Addicted....

My name is Elaine and I'm an addict.



I'm addicted to... swimming.  Well, exercise really (running mainly - even the gale force winds last week didn't stop me from fitting in my running) but I don't think there's been a week in the last few years that I haven't fitted in at least 2 miles of swimming. Whether I've been on holiday or been to the city for a few days I've ensured the Hotel has had a pool that I can swim lengths.  I mostly swim on Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 before work, a minimum of 1 mile each time, sometimes 2 kilometres, sometimes squeezing in an extra session at the weekend if I can. I don't really do any drills just use it as thinking time mainly - planning lessons, brainstorming ideas or planning recipes.  

During the summer I was trying to swim 4 or more times per week, everyday abroad.  All sounds good.  But then, hang on a minute - wasn't it the summer that my hip was getting more and more painful?  I started talking to some of my other running friends about my hip injury (who also swam) and they concurred that their hip pain went away when they stopped swimming.  We all swim very similar - front crawl, only rotating to breathe on the right.  We chatted away on our Christmas night out about it "you can do it Elaine, you can break the cycle.... if I can give it up, you can too!" they said giving me encouragement, meanwhile I clung on to my wine glass nodding my head, agreeing, but deep down thinking I can't give it up!  If anyone overheard our conversation they would've thought we were talking about smoking, alcohol or drugs.  No, just swimming.  I fobbed it off, thinking, I'll give up at Xmas but I've already collected the Christmas leisure centre opening hours leaflet and mentally planned out my swims around the days off.  However, sure enough after my swim yesterday morning my hip pain returned and it got me thinking.  Could it really be that swimming NOT running has given me this injury?! 

All of the above, however, seems trivial when reality comes knocking at your door.  Nelson Mandela wasn't the only great person to pass away last Thursday.  Marion, Stuart's much loved Gran sadly was taken from us.  It wasn't a shock to anyone, she had been ill for the last few years but it still doesn't take away the sadness of the loss of such a wonderful, caring and kind person.  Stuart's Mum always described her as a person who would be "killing you with kindness" as every time we saw her she would feed you with rolls, tea, biscuits and cakes!  She was generous to the core and doted on her grand children.  It's obviously in the genes as Stuart's Mum could certainly be described as very similar!  After her long period of illness and needing so much care, at least now she is at peace.  Her funeral took place this week and although it was upsetting, the close-knit family came together and remembered her and the good times.  Stuart's Mum asked me to read a poem at the service.  A poem actually written by Stuart - when he was 11!  It was entitled "My Gran" and it was so sweet.  It completely summed up Marion's personality and spirit.  I don't think an adults words would've done her justice.  Marion herself loved that poem and carried it around in her purse all these years.  Life is so busy and time is going so fast, it takes times like these to realise that you have to make time to slow down sometimes and appreciate what you have before it's gone. 

I really want to do that this Christmas.  I'm looking forward to some time off work just to relax and be with family and friends. Work has been hectic but enjoyable particularly the seniors ceilidh dancing on Friday where all of them joined in and gave it laldy!  I'm starting to get into the festive mood - the Christmas tree and decorations are up at Bodega, Santa Dash completed (only 3 miles due to a Bodega after party...), shopping done and presents are in the process of being wrapped.  A few token mince pies have been demolished and xmas party nights out (see my food diary below, December really isn't a good month!) and the customary Christmas movie watching has begun with some of my favourites The Holiday, Elf and Miracle on 34th Street.  Just to look out that Christmas jumper now and try to keep away from that swimming pool - wish me luck!

Running away with the Year

Phew!  It has been a BUSY few months of work, parents evenings, committee meetings, instructing fitness classes, coffee afternoons, weekends away, work, training courses, work, prizegivings, novel writing (you heard it here first), organising MOKRUN 2014 including creating a new website, fundraising bingo nights, school ski trip organising and various races.  It all sounds a bit dreich and I've been stressing a little (cue my husband's laughter) but I've had a lot of fun too.  The last few weeks have been a bit of a blur with various things, usually not getting home until after 9, dinner, cup of tea then bed.  Before I knew it, wham!  It's full blown winter.  That crept up on me.  I can't believe it's been nearly 4 months since returning from my holidays and I've had all good intentions on continuing my blog but well....

