December - eclectic

So I'm doing really well at weight watchers, lost 52.5 lbs this year and we had to set ourselves goals (okay, didn't have to, but I chose to), but I gave myself a gift each time I achieved a goal.  If I didn't achieve it, I had to give it away.

The biggest goal was to get a PB at the next Fireman's run.  The prize was a trio of Partylight Candles (the ones in jars).....no way was I giving them away!!!!  Blokes didn't really get it, but I smashed that PB!!!  My times were 23.17, 23.34....so imagine my face when I found out I did it in 21.44!!!!  When the fireman (from last month's tales) gave me my card - 36th out of 36 - I gave him a big hug!  I also hugged the lady who held the stopwatch and the guy who recorded the time!   According to the handicap system that I still don't understand, I'm now coming 1st!!!  and most importantly.... I get to keep the candles.

I had a lot of holiday time due, so I took a week off work, had loads planned, almost sucked into doin the New Years Day hill run up Slieu Whallian (900ft of upness), but on day 1 of holidays I went ice skating with some friends, doing really well until the last lap.  Crashed & burned.  Dislocated arm, chipped shoulder, fractured somwhere between elbos & shoulder.  A&E. 

Not impressed.  Very sorry for myself.  There were two hills I wanted to climb, friends I was going to see and trail walks to be done.  I was going to do swimming 4 mornings - at least I managed to get 56 laps swum that morning.

I missed one Christmas party, can't get into the dress I'd just finished making either!  I did go to my very first panto and two Christmas parties, a disco and get the lurghy big time. Every cough hurt my arm.  Did I mention feeling very sorry for myself?

The following week I went to my Monday run group, which kinda forced one friend to go - she couldn't be not turning up when someone with arm in sling still went!!  I also went to circuit training, but gave the hill runs a miss.

December 2013

December 2014

I'm on track for the January Fireman's run.  I won't be able to run it because of my arm, but I've worked out that as long as I can walk it faster that the slowest 3-lapper, then the marshals won't be out any longer because of me. 

So I have to beat 47 mins, which I can do, as long as the arm can cope!  I won't be in 1st place, but that tee is mine!

See you next year!!  Have a good one xxx

November - 2nd Fireman's Run

Apart from the run group, circuit training (yes, I signed up for second term) and hill runs (which I'm improving on), there was the second Fireman's run.  I may have forgotten to mention they're monthly.

Bit embarrassing, the Monday before I had to call the fire brigade out to a microwave fire (not mine), which was attended by one of my Monday night runners and the local firemen.  I was greeted with "You'll do anything for oxygen!" and at the Fireman's run, I was told I was only getting coffee from them this time!  I then saw them at the Remembrance Service and one said at coffee afterwards "We've got to stop meeting like this."  I'm pretty sure I'd never ever seen him round and about before this!

I really was hoping to get a PB this time, but it was chucking it down and even had to take my glasses off for the last bit! 

I was still pleased with my time - 23.34, and although I came 43rd out of 43 - and therefore announced to anyone who would listen, "I beat 20 people!!!" (well they didn't even get off the couch to turn up!) according to the handicap system that no one understands, I'm 39th.  I'll take that, but really only interested in beating myself next time (she says confidently).

October - Fireman's Run

This time round, I didn't get sucked into doing something with the athletics club.... I actually invited running friends from all over the Island to join in the local Fireman's Run for this season. 

It's basically 1.73 miles for the 1-lap run, round our town, or 3 laps for the big boys.  The Firemen marshal (and some run) and it's been going for years.  We decided we wanted to earn the tee shirt.  I say "earn" because you have to do all 6 runs to get the tee!  Doesn't sound hard?  Apparently January is only for the hardcore.

Anyhoooooo, here we are all 163 of us.  I proudly came 63rd out of 63 (which means 100 did the 3-laps) and in time of 23.17.  Which compares to my fastest 1-lap lake run in summer which was 23.37.  It doesn't count as a PB because it's a different race, but I know it is!

I carried on going to the Monday night run club, even had to get myself some dayglo and a head torch!  Splashed out and got myself one of those thermo undertop things (that's a technical term).

I'm on the wall, red stripe & glasses!

September - back to the running

Well guess what me and my mates went & did????  Thought we'd joined the local athletics club, but no.... this turns up in the post!

