Friday 31 October 2008

Day 26: :) :) :)

Great session this morning - my first interval training one! 3 series of the following: run like a maniac for 70 seconds, walk-jog 3 min, run like a lunatic for 45 seconds, walk-jog 2 min, run like a raving psycho for 30 seconds, walk-jog 3 min. and you know what? I felt great, the weather was ideal, and I still feel rather elated...

The first 70 seconds run was a bit of a challenge, what with the ankle mobility issue I've been experiencing lately, but by the second run everything was nice and warmed up and loose. I did however feel some weird flush of pain in my legs during the walking stages, as if my body was flushing blood in the area all of a sudden. I've no idea what it is - it doesn't feel wrong, just like something the body is in a hurry to do to repair you, somehow.

Oh, and one more thing: it was cooold this morning!!!

And, just for the sake of it, yet one more thing: it's *f*r*i*d*a*y* !!! :) tomorrow, rest, waffles smothered in syrup, a tour of Camden Town with Cyril who is visiting us from Paris, and a post-Halloween party at Arnaud and Rob's...

Enjoy your weekend y'all!

Thursday 30 October 2008

It's almost 10pm, I am hearing the rain against the windows and thinking...


... will I have to run in this weather tomorrow morning??

Day 25: not so bad in the end!!!

This was my first long-ish run since the "ankles incident": 35 min, plus the 10 min warm-up jog. I'm pleased to say that my legs are feeling just fine, although the mobility in my ankles is a little off, so long strides are out of the question and I was getting frustrated at what I thought was a rather slow pace. Actually, in the end the GPS tells us we run 5.5 miles, in just 45 min (10 of which were just jogging) -- that's more than 8km :D I was really chuffed.

We did run under the rain though, and it was much warmer than expected. And I found myself wondering how I would feel when I'm racing several hundred people, because I got annoyed at the other runners who were faster than me and looked like they were enjoying themselves too, while I was gasping for air and frowning in the drizzle...! Still, I did get up to run this morning, and I did stick to it even though I was hurting and the weather was bad -- that's a bit more than a few Londoners did this morning I am sure! :)

My legs were really burning once back home, as I am feeling the effects of Tuesday's weight lifting session as well...

Week 4, Day 4

Week 4, Day 4 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Day 24: energy levels on the up!

Rather enjoyable 40 min jog-turned-into-run today, across Tower Bridge, the South Bank and back into the city via Cannon Street. Next time, we may do it the other way around, as by the time we got to the city the traffic was already intensifying and so were the fumes!!!

My ankles feel fine -- a bit stiff at first, then loosening nicely after the warm-up. And no pain at all after the run :o)

London has got cold! We had a snow fall last night, and as the news were forecasting -1C in the morning, I thought we might have had to jog indoors to avoid any ice, but there was none of that left when we left home, and we enjoyed a crisp (i.e. your ears and fingers get crispy...!!!) and sunny morning.

Week 4, Day 3

This morning's route, minus the very end:

Week 4, Day 3 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

It's strange how GPS tends to go dead around the tower of London ...

Tuesday 28 October 2008

Day 23: I am not, after all, completely broken! :D

This morning's 30 min jog went waaayy better than yesterday's. Thanks to the arch and ankle supports that Coach Stephen generously got me, it seems my legs are taking less strain. On top of this I feel like yesterday's jog and run loosened my ankles a bit, and so perhaps (perhaps) I am now well on my way to a much anticipated recovery :) I am waiting until tonight (and 8 hours spent sitting down in an office) to declare the whole matter resolved, really, and we are also going to take it easy tomorrow morning, but fingers crossed, this should soon be just a memory.

This morning also, we jogged at a fairly good pace and closed a 2.7 mile loop in just 30 min. This gives me much hope for the Leatherhead 10k - maybe I'll be able to run it within one hour??

Week 4, Day 2

This morning's jogging route:

Week 4, Day 2 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Monday 27 October 2008

Day 22: back on the run! Ouch, though...

