I love Fridays!

Part of my training plan involves doing a 10K on Friday mornings around Garscube Estate with my (very energetic) wee dog (Jacob the Cocker Spaniel). This morning was perfect... crisp sunshine and all done by 9.15 so I can then feel great for the rest of the day.

That and the fact that I don't generally work on Fridays makes for a super, smashing end to the week. Happy days.

Planning to do the Glasgow Running Network 5K on 28 March @ Bellahouston - is anyone else up for that?

Get a Move on!!

The title is more reference to my state of mind at the moment, I've been a bit lazy of late due to not feeling my finest but I am going to pick myself up and get back out there. I'm happy all the bad weather is away and any hint of ice is now gone, so I can plan my routes and have a great time.

If you do go running yourself/with friends and without a group then planning your route using a route planner can really help. It can give you a sense of achievement by managing the route and if you still walk a little, then you can note your progress.

I'm starting off slow this weekend, going to try a 5k this weekend at parkrun (which I recommend for all abilities) and get back into it again.

I was thinking of last years women's 10K and how emotional I felt getting close to the finish line - all those folk who cheer you on but don't even know you - they were great and just really help for that final push you need to get that time you've been working towards! Thinking of that gets me motivated and really excited to take part once again!

I spy lighter evenings!

Hello girls!

I'm ashamed to say my training has been a bit sluggish of late, I think it's the cold weather and dark nights but since the lighter evenings are definately starting to creep in I'm quite confident things will get much easier and I won't just be limited to weekends! My husband has also started running more often because I keep talking about it so it's having a knock on effect on him and it's great to have a bit of support!

I've found reading the other girls blogs really motivational and helpful, it's good to know we're all in the same boat, even the experienced runners! The Women's 10K facebook page has also been really handy as there's loads of girls on there sharing hints and ideas to help so I plan to use some of those (plus I also feel like part of wee team of runners now!).

Can't believe it's only 3 months away, I entered the race in October and the time has really flown by, getting really excited, I just keep thinking about crossing that finish line and the sense of relief and pride that I'll feel. I must dwell on this to keep motivated!!!

xx

Any more snow??

OK, so I have finally decided on my charity. I shall be running for the local Hospice - St Andrew's Airdrie www.justgiving.com/julie-paterson. I am trying to think of different ways to raise money suggestions welcome. Rather than asking for just sponsorships I am currently selling stuff I have won in competitions on Ebay, I am also running the 10K in September, so I hope to have raised quite a bit by then.

Back to the training I never managed to run outside last week due to the snow and work commitments. I hit the leisure centre instead - I would like to shift some pounds before the big run so ran on the treadmill on Friday for 35 mins then on Saturday I had nearly two hours of body pump then body attack. OMG! this is now Tuesday and I still feel as if someone has attacked my body!! Fatima was great in pushing me to the end of the class :D Hopefully, I will be able to run tonight.

Being a bit of a gadget freak, I purchased the Nike sensor to connect through my iPod and track my distance's and times on-line, it also updates my friends via facebook. It has a 10K trainer to give you targets to reach, I am just over 5K at the moment and slowing building up to the 10K.

So, a 40 min run tonight - wish me luck!

Baby, it's cold outside or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the treadmill

When I started running last year (or run/walking at first as an unfit beginner) I was so chuffed to have found a form of exercise which no longer shackled me to the gym, and more to the point shackled my bank account to some 2-year contract. I joined a couple of running groups, some cost a little money (the Glasgow Running Network’s 10k Crash Course for Beginners), others were free (parkrun and Jog Scotland), but all involved getting out and pounding those pavements in the fresh air.

Unfortunately, fresh air in Scotland also comes with rain, hail, sleet, fog, and as we have all witnessed recently, snow! If I’m totally honest I have to admit that I only ran in the rain a handful of times last year, just lucky I guess (or does that say a lot about how often I went running... :-0). But when the severe weather took hold last month, I thought sod this for a game of soldiers! Walking on the pavements was a dice with death (and embarrassment if you went flying in the middle of Sauchiehall Street) never mind try running on them (even though I did see some runners out in the height of the icy weather but they were always men, and I just thought, ‘aye trust them‘!) so I did something I thought I would never ever do again…..joined a gym!

