KAREN RUNS THE BATH HALF!

I RUN THE BATH HALF :D 2 HOURS, 11 MINUTES AND 16 SECONDS

2009-03-16T11:39:00.010Z

Well that's it: I made it! I run 22 Km / 13.1 miles in Bath, along with 15,000 other runners, under a glorious sun. I have the sunburns to prove it! And here's the story...

The biggest event aside from the race itself was the arrival of extra supporters on Saturday. Here was I, enjoying a steak sandwich in a local bistro with Stephen, when suddenly I felt a strange presence near me on the bench, turned around, and found Arnaud, then Rob, then Cyril. Arnaud and Rob had driven all the way from London, and Cyril flew in from Paris to be there. Apparently the boys had been plotting this for months, with Stephen informing them of our hotel and train arrangements since December - I was so pleased! The look on my face must have been priceless really. So here was I, surrounded by some of my favourite people, in a charming Roman city bathed in sun, ready for the ending of my six-month project. We took that opportunity to have a stroll in the city centre and take some classy pictures of Cyril in front of sausage parlours...

The evening was rather uneventful - we ended up dining at the hotel as all the restaurants in town were fully booked, and I went to bed rather early, and a little nervous, too.

After a hearty breakfast, Stephen and I headed to the runners village to collect supporter's t-shirts. The race wasn't massively well organised as far as crowd control is concerned - we had to queue for quite a while to get to the starting point because thousands of runners and their friends were entering and exiting the runners' village via the same tiny entrance... All in all the race start got delayed for half an hour, so I stood there in my starting pen, shivering in the shade for a while. I just looked at the constant flow of spectators arriving for the show...

The build up to the start was great: we all counted down to ten for the elite runners to start, and my turn came up about 5 minutes later. There were 15,000 of us at the start!!! It was a great feeling, I even got a bit teary when I saw how many people had come to cheer us up. There were people all around the course, cheering, clapping, playing music and waving banners. The funniest one was the group of CLIC Sargent charity supporters, all packed in an open-top tour bus and brandishing pink flags and balloons; whenever one of their runners went by, the whole thing went shaking.

I spotted my crowd of fans the first time just near some Brazilian drums band, at the beginning. I'd been looking out for them for a while, and almost missed them! I started feeling the strain at the 4th or 5th mile, by which time some people had already stopped running and were getting support from the first-aid point. I figured then that I would probably run the whole thing in a little over 2 hours, as I was running at a pace of about 10 minutes per mile. I decided to keep running easy, focusing on steady breathing and drinking small gulps whenever I felt thirsty.

After about 40 minutes we got asked to stay on the left hand side of the road because the first runner was lapping us! The guy was incredible - so fast! Everybody cheered at him as he run past. The second runner was at least 5 minutes behind him, and then we got to see a few small packs of fast runners that followed, along with the first woman, a tiny lady who was just completely rocking it.

I spotted my fans at the end of my first lap, about an hour into the race. There they were, smiling and cheering :) And there was I, thinking "oh dear, I'm half way - is that just or already?"... Apparently I missed them the third time they saw me - I remember hearing my name though, and learnt afterwards that it had been Rob calling me out.

The course was great with just the right amount of hills, slopes and flat bits. It was however very exposed to the sun, and as I kept feeling thirsty and hot I really felt for the people who were running in furry animal outfits and wigs. There were plenty of drinking stations all headed by the army and boy scouts, but the only part of the course in the shade was about half a mile long. I was so glad I was wearing shorts and a short-sleeved vest.

Towards the 8th mile we started spotting an increasing number of people who broke into a walk, and casualties. People collapsed on the side, breathing in through oxygen masks...

I did run alongside some strange characters too, including several men dressed as women, a group of cats and tigers, and a guy wearing just shiny pink hot pants... The guys took pictures of some of these people, and few of which are shown below (and yes, there was a guy who run the whole thing carrying a surf board):

I spotted the boys at the end of the second lap, by which time I was running nice and steady, enjoying the ride and feeling quite cheerful, aside from my toes starting to really hurt. I think I run the last 2 miles completely askew, because I was trying not to have the three smallest toes on each of my feet touching the ground too hard - clearly I could feel that blisters had formed and they were turning really quite nasty.

But as we were approaching the finish, there were more and more spectators around and they were growing louder and louder, going crazy with cheers and encouragement. And then I saw the finish line :) I passed three Shelter runners along the way. I believe their names were James, Mark and Andrew, judging from the race results which can be found here.

I felt incredibly elated as I passed the finish. What a treat! The clock showed 2 hours 17 minutes if I remember well. My actual time as per chip is 2 hours, 11 minutes and 16 seconds. Not bad for somebody who couldn't train for most of the month leading up to the race!!! The race position results are somewhat temporary as I believe they are still being processed, but as of today I appear to have finished 6891st :)

After that, I felt slightly woozy for about 10 minutes, most probably because the sun had been beating on my head for two hours. I chatted with the three Shelter runners who seemed pretty happy too, collected my goody bag (which, oddly, contained a jar of cranberry sauce...), medal and t-shirt (5 sizes too big obviously), and waited patiently for the guys to join me.

Back at the hotel I peeled off the socks from my massacred toes (six blisters in total, some so nasty looking that a photo isn't even appropriate - one of my nails is actually black), enjoyed a nice shower, and caught up with Stephen, Arnaud, Rob and Cyril for a few drinks. The evening ended with a great dinner with Stephen, a very dozy journey in the late train to London, and a fabulous night of blissful sleep in our very own bed. Done!!!

Now, it is the end of the "Karen Runs the Bath Half!" blog.

I would like to thank all the people who supported me in this effort.

To start with, Stephen, who has been a great coach and loving partner throughout these six months of craziness, early mornings, intervalling & fartleking.
Then, Arnaud, Rob and Cyril, for plotting the wonderful surprise. I have to add that Cyril even had me believe he was attending some hairdressers' show in Angouleme for the weekend (to the extent of sending me the poster for it, and texting me "from" it while he was actually sipping coffee in a bar with Arnaud & Rob and waiting for Stephen's signal...).
And then, all the people who helped me with the fundraising, made generous donations and sent some really motivating comments either on Just Giving, on this blog or on Facebook.

You all rocked steady. ***THANKS***

Let's see what my next weird project will be. But for now, I'm off nursing my toes and lazying in front of the telly, for a change!

Karen xxx

You are hereby presented

2009-03-15T15:54:00.001Z

with a complimentary post-race relaxation picture.

Woo!

2009-03-15T14:50:00.001Z

Lap one

2009-03-15T12:44:00.001Z

Done. She's on target!

And Karen begins ...

2009-03-15T11:34:00.001Z

... now!

Warming up

2009-03-15T10:02:00.001Z

Race Day!

2009-03-15T07:55:00.001Z

Three hours and ten minutes until Karen crosses the start line.

D-3: well, it's D-3!!!

