Fiona: Week 7

Monday I did notttttthing. Sweet old nothing.

Tuesday I did sprint reps. 1.5 miles warm up with 400mx8, then 0.5 back to the gym.

Wednesday us girls once again proved we are hardcore, as only girls showed up to train. We did the town route, a sweet 6.5 miles. I hadn't eaten enough or drunk enough during the day so I felt a bit sicko but that's my own silly fault :-D

Thursday I couldn't make training. Because 4th Year Uni sucks. Not that I didn't expect it to. So I went to the gym and sauntered about. This is my problem with the gym, unless forced I do very little. I basically did some arm work and 10 min X-Trainer... Lightweight! However, I woke Friday and was glad I only did that. Cause' my shins are sore again. So on Friday I did no cardio at all.

If I can (in my novice state) give you one bit of advice, I give you this: Listen to your body. If it hurts (like beyond a decent workout pain) and especially if it CONTINUES to hurt out-with tough workouts, listen. My shins and ankles are the weakest parts of my legs, easily. My calves are almost never sore, my thighs are steel (well... slightly mushy steel...), but my shins and ankles need a bit o' TLC.

Saturday was a blasttttt: 7 members of the team headed out to do Conic Hill Race, organised by the brilliant Chris Upson. It was tough- the elevation is really sharp and some sections are literally unrunable, but the descent is gorgeous. Especially a section where rise a little again, on a perfect springy grassy hill and suddenly the whole Loch is spread beneath you. Utterly magical.

From left: Bryan, Me, Neah, Julie, Ciaran and Steve

Cause' its held at Balmaha and limited to 70 people there are ample facilities, no queues for registration, and as always I can't help but think hill runners are so incredibly friendly!

Of our team our girl Neah was 3rd! She won lovely lovely booze (the other thing hill runners definitely get right- the prizes!).

Neah, wine and hound

One of our male team was also top ten. After the race, we took the opportunity of being at Loch Lomond to ice in a novel way...

Neah and I

It was FREEZING.

Hope everyone's training is going well! Remember to eat well, don't try and do tooooo much, run a few times a week and you'll be golden on the day. We're all in it together on 9th May!

Fiona McG

do it for charity

Driving to Mugdock last saturday was really uplifting as so many women were out there running all over the place and it was freezing and sleeting. The womans 10K is the best, getting us out there. The run was cold and wet and every step was a wet whip in the eye by my hair. Still sunday was much nicer. Trying to run 7.7K on the saturday and 5K on the sunday. Still not getting any faster but not getting any slower. Find getting to the 10K mark a struggle, but there is quite a few weeks left. Did some interval training in the gym too. Still going to yoga which I am hoping will help my breathing. Decided to definitely run for Spinal Research. They had a fantastic call for donations on television with two very moving accounts from spinal injured people. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z0jsn/Lifeline_Spinal_Research/ Don't blink and you will see my lab at the end. It was so moving and spurred me on to try and raise some money. Set up a just giving page under Susan Barnett so please donate as I try and get my self round the 10K route and up thePollock Country Park hill.

Fiona: Week 6

Still having massi trouble getting rid of these blisters- the only thing that saves them from more wear and tear is Compeed blister plasters but a) at this rate im shelling out more a week on these bad boys than food and b) they stick to you long after the run is over, necessitating ripping a healing layer of skin off upon removal... Eew.

That said, impressive levels of training this week: yoga at lunch and then 6 miles on Monday, during which it poured, hailed, snowed and I refused point blank to give in. Instead the few team members who had showed to training started puddle jumping, singing, and trying to really confuse miserable passers-by with our cheery, cheery grins. After that, did some quick arm work for my ball dress on Saturday.

Tuesday was classic intervals- 500ms at 3.5 mins overall allowance. This means that if you're a slow bee like me you get a 1.5 min recovery (cause all of my 500ms were 1 min 57 seconds to 2 mins 6 seconds long). Did five of these and also ran 1.5 miles warm up and 1.5 miles warm down. Thats 4.5 miles overall! Also yoga-ed it up in this lunch break and did some arm/tum 'vanity' work.

Speaking of speed, check my new Nike tee:

Sadly they weren't selling one that said 'moderately slow' ha ha! It does make me look badass though!

On Wednesday us girls showed the boys up- not one single male member of the club showed! So us six girls headed out and did a speeeeeedy 6.5 miles. I was sore after this, but weirdly after going out that night and dancing, I was fine the next day... Dancing as a recovery plan, anyone?