Well, well, well, after a few days of no exercise at all, there we were this morning, coach Stephen and I, jogging 20 min and running 10. I am so pleased to be back 'on the run', and also annoyed that my ankles still hurt. I can't quite tell if they hurt because they are still damaged, or if that's because they are stiff after a lot of rest and little exercise. I am hoping that using them reasonably gently this week will restore some mobility there, and that things will get back to normal. I also spent far too much time on the internet over the weekend, looking at appalling scary articles about 'frozen ankles' and the like.

What a treat to enter the Thames Path and see the beautiful view of Canary Wharf in the morning again! I am just looking forward to getting on with the rest of my programme, and being ready for the Leatherhead 10, too.

Week 4, Day 1

We're back at it!

The iPhone was low on power, so it only caught the first part of this morning's run, but here it is:

Week 4, Day 1 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Friday 24 October 2008

I have a place in the Leatherhead 10K!

The postman just slipped an envelope through the door which contained my number for the Leatherhead Fire Station 10K on the 9 Nov!!! I am number 149, and officially in the race. So presumably, there will be at least 148 other people there to compete against...

I'd better get these ankles fixed!

I wonder if some of my friends will be jealous, as there will probably be a few jolly fire men there handing out water -- not that I want to give out the names of the friends who might envy me, of course :) I might just tag them to this posting on Facebook...

Recovering nicely...

Well, this is my second morning of rest. Easier today, as I did not feel the weird withdrawal symptoms of yesterday, and slept like a log.

This posting will be short: just wanted to thank my dear friend Maria for her donation on Just Giving. Cheers sweetie; you took me over the 80% mark today! :D And, I am glad that my madness is also motivating you into hitting the gym now -- we'll be fit fitter than a couple of 20-year-old (but what am I saying?? we are already!!!).

Thursday 23 October 2008

I want to run (or at least jog)

Well, it's not so easy to take a break! Although I thoroughly enjoyed the extra hour in bed this morning, I did miss my invigorating daily outing, and that strange feeling of being privileged that you get when you have London almost for yourself. I did envy the person I saw stretching after her run this morning, as I was walking by the basin on my way to work. Oh well, it's good to be looking forward to this!

I am dreadfully hungry, too.

And, I'm taking the opportunity of this short posting to thank Karen K, who made a generous donation and left a nice comment on Just Giving this morning. I am so pleased; thank you Karen for keeping this fundraising going and helping me reach my target! K x

Wednesday 22 October 2008

Taking a short break

Well, my ankles are still playing up, so we've decided on a couple of days of rest and recovery (lots of frozen peas!) to ensure I am ready for the next two weeks of preparation in view of the Leatherhead 10.

It's not without mixed feelings that I take this break, but I'll be enjoying a couple of mornings with a bit more sleep, and give myself the highest chance of feeling good and doing well for my first live race! :)

I'm looking forward to enjoying my invigorating morning runs in beautiful sleepy East London again... In the meantime I'll enjoy quieter activities, such as tomorrow's yoga class, and savouring fairy cakes with Stephen in front of the Colbert Report.

Oh, and one other good thing about all this is it gives the pile of sports clothes that I just washed some time to dry -- we were really running low on dry socks here!!!

Week 3, Day 3

With my symptoms lessening, I hit the road with Karen again this morning for a light one.

And with me comes the GPS. It appears to have lost us a few times this morning -- from Vaughan Way up to The Highway, and a large part of our route to south-east Wapping via Pennington. But here it is, regardless:

week 3, day 3 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Day 17: coooold!

30 min jog today, in the company of coach Stephen who is now feeling better; much nicer to have my running buddy back!

It was cold, cold, much colder this morning than yesterday. I am thinking I may need more of those long sleeves tops if the weather is to carry on like this.