2009-03-12T15:24:00.003Z

I ended up not training yesterday because I got confused with my diary and thought I was due for the gym with Arnaud. Anway, instead I enjoyed a smooth 45-min jog via Shadwell Basin, Wapping town, Tower Bridge and St Katharine's dock. It was sweet.

I am also onto my fifth day of absolutely no lactose and no alcohol, so as to be on top form for Sunday. I am getting a tad frustrated by the absence of cheese in my life... but it's all worth it! Bring it on, then.

D-5: missed the bridge :)

2009-03-10T08:09:00.003Z

Well, here was my last "longish" run before the big day. Tomorrow should be relaxed, as I am entering my rest-before-you-give-it-your-all phase. I'm still feeling great and my coccyx doesn't appear to be causing much trouble. I've just run about 4.1 miles in 30-35 minutes, easing myself into it at first and then gradually accelerating, although I did slow down towards the end, as I could feel uncomfortable tensions building up in my shoulders.

I was massively overdressed for the weather, which is cloudy, wet and rather mild. I also missed my intended bridge: initially as I run on the North bank westward, I wanted to turn back at London Bridge, but I guess the fact that days start earlier and the bridge's red light gets switched off when the sun is up distracted me, and I missed the exit... So I carried on to Blackfriars instead (and almost missed that, too - I was rather dozy).

All in all, an uneventful run, and I was struck by the number of other runners around, too. The London Marathon must be the reason why there are so many people willing to get out of bed on a murky day like this one...

If I manage to maintain a pace similar to today's, then I could still make the Bath Half in less than 2 hours, and although this isn't the objective I am giving myself in light of recent injuries, I would still love to beat the 2 hours for sure!

D-6: coccyx behaving

2009-03-09T08:29:00.001Z

Feeling good after yesterday's long jog. Hit the gym for a short while this morning, to loosen my legs on the cross-trainer and stretch. No extra pain in the tail bone... So far, so good! 6 days to go :)

D-7: I run again!

2009-03-08T19:22:00.002Z

Aaaaaaaaaah :D 1 h 25 min of jogging, easy-peasy at first, faster on the second half. I am back on the road! Stephen and I enjoyed some beautiful sun by the river, with some fairly strong wind cooling down the atmosphere. It was great. I tried on my Bath Half Shelter shirt, which is about 2 size too big but still very neat (see photo in previous post).

Fingers crossed that my coccyx behaves! And soon, the big day! Woo-woo-wooooo!

About to hit the road again

2009-03-08T08:53:00.001Z

Day 147: the Shelter ad campaign

2009-03-06T17:34:00.003Z

I thought I would share with you one of the posters used for the current Shelter advertising and fundraising campaign, which I find really quite cool and compelling. This is just a phone picture I'm afraid, but it gives you an idea :) For the TV ad, see here: http://www.shelter.org.uk/cards.

Aside from this, I've now received my Bath Half number and timer tag, and booked our train tickets. That's exciting!!!

No news on the medical front though. As it happens, there are more hoops I need to jump through before the private consultation can be authorised by insurers, so it's very unlikely I'll meet the specialist before the big day.

This week end coach Stephen and I are likely to try out a long jog and see how I feel: if it's the same and no worse, I will probably run the Bath Half. If I don't feel good afterwards, then it will be a weekend of cheering and sightseeing in the Roman city!

Day 145: tales of the NHS

2009-03-04T14:09:00.002Z

I have just got my recommendation letter to consult with a private sports medicine specialist. Fingers crossed that I will be able to see the consultant before the Bath Half and that they will allow me to run it (and train for it). There is less than a week left now...! I would be really disappointed if they told me the race is off for me, although I still intend to go there and at least support other runners and Shelter!

My fundraising has been going very well - the latest donation came from Lucky, who has apparently been entertaining himself up there in Sheffield by reading the justgiving page :) Thank you so much Lucky!!!

More news as soon as I hear back from the London Bridge (private!!!) Hospital.

Day 139: running substitute.

2009-02-26T17:05:00.002Z

20 minutes of cross-trainer last night at the gym. Rather boring and nothing like the real thing, but it did get my heart going, and certainly my legs felt the heat after two full weeks without significant exercise. It's also a safe way to carry on training while maintaining a straight posture and minimising shock on the legs and back. It should do for now! :)

Day 138: how is that possible??

2009-02-25T16:30:00.004Z

So, here's the deal: I am less than three weeks away from the big day, I have not trained for more than two weeks because of a presumed coccyx injury, and today, I am told that I have to wait another week (without running) to be referred to a private sports injury specialist who will (maybe) prescribe an MRI (maybe) that same week. By then, I will therefore be 10 days away from the big day and still not have run. It is completely maddening. The combination of the bureaucracy of the National Health Systems and the blatant inefficiency of my local practice's red-tape bullshit makes for an incredibly lame (potentially even dangerous) process.

:(

I am still going to run that race, dammit! I envisage at least maintaining my level of fitness through lower-impact cardio stuff, possibly some extended cross-trainer sessions at the gym. I guess I'll have to make do with the enclosed, air-conditioned environment of the gym for now, and imagine the lovely London views, smiling fellow runners and staring foxes, instead of seeing them for real. Cheap video clips of pop aerobics music: here I come.

AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

Day 137: well at least it's raining!

2009-02-24T12:23:00.003Z

It's raining today in London, which makes me significantly less bothered about not being able to train (or, more precisely, not knowing whether I can or cannot train). Good news though: my appointment with the doctor has at last been scheduled, for tomorrow. I will then know if I should wait longer, or if it's OK for me to get back into jogging at the very least.

In light of all this, I am now really happy that I did not listen when people told me 5 months ago that I was starting my training too early :) Now that I am stuck not running for a while, it's great to have done all the ground work, because I am confident that it will not be as hard to get back into it, and that the impact of this break will be minimised.

I am looking forward to trying on my new Shelter running t-shirt!

Day 134: received my Bath Half running top!

2009-02-21T13:02:00.002Z

Argh... I am so annoyed that I cannot train right now! The weather is gorgeous, there are more and more people running around as the London Marathon is looming, and I am stuck with a probably-cracked tail bone. But, I received a bit of motivation today: my Shelter t-shirt has arrived, and it is quite striking. They recommend using it and washing it a few times before the actual race, so I will make sure I take a photo of me wearing it on the first day that I am able to train again, which hopefully will be no later than middle of next week...

More soon! Have a good weekend y'all.

Day 133: bummer.

2009-02-20T16:15:00.005Z

Things are kind of stuck for now. After a great race in Ashford I am finding myself forced to rest for longer than expected: somehow I appear to have injured my coccyx bone, and unfortunately I won't be able to have it seen by a GP and get reliable advice until next week. It will have been two full weeks without training, and I'm not really trying anything out right now, as running seems to be what triggered it, and I just don't know if jogging would make it worse or not. Agh!!! That being said, I will be at the Bath Half even if I have to jog it all the way!

Apologies to my keen readers for the lack of news lately - I shall keep you posted on how things go!

Karen Runs Ashford and District!