It's now December and what has happened?  Well I've miraculously achieved a few PB's - 10k in Glasgow (47.03, narrowly missing a 46 minuter doh!) and my best time yet at the 5.5 mile cross country Tin Farm 5 race (hills, beaches, mud and rivers - oh my!)  Don't know how I managed that since I was definitely not at my fittest.  Keeping up the Sunday cycling club a group of us completed the MOKBike challenge - 70 miles of hills going round all of Kintyre.  It was hard.  It was hard.  It was hard.  But it was brilliant and we felt elated as we cycled back into town and finally off that saddle to a welcome glass of cider.  I also competed in the Amsterdam half marathon, achieving a 1 hour 48 minute time.  A few minutes over my PB but I was happy with the time since the course was incredibly congested and I've still got my dodgy hip.  I seem to be having good weeks and bad weeks with my hip.  We have a stormy relationship.  But what I've found that a long cycle and swimming seems to help.  That's what I'm telling myself anyway so I'm keeping up my cross training and my running.  Usually between 30 - 40 miles per week running, that'll keep me going until the big mileage kicks in...

 

The CRC gang after the 10k in Glasgow.  Of course we beat Haile (he was doing the half!)

The trip to the Dam itself was fantastic - lots of sightseeing, good food and cocktails.  I am very proud of some of the achievements of my friends and family at Amsterdam.  My husband, Stuart, who is going from strength to strength in his running gaining PB's at practically every race.  His mindset seems to have changed for running and he is now setting bigger targets, that before he thought was out of his reach.  He smashed his records with with a new PB of 36.00 for the Bella 10k and a half marathon time of 1.21! 

I'm particularly proud of my little sister who completed her first half marathon in a very respectable 2 hour 18 time in Amsterdam.  I started taking Mairi out 'jogging' 2 to 3 times per week last November after my continuous nagging finally broke her down and she gave in.  She hated it.  I shouted at her.  She started to enjoy it.  We chatted and laughed together as she improved and improved.  Now she loves it and she's doing half marathons with me - amazing.  She looks absolutely stunning too - she's lost around 2 stone in weight and she feels better too, permanently smiling :-)

 

 After the last hill at Peninver, 65 miles complete, what's another 5?

Me and my we star of a sister enjoying French Martinis in the SkyLounge in Amsterdam Hilton.

 

I've started a new Cross Country Club for pupils in school and so far it's been reasonably well attended and hope to take them away to the Scottish Schools Championship in Ayr in March.  These could be our athletes of the future - and some of them are pretty damn fast!  Although a few of them seem to like splashing about in the mud more than they like running laps.  I don't blame them.

 

Another exciting development is that we've got a committee together through Campbeltown Running club to coordinate a Toon Triathlon in July next year.  We've manage to affiliate through Tri Scotland who have been extremely helpful and have booked the Aqualibrium.  Sigh of relief, yip, it's a pool based swim.  Just a sprint Tri to start - 750m swim, 20k cycle to Ballochgair and 5k run down Kilkerran Road turning at Grant Logan.  We hope to get about 80 entries including 10 team teams.  Another wee event for Campbeltown :-)

Although time has been flying in, there are lots of things I'm looking forward to - especially Christmas!  I love this time of year with twinkling lights, Christmas concerts and nights out, friends and family reunited along with good food and wine.  Although I'm already panicking about potential bad weather (could affect training) and the food I will no doubt consume...  Never mind, I have the Slog in the Sand 10k on the 28th December - a gruelling race along Westport beach usually in freezing conditions, blowing a gale and some sleet thrown in for good measure.  Just a normal run for us Kintyre runners then.  At least we'll get some of Jennifer's homemade cakes at the end.

