marathon training – Project Healthy Fit Me

Marathon Watch – Less than 4 weeks to go

29/03/201629/03/2016 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in General

Absolutely nothing to report on the running front unfortunately, I have had an awful chest/viral infection for over 4 weeks, at least my physio will be pleased he wanted me to rest my legs

I had been hoping to do my 20 mile run this weekend but as I was getting breathless walking a mile that was never going to happen, the plan now is to eat well for the next 3 weeks and try and get better, I am hoping to try and get out for a few runs this week and if I am feeling better I will try and do 18 miles next weekend, even if I walk the whole thing Id be happy just to have done the mileage but realistically I just can’t even see me being ready to walk 8 miles let alone 18, but I will keep you posted

Are you training for an event, how are you getting on?

Run Through Victoria Park – Race Recap

09/03/201630/10/2019 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in Races & Race Reviews

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Have you ever ran a Run Through race, they offer, 5 & 10ks & have recently started to offer Half Marathons at certain locations, across London with the coolest medal for a very reasonable price (more details of Run Through events can be found HERE)

I have had serious bling envy since I saw lots of friends posting pictures of themselves on Instagram last year with their Battersea Power Station medals, so I made sure I planned 2 into my London Marathon training, this one Victoria Park & of course Battersea Park

I have had heard nothing but good things about Run Through races so I was really looking forward to this weekends race, so I was absolutely gutted that the race just didn’t live up to my expectations

So before I write about what I didn’t like about the event I want to be fair & write about what I did like

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I love the variety of races that Run Through offer
They DO have the best medals
They are cheap to enter
When I contacted them I was told I could switch from the Half to the 5 or 10k without any issues as per my Physio’s recommendations (most race organisers do not offer different distances or will not let you drop down or defer but Run Through were very accommodating

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Getting an email a few days before an event telling you the only toilets available will be the public toilets already in the park, none of which are particuarly near the start or have more than 3 cubicles, for 500+ runners plus runners, their friends and family and all the other park users really isn’t adequate (saying that I did spot a few portaloos near the start, although they may have been added due to one of the buildings in the park being renovated)
You have collect your race numbers on the day – my pet hate, I will happily pay a few £s extra to have them posted to me, no one wants to be standing around on what you know is going to be a cold/wet or possibly snowy March morning just to collect a race number
After collecting your race number being told your baggage label was not in your race pack so you have to queue again and when you get to the person handing them out their poor hands were so cold they struggled to separate them – I arrived quite early but I am guessing this caused delays later when more people were arriving
Leaving your bag in the same place you collected your race number only to return and they have taken all the directions down so you have no idea what gazebo to go to as they are no longer numbered (because I only done the 5k I was one of the first to finish so it wasn’t like I was late and they were packing away) and because the bags were placed in no order I imagine this was carnage 30 minutes later, again I am guessing the bags were not placed in any order due to the delay in giving out baggage tags
The bling that I have been eyeing up for so many months being the teeniest bling ever, it was fine for a 5k but I think I would have been disappointed receiving this for the half
& finally the final straw I do not seem to be listed on the race results even as a no show, I know I switched distances but I even check when I picked up my number and was advised because we had chip timing I could run which ever distance I wanted and the chip would record accordingly

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I am totally gutted I was disappointed by this race as everyone else I know loves them, & as I have said before they offer cheap races most weekends in a variety of locations across London which makes them very appealing and convenient, would I recommend a Run Through event, to be honest no, not based on today’s experience but I am hoping the Battersea Park race in a few weeks time will change my mind, I will keep you posted

Marathon Watch – 50 days to go (& Roding Valley Half Marathon Race Recap)

06/03/201630/10/2019 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in General, Races & Race Reviews

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So yesterday marked 50 days to go until the London Marathon & I am still feeling strangely calm

Following my Physios advise I have laid off the running a little bit recently, I had a half marathon booked last Sunday and there was doubt over whether I should run but following my scan I decided I would run but that I would take it slowly (not sure who I am trying to kid with that statement I had nicknamed this particular Half the Half from Hell a few year ago.

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Roding Valley Half Marathon is a small Half Marathon organised by Woodford Green Athletics Club, as I mentioned above I have ran this Half Marathon before and I swore never again so I am not really sure what possessed me to sign up this year other than the fact that I genuinely believed that if I can cope with this I can cope with the marathon

RVHM is a two lap course which contains 13 hills, yep one a mile and some of them are evil!!

