Edinburgh Half Marathon – ten weeks to go
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Edinburgh Half Marathon – ten weeks to go

Panic stations. It’s less than 10 weeks until the Edinburgh Half Marathon, and I’ve not really done much training. I’ve done a lot of spinning and written a book, but running has not been happening.

So this morning, I went onto the Edinburgh website and changed my predicted race time. When I entered, I was determined to break one hour 30, but that was last year when I was still running. There’s no way I can do that in 10 weeks, and I didn’t fancy lining up on the start next to all the super speedy runners. Instead, Continue reading →

Why I’ve not been racing
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Why I’ve not been racing

THREE months ago I decided to stop training as much, and instead focus on my writing projects. I set myself the challenge of completing the first draft of my book. I knew my fitness would suffer, but in order to achieve my writing ambitions it had to be done.

That was back in December. Since then, I’ve cobbled together 80,000 words of my book, completed a short story course, and had two pieces of writing accepted for publication in magazines and anthologies.

I have written during my lunch hour at work, in the evenings after work, at weekends, and even used my daily commute to think about scenes. It has been a slow and frustrating process where I regularly doubted myself. But I have done it, and I can’t help but feel a little bit proud. The book is a long way from being published, but I have material that can be re-written, edited, and whipped into shape.

The only problem now is that I am Continue reading →

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A sad week

TODAY Chris and I gave ourselves the day off running, and instead spent it with our family.

It’s been an incredibly sad and emotional week for all of us because on Tuesday my auntie died. We’re absolutely devastated. She was an amazing person, and always so fit and healthy, which makes her death even more unfair.

I can’t believe she’s gone. Only a few months ago she was dancing at our wedding, then cycling in Italy. I loved and admired her, enjoyed talking to her about books and music, and can’t belive that I’m not going to see her again.

Today I just didn’t want to run. I’ve not wanted to run much all week. Instead I’ve spent time with my family. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, but most of all we’ve remembered my lovely auntie.

 

Emergency fat dress at the ready
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Emergency fat dress at the ready

RIGHT, it’s time to face up to it. I have put on a few pounds, several actually. This has not been an overnight occurrence, more a gradual increase, which began soon after my wedding day last June.

For months and months before our big day, I was so focused on making sure that I could squeeze into my wedding dress that I did not eat anything unhealthy. The chocolate pots, chocolate bars, even Easter eggs were abandoned. I still ate my usual five meals a day (yes five), but I cut out all the crap in between. I had willpower of steel.

There had been a moment of panic just after Christmas last year when the dress I’d ordered was actually a bit snug. I’d made the mistake of being measured for it while I was whippet-thin training for the Great North Run. I had to take action because there was no way I was walking down the aisle showing all my lumps and bumps in a too-tight frock.

Without the chocolate, Continue reading →

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Edinburgh Half Marathon: Weeks three to five

I HAVE to admit that I’ve not really been committing heart and soul to my training. I’ve been doing a five-week short story course and faffing about writing my book instead, so running has been done if and when I’ve had chance.

Some training has occurred though, just not the kind of training that gets results. The type of training I’ve been doing is called fannying about, which achieves nothing. So, it’s time to stop fannying about, get my arse in gear and get some hard work done.

But before I begin, I thought I’d better confess to what training has looked like so far. Here is my training from 22 January to 11 February.  Continue reading →

Positive thinking
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Positive thinking

JANUARY seemed to drag, but February is flying by. I’ve been busy with our house renovations and finishing some writing submissions, but the good thing is that I’ve still been running.

In fact, I’m feeling much more positive about training. My fitness isn’t great, but there are sixteen weeks until the Edinburgh Half Marathon. I keep telling myself not to panic because I have time.

I’ve found it difficult to Continue reading →

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Dewsbury 10k decisions

TO run at Dewsbury, or not to run at Dewsbury that is the question I’ve been asking myself.

The Dewsbury 10k, the first weekend in February, is where I’ve started my road racing season for the past few years. I’ve taken part five times, got a few PBs there, and always enjoyed it, even last year when it was over-distance.

It’s a good race on a flat and fast out and back course and, providing the turnaround cone is in the right place, it’s got great PB potential.

When I entered a few months ago I thought Continue reading →

Edinburgh Half Marathon: Training week one
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Edinburgh Half Marathon: Training week one

I SHOULD be celebrating because last week I completed my first full week of training. This is very exciting stuff. I’m not fit, but at least I’m on the way to fitness. I’ve got time too, because the Edinburgh Half Marathon is not until May.

Here’s the training week: Continue reading →

Beating Blue Monday
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Beating Blue Monday

TODAY is Blue Monday, which is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. I didn’t know much about Blue Monday until I looked it up this morning, but apparently it started in 2005 when a PR company employed a psychologist to calculate the most depressing day of the year. They were considering things like the weather, darkness, time since Christmas, levels of debt, failed resolutions, and that feeling of a need to make a change.

It’s been raining for most of the day so I can understand that it looks a bit bleak but I don’t think it’s any different from any other day really. Depression can strike at any time, and it can last for much longer than a day.

Last week was a bad week for me. I had my own Blue Monday. I felt Continue reading →