Thursday I couldn't make training, which was to be a tempo run, so I meant to run solo but then had job applications so did NADDA. Same for Friday- stupidly busy with applications.

Saturday I was up at 7 freakin AM to run with a friend. Just a short and breezy 3 miles (it was baltic!) and then after breakfast I went to the gym to an hourt long boxfit class. Sounds hardcore but I must be honest- it was mostly for arm vanity cause tonight is the GUSA ball! Which also means posting now, cause tomorrow I plan to be sleeping curled up with the BF. Zzzzzzz.

Fiona McG

Hill work

Hey all,
Haven't blogged for a while - so I thought it was time I posted one and let you know how training is going.
As well as doing the Ladies 10K this year - I have also signed up for (my biggest challenge yet) the Edinburgh Marathon. Training started a few weekends ago with a course organised by the Glasgow Running Network.
I have to run 4 times a week - as part of the programme - long run on a Sunday, plus Tues, Wed and Fri nites. Have managed to stick to the programme so far and did a 9 miler on Sunday.
It was mighty hard work though as we had to tackle a couple of big hills - man - I hate hills!!
I was out with the Holyrood GRN group tonight and we did a 4 mile route that took in 4 hills - including a horrible hill on Millbrae Road - yuck!
However, despite the hill horror I know that they will be good for me in the long run - they really help with stamina.
For anyone training for the Ladies 10k you may hear horror stories about a horrible hill in Pollok Park - don't worry - it's not too bad. However, maybe try fitting in some wee bits of hill work to your training and it will be much less daunting on the day - that's what we did at GRN last year and it meant I knew what to expect.
Hope training is going well everybody!!
P x

running in the rain

Missed reporting last week as my running seems to be getting less instead of the steady increase in training. Still run on saturdays with the Mugdock runners but that is helped by the lovely breakfast and chat after. I am getting up to 1.5 times around the reservoir which is around about 7k. but the time is so slow. Started to try and read what I should be doing. some interval training and hills? Tried using the interval raining on the running machine at the gym which is hard work but not being outside seems funny. Think I cheat by grabbing the heart moniter handles which makes it easier. Yoga is still such a nice relief and I am trying to go twice a week and then run three times. Printed off an 8 week training schedule kindly suggested by my friend Sally, seems good but can I get out of my comfortable habbit. Got to remember to take my inhalers too as missing that out does seem to make a difference. The good news is if I do not run I miss it and worse still I feel guilty. But then I feel guilty as the kids are not getting a nice hot cooked dinner and have to wait. How do we fit it all in? How do you makes yourself run when its raining?

Fiona: Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you have a great day, whether you spend it curled up with a significant other, contented with your family, giggling with your friends or totally blissfully by yourself.

 

PS: Try and get a run in! Get outside and celebrate your relationship with running :-)!

Fiona Mcg

Fiona: Week 5

Now, this is what NOT to do:

1) Do nothing from Sunday after BUCS till Thursday.

I blame this bad boy.

2) On Friday try out zumba, even though you know you can't dance.

I know everyone loves Zumba but I actually found it really hard, having no dance background. So much I couldn't follow and I got so frustrated!

3) Spend all day Saturday in bed.

4) Spend all day Sunday in bed, then go to Super Circuits class, then leave 3/4 of the way through to throw up (no idea why!).

5) Eat rubbish all week.

I am an APPALLING IAM training blogger! Will try harder next week I promise.

Fiona Mcg

Fiona: Interesting Health & Fitness Idea

This video is by thefuntheory.com, which I came across randomly. The idea seems to be to make things that are good for everyone to do (more exercise, recycling etc), more fun to do in the hope that it will facilitate the behaviour. 

This one is about taking the stairs instead of an escalator- how cool is this?!

Fiona McG

Fail.com

So I failed my latest challenge but not in the way I anticipated! Instead of Friday night wine versus Saturday morning run it became Friday night cough bottle versus Saturday morning get off the couch! A chest infection and painful cough have thwarted my best intentions and prevented me from doing any kind of exercise for the past week!

In the meantime my bum has gotten so large that the lining of my skirt spent most of the day gathered somewhere around the top of my thighs in an unyielding and inelastic reminder of the current state of my body and my complete inability to run the length of myself!