I also started to turn up to the circuit training, which replaces the lake runs (or so I thought) and plucked up the courage to turn up to the hill run practices.  It's basically run uphill (quite a steep one) for a minute, then 2 min cool down as you walk back down.  and do that 8 times.  I can now do over a mile running uphill and everyone in the group waits for me to work out how well I've done, and they know they've done further.  They also know I don't care that I come last.  I'm missing that lot while my arm is in a sling.

September is pretty much Monday run group, Wednesday circuit training, Saturday hill runs.

August - MGP marshalling

So it's racing time again.... this time I'm heading up the mountain, so no cycling for me this time.  It does mean that if there's an accident, the running will be uphill in one direction though.  It was a bit remote and some long days as well, but well worth it!

me, myself & I at Casey's Advance

the climb to Casey's Advance

visibility sometimes an issue

and sometimes not!

August - Marathon time

Well what's a girl to do?  Having successfully completed the 5k run and avoided doing the 10k by marshalling for it instead.... I was then asked if I was ready to do a half marathon in August?????  Not sure which part of NO! wasn't being understood, but I contacted the marshals organiser and put my name down for that instead.  A few people asked where I was going to be marshalling and commented that they'd be glad to see me...... curious, I got on my bike the day before and cycled the half marathon distance..... I would be about a mile from the finish posts, no wonder I'd be a sight for sore eyes!!!

I ended up standing in the pissing rain with my next door neighbour for 6 hours, while my friends either competed or drove round in the St John's Ambulance car.  Not sure which would have been worse.  Ok, I do, but when you're cold & wet & stationary, you do start to wonder....

a competitor for the half marathon (there was also a blind runner)

the cyclist leading the first marathon runner

July - mostly running

Well our local athletics club has well and truly got their grip on me!  I even went to their fun day, as the newest member :-)

I was minding my own business doing my lake laps one evening, when they started getting ready for the 10k race.  I was still in my work uniform and a couple of marshal friends asked if I was marshalling for them.  I quickly went home, got changed, ran back to find out they wanted me at the end of my road!  (wish they'd told me that earlier!)  I like stopping traffic anyway!

I did the second 1-lap lake run, VERY nervous this time, because we all expected something, instead of not knowing what I'd be able to do.  No pressure, but it was a really hot evening, and they were running late, I'd forgotten to cancel a work shift, so I was starting to say that if they didn't let me go, I couldn't start - I had to do about 25 min run, walk up the hill, get washed and changed and back down the hill and ready to start work at 8pm.... it was about 20 past 7 and I was pushing my luck!!!  To top it off, it was a handicapped race, so we set off in groups of same speed.....the other two in my group didn't turn up.  I had to lead the race on my own!!!!  Just shoot me now.  I was so embarrassed.

But I did it.  and I did it well.  and I got to work on time.  My time for June was 23.37.  In the July heat I did it in 24.29, but others were about 6-10 mins slower than their previous time.  I guess I would have been too, but I had to get to work!

I also got sucked into doing the 5k run, in an embarrassing 44.51.   I was most definitely last and a friend of mine asked for permission to goround the last lap with me.  It's not like she would be pacing me or anything by this time.  Two other friends had started to go home and decided to walk the last bit with me, but they all stepped away to let me do my sprint finish (which I can always find in me).  Even the kids were cheering!

a bit worn out after 5k!

June

Finishing off the second part of the IronMay competition, just because I'd done 61% of it, might as well do the rest of the swimming and cycling!

2 June -
TT roads not closing till at least 12pm because of fog. Might as well move around (well it's either that, or housework!)
1st lap of lake - walking - 11 mins 16.
I drove to Glen Duff because if they kept the racing going, it was forecast bad weather in the evening and I could be cycling in the rain, at 9.30pm.

3 June -
Extra race day due to opening the roads early yesterday & not all racing got finished.  This was a bummer for me because I was working and had to leave my car on the outside of the course, walk 1 mile up the hill for an hour's work, then run down the hill, up and over a walk bridge across the track, get to the car and do my (usually 13 mins) drive to my next job, while the road I was using would be the only road out of town that was open, and within 30 mins!  I made it in 24 mins!  Which means I ran down the hill, up and over the bridge and to the car in 11 mins!