2009-02-08T18:37:00.002Z

What we did today:

1. Got up early.
2. Got on a train to Ashford
3. Got in a taxi to go to a race

4. Karen started running ...

... behind a weird car

5. Karen finished the race:

The full set of photos can be found here.

Day 126: beat my time :)

2009-02-08T18:20:00.004Z

We are just back in rainy London after a successful day in Ashford, where I run the Ashford & District race -- my second 10-Kilometre race. Last time, I completed the course in 53 minutes and 48 seconds. This time? 51 minutes and 58 seconds!!! I finished 291st out 563 runners. I am incredibly pleased, not least because I was bothered by annoying stitches (the same cramping muscle in the same spot of my abdomen, and the same cramping muscle in the side of my neck, as usual), and had to moderate my speed for kilometres 6 and 7.

The course is really pleasant and challenging at the same time. We had some beautiful sun and there are some good bits of countryside there. There were lots of hills, one in particular which was particularly long and got steeper towards the end, causing a couple of people to break into a walk.

I kept tagging my self up to a couple of ladies from the Folkestone running club towards the end, as they were running at a good consistent speed and I knew to run back up to them at times where I found myself slowing down a bit. They finished just in front of me, as in the last few metres I managed a really cool sprint and took over another guy to run back up to them. This time I made sure that I started my sprint a little later, so as to have the energy to run through the finish line at full speed.

All in all, a challenging but rewarding race. Stephen managed a few very good photos which he will be posting shortly. We had a really good roast lunch at an 18th century inn in Ashford, topped with a portion of apple and blackberry crumble. And now, we are back in London after a train trip which I mostly do not remember, because I fell asleep and spent most of the journey vaguely waking up and adjusting myself in my seat.

Tonight: a long, warm, soothing bath, and a generous slice of pizza await... Yum!

And she's in!

2009-02-08T11:55:00.001Z

And they're off!

2009-02-08T11:02:00.001Z

Arrival!

2009-02-08T10:37:00.001Z

We're here!

Twenty-three minutes until racetime.

On the train ...

2009-02-08T09:17:00.001Z

... and ready for action!
Or maybe tired.

Race Day

2009-02-08T08:25:00.001Z

And we're off! To Ashford for a 10k. Most pictures will have to wait until the end of the day, as I have brought a proper camera.

But here's one to tide you over.

Day 119: snoooow!

2009-02-01T19:47:00.002Z

When I woke up today (at about 11...) the sun was shining beautifully in the sky. Pretty much as soon as I mentioned "let's go running", the clouds came in. When we stepped out and started jogging, it was cold. When we got to the park for our pre-run stretch, the first few snow flakes started falling :)

We run 40 minutes today, as per plan, and half of which under the snow. It was nice. Nice also was to reach Canary Wharf in about 13 minutes - another time beaten!

However, I was tormented by a collection of painful stitches in my abs and chest, which got me to gasp for air and slow down on the running for the second half. It was lovely to have Stephen back, even though he too was being bothered by pain, in his knees.

But surely if neither the cold, nor the snow, nor our aches and pain can stop us, it means we are hard core?!

Lastsly, another good news today is a new and generous contribution to my fundraising efforts - thank you Adrian for your help. It sure is going to make a big difference. Cheerio!

Oh, I almost forgot: I received my number for the Ashford & District race next Sunday: I am number 195. Yee-heee!

Guess how long I will take to complete the Bath Half

2009-01-30T19:07:00.005Z

OK, I reached the fundraising minimum a while ago, but now is time to
completely, proudly and undoubtedly blast it.
And here's where you can help.
I'm going to follow one of the fundraising ideas suggested by
Shelter, my charity of choice for the Bath Half.

Here's what you have to do.
1/ go to www.justgiving.com/karencaille
2/ donate a minimum of £2 (or the equivalent in your local currency, my faraway friends! :)
3/ add in the comments the time you think I will take to complete the Bath Half Marathon, to the second - for example, 1 hour 39 minutes and 12 seconds. Make sure you don't suggest the same time as somebody else!

If you need clues, all you have to do is read through the blog and check out how long I took the last time I run the same distance...

I will bake an incredibly delicious cake for the person whose guess is closest to my time on the 15th March. If you live far away, fear not, I will bake something that can take a few hours of plane transit...

Good luck, and thank you for your support in making the lives of homeless people more comfortable.

Karen

PS - the image is courtesy of Cyril, who has talent, as you can see.

Day 117: logging the last few days

2009-01-30T14:48:00.004Z

Well, life's been pretty hectic this week, what with a ton of time and energy spent developing Caille Consulting Ltd and also looking at job openings all around. So, I've logged fewer of my running efforts, and here are the latest events in my journey towards the Bath Half.

Two days ago - skipped the 45 min Fartlek. With Stephen still struggling with a moody ankle, I'm running solo, and this kind of more 'complex' training is a little out of the question. I guess I don't have it in my heart to find the motivation :) I did intend to have a run during the day, but got caught up in service definition activities for my business and therefore didn't stick to that. So, I decided that I should stick to the morning runs from now on, as I'm less likely to skip them...

Yesterday - 10 min jog, 10 run, 10 min jog. The first jog was sweet: there was a heron standing lonely and perfectly motionless, knee-deep in the Canal on my way to the park. No one else around. The run was good and fast. I didn't try the two laps of the Shadwell Basin, so couldn't compare distances with the last 10-min session I had, but I reckon I was rather swift.

Today - didn't do the scheduled interval training, but did treat myself to a gorgeous jog punctuated by two sprints. I was alone and had the North Bank of the river for myself all the way to Blackfriars Bridge. From that point I started to see a few more runners, but nowhere near as many as in the last few days (Friday laziness?), and I feasted my eyes on one of the most incredibly beautiful sunrises I have seen over Tower Bridge in a long while (and they are usually stunning). Canary Wharf towers bathed in a light mist, soft pink sky, swollen waters, a couple of lonely little boats patrolling on the Thames, and the contours of the dolphin-and-woman statue near the bridge darkening against the sky. Sweet!

I also received my number for the Ashford & District 10K race (I am number 195!), which is next week, and sent my exepected-time form to Shelter for the Bath Half. I'm excited!

Have a wonderful weekend y'all.

Day 114: time beaten!!!

2009-01-27T16:04:00.003Z

I am just back from a much-needed run in the sun, and took my Wapping-Canary Wharf route along the river, starting at the small park behind Shadwell Basin. And, I managed to beat my time! It took me 1 minute and 20 seconds less than last time :) So, I finished my 30 min run a little further... I must have been faster on the second half, because I still took 15 min to reach the Canary Wharf level - a time which I would really love to beat some day soon! But that's for another day. Off to a long, warm bath and a glass of chocolate milk now...

Day 110: a good jog-run again.

