Going Clubbing

Something i hardly ever do, haven't for long time actually.

But it's time to up the ante and make more of an effort. My club does a *pub* run every so often, starts & finishes at pub. My kind run. Normally it's at other sde of town ie- Balerno end, cause thats where club is based. It's 2 bus rides away from me though hence i dont often make it along. Yes i know it's daft to join a club on other side of town but they run in the pentlands a lot (hence the name(Harmeny pentland runners!) and it's full of lots of lovely people.

Anyway.. last nights run was starting just up road from me, bonza! So off i go armed with hi viz and head torch as ordered. Gav was first to arrive, quickly followed by Ian then everyone else. Iain, our supremo guide warned us it would be, muddy, boggy, wet & dark! It was :o)

Great run, loved it. Up into lower end of Pentlands quick skirt round bottom and back to pub. Brilliant.I ran mainly with Alistair as he wanted to chat me abut a very excting project he has coming up. This was only 2nd time ever i've ran with headtorch, frst time was suporting Jen on WHW race last yr, i need to find a way of making it bit more comfortable as i was fiddling around with it fair bit. Back to pub for few drinks then Alistair took me home and i caught 2nd half of game.
The club are big on thier headtorch runs so i'm really looking forward to getting up there and having bit of fun in the hills in the darkness! :)

WHW entries open tomorrow! woohooooo

The Thighs have it

Ran up to gym yesterday for my session with Pascale.He'd done me a plan and was taking me through it showing me correct way, timing me, pushing me etc aaargh! bloody hard work it was too. I wish i could afford to pay him everytime i go to push me but i cant so i'll have to see if i can push myself, i really hope i can

I predicted i'd be incredibly sore this morning but weirdly i was ok...

Decided not to run anyway and take a rest day, then i realised i said i'd go along to club run so it's not really a rest day lol. Anyway, as the day has worn on my inner thighs have got tighter & tighter.


Does this mean i'll have thighs of steel soon? :)

Got my number for Abingdon Marathon today :( Getting jealous of everyone heading up to Loch Ness @ Weekend too.waaaah etc

Dumfries Half

I was meant to do Glasgow half & ditched it for Perth 50k. Susan asked me to go down & do this race and seeing how she is always visiting me, how could i refuse?

On Thursday i did the photo shoot @ the studio with Roger, went to pub first and took a bottle along with me(dutch courage!)then pub after. Not big or clever on a school night...Still ran to work in morning though. Had very quiet night on Friday jumping between fetch, twitter & Facebook keeping updated on hardmoors and nervously waiting on news of Phil. Luckily he was Mr Sensible again and pulled out when his foot started to niggle a little *phew* he is a worry that boy!

On Saturday morning i ran to gym for meeting with Pascale to go over what i was looking for in a gym plan. Had good chat with him then headed off home to catch back up with Hardmoors. Headed off for train to Lockerbie at 4pm and Susan picked me up@ station.

A very girl night followed of mucho catching up, talking about boys, Chinese , xfactor & wine, followed by cocktail. The film, not *actually* any cocktails ;) Honest.

Woke up around 7ish and got up even though alarm set for 8. I made my intentions clear on Facebook that i wanted a PB.This was last chance saloon for the yr. I thought the extra pressure of telling everyone might just help. Susan was marshaling so we headed off sharp so she could get her instructions then we drove to lovely grounds where it started about and sat all warm n cosy in car. Caught up with Gav & Soph @ start and also made my intentions clear to them s0 after a quick rundown of my plan to Gav (run as fast as i could) it was time for off!

Caught up with Bobby on first mile and we chatted about future race plans for next yr, then he took off never to be seen again... Gavin overtook me around mile 2 and i kept him in sight for few miles before he too disappeared. hmmm, this is Gav *taking it easy* Decided to try & keep Marian in my sights instead and i managed to do that for rest of race. Really lovely course with quite a few long drags, not hills as such, not as us Ultra runners know them but then we tend to get a rest on hills, there was no chance here. I had a PB to chase.