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Based on my running recently compared with my running in 2014 I expected to finish this race in around 2hrs 40, so I was chuffed to bits when I finished in 2hrs 33 a 3 minute course PB something I was definitely not expecting, my strategy on the day was to walk up the hills and to run the down hills and the flats and it obviously worked there is a stretch of the course between miles 4-5 & 9-10 that is pretty flat and honestly I felt like I floated along, my legs must have been so shot from the hills because this bit felt like a breeze, and I wouldn’t usually be comfortably running at 10 miles

Would I recommend Roding Valley Half Marathon, yes I would, its friendly, well marshalled, well supported by the local community and its cheap (I think it was only £18), the negatives & I hate to name them but having to pick up race numbers on the day is a personal annoyance, I would much rather pay a few £s extra for it to be posted & there were no toilets on the course, it may not be a biggy for many but I think for a half marathon they are a must (if you wanted the loo you had to pop into a local cafe or bar or detour off the courses slightly to go back to the start line and use the loo there)

There hasn’t really been anymore running over the last few days as I was waiting to see my physio again, but I had a sports massage Thursday, have been given some strenthening exercises and have a plan for the next few weeks that involves a couple of 5ks a 10, some treadmill, exercise bike & rowing machine work and some stretching

Oh and the weight loss seems to be back on track

Are you training for an event, how are you getting on?

Marathon Watch – 60 Days to go

26/02/201625/02/2016 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in General, Races & Race Reviews

12733653_10153634958579748_5211876662190030149_n I seem to be struggling for time recently to update my blog so this is a short but sweet 10 day update on how my marathon training is going

60 days until the London Marathon, it was exactly 2 months on Wednesday OMG it’s coming around so quick

I’m actually feeling pretty happy with how my training is going, I have only done two proper runs in the last 10 days but both were my long runs so 8.5 & 10 miles

My left leg the one I injured last year has started to feel heavy, tight & aches constantly so I made a conscience decision to cut back on my midweek shorter runs, opting to walk those distances instead to give it some rest

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My 8.5 mile run last week formed part of my Valentines Run, it wasn’t an organised race it was just a 5k run around a local lake with another 5.5 miles of local streets and a park thrown in to make up the miles, I’d met a friend who is also training for the marathon for the 5k around the local lake it was great to meet up with someone mid way through the run as it really broke it up & earning a bling at the end was the icing on the cake

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My 10 mile run last week was 2 laps of the Fords Motor Company test track at Dunton in Essex, the race felt awful at the time, I felt slow, my leg was aching & the wind on the course was horrendous, I was seriously tempted to give up at 4 miles, but I decided to plod on even if it meant walking the rest of the course, so rather than do my usual 3 mins running 1 minute of walking I ran where it felt comfortable and walked where the wind was pushing me so hard that running felt like a pointless exercise and around the chicanes, I was shocked when I stopped my garmin at the end of the race & saw my 1.55 finish time, I’d taken part in the same race 2 years ago and had finished in 1.52, this year had felt so much slower, I was hoping for 2hrs or under which would have kept me in line with my 12 min mile marathon pace but on the day just didn’t feel like I had it in me so was just aiming for a finish so was delighted when I saw my time

Are you training for an event, how’s it going? Or have you ever felt that you were having an awful run only to discover after you were actually holding a really good pace

Monday Motivation

22/02/201615/02/2016 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in General

Wise words & words I need to heed this week, 6 sleeps until my first Half Marathon since my accident, scared? … Muchly

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Monday Motivation

15/02/201606/02/2016 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in General

This is so true, no matter how much I may not want to workout, I always feel so much better once I have

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Are you giving anything up for Lent?

10/02/201630/10/2019 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in General, Weight Loss

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I have never followed the practise of giving anything up for Lent before, mainly because I am not religious and also because as soon as I deprive myself of anything I want it more

Instead I have often committed to something i.e. one year I committed to be a better Weight Watcher and track my meals for the next 40 days, another year I committed to being more active and walk/run 100 miles over the 40 days of Lent

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But with the London Marathon fast approaching (74 sleeps) and my weight yo-yoing the same few lbs I have decided things need a shake up, and while I really do not like the idea of giving things up, I actually think it will do me good, I seem to be very all or nothing where food is concerned recently, eat like an angel for 6 days then eat my body weight in chocolate on the 7th

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So this year I have decided to commit to giving up 3 things

Alcohol – I can hear many people gasping but for me this will be the easier of the 3 as I rarely drink and my friends know I am on a mad night out ban until after the marathon
Chocolate – I can’t believe I am even considering this, I have decided its just chocolate I can’t have i.e. a Galaxy or Dairy Milk, chocolate biscuits and cake, I am still allowed things like protein bars, protein mug cakes etc, chocolate mousse as I would never usually accept these as a good enough substitute for chocolate
Fizzy drinks – I am a diet pepsi addict, but need to replace my addiction with water as I am still struggling to drink even a litre of water a day