2009-01-23T12:29:00.003Z

Considering that last night I completely indulged in a three-course meal, together with my share of a good bottle of French red, a complimentary glass of bubbly, chocolate truffles and a glass of one of my favourite-ever wines (Pacherenc), I feel rather proud to have taken advantage of an oddly early awakening today, to jog-run for 30 min, all the way from Tower Bridge to London Bridge on the South Bank, and then across on the North side. The programme said I should run, but again I am going my own way on this these days, and jog-running is perfectly acceptable as far as I'm concerned!

Day 109: feels good to have a real run.

2009-01-22T17:59:00.005Z

The training programme was starting to bore me a bit. We are at a phase of it where it's all speed work, and quite frankly, at this time of year and in this weather, getting up in the morning for a 5 min run (even if at full speed) feels a bit iffy.

Coach Stephen and I agreed: no more than one interval training session a week from now on. And with this mind, I finally got myself to get out of the house this afternoon to jog-run for one hour. I say jog-run, because I find that with practice, the distinction between the two becomes blurry, and I have sometimes a hard time knowing if I'm fast-jogging or slow-running, or even fast-jogging and running full stop. Anyway, a frank run feels gooooood :)

I think competition may be a strong motivator for me to go faster as well, judging by how I made a point of running faster than the other woman who trained for a few minutes on the other side of the road...

It also helped today that a few people sent me some encouragement on Facebook, and that Cyril even built a banner for the same purpose! Check it out on his site: http://www.poisson-chat.fr/FTP/KAREN.jpg.

Day 107: the last few days...

2009-01-20T16:11:00.004Z

Our first full run since before Xmas was 45 min on Sunday. Not our fastest by all means, but pretty good considering that my Mum & Dad were here and we had indulged together in a couple of bottles of good wine, a few aperitifs, a lunch roast and a gigantic spicy pizza the day before... Clearly, not the committed healthy lifestyle of 2008 :) :)

I still started this week with a mighty fast 10 min run, which took me further than last week's equivalent, so I was rather pleased with myself. We skipped this morning's session but we'll do tomorrow's, promise!

Another Sunday Map

2009-01-18T12:13:00.002Z

For some reason, the GPS does not currently like to begin for the first five minutes of a run ... but here's the last 40:

Jan 18 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

A brilliant idea...

2009-01-16T17:09:00.003Z

If ever you find yourself in a new city and would like to jog, then here's a good way to find the good routes: sightjogging! Cheers Stephen!

Day 103: longest jog since before xmas

2009-01-16T16:55:00.003Z

45 min jog this morning. My knees felt it. That being said, the most significant impact of this week's "back on track" theme is that my appetite is again soaring... I am constantly and belly-twistingly hungry...

Day 102: how far can you get in 5 seconds?

2009-01-15T17:50:00.002Z

The answer is: as far as you can! Today was interval training day again, and the last interval was for an all-out 5 seconds run. It was fun!

I've also at last started to attend the gym again, thanks to Arnaud who provided much needed company and motivation. One thing for sure: we are rusty! 15 min of cycling hurt quite a bit and, disappointingly but not unexpectedly, I can't quite lift as much as I did the last time I had a work-out (weeks ago). But at least the wheels are in motion!

Day 101: wizzing past traffic in Wapping.

2009-01-14T15:18:00.004Z

Today we woke up at 8:00. We'll never know if the alarm did or did not work. I have no memory of hearing it, and neither does Stephen.

Anyway, I ended up running solo this morning - clearly this week the programme is all about speed work, as I was scheduled to run only 10 min (plus 20 min jog). So, I took this opportunity to impress all the city employees who were busy cleaning Wapping High St, by running past them at the speed of light (or as close as possible to said speed).

It was a lot of fun, and so was enjoying a strange view of Tower Bridge in the fog -- you couldn't see the top of the towers...

Day 100 (yes it is!): laziness strikes.

2009-01-13T10:48:00.001Z

Today, 6 times 75 sec sprint + 3 min walk intervals. It was dire. I felt lazy.

Day 99: ride like (or against) the wind.

2009-01-12T14:30:00.004Z

The cold snap has ended. This morning was mild again, and we run our 30 min against the wind, yet fast (especially towards the end, with 10-12 min or near-sprinting). I am feeling rather good about myself, particularly after oversleeping (= staying in the warm bed instead of running in below-zero temperatures) a couple of times last week, and skipping this Sunday's planned Fartlek to spend most of my afternoon at hospital after a kettle incident. Oh dear...

Day 94: fast run.

2009-01-07T15:14:00.000Z

This morning, we run in 20 min the distance that we covered in 30 min on Monday. Perhaps it was the cold encouraging us to move faster!!! :) Certainly the canal near our place is not thawing very fast: there is now a rather thick and shiny layer of ice on it...

I am running another 10K race soon...

2009-01-06T16:26:00.002Z

I've just registered for the Ashford & District 10K race in February, which gets some very good reviews. Let's see if training in the snow and frost will increase my time! :)

Day 93: on the road again.

2009-01-06T16:07:00.003Z

Well, it had been a while since the half-marathon premiere. And here I am, back on the run after a wonderful, relaxing and indulgent Christmas holiday, where I did almost no running at all, except for a post-Christmas long jog along the river. Stephen and I started week 1 of the "sub 3 hours" marathon training programme, by getting up at 5.45 yesterday and running 30 min on snowy grounds. And this morning, it was even colder!!! Temperatures were below zero Celsius as we were getting back into the motions of interval training. I don't remember such a cold spell in London for a while...

When it's that cold, it's actually rather tough to breathe through your nose, as the air freezes your throat as it comes in :) Plus, you break back into a jog much quicker during recovery periods, otherwise your legs start freezing too! But we're doing this, and so far feeling OK. I still have a black toe from the half-marathon two weeks ago though -- how long can it take for a toe to recover?!?

Also during the holiday, this blog was accessed from far-away locations by my friends Maria and Laura, who helped me expand its reach to two more continents. Now, there are dots in South Africa, Argentina and sunny Hawaii... Any volunteers to visit Antarctica for me???

Day 79: toe.

2008-12-23T16:15:00.003Z

Once Sunday's elation started to fade away, I realised that the long run had done very bad things to one my toes... Red, sore and rather swollen :( So much so that this morning's jog was out of the question. And now, starts the holiday season, so I don't expect there will be much training, or many entries in this blog. I will, instead, enjoy a perfectly lazy and indulgent Christmas :)

To all of you, happy holiday!!!

Day 77: WE RUN A HALF MARATHON TODAY!!! :D

2008-12-21T18:54:00.003Z

Well, we got to that stage of the Shelter marathon training programme where we were scheduled to try our first half marathon (13.1 miles, a little more than 21 Km), and we did it! But the best of the best of the best today is that we did it in 1 hour and 54 minutes, which is already (3 months before the Bath Half) way less than 2 hours. I am so proud of us, and this is such a great, positive thing to have achieved before the holiday season. I am now totally ready to enjoy a perfect Christmas, or at least almost ready (as I have a job interview to go to tomorrow - the last hurdle :)

Take a look at the route we chose today, and also at our faces when we reached the Kew Gardens railway bridge :) We were really lucky with the weather, slightly overcast and mild, neither too hot nor too cold, with no rain and no blazing sun (not that that was going to happen in London on day 1 of winter, mind you).

