January Blues

First week back at work and it feels like I'd never left.  I was actually quite pleased to get back, catch up with colleagues, stuck into some new curriculum development and try to prepare the senior pupils for their upcoming prelims (can't believe it's that time again!)  It's also just nice to get into a routine again and away from the temptation of the biscuit tin! 

The MOKRUN is also full!  Wow!  Within 36 hours all 900 half marathon and 10k places have been taken.  Apologies to anyone that did not get it in but we are not able to offer a waiting list.  It can be difficult enough to organise a race just in our spare time as all the committee have full time jobs too so swapping people, changing tshirt sizes, updating database etc would just be a total continual admin job on top of all the other tasks we have to do for organising the race.  Nevertheless, I really feel sorry for some of the people who are desperate to run MOKRUN.  Unfortunately we can't please everyone.  We account for a 10% drop out rate and this lets us plan and purchase items accordingly so there is minimal waste.  And this will be our biggest year yet so all we can do is see how we do with 100 runners more and will consider increasing the field for the 10th year in 2015.  Maybe after that there will be a natural limit to the race for health and safety, admin, work etc that we will need to cap it at 900 or 1000.  Thereafter, I think we will maybe introduce an automated reserve list but unfortunately for some runners who missed out, not for 2014. 

As if training for the challenge of the London marathon wasn't enough, I've only signed up to trek part of the Great Wall of China!  This was top of my 'turning 30 bucket list' and OK, so by the time I do it it will be slightly passed the deadline but I AM DOING IT! It will be physically and mentally demanding, treking steep unrenovated parts of the wall over a gruelling 10 hot, clammy days but I can honestly say I'm throughly looking forward to it.  I am so glad I'm doing it with my partner in crime, and much loved sister, Maz.  We're fully committed and excited about raising funds for some deserving causes that mean a lot to us personally - Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and the Beatson Cancer Fund. 

It's going to be a huge experience and I'm super excited about it all.  I love doing challenges and travelling but doing them for charities that are close to our hearts and making a difference makes it all the more rewarding.  1 in 9 women are diagnosed and 3 die with Cervical Cancer EVERY day.  But it is preventable by getting screened.  We want to not only raise funds for Jo's Trust (the only charity in the UK dedicated to this form of cancer and cervical abnormalities) but to raise awareness of the cause and encourage women to get screened regularly.  Mairi and I are going to be carrying out lots of fundraising over the next few months and are kicking off with some activities during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week between 19th - 25th January including a Coffee Afternoon in the Victoria Hall on Saturday 25th so please come along and support it if you can :-)  You can also donate online directly to the charity via Mairi's Just Giving website. 

Marathon training has went reasonably well this week, a few niggles and still quite low mileage so so far so good!  Not so good for my husband who is out injured with a sore back.  Bear with a sore head?  Worse!  All he wants to do is run but he's being sensible and trying to rest.  I sympathise!! 

I also got some great news too, my best friend Jamie Gee accepted a Golden Bond entry to the London Marathon too, raising money for Prostate Cancer.  Fantastic!  Jamie is so determined, motivated and of a similar running ability to me so I am hoping we can help each other with training and will make our post-marathon celebration all the more sweet.

Below is my training and diet plan so far this week, apologies I can never get the formatting right as it's in landscape. I was TERRIBLE at the weekend but I've tried to get back on track...

