snooze: nil, I woke up before the alarm went off!
Up: 08:07 AM
Fuel: mummy portion of porridge
Out: 08:50 AM

My first long run with the running club today, was quite excited! As I closed my front door and crossed the roadworks onto Court Lane, I wondered how many people would turn up... Quite a few so it would seem, after some debating and discussion on how long and where, we broke off into 2 groups with Dianne leading the 7 milers and Gillian leading the 11 milers which included Lacruta, Lorraine, Penny and I!

Running by: 09:05 AM
Weather: cold and windy to start, the sun came out to welcome us along the South Bank... ahhh - although the North still beckons it doesn't stop me from falling in love with London again
Thoughts / Notes:

• What a jolly soul Lacruta is!
• I'd never run to Camberwell by myself...
• Ah, how we look out after each other... Gillian pointing out 'dog poo'
  
• According to Penny and Lorraine's GPS gadets we'd only been running 4 miles when we got to Lambeth North! I always had this thought that central London was miles and miles away since it takes so long on the bus and well, seems kinda long when I drive in the car too...
  
• How long have I lived in London?! I can't believe I've never run along the South Bank before?!
• What nice toilets County Hall has...
• Big Ben!
  
• Hope Penny gets her hip sorted, she had to get the bus back from Victoria
• I should've brought my camera - the sights we saw! London Eye, South Bank, Big Ben, Chelsea Bridge, QVC...
  
• Anyway still feeling a little bit self conscious about flinging my iPhone around whilst running with a group I'm not overly familiar with (yet) and I guess it'd be asking for trouble really... not sure I like the iPhone camera function that much either since I have to take my gloves off to use it which is a bit of a faff... maybe when I know the running peeps a bit better I'll start flashing my iPhone and be able to take some blurry photo's for you...
  
• Next week I'll feel less shy about joining Lacruta singing her heart out as we crossed Vauxhall Bridge... 'I'm singing in the rain!'... no your not it's very sunny!
  
• I did however feel comfortable enough with the group towards the end of the run and alerted the ladies to the 'shit!' on the pavement too.

Mornings!: this isn't too appropriate now that I've got my running club buddies to chat too (well... they chat to me, I just breathe heavily...)
Back: walked through the door at 11:45 AM - hahaha, and all before midday - the whole day still ahead of me!
Refuel: during the run I had 500ml Lucozade Sport (orange flavour), when I got back I treated myself to some nice warm rolls with yummy cheese (that stinks out the flat), and some tasty chorizo, cup of earl grey to wash it all down ahhh!
Route:

Distance: 12.48 miles and feeling good... ok a teeny weeny bit stiff...
What next: 3 miles on Monday morning weather permitting, apparently it's supposed to be snowing!

Had an afternoon nap (yes I did!) and pottered about for the whole afternoon. Got ready and called for Paul who wasn't even up yet! Seamus and I headed to Adventure Bar for a few pre-dinner drinks which included 241 cocktails - yummy! Rob turned up limping - it seems he's puled his medial collateral ligament, well that's our Sunday runs out the window for a good few weeks - hope he gets it sorted, he's only been active for a few weeks after 9 months of rest. The rest of the gang started pouring into the bar and taking advantage for the 241 cocktails too - how happy I am :-)

So 09:00 PM arrives and I hurry everyone to down their cocktails. While some of us headed to the off licence (it's BYO) and cash points (it's cash only) I headed straight to the Thai Corner Cafe, one of my favourite restaurants. It's a popular little place that gets very busy and you have to book, even during the week. They have 2 sittings, one at 07:00 PM and and the other at 09:00 PM... we got there and had to amuse ourselves in the cold while the 07:00PM sitting got told off.

Andy and Mary think they're at my 5th birthday party

Alcoholic beverage treats: 1 x mojito, 2 x champagne (naughty Andy) - hey I turn 25 (again) on Wednesday so I'm allowed!
Alcoholic beverages not consumed: 2nd mojito, a 3rd glass of champagne and potentially a couple of glasses of red... I know my limits and like Jose I'm a cheap date ;-)

Free Poo Today

Woke: 05:18 AM
Snooze: nil - I'm getting good at avoiding this!
Up: 06:14 AM
Thoughts / Notes:

• not 1 but 2 foxes ran in front of my path crossing Court Lane this morning!
  