As I drove home from work I saw lots of women running, training and getting in shape! I honestly felt a pang of runners envy! I am fully aware that my attempts at running look more like a waddle, with more than a little wobble, but alas it would appear I miss the public humiliation of running like Phoebe from friends (if you have never seen this episode I highly recommend looking it up)!!! I want to be the cause of someones runners envy! I will have new trainers by the weekend and will soon have some more inspirational material to share with the group....until then I'm off to do another menthol crystal inhalation and drink cough syrup straight from the bottle!

Training Update and Thanks

So thinking about signing up for the 5k fun run in March, think it will be great fun and also a good way to get ready for the 10k in March.

Not done quite as much running as I would like so far, but went for a wee run tonight from my house to Mollinsburn and back, not that far but went quite well :) also thinking about trying to go to the gym at my uni on the days where I have like 3 hours off between lectures -more productive use of my time- but we shall see how that goes !

Also want to say a big thanks to one of my fellow face of the race ladies Liz Burns for sponsoring me on my just giving sight, I appreciate every penny people can donate and just want to raise as much as possible for Yorkhill.

Have a receiption at Ibrox stadium on Thursday as me and my friedn rachel are receving medals for our help for the charity foundation. During the summer we ran from Hampden to Ibrox and then took part in a 5.3k walk around the pitch in order to raise money. So really looking foward to that and also getting more training in for the womens 10k.

Hope everyones training is going well :)

Fiona: Week 4/BUCS

Last week i did a lot of running (Mon-Thursday), nothing hugely out of the ordinary apart from ENJOYING a tempo run on Tuesday, which is a rare thing indeed! It was very hard but I felt a huge huge sense of achievement when done.

The biggest thing this week was of course BUCS, which went really well. Our highest woman was Elspeth Curran, a truly amazing runner, who was 8th in a very competitive field. I was the second slowest GUHH girl but for me my time was alright!  The girls team was 8th overall. Our captain was lovely and said that he was so impressed at all runners. Personally I was seriously impressed at Neah and Stephen, who had great races, and at Luke for battling through seriously hurting his shoulder. He was almost in tears when he finished but He. Finished. and thats incredible.

The men's A Team: from left: Adam, Chris (El Captain), Mike, Dave, Kerrick and Shabir.

Its a tough course too- a lap that was a) over the distance stated and b) had a double loop hill, where you are required to race up, run down, then turn on your heel and go straight back up... That its a lap course can also be quite demoralising as the best runners lap you.

Women's race start

I may not be any good as a competitive runner, but events like that remind me of why I race. Everyone was cheering everyone on- by name or by institution if you didn't know each other. If you saw someone flagging you yelled 'Good effort!' or 'Not long now!' or simply 'Come on insertunihere!'. It also reminded me of why I love my club- No one yells 'try harder' or anything, just full on support. Whereas other clubs had members shouting advice... in a race I wouldn't want to hear that! Also the overall feeling of GUHH is that its amazing if you happen to be a gifted athlete, but if you're not all they require from you is that you love a run and banter.

Back Row: Julie, Stephen, Chris, Neal
Mid Row: Megan, Me, Neah, Bernadette
Front Row: Yulia, Cat, Sarah

Fiona McG

The (Ouch) Challenge

Well I did it...I managed double Zumba! Two whole hours of huffing, puffing, sweating and yes, on one occasion swearing! I wish I could say it was easy, that my muscle memory meant I suffered very little pain (and embarrassment) but that would be a lie! But it's a start! It's a step in the right direction. It’s…a wake up call!!

Bleeding Heck (excuse my French!)! The race is 96 days away! 96 DAYS! OK…deep breaths…woosaaahhh! 96 days…that’s ok! That’s like 13 weeks…I can get back in shape in 13 weeks! 13 weeks of double Zumba, trips to the gym, pounding the streets of Glasgow and getting my wee (wobbly) bahooky back in shape! 13 weeks is an age! That is just over 3 months, one trimester of pregnancy, a quarter of a year…3 pay days! Ok maybe it’s not that long! But it’s achievable! Isn’t it?! Words of encouragement welcome here…

Self doubt and scepticism will be eradicated! First real run of the year planned for Saturday! I will not be defeated by the chunky, lazy girl currently inhabiting my body! I will update all on progress following the next real test on my willpower…Friday night and an open bottle of wine versus an early Saturday morning run! Wish me luck ladies!