We are taking it easy this week, as my ankles are still a bit painful, and this morning I have to say I was a little worried about having to slow down my training so much that I won't be able to reach my half-marathon-within-two-hours goal. I guess it's a little early to worry that much though. Anyway, I did ice my ankles again this morning, and we'll see how they feel tomorrow. If it's still painful there may be some benefit in resting a day or two to recover completely. I'm still hoping to do my Sunday run this week, but in the end being able to take part in the Leatherhead 10k on the 9 Nov is more important.

I enjoyed a short swim and sauna last night, which made for a relaxing change in routine.

Tuesday 21 October 2008

Day 16: do I have shinsplints?

Missed photo opportunities:
  • Unfortunately London has got colder and our central heating doesn't work, so there was I last night, with fleece and warm pyjamas, lying on the sofa with one bag of frozen peas wrapped up in a dish cloth on each of my ankles and knees. I was quite a sight! Ankles and knees were quite painful yesterday, and deserved a bit of care, hence the peas (and the ibuprofen). I was feeling much, much better this morning, with just one of my knees feeling a bit warm, and so I decided to stick to my program and do a 15 min jog followed by a 15 run. That went well, and although my ankles did hurt again when I removed my shoes and went up and down the stairs at home, I think this could well be a minor injury that will go away with gentler exercise and icing. The closest condition we could come up with is shinsplints, which coach Stephen, being a fencer, knows well. The Internet tells me that this isn't a term physiotherapists like to use because it is too general, however I can find no condition on the web that matches my symptoms, and I don't get a sense that they should stop me anyway.
  • This morning, Stephen still felt quite poorly after a large part of the night spent coughing, so I did train on my own (oh, I tell you, it takes a lot of motivation to put your trainers on when your other half is cosily tucked into the warm bed!). As I was jogging by the canal near the park, I suddenly felt a quiet presence near me, and as I turned my head I saw a rather big fox standing there, looking at me. I wonder who was the most startled...!
  • I also got chased by a meowing cat, who run alongside me for a few meters, in search of affection and food after a night spent outside. A chipmunk or two and I could have have been mistaken for Snow White enjoying a walk in the woods!!!

I've cancelled my session with Joao tonight to take care of my ankles and knees and get rid of the pain altogether - I may indulge in a sauna at the local gym :)

Monday 20 October 2008

Days 14 and 15: show must go on

I very much appreciated my non-running Saturday, as you can imagine. On top of this, the last working week ended on a high, with more generous donations and really cool comments from colleagues as far away as Mexico -- thanks Mike for helping me achieve my fundraising goal, encouraging me and helping me cover the Feedgit map on this blog with numerous dots from all around the world. So exciting!

I had not really been looking forward to the Sunday run after the last one, but actually I found this one (one hour) easier than the first, and managed to run a little faster, too. Fewer cramps, and better breathing. Estimated distance: about 6.5 miles -- not bad, eh?

This time I was running on my own as poor coach Stephen was house-bound with a nasty cough. So, here was I, panting and sweating, with my iPod, a phone, a bottle, a travelcard, a hat and a jacket soon all tied up awkwardly around my waste. I hate to say this, but it looks like I will need the one thing that has American and English people all confused about the language: a bum bag (for the UK) or a fanny pack (for the US). There is really no good way to describe this thing, is there? In France we just call it "sac banane" (banana bag), which isn't much better...

Anyway, the weather was pleasant but very windy, and I run along the Thames until well after Canary Wharf, enjoying the views of the high tide, turbulent waters and rays of sun shooting from between very dark clouds and giving the river a golden glow. And of course I rewarded myself with a generous slice of cake when I got back home. My first run on my own!

This morning (day 16!) was an esy 40 min jog, however I find that my knees and my ankles are rather inflamed and were painful when I started, until I got a little warmer. There is still a fair bit of wind around, which made it challenging for yesterday's run in particular, as I was most of the time running against it.

All in all, I may need some ice packs for my legs, but all is well, and on to week three!!!