My next challenge?  The London Marathon of course!  I'm going to make a better effort to write a weekly blog that will double up as a training record.  Below is an example of some of the records of training and my weekly diet that I have been trying to keep in short note form - not very exciting but maybe if I publish it it will encourage me to be the healthiest I've ever been?  Worth a shot. 

18/11/2013	Breakfast	Snack 1	Lunch	Snack 2	Dinner	Snack 3	Exercise	Comments
Monday	Lemon muller light yoghurt with rasberries and almonds	Breakfast fruit and fibre biscuits and green tea	Lf houmous pot with oatcakes.  Apple and tangerine.	Banana, some brazil nuts.	Chicken stir fry with coriander, lemon, peppers, beansprouts, garlic, chilli and cashew nuts with noodles.  Shape chocolate mousse.	Mini milky way and curly wurly - whoops!  Tea.	5.5 mile easy.  Spin (instructed).  Few mins core.	Felt good but hip a little tender at end of night.
Tuesday	Lemon muller light yoghurt with rasberries and spoon of muesli.	Breakfast fruit and fibre biscuits and green tea	Cup of homemade thai veg soup with 2 slices bread.  Apple and tangerine.	1/2 banana on rice cakes with jam.	Chicken fajitas!	A few ginger nuts, a milky way (whooops) and 2 teas (it was cold!)	6 miles inc 6 1 min sprints	Freezing.  Wet.  Windy.  Never went to training as was getting hair done and weather was to get worse.  Hip really sore later, pain kept me up all night :-(
Wednesday	Lemon muller light yoghurt with rasberries.  Slice of toast.	Green tea and alpen bar (70 cals)	Lf houmous pot with oatcakes.  Apple and tangerine.	2 rice cakes with scraping of peanut butter and jam.	Haggis, potatoes and carrots.	Whhooppss - sweet popcorn, minstrels and a ginger nut!	1 mile swim, 3 mile run, combat class.	Soooo windy!  Never got much sleep but enjoyed swim in morning.  Hip a bit sore but getting better.  Captain Phillips was an amazing film - made better with popcorn and chocolate!
Thursday	Lemon muller light yoghurt with raspberries.	Green tea and alpen bar (70 cals).  3 marshmallows and melted chocolate - whoops (charity day!)	Lf houmous pot with oatcakes.  Apple and tangerine.		Baked potoato and beans.  Shape chocolate mousse.	Chocolate sponge and tea - (oops, bought for charity tho….)	7 mile run inc 15 x 1 min sprints @ 5k pace	Beautiful crisp cold day.  Ate pretty bad but needed it.  Ran early as had parent's eve meeting.
Friday	Breakfast biscuits and green tea	1/2 a cookie (damn charity donation!) On the plus - took a danish pastry for Stu, not me!	Soup and tuna toastie from bluebell.	Skinny cap	Spicy tomato pasto with lf smoked sausage, pesto, lf philadelphia, red onion and peppers.  Slice of homemade garlic bread.	Low fat choc cheesecake (2 tea biscuits mashed with spoon of lemon curd, lf yoghurt mixed with lf philadelphia and raspberries.  AND boost chocolate.	Spin am and 1 mile swim.	Beautiful day but VERY cold.  Only 1 spin class today as inservice day - yay!
Saturday	protein smoothie with berries, 1/2 banana and 1/2 tangerine.	Green tea	Home made soup with tuna sandwich.	Green tea and go ahead bar.	Chicken satay skewers then thai chicken curry with jasmine rice.	2 glasses of wine.  Cup of tea and biscuit.	12 miles easy run (Machrihanish)	Beautiful morning for a run.  Hip  a bit sore after.  Drove to Edinburgh to see Lion King - yay!  Fantastic Thai food.