The route is a good one because once you have passed the tourists already crowding the Westminster area, you get to go through Battersea Park, Wandsworth Park, and to end along pleasant Putney. Our only lo-light for this journey was a rather grim and depressing chunk of Battersea, which has blocked access to the river walks and lots of construction sites.

No need to add that we are now stuck to our respective chairs and unable to move, coach Stephen with a sore Achilles tendon, and me with knees that simply refuse to bend :) Bring on the holiday!!!

Today's short run

2008-12-21T12:48:00.002Z

Dec 21 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

A mere 13.11 miles, according to the tracker on my iPhone.

Victory!!!

2008-12-21T12:04:00.005Z

The best coach. Yes, Sir.

Victory!

2008-12-21T12:04:00.004Z

All the way from Wapping to Putney and beyond!

And now there's a dot on (almost) every continent!

2008-12-20T13:05:00.003Z

And here's to Laura, for accessing this page from her home country, Argentina. Thank you honey -- hope you are enjoying the family holiday.

And now, if any of you friends ever goes to a research station in Antarctica, remember to log in :)

A dot in one more continent -- yay!

2008-12-16T16:57:00.000Z

I'm rather fond of the little widget on this page showing where people who read the blog are, and now I have a dot on Africa, thanks to jet-setting, wine-loving, chess-playing Masha...

Day 72: MI-6 smells of fish.

2008-12-16T11:56:00.004Z

Excuse me if I say so myself, but this morning I think I am rather awesome, in a hard-core running sort of way :) I completed the first 1.5 hour run I had to do on my own, and it felt rather good, considering how tough Sunday's efforts were and how little time I'd had to recover. I completed it at a slower but comfortable and consistent pace, and the whole thing was roughly 14 Km long / about 8.75 miles.

I would really recommend this route, by the way: North Bank from Tower Hill and all the way to Vauxhall Bridge, run past the MI-6 office (where the river smells of fish -- rather like a sea shore), and then the South Bank all the way back to Tower Hill. I had to extend the run into town as that only took me 1.25 hours, so I pushed it into Wapping until I reached the usual park.

London is mighty fine in the morning, and the South Bank currently boasts the small wooden huts of a German Xmas market, as well as some very funky decorative lights made of traffic cones containing blue neon light and suspended into trees. It's really worth a look.

I didn't push it very hard, but I did run all the way, and it was great considering that for a moment, as I had fallen back asleep for an extra hour after the alarm rang, I thought I would skip this session altogether. So, I believe I totally deserved the big chocolate brownie I scoffed down for breakfast when I got back :)

And as I was jogging back, I had the company of Arnaud on the phone, which got me some puzzled looks from fellow runners (probably wondering if I was one of these weirdos who can never let go of their mobile...!).

Day 71: ouch. But yay! But ouch, though.

2008-12-15T21:16:00.003Z

So, this Sunday we undertook our second 1.5 hour run, and managed a brilliant 11.5 miles (roughly over 18 Km -- Stephen, isn't this actually more than we did last Sunday???). I have to admit that it was dire, though. Tougher than the last time, not so much physically than emotionally, somehow.

We were fast, very fast in the first half, so much so that when coach Stephen told me "yay, we're halfway already", I almost cried (as I felt like we were 2/3 of the way there already).

It took some slowing down in the second half to a) get rid of a very painful stitch on the side of my neck (why???) and b) manage to complete the run. But it got done! I got rather emotional shortly after the run, and not in a very pretty way I'm afraid. It took some reassuring and a long warm bath to make me realize just how awesome we are. I can clearly see (now that I'm not wondering anymore if my legs are still there) that pushing hard on the first half was a great exercise to build up some strength.

Today, our light jog felt like running with a wooden leg (or so I imagine how running with a wooden leg would be). And tomorrow we are supposed to run yet another 1.5 hour. The question is: at 5 am and just 48 hours after another long run, will we have the willpower????

Another long one

2008-12-14T16:19:00.001Z

GPS does not like canals that go under bridges amongst tall buildings on cloudy days. So I had to draw this one by hand:

at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Day 67: better.

2008-12-11T18:49:00.002Z

This morning's interval training felt better than this Tuesday's. A bit more of a healthy bounce in my legs, and the ability to breathe more comfortably somehow, which allowed me to look in front of me as opposed to staring at my feet in bewilderment :) I also found that giving myself a goalpost (such as a specific tree or bench) helps me focus and understand how I'm doing on the longer sprints (the damned 75 sec ones).

Nothing more to declare today.

Day 66: entering winter mode

2008-12-10T08:13:00.003Z

Yesterday I just felt like I was ploughing through my interval training -- it is becoming increasing difficult to get up in the morning, with the Xmas season having started and a general slowing-down of the pace of life around me. As we started our 20 min jog today, for the second time this week it felt like staying in the warm bed would have been so much better :) Yet this morning's jog was fast and energising, and what counts is that we are sticking to this!

I'm also rather glad that my appetite seems to be in control again and that I appear to have found a certain balance and not to overcompensate all the time anymore.

My mood tends to shift a little bit these days, and as I am entering some kind of hibernating mode (I just want a nice, cosy holiday, mince pies and a cup of tea under the blanket!) I sometimes feel a tad daunted by the weeks to come, as the match between increased run durations and the need to just sit down like a vegetable in front of the telly does not, at first sight, appear to have been made in heaven...

Day 64: Santa beat running

2008-12-08T08:42:00.004Z

Oh well, you can make an exception to a training programme sometimes, right? Yesterday, as I lay on the bed with a firm intention to read a few pages of Terry Pratchett's Making Money and to relax for an hour or so before the hard 90-min run that was on schedule, I slowly drifted off... and woke up an hour later, tucked deep under the duvet after a full-on nap. By then, the sun was already setting, it would have been a long run in the dark, coach Stephen was as lazy as I was, and we had a tree to decorate, stollen slices to taste and Sauternes to drink. So we decided we would not fail our duty to the Christmas spirit, and this time, just this once, we skipped a run. That was a brilliant idea! :)

Today, back to the programme with our usual Monday jog (30 min), and a very, very lazy feeling all round. Another week starts...

Day 62: well-deserved Saturday rest

2008-12-06T09:04:00.002Z

Well, I haven't posted to this blog for a couple of days so I'll start by logging the last two training sessions: some interval training on Thursday ((75 sec sprint + 3 min walk + 60 sec sprint + 3 min walk + 30 sec sprint + 2 min walk) x 4), and a light 25 min jog yesterday. All's going well on that front, and the week has basically felt like a few days of recovery from the effort of last Sunday... which, incidentally, we have to go through again tomorrow. But enough of that: on to my Saturday treats!!!

French Routes!

2008-12-03T22:11:00.003Z

Here they are, a little convoluted though they may be ...