Friday 17 October 2008

Week Two, Friday

Jogging before tomorrow's weekly rest -- here's the route:

Week 2, Day 5 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Day 12: cold in more ways than one

Relatively easy 30-min jog this morning, as a genle-ish closure to the week (I've not yet decided if the Sunday run should count as the end of a week or the beginning of one......).

The weather has become much cooler all of a sudden, and I tried on my new long-sleeve tops -- they have some kind of thin fleecy lining which got me to think I wouldn't use them until the full-on winter, but obviously I was wrong there.

We're so busy during the week we have both run out of running socks and underwear for failing to deal with our laundry...

Coach Stephen was rather poorly this morning, and I was amazed that he still got himself out of bed to jog with me, despite his nasty cold. You know when you are dealing with somebody who did competitive sports before...

Thursday 16 October 2008

Jolly fireman


Just wanted to show you all the Leatherhead Firestation 10k logo, which I think is worth the look!


I've just sent my application form, so hopefully there'll be space for me there and I'll get my first taste of a real race!

Day 11: mood swings...

Dry but slightly colder and windier day today, for a 30 min Fartlek session along the river and Shadwell Basin (which, contrary to what the GPS says, we do not swim across). I felt more energetic than at the beginning of the week, thanks to a simple jog yesterday, a TV night and some recovery time. My left knee cap hurt a bit but that seemed to fade away pretty soon after this morning's session.

Coach Stephen, however, is coming down with a cold and I was quite chuffed that he still made it and made some useful remarks about tense shoulders and pace-breaking turns, which seem to be the two things I need to work on at present.

Last night was one of those moments where a pep talk was highly needed, as I have now definitely entered that phase of my training where the body says no and the mind starts to think no as well. When this happens, it seems I start doubting my ambitious goals and reverting to the general "if I finish the race I'll be happy" attitude, which is true yet not entirely true. I'd much prefer the positive feeling of having done well at the race despite it being my first, than the feeling of having managed to complete it despite it being my first. I have yet to determine what "doing well" means here, as depending on my level of energy and the difficulty of the task ahead, I decide that my goal will be to run the Bath Half in under 2 hours, or I decide that I want to be in the top 50% finishers, or (when I'm low) that I just don't want to finish last.

I also have very little understanding of how fit/unfit a runner I am, as I have not yet had a chance to compare myself to anybody else (as coach Stephen obviously adjusts his own pace to help me achieve my objectives realistically). In that sense, I think running the Leatherhead Firestation 10k (love the name!!!) will be helpful. To be completely honest and blunt, I guess I am looking forward to seeing other people running slower than I do :o) :o) !

All in all, I was a little off last night and questioning the challenge of this 24-week training, wondering why I should do it when others just do the minimum required to complete the race without collapsing, wondering if this constant hunger of mine would settle to a balanced set of dietary habits, and if I would at any point not feel like this is completely overtaking my life, as it robs me every night of a whole hour of "me" time because I am so desperate to go to bed :)

But the truth is, I'd rather do it the hard way because knowing myself, I will feel such a bigger sense of achievement afterwards. So, we've decided to keep to our hard-core programme at least until the Leatherhead 10, when I will know a little better where I stand and what I should do next.

Week 2, Day 4

Today's GPS tracks -- more accurate, although it does seem to have trouble with the north side of Shadwell Basin, and the nearby park.

Week 2, Day 4 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Day 10: first day of a long series of rainy ones

'Easy' 30-min jog today (as in: it wasn't easy to jog, but it was easier than a run or a Fartlek session). This was also our first training session under the rain (real rain, not just a drizzle). I believe this won't be the last, as we are now entering the gloomy season in London (which generally lasts until mid-June...).

This morning was rather mild. The gates around the Tower of London were closed, so we didn't get to jog the loop we wanted, but it was still pleasant to enjoy a slow pace today. The GPS isn't perfect in this kind of weather, but the armband that coach Stephen recently acquired makes it a lot more reliable, as überphone doesn't switch to other applications anymore.