But it wasn't to be. I did put my all into it but came around 18secs short of it. I guess it's surprise really, that was fastest I've ran since March. I never run that fast in training and I've done no other short races. I guess my legs need to be retaught how to run fast? It's no big deal, i didn't throw myself to ground and have a tantrum, except when i found out i got a mug instead of a medal anyway! ;)

So I'm quite glad I'd decided i was pulling out of Loch Ness & Abingdon before that, takes pressure off big time. Newcastle looking doubtful too for diff rent reasons.

Got kinlochleven to look forward to, and that's all about enjoying it, not racing. no more races for yr planned. Just lovely training runs to look forward to. I think if I'm at loose end anytime I'm just going to head up WHW and just run, just because.

In other news, I'm an Auntie again. My sis in law had wee baby boy last night(all boys in our family!) well except me of course lol 3 big brothers have all only had boys now. Stephen is excited to have a new wee cousin, he loves kids and would've loved a wee brother or sister. He'd have had to find a new Mum first though! haha :P

SUM(ing) it up

See what i did there? :p

By Thursday i was feeling pretty much ok but made sensible decision not to return to work til Monday as i didn't want to push myself. Instead i booked decided to go down to Ayr a day early and just chill out. After scouring net i found an amazing B&B and managed to get booked in for both nights so i cancelled my other hotel. I really wantd to be well enough to enjoy the SUMS Ball.

Friday i felt pretty good, hurrah :) Had deliciously leisurely lunch then schlepped off for my 2 train journey to Ayr. It wasn't too bad actually and i arrived there around 5pm. My room was just amazing. Happy Sandra. Popped up to local pub for bite to eat and few glasses wine then headed home with bottle bubbles, look closely in pic! ;) Drank it in my bed. Bliss.

Lie in next day with late fabulous breakfast. Then i got ready for run. Ran down onto seafront then right along beach & back. Have to admit it was quite hard work, week of complete inactivity does that for you! Stayed on seafront for wee while watching the kite surfing competition and enjoying the sea air.

Got rescued by Ian B who was supporting Dave W on RiverAyrway and we spent rest of day jumping ahead and meeting him & Lee at various checkpoints. It was good to see the route and i had tiny pangs about not running it, only teeny tiny ones though! Dave was on top form and we knew he'd get to that finish line!


Watched Dave finish then Ian kindly dropped me back off at my B&B. It was great to kick back and just get ready nice & leisurely whilst sipping on more pink bubbles. I still had no clue what i was wearing as I'd taken 2 dresses with me so i sought advice from B&B owners :) He immediately picked the red dress so that's what i wore

Met Karen, George, Donald & Elaine in pub before heading over to ball. Cracking night was had by all i think! Danced loads, drank loads and was thrown across dancefloor by random and landed in heap on floor! Had bloody great night though, Murdo, Tim and everyone involved did brilliant job. Was great to everyone all dressed up too.

I managed to pick up a wee award for doing most Ultras of the the series. >

This was in street after and juggling 2 bottles and a box, oh and a handbag whilst being a tad tipsy is not clever. Seconds later my box fell to ground and i heard a sickening smash. Glass was in smithereens. Seriously gutted :o(

We toyed with idea of heading t nightclub but after seeing the horrendous queues we headed to kebab shop instead. I was about to eat my own arm by then as i'd only had my breakfast and half of plate of rank chips in a skanky cafe earlier on in day.

Chicken kwababa went down an absolute treat. Karen was getting chatted up in shop whilst George stood patiently waiting outside, i was getting chatted up at taxi rank and George gave him a parting shot of " guess who's going home with 3 gorgeous girls" as we climbed into our cab! lol

Another late breakfast and i very kindly got dropped off by B&B owners at cafe to meet, Karen, George, Sarah, Keith & Lucy. Managed to blag a lift home with Lucy and Keith and we sang all the way home to some top tunes, many thanks for an enjoyable journey home!