But do you know what, hand on my heart, I’ve never enjoyed running more! I’ve discovered all these advantages you see. Like for instance, it doesn’t rain in a gym (unless some eejit has set the sprinkler system off for a lark). The amount of people who get to witness my red face and wobbly arse are way reduced (and I think I am actually doing the public a favour in this respect!). And if I need the loo mid run, I can actually go and use one, instead of wondering if I’ll make it back in time or cursing having been born a woman with the less handy equipment which makes it so easy for guys to go to the toilet anytime, anywhere.

I think the biggest turn on to the joy of treadmill running for me has been that no matter how slow I run I am no longer huffing and puffing at the back of the pack, trying hard not to be last in the race or last back to the muster point. There’s nothing more soul-destroying to be in a running group where you are the slowest (and I have been, quite a few times) . But now on the treadmill I can joyfully keep up with my pal N and although we cover a different distance in the space of an hour, I’ve still done the hour’s run, but just at my own pace, happy as Larry!

That’s just my personal experience of treadmill running though, as I know many people could think of nothing worse than running on a revolving tyre like a lab rat, never moving any further forward than the fixed spot of the machine, while staring at some unchanging view (or in the worst case scenario, a mirror….aarrghh!). Yeah, even I’ll admit that being stuck in the same location can be fraught with dangers. Especially when smelly/letchy/competitive* guy (*delete as appropriate, or if you’re really unlucky you get all three rolled into one) chooses the treadmill right next to you, despite a whole bank of other free treadmills. But that’s when I choose to play my joker: run in an insanely distracting way as possible (a bit like Phoebe did in Friends) and that usually scares them off. Till they go and fetch their pals to point and stare at you, but that doesn’t happen too often.

I’ve probably struck lucky with my gym as well, as they have none of those anti-runner rules like ‘maximum of 20 minutes on machines’ (my friend at work was telling me she actually had a queue behind her when she was on the treadmill at her gym - I can’t imagine anything worse than people standing impatiently waiting for me to finish my go or fall off the treadmill, whichever happened to come first). And I’ve been able to sign up for just 3 months so can de-camp to the real world in April, free of an ongoing direct debit.

But all good things come to an end (even a 10k race, though it doesn’t feel like it at the 1k mark) and I know I’m going to have to go back outside at some point and join all the other brave souls who have already started hitting the tarmac for their 10k training. So if you see a mad girl running along with crazy flailing arms and legs which puts you in mind of Phoebe Buffay, then you will know that the wind changed and I’ve stayed like that!

Enjoying the scenery

Well where do i begin..

Just back from a wee 4 mile run with Evelyn&Mary Well done ladies running in the snow is not for the faint-hearted among us but we weathered the storm and im sure were glad we did.
We ventured out slow to start worrying about sliping, but it looks so much worse than it actually is -The route we chose was slighly hilly but surprisingly easy underfoot considering the snow is a few inches thick:We then finished with two laps of the field which added on an extra mile and you always feel so good when you do a little extra .
Keep up the good work everyone and dont let the weather get in the way of a wee run..

Evelyn Flannery is fundraising for Make-A-Wish Foundation UK - JustGiving

Evelyn Flannery is fundraising for Make-A-Wish Foundation UK - JustGiving

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Hi im running as part of teamjen-5k on 20th February at the Glasgow park run
Jen is raising funds for The-Make-A-Wish foundationUK
AND IS IN THE FINAL 20 of this years Miss Great Britain/Miss Universe comp
please everyone give a small donation and come to the Glasgow parkrun and suport Jen

I will be there running 5K all part of my womens 10K training come along at 9.30
blow the cobwebs off the trainers and get involved
Eviefla