• it's the first time since I started running that I've seen a paperman (defnitely not a paperboy since he was bald) delivering papers
  
• my ears are cold because my hat is too small or maybe my head has just got bigger...
  
• ooh, it seems the streets are lined with silver this morning, another first - the pavement on Croxted Road was all sparkly!
  
• as I ran past Dulwich College I could hear high heels walking behind me, it was odd since she should have past me by now. After a little while longer, I looked up and realised it was actually a man's footsteps echoing from the other side of the road!
  
• I'm sure I saw a rabbit hop into the hedgerow of Dulwich Common
  
• Another photo opportunity... 'FREE POO TODAY' was being advertised at the Dulwich Riding School

Back: 06:50 AM
Refuel: 500ml Lucozade Sport
What next: long run with the running club on Saturday

I've started Twittering... hmmm... lets see how I long I can keep it up for...

Rob couldn't sleep...

... that was his excuse for standing me up for our Sunday morning run

Woke: 08:57 AM
Up: 09:20 AM
Fuel: daddy bowl of porridge
Out: 10:00 AM

Well, it was clear to me after about 7 miles that I really do need to join a running club... I was lucky that when I was training for Stockholm back in 2007 I had the lovely Clas to keep me company and I very much looked forward to and enjoyed our Saturday morning gossips and lunch at his afterwards!

So since my marathon running buddy is still recovering from his hip operations (yeah - that's what 26.2 miles can do to you - yikes!) I've downloaded and completed an application form to join the Dulwich Park Running Club which is literally 3 minutes run away... will do that on Tuesday.

Oak lined avenue Cox's Walk. Did you know it supports nuthatch and green woodpecker birds

Footbridge... does this look like central London to you?!

Almost home... actually only just started...

Back: 11:01 AM
Refuel: 500ml Lucozade Sport, warm rolls, cheese and Spanish meats... delightful
What next: 1st run with the Dulwich Park Running Club on Tuesday evening!

Coldfeet

So as you may have guessed I've been eating like a pig recently, usually I leave leftovers (for Paul) but these days I've been going for seconds! Anyway just in case you think I'm going off on a tangent here one must remember that marathon training isn't all about the running... it's also about the fuelling. So although I haven't been particularly active this week I have been concentrating on the fuelling so to speak...

Got taken out for a work lunch today and we went to Sophie's Steakhouse for some red meat. Me and the boys enjoyed a really thick milkshake to start and then had a huge ribeye steak and chips with bearnaise sauce - mmm! I must admit, it was the first time in a while that I'd actually felt 'stuffed'! I did wonder how on earth I was going to manage curry with the girls later that night...

Claire C arrived and I met her at the Adventure Bar for a round of happy hour cocktails, however we both opted for a classy glass of vino instead. Claire C and her new hubby Matt are also doing the London Marathon too and are training together. We shared training routines and stories and she had me in stitches recalling her most recent run where she tripped face first in a pool of mud whilst running around Stonehenge... oh ok, you had to be there, Claire is the funniest storyteller ever!

Lucy arrived just before 08:00 PM, which was the time of our booking, so I ran across the road to let the restaurant know we were going to be a little late. However, the waitress looked at me scornfully and said 'NO', then the manager came over and explained that they had further bookings and if we didn't turn up on time we'd lose our table. So I headed back to share the news.

Lucy had just ordered mojito's and got 241 having just made the happy hour deadline. She happily said not to worry she could down them both which she promptly did! We then headed to East Dulwich's finest curry house Tandoori Nights (their website might be crap but the food is in a different league altogether).

Claire D arrived soon after we were seated right next to the exit with a great view of Lordship Lane. We and we all got stuck into the menu's. Actually I lie, we didn't do that until the waiter had visited our table at least 4 times! We were so caught up in catching up and having a giggle.