My legs were heavy and stiff, but my knees are feeling much better.

I wore my AC-DC t-shirt (!!!) with pride, as I have once more run out of clean wicking stuff.

Last night the PT session ended up being an arms and abs workout, which made for a good change - I felt it was good to focus on something else than my legs! I've also agreed with Joao that we would alternate what he calls "explosion training" (the mad boot-camp-style stuff we did last week) with our good old weight-lifting sessions, as I'm already feeling the impact of not working out my arms as much as I used to, and I don't want to lose my Madonna biceps ;o)

My fundraising is going very well so far, with a lot of generous donations from colleagues at Amex - thank you Eve, Benjamin and Joel for your support! People who donate are also leaving some nice comments on the Just Giving site, which is great because I am also hearing a lot of people around asking "why I'm doing this", "why so early", or telling me" not to overdo it" or that they would "never do that themselves". Reminds me of when I packed my bags and moved from the French countryside to London - pretty much the same mix of excited vs. puzzled reactions :o)

Tonight will be an evening of simple relaxation: nothing in the diary, and now that we have Sky TV at home, you can see where this is going...

Today's Route

Overcast + large building + tunnels = poor GPS signal. Apparently it missed that we actually circled the Tower this morning.

Here it is, anyways:

week 2, day 3 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Tuesday 14 October 2008

Week 2, day 2 (cont) or day 9...

My heart sank a little last night when, just before bed, I realised that today was not "gentle jogging" day, but "longer than before Fartlek day". Awww. 40 mins of jog-then-sprint-like-a-maniac-then-jog.

My knees were a bit sore yesterday, but overall I'm doing well. Less of a spring in my step than on week one - what with the first-week excitement fading a bit, the general fatigue, the last two days of plain running, and the thought of the 23 weeks to go :o).

That being said, once awake and warmed up, it wasn't so bad at all.

I've decided to run an actual race on weekend 6, and found that I can still register to the Leatherhead Fire Station 10K race for that. This would make for a new environment (the country!), and the discovery of a real-race set-up (with about 600 other people, apparently, none of whom will be coach Stephen, as he will most probably be taking pictures of me struggling to get out of a muddy field, instead...!).

Tomorrow is definitely gentle-jog day (I checked!!!), but I still have my PT session to go through with Joao tonight. If I'm not a seasoned athlete after all of this, then I never will be!!!

Week 2, Day 2

With the GPS up and running, I give you our odd route. We ran in a lot of circles, and the GPS had some trouble figuring out exactly where we were while circling Shadwell Basin, but it's more-or-less accurate:

Week 2, Tuesday: Fartlek at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Monday 13 October 2008

How the weekend went...

I actually slept more on Sunday than Saturday, as the habit of waking up at 6 every day got in the way of a lie-in at first. But I did enjoy *not* training for a change!

On Sunday, I managed my very first one-hour run!!! :D And I tell you, people: it was *hard*. Two lessons learnt on that day: one, don't start too fast, and two, avoid fried sausages for breakfast :)

We run along the Thames, on a beautiful sunny day, and that means we completely sizzled for a whole hour. I went through a whole range of feelings. Notably, about 12 minutes into the run the realisation suddenly really hit me that I had to keep this up for a complete hour (this comes with something not very different from despair......). I also got to a point about 15 mins before the end where I thought I would break down and cry - my thoughts were tumbling about in my head and they were not pretty ones: "can you really do this?" was the main question.

But in the end, we completed the damn thing!!! :) We crossed the river via Greenwich tunnel, which made for a rather delightful spell of fresh and damp air, much needed after 45 minutes of burning in the the sun. I can tell y0u that completing the course was totally exhilarating, and there's something to be said for the pleasant stretch that ensued on the grass near Greenwich pier, with a rather stunning view of Canary Wharf and the Dome.

We went back home by boat, admiring the views along the way.

Went to bed at 9.30 last night...