Sunday	1 slice of toast with scrambled egg.  Sliced fruit with muller light yoghurt.  Croissant and jam.  Green tea.	Banana.	1/2 goats cheese and chutney panini.	Chocolate cupcake and salted caramel skinny latte	King prawn and cashew nut chilli noodles and 3 mojitos in Bar Soba!!! Delicious!	Baileys hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows - yum yum yum!  Cup of tea and biscuit.	30 mins cardio, 10 mins core/strength in gym.  Jacuzzi :-)	Fantastic day in Edinburgh - xmas lights, getting festive!  Lots of walking, shopping and sightseeing.  Xmas markets and lights were beautiful.
#########	Breakfast	Snack 1	Lunch	Snack 2	Dinner	Snack 3	Exercise	Comments
Monday	Slice of wholemeal toast, porridge and fruit		1/2 goats cheese and chutney panini with soup.	Apple slice and cup of tea (yum but feeling guilty, damn husband treating me on holiday!!)	Chicken balmoral pie with mash and carrots (ditto)	Cadbury's dairy milk with oreo bar (double ditto).  2 cookies (triple ditto?!)	5.5 mile easy.  HIT class.  Spin class.	Feeling very guilty for eating so much - whoops!  Comfort food.  Classes and run good but hip v sore later at night.
Tuesday		Breakfast biscuits	Oatcakes and vegetable soup.  Tangerine and apple.	Rice cakes with peanut butter and jam.  Coffee.	Chicken stir fry with coriander, lemon, beansprouts, garlic, chilli and cashew nuts with noodles.	Tea and a few ginger nuts	6 mile run at training with 13 x 400 m intervals.  Spin.	Felt good whilst training but hip sore before/after.  Eased a little.  Called in to take spin, never got dinner until after 9.
Wednesday	Breakfast biscuits	Green tea and alpen bar	Tomato pasta and salad	Rice cakes with peanut butter and jam.  Coffee.	Baked chicken breast with bbq sauce and boiled potatoes.	Tea and a few choc biscuits	1 mile swim, 3 mile run, combat class.	Felt good, hip a little tender.  Inveraray meeting.  SKSC hub meeting so not home until after 9 for dinner.
Thursday	Wholemeal slice of toast, cocounut muller light yoghurt.	Alpen bar and green tea.  Small slice of choc cake - whoops!	Oatcakes (4) and banana.  Tangerine and apple.	Rice cakes with peanut butter and jam.  Coffee.	Spag bol - yum!	Tea and 1/2 a mars bar :-)	7 mile run - parlouf (10 x 1/2 mile intervals with Darren at training)	Run was ok but hip sore after.
Friday	Banana	Breakfast biscuits and green tea	Heinz soup and oatcakes.  Tangerine.	Cereal bar and skinny cap.	Tuna spaghetti (pesto, lightest phili, garlic, chillies, onions and peppers) and garlic bread.	Mince pie and hot chocolate.  Some ben and jerry's Karamel Sutra (couldn't resist!)	1 mile swim.  Spin in pm.	Hip a bit sore.  Lights switch on - yay!  Very windy and cold but worth the walk over to get a hot chocolate and see lights.
Saturday	Toast and jam	Blueberry and banana protein shake	Simmer soup and egg mayo sandwiches.	Scone and earl grey tea.	Red thai chicken curry with rice, chips and 1/2 pitta bread with garlic. Pepsi. It's Saturday!!	Ben and Jerry's icecream.  Chocolate orange bar.  Cup of tea.	11 mile run easy on flat - moss road.	Hip sore all the time.  So frustrating!  Sore during and after run.  Julia appointment and did lots of work on roller and yoga later.
Sunday	Cinnamon bagel and green tea	Advent dairy milk choc day 1 - woo!	Scrambled egg and toast.	Scone and granola bar.	Pizza and waffles.  Pepsi.  Erm… it's Sunday!?	Low fat choc cheesecake (2 tea biscuits mashed with spoon of lemon curd, lf yoghurt mixed with lf philadelphia and 1/2 shape choc mousse.  Chocolate orange and tea.	1.5 hour endurance spin class.  3 miles on bike.	Hip a little bitter but still tender/annoying.