I noticed my neighbour and tried to get Claire C's attention. She eventually noticed him with a high pitched noise when he spoke to thank and said goodbye to the staff as he left prompting Lucy and Claire D to turn and then we all gawped at him through the window. You just can't mistake James Nesbitt's distinct Northern Irish accent. We all watched him drive off with his curry takeout in his sturdy German car into the Dulwich sunset.

Alcoholic beverage treats: large glass of red (which I didn't finish!)
Alcoholic beverages not consumed: bitter shandy with lunch, 2 x mojito's (it was happy hour!), Cobra beer with dinner
What next: 8 miles with Rob on Sunday

p.s. it turned out Lucy was drinking virgin mojito's since she was driving home...

Massage ahhh...argh!

OK, I'm slacking this week I admit it - I just couldn't get myself out of bed this morning. I thought writing this blog would provide some sort of peer pressure to guilt trip me into making sure I get up and out by 6:30 AM... but hey ho, I'm just enjoying it!

Finished work early and made my way home to get changed before heading over to Mary's for a Sports Massage...

I trained with Mary a number of years ago and what fun we had! I thought my social life would go down the pan with evening courses on [Tuesdays and] Friday evenings but instead I gained a whole new set of [massage] friends. Mary now has her own business massaging celebs and the likes of us mere mortals. She's amazing and I highly recommend you check her out, for more information Total Body Balance is the place to go.

Anyway... back to the treatment... this was no time for relaxation oh no, straight into my left calf muscle...ouch ouch ouch I could hear the couch roll scrunching around my face as I pulled numerous faces, and this went on for pretty much most of the session.

I'd thought about joining the running club this evening but Mary advised that it was probably wise to just chill out for the rest of the evening. So I went supermarket shopping, booked a restaurant for next weekend and did a lot of chores...

What next: er... I'd like to say a run tomorrow morning but in reality it'll be a long run on Sunday with Rob

10 minute miles? No way Jose!

Woke: 5:43 AM but since I was running at lunchtime I went back to sleep for another hour - yay!

I walked past Dean this morning and he'd just got round to reading my email asking for sponsors. He'd done the London and New York marathons and we had a good old natter about them. I am loving that everyone [who's done marathons before] is willing to share their experiences and tips - keep them coming!

So, we ended the chit chat with an action point: use my Sweatshop voucher from my [Les Witton Dartford 10] goody bag to purchase some funky running gear to hold my running fuel... any excuse to go shopping!

Out: 2:30 PM sharp Sarah was at my desk. We headed to Level 5 to get changed before starting a short and fast run, a very fast run... we were only out for about 20 minutes and I must admit I was thinking:

• OMG - should I tell her I need to slow down?!
• Ooh... I think I've stitch coming on...
• darn builders...
• I'm running around Canary Wharf!
  
• are we nearly there yet?!

I've been doing 10 minute miles for as long as I can remember and apparently I was running much quicker than that - wahey! Sarah really whipped my arse into gear, it's about time I got out of my comfort zone...

Refuel: banana, hot chocolate
What next: yoga on Wednesday
Notes: Am pretty impressed with the showers at work!

Cup-a-roast-dinner

Last night after we'd all wolfed down Niell's amazing roast beef dinner (no food left on my plate [lucky Paul had already had dinner number 1 earlier, with Seamus, of faggots] - in fact I even went in for seconds!), conversation moved onto my marathon training.

Rob was surprisingly keen for me to continue running with him at the weekend, even though I told him I could barely make it home after trying to keep up with him the weekend before. He had a valid point that he could help contribute towards my 'speed work' training which I have to start doing, like 2 weeks ago! And so it is, that I'm running with Rob on Sunday morning 10.30 AM sharp!

Vicky asked about sponsoring me again so I must get round to putting that email together and sending it to everyone in my personal address book. Claire sent hers round over the weekend and I love it, she's so entertaining it makes you want to sponsor her regardless of whether she runs the marathon or not!

I always thought that people would find it a burden coming along and waiting in the crowds on Marathon day, which has in recent years been either boiling hot or wet and windy. So, I hadn't really thought too much about asking whether people would like to come along and support me, and watch me run like a chicken (according to my lovely siblings I walk like one) and sweat like a beetroot.