This morning (day 8) was a 30-min steady run, which was quite painful at the start after yesterday's efforts. But overall we managed to hit a slightly faster pace.

All good, and on to week 2!

Sunday 12 October 2008

Day SEVEN photo3


At the end of the run. No GPS today

Posted by ShoZu

Day 6, photo 1


Preparing for a Sunday run

Posted by ShoZu

Day 6, photo 2


Posted by ShoZu

Friday 10 October 2008

Support from colleagues at Amex

Ending the work week on a high, with plenty of encouraging emails from my colleagues of the Amex Interactive International team, an offer to come and see me at the race, and even a generous donation already (thank you Simon!). Some people also asked if the photos were really of me - yes, they are!!! :o)

The Feedgit widget is quite awsome: from it I can see that some people accessed this blog from Ohio (ah, the memories!) and even Malaysia today... I wonder who came by from so far away?

And now, my eyes are red from looking at the screen all day, so I am off to start my weekend.

Bye all! x

Day 5: it's **F*R*I*D*A*Y** :D

Fridays have taken on a whole new meaning for me apparently: not only is it the end of the working week (which I'm sure you'll all agree, is great even if you love your job), but it's also my last day of training before my beloved lazy Saturday!

Today was a 35 min Fartlek session which turned out to be quite a bit longer (possibly 45 min) as our timer somehow fell asleep during the session. We thought it was strange that, as days are becoming shorter, the sun was a little higher in the sky than usual when we started to run our way back home...... I also realised that the Millenium Bridge is *much* longer than London Bridge when you sprint across it (and makes strange RAF-plane noises at each end - why is that??). By the end I was dribbling like a rabid dog.

Last night's yoga session turned out to be tough, as most of my leg and shoulder muscles had gone a little tight, but it was useful in the sense that it helped me strech a little better today. I am actually thinking of signing up for another 9-week course, just for the sake of the few minutes of pure relaxation provided in the end of the session (or, as my teacher puts it, the "surrendering into Shavasnah"...).

All's good, and I am looking forward to a relaxing evening and long sleep-in tomorrow, followed by a gigantic plate of waffles smothered in galons of maple syrup.

Day 5 - GPS

Today's route -- not as accurate as I'd like. It looks like we swam a bit.

Day 5: Fartlek at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Thursday 9 October 2008

Day 4

The route:

Day 4 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Day 4: easy-peasy?

Today, a simple 20 min jog. All good. I feel really lucky with the weather (sun and not too cold). The GPS is still not quite working (this time it didn't get interrupted mid-way, but it showed us ending up in Marylebone instead of Wapping...). Coach Stephen might look for another application (and is making manual adjustments in the meantime). This morning, having run short of wicking tops, I had to wear my Hooters t-shirt bought in Dayton, Ohio...

Every muscle of my body is aching, and I am tired. My abs ache when I laugh or sneeze. My shoulders and pecs hurt from Tuesday's push-ups. One more day of training tomorrow before my much-deserved lazy Saturday!

I connected to my emails this morning to discover that yet another donation has made it to my Just Giving site - thank you Mr Stu, very generous! This also pushed Cyril's comments about pooping cats down on my blog's home page widget, which put me on my way to slightly classier content :) Cheerio...

Wednesday 8 October 2008

Day 3

I was so shattered last night that I almost fell asleep on the 3-tube-stops journey to the gym, where I was scheduled for a personal training session. Joao (my PT) clearly got the message that I am seriously running this race, and changed my training from the usual iron pumping to some sort of brutal boot-camp-style enterprise :) So, after having lazily cycled on a bike for 15 mins, he made me do a nasty set of jumps, push ups, and weight lifts, plus some running up-hill on the tread mill at 12 miles an hour. It woke me up for sure! That being said, I was useless when I got home and fell asleep right after my bowl of pasta...

Evidently my body has started realising what is going on, and yesterday I felt my appetite increase, and was also thirsty and drinking all the time.