4 June -
I cycled to Kerrowmoar and back today, there was bad weather due in the afternoon, so only one race was completed.  When they said "afternoon", they should have said immediately, I got totally drenched on the way home!

6 June -
Senior Race Day for the TT - on the 6th lap Horst Seiger had a crash just before our marshalling post and we ran to assist.  I grabbed the first aid kit and ran about twice as far as have done since joining the running group, without stopping, didn't get out of breath, then joined the stretcher crew to get Horst onto the stretcher, carried across the road to the pavement, seen to by the Paramedic, then carried back across the road, into a field and onto the helicopter.  I don't think I'd've been fit enough to do this at the start of the year!

8 June -
1st lap jogged half lengths of the lake, walked the other halves.  2nd lap walking 10 mins 37!  3rd lap I did the exercise machines, walking between.

13 June -
Well I plucked up the courage to join our local athletics club on their lake-lap run with a couple of friends.  One ended up not going, but I met my neighbour down there.  It's not the 1-lap that I'm used to doing, OH NO!  It's a lake lap, then up the hill, down the hill and another lake lap to the finish....or I can choose to do the 3 lap course.  It was handicapped, so when I went to register, they asked my handicap & I said "you're looking at it!"  I looked at the course and working on my best ever time (which they said was "quite good, actually") I guestimated that it would take me half an hour.  I was put in the first group and very proud that I wasn't overtaken until I got to the hill!  Lots of people were very supportive as they overtook me, with words of encouragement and I didn't stop once.  I did slow to my fast walk, but no stopping.  Very proud of myself, I now await my time, which was definitely less than 30 mins, and my friends (old and new) think it was most likely in the vicinity of 20 mins!  BTW - it was 1.7 miles!.... 23.37 mins very pleased!

June 2014 - It's all about the TT

Wow!  Has it really beren half a year since I filled this in?????  Honestly, it's because I was spending the time getting fitter!!

I've now fractured my arm ice skating in December, so ignore any mistakes please!  It'll mostly be a photo diary, cos I can't remember everything in great detail!

I did complete the IronMay competition, but forgot to send off for the tee shirt.

Finished 13 days early!!!!

Final position, very happy with it!

action shot on the bike!!!

Then came TT races, I cycled to and from my marshalling spots, up to 25 mins away, closest was about 10 mins away.  It was really embarrassing having to cycle (with my flask & lunch in the wicker basket) past the spectators along the road, but wearing a marshals jacket got me some cheers!











I had to deal with an accident, on the last lap of the Senior Race, the rider was fine (how's my bike?), but I had to run, carrying the large first aid kit to the accident, then help roll the rider onto the stretcher, lift the stretcher with 5 others, carry rider across the road, down into a field and onto a helicopter.

paramedic with big motorbike wanted to try mine!

Now you see why I needed to get fitter this year!!!

The Purple Helmets display - a pole dancer....

May - Part 2!

I'm going to carry on doing the IronMay competition, because you are allowed to do it more than once - infact, the organiser invited me to!  I'll bet they do that with everyone that's finished early!

Walking/Pedometer
19 May - worn to work, walked down to run club (cancelled due to thunder/lightning storms) then round town - 4.27 miles - added to the IronMay totals.

20 May - worn to work, walked about 2.5 miles - added to the IronMay totals.

21 May - worn to work and spent 1 hour at our wildlife park, walked 3.94 miles - added to the IronMay totals.

I've now done all the walk/jog/run for the second IronMay competition, total logged so far is 55.52 miles.  Completed 152% of the competition. 

Racing Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell (9mins 50)
25 May - after 1 lap fast walking and 1 lap of run/walk/run/walk, I managed a timed lap of 11.01, so he's still winning at the moment.

Swimming
19 May - 48 laps in an hour.  Had to work late so I missed the first half hour the pool was open, but I still got 0.72 mile done - added to the IronMay totals too! 

Cycling
24 May - 7.67 miles to my TT marshalling point and home.  Added to the IronMay totals, but it felt like I'd been off the bike for more than 5 days, and the racing was rained off, so it wasn't an exciting ride.  Here's hoping they race on Monday.

