10 miles in a blizzard

I was already pretty damp from the rain by the time Sue picked me up for our run. As we set off in the car to our start point the rain turned to snow, and by the time we’d parked up in Auchendinny there was a full blown blizzard in place! This definitely would have been a day on which I’d have turned back at the front door had I been alone. However, the fact that Sarah had travelled through from Glasgow after a night of dancing, and Sue wasn’t reacting at all to any hints that it might not be running weather???? meant that all 3 of us were soon heading into the blizzard and I realised we had become those mad people you comment on when you pass them from the comfort of your car. The first 2 miles were horrible - not because of the weather, but because of the cars speeding towards us and thinking we needed a lot less space than we did. More through luck, than judgement, none of them actually succeeded in hitting us and I have to say I really loved running in such wild weather. There were a few stops as we tried to route find using a very small scale map (but thanks Sue, it was 100% more map than I brought along) and starting off again from those pauses made me aware of how heavy my soaked shoes and leggings were - but apart from that it was just great and I wouldn’t think twice about going out in a blizzard again - but on a quieter road. The conditions gave us a lot to think about other than our legs and the 10 miles flew by - first time I’ve run more than 6 miles since I was 20!!
Very pleased, and relieved that I did it

Spent a couple of hours in the afternoon with Michelle while she wrote out a training programme for me. It’s great to have something to tick off and I’ve entered all my March goals into my Garmin - now I just have to do them. Michelle was very encouraging but the serious Doctor in her came through as she mentioned quite a few times that I should really prepare myself for having to walk a lot of the Trans Britain. She has put 2 long hill days in for each month so am looking forward to the excuse to do lots of stuff in the hills with friends. I’m also very excited about the thought of telling her when she gets back from Oz in a month that I’ve done everything she told me too. Am going to make her proud!!

Have started practising visualisation - but think I overdid it when I found tears in my eyes while sitting on the sofa. I’d been visualising the finish line so effectively that I’d become quite emotional as i went through all my thanks to everyone for their support etc etc!!! I think I’m supposed to be visualising myself getting through the hard bits so more practise needed there. But if you see me wandering the streets of Edinburgh in tears it may just be that I practising my finishing line speech AGAIN!!

and continues

So far this week I’ve walked 10 miles in the Pentland hills, run 4.5 miles,
and been in the gym three times (the snow came back!). Not enough I know but am just trying to get in the habit of doing something 6 days a week. Tomorrow Sue’s taking me out to run the route of next weeks Lasswade 10 which by all accounts is hilly. My attitude to events has already changed from trying to get a pb to just trying to put in the miles with no injury. Am having to think much more long term about my fitness and it will be a test to see if my pride can manage to allow me to walk during events if needs be in order to get the miles and hours of training in rather than speed. (The latter being a relative term as speed has never been my thing - proved by a very embarassing attempt at the 100m at school)
Asked Elaine Boyd (artist who paints with her left foot and lets nothing get in the way of the things she wants to do) for some motivational words, to which she replied “just get out and run”. Thanks Elaine - didn’t know you were such a philospher!!

Training begins

24th February 2010

Training has begun and already my attitude to running has changed. There is no longer any question about whether I go out for my run, the question is only how far. I like this new enthusiasm, but even I was surprised to find myself exceeding the 30mph limit on day 1 :-))

Friends are already offering their help and I currently have Michelle writing a training programme (which I am fairly confident will include some
routes that go via pubs and nice cafes!), Retha promising to yogarise me and Kiki and Ross on nutrition & psychological tactics.

Technology is provided by Garmin (many thanks to Mum & Gerry for the birthday money that made this possible) and my ipod, the former actually delaying training by a day while I worked out how to set it up.