04/01/2014	Exercise	Comments	Breakfast	Snack	Lunch	Snack	Dinner	Snack 2
Saturday	10 miles flat in 90 mins (round moss road and ship yard).  30 mins on turbo (spin practice).	Felt good in run, wanted to do more but Jocelyn had us down for 9 miles so don't want to stray too much from plan!	Wholemeal toast with peanut butter and jam.  Green Tea.  Muller light greek yoghurt.	Water	Heinz tomato soup and 2 slices of wholemeal crusty loaf. Diluting juice.	Jasmine green tea and last xmas mince pie.	Chicken jalfrezi with wholewheat basmati rice and slice of bread.  Dessert  - choc fudge cake and ice cream!	Tea and a few segments of choc orange.
Sunday	3 miles easy  down kilkerran.  1.5 hours spin endurance.  20 lengths pool.	Felt good, got good long lie!  Glad I ran in am as weather turned horrid.  Last day of holidays and eating crap!	Banana	Water	Scrambled eggs and toast.  Diluting juice.	Jasmine green tea and slice of fruit loaf.  A few squares of choc fudge.  Water.	Stuart's choice...Burger in a bun with wedges AND 2 potato waffles.  Diluting juice.  An old favourite but ended up not liking it as much as I remember.  Maybe I need to be hungover to enjoy.	Choc fudge cake and ice cream - last splurge!  Tea.
Monday	5 miles easy in 45 mins around town with Jen.  New spin routine.	Planning meeting with Mairi to discuss our charity fundraising ideas for the year - exciting!  Set up her just giving page for China trek and planning a coffee afternoon, car boot sale, bingo, fitness classes and much more!	NOS Muesli with natural yoghurt and mixed berries.  Water with barrocca.	Green tea with lemon.	Chille with oatcakes (leftovers).  Tangerine.	Apple and banana.	Chicken and cashew nut stir fry with peppers and noodles.  LF choc mousse.	Tea and 2 1/2 oatcakes.
Tuesday	7 miles at CRC training inc pyramid intervals 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1 at 10k pace.  Great to be back!  Huge turnout, wow!	Feeling good during training.  After - Niggles already?!  Pain in my hip a little and in left ankle.  Signed up to do a Sports Nutrition Diploma online, will start it this weekend :-)	Porridge with mixed berries and a little agave.	Green tea with lemon.	Heinz vegetable soup with oatcakes.  Apple.	2 rice cakes with a scraping of nutella and banana on 1, peanut butter and banana on 1.	Homemade (by husband) fish pie with broccoli.  Dessert - sugar free jelly with berries.	3 oatcakes and cup of tea.
Wednesday	1 mile swim at 7am.  3 mile easy jog with Jen.  Combat class (1 hour).	Finally after 6 months managed to see orthopaedics for my hip pain due to a cancellation during my only non-contact time.  Referred another month for MRI scan but good news nothing wrong with hip joint, probably just a muscle tear and told exercising will help not make worse - hurrah!  Obvs if it gets really painful again then ice, ibuprofen and rest.  Had another fundraising meeting with Mairi in evening  - plans afoot!	NOS Muesli with natural yoghurt and mixed berries.  Water with barrocca.	Water	Homemade parsnip soup (parsnips, onion and organic veg stock) with 2 slices of my favourite multi-grain argyll bakery bread	Banana	Last portion of homemade fish pie with garden peas.  Dessert - sugar free jelly with berries.	2 1/2 oatcakes and cup of tea.
Thursday	1 m easy with cross country club at lunch (grr only time of day it rains!).  7 miles at CRC training including 12 90 secs hills.	Mach Dunes meeting for MOKRUN today after work and all going well, they are very supportive of MOKRUN and MOKTRI.  Felt good at training but hip and ankle a little tender.  Wearing compression socks after.	Porridge with 1/2 teaspoon of agave nectar and slice of wholegrain toast.	Green tea.	3 slices ryvita with tuna.  Tangerine.	Banana.  Coffee.	Spicy prawn and pepper stir fry with noodles and cashews.  Dessert - sugar free jelly.	3oatcakes and tea.
Friday	Spin at 7.15am followed by 1k swim.  Took S6 for a taster session in Combat in pm.	TGIF - my favourite day!  Pouring with rain tonight so nothing for it then getting marking done, tesco shop done then relaxing watching some TV.	Alpen bar, banana and water.	Green tea and breakfast biscuits (hungry!)	Homemade parsnip soup with oatcakes.		Rigatoni pasta with reduced fat smoked sausage, red onion, lightest philli, garlic and tomatoes.  Slice of homemade garlic bread.	Tea and Friday treat of a crunchie AND 3 cookies.  Whoops.