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I hate sharing pictures like this one but I really wanted to record my current shape somewhere & I know a lot less people read my blog than will see my Instagram page, hopefully at the end of Lent there will be a dramatic change (like the BodyCoach before and after pics) and I will be a bit less aprehensive about posting the pictures, although I can’t see me ever wanting to post a photo of me in a bikini or in underwear anytime soon

Have you ever given up anything for Lent, how did you get on, or are you giving up something this year

Winter Run Series – Race Recap

02/02/201630/10/2019 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in Races & Race Reviews

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I so wanted to be writing a happier race recap of this years London Winter Run & I will, but before I start I wanted to share my experience of the start line

As we headed to the start line I went to do my usual pre race selfie & Facebook check in, when something caught my eye, my news feed was full of the words RIP Terry, the sad news broken that Terry Wogan had passed away, another life taken by cancer, we are only one month into 2016 and we have already lost so many British icons, David Bowie, Alan Rickman & now Terry Wogan to this awful disease

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While everyone was excited to run, the start line definitely had a more sombre feel, there was even more of a poignance as to why over 15,000 runners were standing in the rain waiting to run 6 miles on a dreary Sunday morning & when the going got tough during the race it certainly made you think, yes this run is tough, but fighting cancers tougher & my struggle is nothing compared to what many others are going through

Those of you that have been following my journey for a while will remember me being so excited about polar bear hugs & snowflake bling at last years London Winter Run and instead I got a free ride to the first aid tent, lots of sugary tea, a plaster cast for my leg and my London Marathon dreams shattered (click here to read more)

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I must admit as excited as I have been for the last 18 months about this run it has definitely been hanging over me like a dark cloud, I know its stupid, this race had nothing to do with last years accident, but pschologically it has been a barrier I had to pass through, maybe its because the 1st February marks a year since the accident but I have felt for months that if I can get through this race then I will be ok

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In 2015 the race route ran along the Thames, unfortunately this years race was more inland (possibly due to road works down the embankment) & a little boring, I love running through London but today’s race was a lot of side streets and doubling back on ourselves, the only sights I spotted were Trafalgar Square at the start, St Pauls Cathederal & the Houses of Parliment at the finish line

Poor route aside the support along the route was great, snowmen, polar bears and penguins cheering us on, snow falling (thankfully only the fake stuff) & a fab bling waiting for us at the finish line

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I ran the race with my friend Jemma, we are both running the London Marathon this year and our training runs have been around 12 minute miles, so baring in mind today was a fun run we were hoping for a finish time of around 1hr 15, so you can imagine our faces when we crossed the finish line in 1hr 8mins, its given us both a much needed confidence boost, I have a few niggles in my leg (I actually typed niggles in my head & I am wondering if that is nearer the truth & that the niggles are in my head) but I am hoping some stretching and a few days rest they will pass as the marathon training is starting to get serious over the next few weeks

If the London Winter Run sounds like a race you would like to take part in, why not click on the link below to register your interest in next years event.

Marathon Watch – 84 Days to go

31/01/201630/10/2019 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in General, Weight Loss

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Only two runs this week but thats only because I have runs planned for Saturday & Sunday, Tuesday & Friday this week, the miles have been increased and last Saturdays run was 5 miles & the miles will steadily progress from hereon.. eek, its getting serious

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Meals have been ok ish, I ate out a few times and had friends over one night & we ordered a pizza, something I realised on my 5 mile run last Saturday is it takes me much longer to feel energised when I run these days, I feel sluggish & its problem because I am 2st heavier than when I ran my first half marathon 2 years ago and because where I am working long hours at the moment I am not eating as well and that has to change.

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So for the next few days I am making a conscience effort to fuel my body better in the run up to this weekends London Winter Run, I am hoping it will help me feel a lot more energised and shock me to make some changes that can stay in place for the marathon

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One of the plus sides of the longer runs is taking in some different routes and last weekend saw me running laps of Fairlop Waters Country Park, there is something so peaceful & calm about being near water

& the scales, well the scales went down 1lb, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t have liked more but if I can average a lb a week until the marathon I’ll be happy

Marathon Watch – 91 Days to go

24/01/201630/10/2019 by ProjectHealthyFitMe, posted in General, Races & Race Reviews, Weight Loss

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I am feeling unusually confident for someone who hasn’t done that much training, but I honestly think the break has done my leg some good as the runs I have done over the last week might have been slow but they have felt good

I have booked some races and to help with my training and am really excited

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