However, I'm pleasantly surprised that a few people are suggesting it. I should formulate a plan... Adam at work suggested that they not only support me but bring along goodies too! Which means I won't have to carry them around myself! Rob suggested, since it was on a Sunday, that he'd bring along a treat of liquidised Sunday Roast for me to enjoy and I could pour it over myself to cool down - hmmm...

This afternoon Sarah checked whether I was going running with her at lunchtime and I cowardly admitted that I was actually a bit scared now, since in a meeting earlier, John had informed me that she had come 4th in a company race and had won a holiday off the back of it! I didn't want to hold her back. You think running fast is tough, try running at a slow pace, it's frustrating!

Anyway, she was really nice about it and didn't mind running at my pace once a week. Which means a lie in for me tomorrow - yay! I must remember to pack my running kit tonight...

Les Witton Dartford 10: 1 hour 40 minutes

Driving down the A205 / A2 I couldn't stop smiling, it brought back fond memories from last summer when I was driving with Claire, Clare and Tracy on our way to France for a chilled out girlie holiday at Lucy's place in Genouilly - one of the most relaxing breaks I'd had in a long while.

Woke: 7.10 AM

Snooze: once, well I did wake to the sound of rain and wind, hmmm...
Up: 7.21 AM

Fuel: big bowl of porridge and orange Lucozade Sports

Out: 8.10 AM
Route: around Dartford...

Distance: 10 miles
Weather: the weather man got it wrong again! The weather was perfect for a long run, sun shining, clear blue skies. The only thing I'd say is that it was little windy throughout which made it cold when we were waiting at the start and wandering back to the car after crossing the finish line!

The drive to Dartford was straightforward, the roads were clear and parking was a doddle. It was a very organised race I have to say. The facilites were impressive too. No queues for the toilet and I picked up my number without any hassles. All the marshalls were friendly and helpful which made the day even nicer really.

Met Ade and Matt dropping off their bags. We posed for a few souvenir photo's and then headed to the start line!

Ade happily poses while Matt bares his number

Taking photos with an iPhone is tricky business...

At the start line...

Mile 1: got over taken by lots of runners, young, old, light and heavy...

Mile 2: it was about time I over took someone! A bloke wearing an orange running jacket! [1]

Overheard a conversation between 2 blokes, let's call them Bill and Bob
Bill: She's my assistants best friend
Bill: She's really fit
Bill: She's 24... too young?
Bob: well, you're 28

Mile 3: I've noted that I seem to have a similar pace to a bloke listening to his iPod and wearing a black running hat with a grey rim. We've been taking turns in overtaking each other, let's call him Graham [2]

Mile 4: Graham over took me... pah, but then I over took a lady in a shocking green t-shirt - take that! [3]

Mile 5: over took a bloke in red t-shirt and mp3 player tied around his waist [4]

Mile 6: ran under some pylons and could hear them buzzing away. A little further and I saw a lady in a yellow coat cheering a runner on with a rattle, let's call her Barbara

Mile 7: felt quite light on my feet, it was as thought I was gliding on autopilot for about half a mile, the water stop probably had something to do with that...

Mile 8: Overtook 2 blokes and Graham for the final time [6]!

Mile 9: Barbara had made her way to mile 9 with her rattle! She recognised me and cheered me on too - ahhh! Over took a guy in a white track suit and a golden hooped earring in his left lobe [7]

Mile 10: Ade and Matt cheered me to the finishing line where I over took an 8th person - yay!

Finishers medal!

Refuel: a nice big and perfectly ripe banana washed down with a SuperBerry ForGoodnessShake from the goody bag

Back: 12.20 PM, not bad for one morning! I was going to have an afternoon nap but I just couldn't fall asleep
Alcoholic beverages not consumed: glass of red with dinner

What next: 3 miles on Tuesday morning

Notes:

• I should probably go back to my roots and invest in a [lime green Kappa] track suit for after my runs... it did get quite nippy and Ade had to lend me his jacket while we walked back to the car
  
• I hope Mary's free to give me a sports massage tomorrow...
• Looking forward to Neill's roast beef dinner this evening!