26 May - 7.67 miles Kerrowmoar again, same reason, but they did get a full evening's practice session in.

27 May - 5.10 miles, but I'm sure it was a bit more, cos I got lost, yes, on the TT course!  Could I find Glen Tramman meeting spot?  Could I buggery!  The ride home was at max speed cos the practice was red flagged and it was getting dark by the time roads opened.  Well, I say dark, it wasn't really, but felt like it in that traffic with little pushbike lights & marshal's dayglo on.

28 May - 5.10 miles, but I know where I'm going this time!

29 May - 5.83 miles, marshalling at Glen Duff this time.

30 May - 5.83 miles, same again.

31 May - 5.10 miles 1st TT race day, back at Glen Tramman.

All miles added to the IronMay totals.

Other
22 May - 2.5 hours work down at the allotment, weeding, pulling onions and rhubarb up and planting seeds.

IRONMAY COMPETITION
Final position was 11th out of 45 competitors, I completed 1.61 competitions, the goal next year is to do it twice!  I am going to finish the other 39% of it during June, just to prove to myself that I can do it.  So I've got 1.08 miles to swim (80 laps will cover that) and
79.64 miles to cycle, which I know I can do in a weekend (if I have to!).

Here's a proper comparison, I think all this exercise is doing me some good!  Not hiding behind the rhubarb this time!

May 2013

May 2014

May - It's all about the IronMay!

I'll do May in two parts - IronMay will be my main focus, but there will also be some other things happening, I'm sure.
 
2 May -
6 miles (ish) wandering round our wildlife park!

4 May -
10.27 miles  walking - intervals of 2 laps round the lake (or 3 if I wanted a coffee)

5 May -
4.7 miles jogging/walking - 24.33 total
10.16 miles cycling

6 May -
Joined the learn to run group again, twice round the lake as interval training, so I guess I did about 2-3 miles tonight.

9 May -
58 lengths swam - 0.87 mile swam.

11 May -
14.5 miles cycling

12 May -
70 lengths of the pool - 1.05 miles swam.  It's taken a while, but my swimming is now up to my usual speed, long may it continue!

Joined the jogging group again - actually running a bit, as well as jogging and fast walking.  Very impressed with myself!  Can't remember the totals, but I'm up to 43.31 miles walked/jogged and only need 52 .4 needed to have done twice what's needed - might just have to get there!

13 May - 72 lengths of the pool - 1.08 miles swam.  I only needed to do 32 lengths to finish, but I'd paid for 1.50 hours, so I was using it!  Squeezed the last 2 laps out (couldn't resist beating myself!)

14 May - 15.08 cycling.

15 May - 9.21 miles cycling.

16 May - 11.94 and 6.44 miles cycled.  Trying my hardest to get the numbers down (112 is enormous!)

17 May - Part 1 - I've got 37.86 miles left to go, and determind to finish it today!  One of my work shifts moved to an earlier time, so I had 2.5 hours available before I had to go out somewhere else.  I was sure that I could get lots of miles in, then work out what was needed to finish and do that in the evening - before a well earned glass of vino!  I managed to do 18.77 miles in 2 hours.  Couldn't squeeze out any more effort, but happy with that.  Hate the saddle.  Got some nice pics tho (I'll put them at the bottom).

17 May - Part 2 - I had 19.08 miles to go.  I worked out that it was to the prom, 19 lengths of our prom, then home.  I had headwind in both directions, PLUS sidewinds (even when there was buildings for shelter) which is really not fair!!!  I kept going for 2.5 hours and really had nothing left to give.  Got halfway up our hill and pushed the bike home.  I was gutted to find out that I'd done 1.86 miles short of the total needed.  I still had the vino.

18 May - FINISHED IT - 13 days early and
nearly killed me tho!  I made sure that I definitely did more than I needed to, especially after yesterday, so I plowed on and did 3.03 miles, then a celebratory coffee stop!

The finish in sight!

.
Anyway, it's done now and I don't have to get back on the bike seat until I want to!

April - time flies when you're having fun!

April has been much better than March. I had done some investigation into the beginners group (confused about why there was so many fit people there) and found that it was advertised on the homepage of the local athletics club website!

I've been for more walks, signed up for the IronMay competition and actually joined that beginners walk/jog/run group I ran (screaming like a girl) from last month!