Nov 30:
Nov 30 - 90 min run at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Dec 1:
December 1st - jogging at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Dec 2:
Dec 2: A 75 minute Fartlek at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Day 59: not holiday, but on ice.

2008-12-03T22:05:00.003Z

10 min jog, then 10 min run, then 15 min jog, in the cold cold morning air, and on ice today! Call me mad, but it's quite sweet actually, because it means xmas is on its way :o) We were, however, still stiff from this weekends efforts...

Strangely wailing chickens

2008-12-02T14:15:00.001Z

Day 58: running with Bambi

2008-12-02T12:31:00.003Z

Aaaah, the country looks mighty fine today. We are just back from a good 75 min Fartlek session around the village of St Bris des Bois, through the old land of my great uncle (where we saw three deer!), pass a medieval church, and round (and round) a pond... It's cold and there were some patches of frost, but it was nice to see bits of mist still lingering here and there, and the sun is glorious in a cloudless sky. On top of which, coach Stephen got a chance to marvel at some weird-looking and strangely-wailing chickens......

Running really gets you to appreciate the small things, tenfold: a long warm shower, sitting down at last (ouch), lying there reading and not doing much more, and of course appreciating mum-made cuisine to the full....

Day 57: sore and stiff

2008-12-01T17:13:00.003Z

Today we are really feeling the effects of yesterday's efforts! The 35 min jog got us to loosen our limbs a bit, and so did a nice walk on the beach this afternoon. I'll add that it's brilliant to not work on a Monday!!! :)

Day 56: and yet another longest run ever!!!

2008-11-30T17:10:00.002Z

Today we run a staggering 90 min, with lots of uphills, and covered a total of 10.49 miles, 16.8 Km!!! I am so, so proud of us, so chuffed, and oh-so sore... It's very enjoyable to run in a new setting, with lots of fresh air, dead-quiet country roads, woodland on each side, little hamlets, and fairly good weather (good for a run at least: cool, and dry up until the last third, when rain was refreshing and thus welcome).

To top it all up, we were greeted at home by a wonderful slap-up meal (including home-made foie gras and a lovely bottle of Loupiac) and some gifts for a very early holiday celebration. And we've been dozing since then... Niiiice.

I would write lots more but the 'azerty' keboard is a bloody nightmare to use now, so I will just say this: it was a very hard run, and for the last 20 min I had no thoughts left (except 5 min of a nasty little internal voice repeating the word 'walk' in a seductive and sultry tone); I also went through a time when I wasn't sure my legs were still there...

On holiday

2008-11-30T15:07:00.001Z

So we're off in France. GPS seems functional here, but I can't really post our routes until we return.

Instead, here's Karen stretching.

Day 53: 75 minutes!!!

2008-11-27T09:55:00.002Z

75 min run: our longest since we started the programme -- done. Phew! Today coach Stephen set the bar very high by managing to get out of bed and run the whole thing with a hangover and less than 5 hours of sleep: there's no me canceling a run for a headache or a runny nose for sure!!! :) How's that for determination.

Admittedly though, we were slower than usual -- if the map is to be trusted, we run a little over 6 miles (a little less than 10K, which I managed in 53 min just three weeks ago). But, we did it, and that's what counts: who else was up at 5:20 this morning to run that long?? :)

We had also never run the South Bank that far: we actually run pass the blue-lit trees, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament... Nice!

Day 52: the dark age

2008-11-26T11:14:00.004Z

Days have shortened, big style: today we jogged (45 min) and by the time we had reached the Millenium Bridge, the day was not even dawning yet. It was dark. It was also cold, and I was glad to wear three layers of clothing...

I (virtually) unashamedly skipped the personal training session yesterday, and also made the decision to stop these sessions until I've secured my next job, as my contract with Amex is ending soon. It's been six months already!

Day 51: don't start thinking about it or you won't do it

2008-11-25T11:49:00.002Z

Whoosh, I am feeling rather run down this week, most probably a consequence of the cold-then-hot-then-freezing intervals of Sunday's jog. This morning I just felt like a dumb machine, jogging with that vacuous look on my face for the first 15 minutes, just moving my legs and not uttering a word until I sort-of started to wake up to the world. Still, it's better (by the programme's standards, anyway!) than staying in bed and skipping a session, which was on my mind almost until the minute we left the house... I am also obsessed with food this morning, and desperate to crawl back in my warm bed and soothe my runny nose :o(

Day 50: sniffles...

2008-11-24T14:28:00.004Z

We did so well yesterday! We sported some brand new (waterproof!) gear for a 1.5 hour jog all the way from Wapping to Islington -- almost 9 miles... I thought we would run under the snow but that turned into frank rain by the time we left the house. We did get really cold on our way back though, what with waiting for buses on their less frequent Sunday schedules... My legs were blue by the time we got home!

Today I am a little sniffly, and I had to go back to bed for a little while after our jog as I felt shivery too.

Slightly dreading Thursday as we are scheduled to run for a full 75 min, which is the first time we will run for so long in one go...

Today, We Jog

2008-11-23T17:42:00.000Z

A long Sunday jog at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Day 47: no more :)

2008-11-21T08:52:00.002Z

This morning's supposedly-easy 25-min jog was actually rather dire. My legs have had enough! As coach Stephen pointed out, we've been exercising intensely for 6 days straight, 3 of them being either running, interval or extensive Fartlek sessions. So this morning, it was just a struggle to put one foot in front of the other! But no more, no more! Today comes the satisfaction of being done with it, and tomorrow the pleasure of some well-deserved rest. Have a good weekend y'all! K x

Day 46: the toughest bit is done!

2008-11-20T13:52:00.005Z

That's it: the hardest training session of the week is now behind us -- phew. 75 min of Fartleking takes pretty much everything out of you. This time we did find the access to the Regent's Canal (not massively well signposted: it looked like a case of somebody having rotated the signs for a laugh). The route is very nice, with lots of bridges and locks to set goals for sprints, and quiet -- at that early time of day the swans were still asleep, beak under wing on the water. The one not-so-good thing about it is that it isn't very well lit up, so I wouldn't run there on my own at such times (running under the tunnels is borderline spooky).

How satisfying to be done with the dreaded session of the week! I am exhausted, however I am very much looking forward to Sunday's session, which is longer (90 min) but promises to be more leasurely as we will only be jogging, and hopefully the weather will be dry enough that we can stay wherever we end up and enjoy a lunch somewhere afterwards.

On the general side of things, my legs (and, I believe, coach Stephen's) are dead, and I am really starting to think that signing up for a 9-class yoga course was not a clever idea. In the first phase of the programme I felt it was beneficial to have one day a week where I work on stretches and better breathing, but now with the longer running sessions it is starting to feel like a chore to stay in town until 18:15 for yoga, then be home no earlier than 21:00. I've skipped 2-3 sessions already and I am dangerously close to not attending tonight's, either. It's rather tough to 'surrender into Shavasnah' when all you're thinking is "damn, I'll have to go to bed pretty much as soon as I get home again tonight".