Headed into town and went down to see my friend Graeme who was marshaling at World Archery competition, stayed for wee while there then headed off to watch 2nd half on Man Utd game in pub, managed to not get thrown out and stayed quite well behaved.

And that was that. Fantastic weekend.thank you, all of you who made it happen.

Back to work Monday. Booo.Didn't run in but did on Tuesday, then went to gym. I'm only girl in the free weights section, men are funny when trying to show off :o) Loving it. I've got my meeting with pasquale on Saturday morning to go through a training plan. I was using the kettlebell yesterday and today i feel like I've been run over by a train! ffs.Actualy feel sorer than i have after any of my ultras this year!! Still ran in though, thought it would help loosen me up but I'm still bit stiff so didn't run home. Nice bubbly bath helped a bit though.

Rest day tomorrow. I'm meeting Roger tomorrow as I've been asked to do some "naked" shoots for a "calender girls" type calender for charity. Roger is taking the pics and has booked studio for tomorrow. Think might need glass wine.. or two!

gotta go, Man utd game just started

Ho Hum

Too much time on hands doing nothing much productive is not good for the soul.

Not been a great day. In fact it's been rubbish.

but as the song keeps telling us, things can only get better.....

Article in Herald

I now have the link thanks to Friends in the know... :)
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/scottnbn/Herald%20Article.pdf



Still poorly, Doc says it's a virus and i've to ride it out, rest, fluids etc. Ie- everything i've been doing.

Someone told me i was damn lucky yesterday. To have done 8 Ultras this yr (and a half & a 5k, both PB's btw) and come through it all with no injuries or sickness

fair point i reckon oh wise one

:o)

Woe is me

I've been poorly since Thursday night, not good. I dont get ill, ever. Started off with my head feeling really heavy and hurty so i went to bed. Was still feeling ropey in morning so didn't run but still went to work (i need to by dying before i let folk down!) Luckily it was quiet at work and i just did some baking (rocky road, tiffin and Cherry & almond flapjack for those interested)

left work at 3ish and was home and in bed by 4. Head exploding and stabbing pains all over body. Thoughts of Roger's party long gone. Slept for about 3 hours the Stephen brought me drugs and ran me bath. Felt slightly better after bath so decided to go to party for wee while. Place was lovely, we didnt stay too long with me being poorly and Stephen working the next day. Think only had 3 drinks.Roger's new girlfriend was there, she has long blonde hair... go figure... When i asked if he was taking her to Loch Lomond next weekend to meet his Dad (he has a timeshare log cabin at cameron house, we used to go every yr, lush) he said "god no, Dad wouldn't like her (he loved me) she is a bit dim!" lol too funny.

We went for chips on way home as i'd not eaten since day before, chips never tasted so good! Until the next morning when i was woken by stabbing stomach pains and running to loo :(

Decided to spend day in my dressing gown and threw spare room duvet downstairs so i could enconse myself on sofa and watch the football. So that's how rest of day was spent. Got cheered up by fleeting visit and bunch flowers which was quickly dampened by Everton bloody scoring twice in last 10mins ffs.

Day was kept interesting by regular txt from Jen's race (SDWR) i was following on twitter and getting txt from Allan & Phil on thier progress.Phil very sensibly pulled out at 20miles when his foot started to niggle. Jen pulled out when she missed her own deadline cut off but i think she was releived, meant she could get on with the job in hand.

Stephen appeared got washed & changed the disappeared out for night. Realised hadnt eaten since the chips nght before s ordered chinese, managed to eat half of it and although i also poured a vodka, i couldnt finish it. Yes i *was* that ill!

Woke up once again by somoene stabbing me in stomach at 5.30am, so i txt Allan to see how he was doing. He'd got lost and was thinknig of pulling out, i told him to wait til first light and take it from there, he did and is now nearly done wooop! :)

oh how could i forget? I got PDF from the reporter from Herald, star that she is, so if anyone who hasnt seen the article wants it, just give me a shout and i'll mail it to you, dont think i can upload it here...

oh and last but not least. I've decided against Loch Ness.

:(