I've been using the exercise equipment around the lake sometimes, and increased speed a little - last count was:
1st lap - 11 mins
2nd lap - 10 mins 58 seconds
3rd lap - 10 mins 54 seconds

Also, I've started to race Meatloaf round - Bat out of Hell is 9 mins 50 seconds, so that's my goal - he's still beating me, but I think it's a good goal.

I was not shy in telling people that I didn't go to the beginners group, and lucky I did, because an acquaintance and also my next door neighbour both go to it (and they are different levels) and say they really enjoyed it.  Well, yesterday I wore my baggy uniform, put my gear on underneath and got changed in the car again.  The hardest part of the whole thing was actually getting out of the car, and I'm glad I did.  I walked further and faster than I thought I would, I didn't die, my legs didn't give way and I did get the tips on how to walk better, so my feet survived too!  I think it did help that I'd been doing things on my own, and perhaps a month ago I wouldn't have been able to do as much, but I'm definitely going back next week!  They do another night where it's all hill work, maybe I'll join that next month.  We shall see.

A group of us also went away to a hockey festival and even though I wasn't playing, I wore my pedometer every day (until 6pm) and managed to clock up 9k, 11k, 13k and 17k steps over the 4 days!

Anyway, here's some pics of friends using the park exercise equipment - it's free and there's about 13 stations round the lake - so you have to walk the 0.8mile round to do them all!  My personal favourite is the rowing machine, but we didn't get to that one this time.

March update - better late than never!

I have no idea what happened to March (and it's now the end of April!), but I'll give it a bash.

I started to jog-walk-jog round the lake, which is about 0.8 mile round.  I can do the walk in about 15 mins with the walk'n'talk group, so I wasn't really impressed to find that I only knocked off about 3 mins on my first attempt at jwj!

There were some times that were so laughable, I'd almost say you wouldn't read about it, but here I am typing it!  I went out on a nice Sunday evening, thinking I had the place to myself as it was dinnertime - well, there was a film crew in one bit, 3 dads teaching kids to ride bikes, 1 dad taking a kid for a run/jog/walk and 4 old guys with their remote control boats out on the lake!  You wouldn't believe it, but there wasn't a spare bit of the 0.8 miles to myself!  I just did 4 laps walking instead - no way I'm ending up on some tv blooper show!

Another time, I got home from work and thought that about 6pm on a Friday night (when any decent bods should surely be heading to, or already at, a pub or restaurant - but no, I looked out the window & exclaimed "it's not fair! it looks like bloody ants out there!!!"  The local athletics club was doing a race round the lake - I even saw a couple trying to have a romantic walk turn around and walk out on the roadway to escape!  They weren't just jogging or warming up, there was overtaking and some were doing 3 laps!  (I saw the results on their website later on).

And to top it off - yes, March got weirder - I heard about a beginners/learn to walk, jog, run group starting up, and decided that would be perfect.  I was hoping to learn stuff like how to breathe properly (without dying of thirst every 2 seconds) and correct footwork cos my feet get sore after a while.  Unfortunately for me, it's 6-7 on the prom and I'm working 5-6 on the other end of the prom.  I wore my baggy uniform and had my gear on underneath, drove down (laughable, cos I can see the prom from my place) so I could get changed in the car and leave my stuff locked up.  I got to the car and as I got closer, all I could see was very fit looking people, not an out-of-shape body in the lot, recognised one who had done a half-marathon last year (and wasn't the instructor) and another who is in our local hockey club.... I did a slow drive-by to see if the "beginners" were hiding round the corner, and they weren't....so I put my foot down & drove on!  I wasn't the only one either!  I did go and do 3 laps of the lake when I parked up tho, so it wasn't a total waste, just my confidence knocked a bit.

That's about it for March.  Onto April!

the lake, with island in middle

February update - improving

Been a bit busy at work, couldn't understand why I was so tired until I added up my hours and worked out I've done 117.5 - and Feb's a short month!