I'll end this post with a very positive note though: one new donation on Just Giving! Thank you Stephen, for this and also for the way you calculated the amount you would give -- it suits your beautifully mathematical mind and my oh-so-slightly-competitive nature.

This morning's Fartlek

2008-11-20T12:51:00.002Z

As will happen when you run around tall buildings, along canals and under bridges, the GPS is a bit spotty, but hey:

A Big Fartlek at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Day 45: dreading tomorrow a bit!

2008-11-19T13:55:00.003Z

Good interval training session yesterday for about half an hour, and this morning we jogged for one hour, to St Paul's Cathedral, across the Millenium Bridge, and along the South Bank back to Tower Bridge -- which, incidentally, was just being open to let a boat come through, which is quite a grand thing to see when the sun is rising.

I am dreading tomorrow though, as it will most definitely be the hardest day of the week. For a start, we have to wake up much earlier than usual. The plan is for a 75 min Fartlek session -- even longer than the one we had on Sunday... At least I hope that the weather will be more enjoyable (and the view). And to top it all up, I have a yoga session in the evening too, which I don't really want to miss as I've already skipped 2 or 3 in the series. With this, the usual work in the office, preparations for the COP exam, and my now-intensified search for the next job, it all adds up to a fairly hectic day ahead...

Day 43: tough week ahead

2008-11-17T15:36:00.004Z

This morning the alarm rang that little bit earlier, as the duration of our weekday training sessions have increased (and we still have to go to the office afterwards, right?). So, we managed our 25 min jog - 10 min run (nice and fast towards the end) - 25 min jog. But oh my, we were still rather worn from yesterday's workout!!!

London has got significantly colder than yesterday, yet it is so much more enjoyable to run in today's crisp cold than in yesterday's grim drizzle...

I am somewhat dreading Thursday's 70 min early-morning Fartlek......

Holy Fantastic Fartlek, Batman!

2008-11-16T18:23:00.001Z

Week Six, Sunday at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Day 42: we are rock-hard.

2008-11-16T17:28:00.005Z

Today coach Stephen and I did a 70 min Fartlek session which was *tough*. The weather was not great -- we had quite a bit of drizzle, at times full-on rain, which made the terrain wet and in places slippery. To top it all up, we actually got lost! We had intended to run along the Regent's Canal to Victoria Park (nice), but managed to take a wrong turn and ended in Limehouse Cut, somewhere between an industrial estate and a Tesco (not nice)... Not the most inspiring of landscape. I also paid dearly for the amount of creamy cake and cheesy pizza I ate last night at Laura's party: I felt so heavy the whole time!

Anyway, what counts is that we made it, and we even jogged a lot longer than planned in the end. We definitely deserved our Sunday roast at the local pub!

And now it should be fun to see how stiff our legs will be tomorrow :) I for one had some rather painful knees towards the end, and Stephen's ankles seem to be playing up a bit.

We are so hard core :)

Day 40, otherwise known as Friday

2008-11-14T14:28:00.002Z

Tough one this morning as the weather was very muggy and we were both tired, stiff and heavy after yesterday's run as well. But, we did manage our planned 30-min run, even though poor Stephen was gasping for air because of his cold. Tomorrow, we lie in!

Week 6, Days 4 & 5

2008-11-14T07:36:00.002Z

It appears as though the Tower of London has some kind of anti-GPS forcefield.

Yesterday, we started running from Wapping, but the GPS signal did not kick in until well beyond the tower:

Week 6, Day 4 (second half) at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

This morning, we ended by running around the Tower of London:

Week 6, Day 5 (first half) at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

I'm going to half to play with the settings to see if I can get something better

Country jogs and runs soon to come

2008-11-13T16:37:00.003Z

This week my dad sent me a couple of pictures (well actually he sent about 10, but for some reason only 2 made it through) of the countryside surrounding my parents' house, to give me a taste of the landscape we'll be enjoying when Stephen and I spend a few days there soon, jogging around. This one pic isn't the most beautiful, but it shows a nice bed of autumn leaves at the edge of some woodland... something to look forward to!

Day 39: good run

2008-11-13T14:06:00.004Z

This morning, 45 min run in the City, all the way to Temple, across the river at Blackfriars, and then back along the Thames. It went rather well, except for the fumes (at their worst around Blackfriars), and the few interruptions at crossroads with heavy traffic. We did however enjoy a great view of the sun rising from Tower Bridge, and felt energised by the end of it all.

Coach Stephen seems to be coming down with that nasty cold again, and I am getting a bit of a tickly throat too...

Also tried on some knee supports to relieve a bit of the strain I am still feeling since Sunday, and they seem to help a lot. Last weekday of training tomorrow before the big Saturday sleep. Can't wait!

Oh, and I am also investigating possible races for the end of the year / very beginning of January. I am looking for a good 10-mile race and so far have narrowed down to two interesting options. More soon...

Day 38: tough to get up...

2008-11-12T10:46:00.003Z

Today's 6 o'clock wake-up call was tough, especially after a hard gym workout last night (I dread to think what my poor shoulders will feel like tomorrow). That being said, it's now back to training, and this morning the 20 min jog followed by 10 min run and another 10 min jog went well, and ended in an energising sprint. Tomorrow though, it's on to the serious stuff again, with a 45 min run on the schedule -- our first long run on a weekday... This week promises to be a tough one indeed.

My knees still feel a bit stiff after Sunday's race, so it may be that I buy some knee supports to aid recovery and minimise the strain of the coming couple of runs.

Day 37: on to "phase 2"

2008-11-11T10:27:00.003Z

It was a treat to have a day of rest yesterday.

This morning, back to the training programme, with a gentle 30-min jog. After much deliberation we have decided to engage into the second part of the sub-4 hours marathon programme (as opposed to part one of the sub-3 hours one). Our plan is to do the first 12 weeks of the sub-4 first, so that I am actually ready to run a half-marathon in 6 weeks from now, then use our remaining 12 weeks to do parts 1 and 2 of the sub-3 one, so that I step up one gear and become simply better at it (hopefully that means faster :).

The next six weeks will therefore be a bit harder, with runs being lengthened to 90 min on Sundays instead of 60. Wish me luck!

Also, the final results of the Leatherhead 10K have been released -- I actually finished 374th (no idea why I dropped one place since they first published the results), and beat about 160 people in total. Still not sure how well I did against the women only, but I'll try to take some time to calculate this in the next few days.

Leatherhead Photos

2008-11-09T17:50:00.001Z

Photos are up!

First race -- done!!! I've got the Leatherhead 10K under my belt.

2008-11-09T16:43:00.007Z

Hurraayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! :D I made it to my first race (up at 5:30 AM), completed it (1oK), did not finish last, and beat about 200 people at it!!! I arrived after 53 minutes, in 373rd position out of about 520 participants -- I'll know soon out of how many female participants.