And this morning. Aaah, this morning. I woke up with every muscle in my body completely stiff, and as I started my warm-up jog, I felt that, funnily enough, my abs were the sorest muscles of the lot.

Today's session was my first taste of Fartlek training. Nothing rude there, ladies and gentlemen. Fartlek is actually a (Swedish) training method that involves, roughly, short-to-medium distance bursts of effort where you run like a maniac to get your heart racing, interspersed with cool-down jogs. Sounds bloody awful I know, however I have to say that I much enjoyed learning how to make longer strides and control my breathing (which goes bonkers when I run like that). It takes some practice to breathe in consistently through your nose instead of swallowing big gulps or air. There are also some chemical benefits to this form of training, apparently, to do with your body reusing some of the energy it produces, or something of the sort.

The setting was incredible this morning: I got to do my sprints on Tower Bridge (beautifully lit - check out the picture below!) and London Bridge (which involved a bit of slaloming between city people walking to work in the early hours).

A bit more luck with the GPS application, but not quite perfect yet. We'll work it out!

I am looking forward to my only night of relaxation tonight and intend to rest completely at last. Bring on the hot bath, scented candles, big dinner in front of the TV, and hopefully an 8-hour night of sleep...

Also this morning, one more very generous donation from my dear friend Cyril, who has also left a 'wonderful' comment on the Just Giving site (in the classy style that can only be recognised as his). Thanks Cyrilito.

Uploaded - 08\10\2008-1


Posted by ShoZu

Uploaded - 08\10\2008


6:10am, before the first Fartlek.

Posted by ShoZu

Tuesday 7 October 2008

My legs hurt a bit...

Two days into the programme, 6 hours sitting at my desk, and now my legs seem to tighten every time I make a step to the coffee machine. Usually, post-exercise pain peaks about 48 hours after the workout for me, so I wonder what tomorrow will be made off.

On a more positive note, I've just had my very first donation! Thanks to Marcia and Tom, who must be celebrating right now the birth of their first grandson, little Mischa...

Day two (cont.)

Today, 30 minutes jog, into Wapping and around Shadwell Basin, which gave us a nice view of Canary Wharf in the mist.

Legs a bit heavier than on day one, but built up a nice pace.

Weather much milder and with a light drizzle of rain which ended up being quite welcome and refreshing.

Didn't get the GPS application to work on coach Stephen's überphone, so we'll have to work out a fix for tomorrow, as we want to record our routes and the distance we run.

I expect to be less tired today as at least I got a full night's sleep :)

Day Two


After a thirty minute jog. 7am.

Posted by ShoZu

Monday 6 October 2008

My fee is paid...

There's no going back now! :o)

That's it, I'm doing it!!!

Dear all,

I have decided to run the Nationwide Bath Half Marathon (a.k.a. the Bath Half) in March 2009. I am so excited (and a little anxious). The last time I seriously run (or perhaps it was just jogging?) was at university, something like 9 years ago, when I used to run around the Lac de la Ramée with uni friends.

I am running on behalf of Shelter, a national campaigning charity working to improve the lives of homeless and badly housed people. Of course I will need support in the form of donations and a lot of encouragements, pep talks and moral support!!! :) You can all make donations to my Just Giving secure website, at http://www.justgiving.com/karencaille.

And here are the first couple of news on this new adventure.

On Saturday I got myself a brand new pair of trainers (first time I pick from the "regular runners" shelf instead of the "lousy occasional joggers" one, I have to say), some wicking tops and a rather splendid Rocky-like wool hat.

And this morning, I hit the tarmac at 6 am sharp, in the company of coach Stephen. What a blast! London is quite simply beautiful in the small hours of the day, when everybody's asleep and the sun is slowly rising over the Thames. We did a 10 min warm-up jog, followed by a 10 min run and another 10 min jog. I'm following the Shelter intermediate training programme (24 weeks to go!).

Wish me luck y'all!!!

Soon to come, the pictures of me in my power gear...

K x