I fitted in exercise where I could (and I have an active job)
4 Feb - 20 mins walk to a job
6 Feb - Managed to do 32 lengths swimming in 40 mins
10-14 Feb - 20 mins walk each day to a job (even in the rain)
10 Feb - spoilt myself and got a back massage & Reiki
12 Feb - swam 36 lengths in 45 mins
15 Feb - cycled 30 mins to a job
18 Feb - 20 mins walk to a job
19 Feb - 2 hours digging at the allotment
20 Feb - 20 mins walk to a job
22 Feb - 20 mins work at the allotment

Managed to get some lunchtimes free this week, so I'm making the most of it while I can!
24 Feb - swam 50 lengths in 70 mins and then did 30 mins step aerobics
25 Feb - swam 30 lengths in 45 mins and walked 25 mins to a job (went a longer route)
26 Feb - swam 50 lengths in 60 mins (10 mins faster) and then did 2.5 hours at the allotment (including sledgehammer work!)

27 Feb - swam 36 lengths in 45 mins and went for a walk for 35 mins between jobs.
28 Feb - swam 34 lengths in 40 mins (before work) then about 30 mins walk - fab way to finish off the month!

Swimming has been interesting, there were so many people in the pool on the Monday & Tuesday - they set aside 3 lanes for the serious swimmers and us plebs get 4.5 lanes to do lengths however we can (not normally in a straight line) -
On Monday there was someone doing backstroke in the 1/2 lane, so about 30 of us got 4 lanes to share.  One guy was tutting because he couldn't do an unhindered length, if you can swim and tut at the same time - you're in the wrong section of the pool! 
I got kicked in the boob on Tues, but there was a lady with such an odd style that I couldn't tell if she was swimming backstroke or not!
On Wed there weren't many people there, but I was officially the slowest swimmer (even the person with a chest infection was faster than me and I couldn't overtake the lady clinging to the sides!), what really fascinated me was an old guy who did all sorts of different strokes, even double armed backstroke!
On Thurs I overtook 3 people!  But there were two really annoying people there who weren't doing lengths, just swimming a third of the way (or towing each other) then standing in the middle of two lanes chatting, or moving along the wall and sitting right where you wanted to finish, or they would just swim widths instead.  Two people got out and asked for their money back because the lifeguards wouldn't tell them it's an "Adults Lengths session", the public sessions start at 2pm.
On Fri I went before work, still packed, but most people were getting about 1/2 hour swim before work.  I limited myself to 34 lengths,  just to nicely round it up to 200 lengths this week!  64 lengths is a mile.  Very happy with my efforts, and pleased that I was able to keep up the same level of swimming, didn't get too worn out as the week got on.

Obviously, there's no pics of me swimming, but here's a few from the allotment.

19 Feb after the work's done

the bed fully cleared, dug over & compost put in

26 Feb after the work's done

The posts sledgehammered in!

January 2014 update

Well things have not gone as planned.  Spent 3 months suffering back pain, soluble tramadol is my friend!

Although I did manage to dance the night away at a Christmas Ceili for our local hockey club with no problems - which is fab, because I love to dance!  It was quite funny because I knew one of the band members (and regretted waving hello by the end of the night!) - the band found out the hard way that hockey players can't count.  Alcohol didn't make any difference, cos even the kids were a problem!
"Can we have groups of 6 please?"....
"That's 6 people in a group!" (random groups of 4, 10, 12 start appearing)
They started pointing at people who needed to move.... they pointed at people who needed to stay where they were..... they even sent band members down to physically move people around!
If they'd done their homework, they'd've known that hockey players work on 11+2 subs!
On the plus side - we only needed to be given the instructions once!

Obviously, while I was busy dancing, I was not taking photos, so here's some pics I took in 2012 during Yn Chruinnacht.  One of the dancers is one of our hockey players, however I can pretty much guarantee that we did not look this organised!

I was under doctor's orders to do swimming, .....so I went down to the pool with a couple of friends and it took 1.5 hours and we only did 20 lengths.  I can say "only" because in that time, I should have been able to do 70!  I was in agony the next morning, but the doctor said that even though it killed, I had to keep going because it would strengthen my back.
4 days later I went on my own and did 22 lengths in 45 mins.
The next week we did 22 lengths in 1 hour.
Three days later I went on my own and did 24 lengths plus treading water for 15 minutes.  I made it a rule that I stopped swimming when my right foot hit the floor when kicking.
My car was playing up, so I dropped it off at the garage and walked home, which was 2 miles, then I had to walk back a couple of days later to pick it up again.
That was about it for January, all in all, an improvement.