This race was a treat! After the initial stampede and the first 3-4 Kms, I powered through those hills and started to overtake people, nice and smooth. Thank you Stephen for teaching me how to manage a steap hill, and Joao for making my thighs rock-hard with all that weight lifting! On top of this, even though yesterday's weather was dire, today there was not a drop of rain for the whole race.

I think a good third of the race was up hill, yet I was honestly smiling when I got to the 5th kilometre where the race's photographer was, and I was smiling even more towards the end of the race as I managed to overtake a few of the people who had been running close to me for a large portion of the route. Actually the down-hill bits were fast but slightly scary as the floor was slippery with lots of wet leaves lying around.

I managed a slick sprint as well at the very end, running faster than I ever had (even in training). I did think that I had left one of my late competitors well behind, but unfortnately she managed to beat me in the last 100 metres or so. Still, what an amaizing feeling to run your heart out as people are cheering you into the finish line...

That being said, my last thought on approaching and passing that line at full speed were "oh my god I'm gonna throw up"... It took me a little while to get my breath back and to believe that I wasn't going to pass out, but guys, I made it, and I've got my participatory medal to prove it :D

The rest of the day was spent eating the home-made cake they were selling there, browsing sofas in a rather good furniture shop, enjoying a roast at the local pub, and sleeping like a log in the train with my head on Ubercoach Stephen.

People, my legs are sooo tired right now, I cannot wait to simmer in a bath for the best part of an hour, gobble down pizza like there's no tomorrow, and sleep like a wee bairn.

Wooo-hoo-hoo!!!!! Bring on the Bath Half then!

53 minutes, 48 seconds

2008-11-09T11:14:00.002Z

Karen crosses the finish line, beating her goal by more than four minutes!

45 mins

2008-11-09T10:52:00.002Z

K passes the 8.5 k mark

30mins

2008-11-09T10:38:00.002Z

First woman runs by

28 minutes

2008-11-09T10:36:00.002Z

Runners passing by now ...

20 minutes

2008-11-09T10:29:00.002Z

No, she's not at 9k yet. But I am on the course!

Argh!

2008-11-09T10:18:00.002Z

Ten minutes in, and I have no idea where the race is at. The webpage that shows the route is not accessible by iPhone, due to a lack of a plug-in.

Back to the finish line, I guess.

And they're off!

2008-11-09T10:07:00.002Z

Karen is right in the middle of the pack, so no decent photo.

T-10 minutes

2008-11-09T09:49:00.001Z

T-45 minutes

2008-11-09T09:18:00.001Z

We're here with plenty of time

We're on our way!

2008-11-09T07:31:00.003Z

To Leatherhead!

2008-11-09T07:31:00.001Z

It's early. It's cold. We're at a bus stop, to go to a train station, to go to Leatherhead.

I will attempt to blog during today's race, between my other roles as phtotgrapher and cheerleader.

We'll see if this works.

Day 33 (cont.): yay!!!!!

2008-11-07T15:22:00.002Z

And one more donation!!! Lorraine just got me to reach the £200 mark!!! Hurray!!!!! Thank you Lorraine -- you have completely deserved the delivery of that pair of boots...

Day 33: new donation!

2008-11-07T14:53:00.003Z

Not much to declare on the running side today (easy jog of 20 min), however I did want to post my warm thanks to John for his donation today on Just Giving. Thanks John, this is much appreciated. And in response to your question, the only things chasing me are lonely meowing cats...! :)

Day 32: last run of the week before the 10K

2008-11-06T13:02:00.003Z

This morning, 25 min run and everything went well. It was rather quiet, and mild enough to run in a t-shirt.

I'm still hoping for no rain on Sunday... I've also booked the train/coach tickets and unfortunately we have to get up at 5:30 to get to Leatherhead on time :( At least we'll be back in London early enough to enjoy the rest of our Sunday.

I'm happy that my knees are feeling fine -- all that's left of the training programme this week is a really short jog tomorrow and on Saturday: eaaaasy!

Day 31: knees OK.

2008-11-05T13:20:00.003Z

45 min jog and my knees seem to be handling it fine again. Nothing else to declare today: I'm just glad I managed to get up at 6 even though I got home late after the gig...

Day 30: one month and still running...

2008-11-04T10:54:00.002Z

Well, almost :) This morning I actually just went for a general workout at the gym to rest my knees completely for the Leatherhead 10K on Sunday. All's well -- last night's frozen peas did wonders to soothe the strains of last Sunday's run.

I got a new donation on the Just Giving site today :) Thank you Kourosh!!! It's great to get some support from people at the BMJ, I'm so chuffed!

KAREN RUNS THE BATH HALF!

I RUN THE BATH HALF :D 2 HOURS, 11 MINUTES AND 16 SECONDS

You are hereby presented

Woo!

Lap one

And Karen begins ...

Warming up

Race Day!

D-3: well, it's D-3!!!

D-5: missed the bridge :)

D-6: coccyx behaving

D-7: I run again!

About to hit the road again

Day 147: the Shelter ad campaign

Day 145: tales of the NHS

Day 139: running substitute.

Day 138: how is that possible??

Day 137: well at least it's raining!

Day 134: received my Bath Half running top!

Day 133: bummer.

Karen Runs Ashford and District!

Day 126: beat my time :)

And she's in!

And they're off!

Arrival!

On the train ...

Race Day

Day 119: snoooow!

Guess how long I will take to complete the Bath Half

Day 117: logging the last few days

Day 114: time beaten!!!

Day 110: a good jog-run again.

Day 109: feels good to have a real run.

Day 107: the last few days...

Another Sunday Map

A brilliant idea...

Day 103: longest jog since before xmas

Day 102: how far can you get in 5 seconds?

Day 101: wizzing past traffic in Wapping.

Day 100 (yes it is!): laziness strikes.

Day 99: ride like (or against) the wind.

Day 94: fast run.

I am running another 10K race soon...

Day 93: on the road again.

Day 79: toe.

Day 77: WE RUN A HALF MARATHON TODAY!!! :D

Today's short run

Victory!!!

Victory!

And now there's a dot on (almost) every continent!

A dot in one more continent -- yay!

Day 72: MI-6 smells of fish.

Day 71: ouch. But yay! But ouch, though.

Another long one

Day 67: better.

Day 66: entering winter mode

Day 64: Santa beat running

Day 62: well-deserved Saturday rest

French Routes!

Day 59: not holiday, but on ice.

Strangely wailing chickens

Day 58: running with Bambi

Day 57: sore and stiff

Day 56: and yet another longest run ever!!!

On holiday

Day 53: 75 minutes!!!

Day 52: the dark age

Day 51: don't start thinking about it or you won't do it

Day 50: sniffles...

Today, We Jog

Day 47: no more :)

Day 46: the toughest bit is done!

This morning's Fartlek

Day 45: dreading tomorrow a bit!

Day 43: tough week ahead

Holy Fantastic Fartlek, Batman!

Day 42: we are rock-hard.

Day 40, otherwise known as *Friday*

Week 6, Days 4 & 5

Country jogs and runs soon to come

Day 40, otherwise known as Friday