These boots are made for walking...

As mentioned previously, tomorrow I am off to the Lake District for a week with Matthew, Noah, my Mum and Ruth.  This has been booked for some time, long before Noah was born and Dad became ill.  The Lake District is like a second home to us (for a week or two a year at least) having been on holiday there every year since I can remember.  Dad was an especially keen walker, having only last year completed Wainwright's Coast to Coast. 

Even from an early age, I have never been one for exercise and preferred to be pushed/carried around where possible.  During one holiday, my parents even had to go out and buy an emergency buggy as I was refusing to walk anywhere (despite being perfectly capable).  Our holidays to the Lake District have always consisted mostly of walking and although in the past, during my teenage years, I may have perhaps, on ocassion, moaned about such pursuits, I obviously enjoyed them enough to continue them today.

Although we intend to make this year's holiday a little different and do some of the more 'touristy' things in the Lakes, it will also be important to do at least a couple of decent walks.  This will keep up some level of fitness if I don't manage to get a run in and more importantly, it will be good training for my first challenge - the St. Peter's Hospice Midnight Walk!

I will be taking part in this charity event as part of team with Mum and Ruth on Saturday 7th July.  It is a 10 mile walk through Bristol, starting at 10.30pm.

St. Peter's Hospice is a fantastic charity and were a great support to us throughout Dad's illness. 


We have a relatively small combined target of £90.  This would raise enough money to fund a night nurse to care for a terminally ill patient for one night.  I know that mum found this service invaluable and it would be great if we could help to provide the same for someone else in a similar situation. 

Generally, I don't really like asking for sponsorship money as I know there are so many great causes out there and so many events taking place at this time of year.  However, if you are able to spare a couple of pennies for this great cause, you can donate by visiting our Just Giving Page:

http://www.justgiving.com/Rachel-Lawrence1

Thank you! xxx

Feeling guilty...

There is a reason I haven't written for a while.  I've been feeling guilty.  My training has slipped by the wayside somewhat in the last two weeks. 

I would like to blame the poor weather or the fact that my weekend was spent enjoying the long awaited and beautiful wedding of Kurlie and Matt and catching up with lovely friends who I don't see often enough!  However, we all know that there is no excuse.  I have been lazy. 

I went out for a run on Monday - a whole week after my last one.  I made it to the end of the road and felt like I was about to collapse from sheer exhaustion.  Needless to say, my 30 minute run was cut short to a mere 17 minutes and believe me, that was hard!!

Now, next week we are away on holiday in the Lake District.  I know we will be walking lots but just in case we don't manage to get out and run I knew that we had to do a big 'un before we went.  So now to the reason why I have 'blogged' again tonight.

We ran for 67 minutes without stopping!

I never knew I was capable of doing actual physical exercise, let alone enjoying it.  It was a 5.34 mile route but to be honest, I'm more impressed with managing to run without stopping for over an hour.  I know I'm still slow but I just don't care!  If 'The Tortoise and the Hare' taught me anything it was that 'steady and slow wins the race' and if I complete the Half Marathon in September, I will have won the race.  My race.  So there!

Whoop Whoop!

Whoop whoop!  I have today done something that I did not think was physically possible for me.  After a lovely day at my aunty and uncle's I came home to a rather wet Frampton Cotterell and a husband who was a little reluctant to go out for a long run due to still recovering from stag do fun last night!  Despite this, I insisted that we must go for a run and my lovely mother and sister came over to Noah sit.  Here is the good news:

I ran for 50 minutes without stopping.

Yes, that's right.  50 minutes.  I would have been pleased with 40 minutes but when it came to it, I just couldn't stop until I had completed what my training plan told me I must. 

The most odd thing about all of this is that I actually enjoyed it.  It was really quite lovely running in the rain and once I got into it, I felt like I could have just kept on running.  A bit like Forrest Gump.  Kind of. 

Now for the bad news:

In our 50 minutes we managed to run 4.25 miles.  I am actually extremely happy with this but when I work out how long it would take me to complete a half marathon at this rate I would be looking at 2 and half hours and taking into account that I probably couldn't keep that pace up for the whole course, it would probably be nearer to 3 hours.  I did think I would just be happy to complete it but maybe now I want to complete it in a decent time...

Dedication and fear!

Time for a quick update! 

It seems that I have found a new dedication to this running malarkey.  Anyone who knows me well will know how much I love to make plans and follow the rules (that must be the teacher in me!) and this is definitely helping.  Before beginning to prepare for this feat, I searched the internet to find a training plan that seemed realistic.  The one I eventually selected was for beginners and seemed to work up gradually from almost nothing (20 minutes walking!) to half marathon distance.  I now find myself becoming slightly obsessed with following this and even have to tick off and date each run as I complete it!

You will be pleased to know that I have not actually walked any of my 'runs' and have even been known to run for slightly longer than specified on the plan!  This, of course, does upset my rule following somewhat but as long as it is only a few minutes longer I can cope with the rebellion!

Despite my good start to training, I am now beginning to have the fear!  This is because my training plan clearly states that tomorrow I must run for 50 mins at an easy but consistent pace.  50 minutes?! Really?!  I do not think that is possible.

 
I feel I must add now that Matthew has been a great support in my quest to run and has come out running with me several times, even though I am clearly much slower than him!  I also know that tomorrow he will be making sure that I do indeed run for at least 40 minutes (he has already told me this!).  My personal opinion - this may be the first time I fail on a run. 

Check back in the next couple of days to see how I got on. 

Steady and Slow

Ok, so after the enthusiastic start to my training, things have admittedly slowed down a little.  For once, this is actually not because I can't be bothered but mostly because (and here comes the list of excuses...):

1) We have a baby and finding time to go out really is tricky!
2) This heatwave we have been having is not helpful when even running across a squash court turns my face the colour of a beetroot.
3) I was ill at the start of the week.

However, I am back on it and have been out with Matthew tonight for a 32 and a half minute run, covering a total distance of 2.59 miles.  This is something of an achievement for me as I never thought it was possible to run/jog for more than 30 minutes without stopping - and I didn't stop, not even once!  I think we were going quite slowly though but hey ho! Onwards and upwards! 

(P.S. I think they might be right - exercise does kind of make you feel good...)

First Runs

So, I have finally been out for my first two runs. 

Matthew came with me for the first, a 20 minute slow jog around the roads of Frampton Cotterell.  It actually wasn't as bad as I thought - I managed to keep moving for the full 20 minutes which surprised me - and I didn't walk either!  I was quite impressed with myself until I 'mapped my run' and discovered that it was a mere 1.67 miles!  A half marathon is 13.1 miles so that's almost 8 times as far.  Eeeek!

Anyway, I was still feeling quite pleased with myself after my first running experience in many years and felt that I was ready to brave the roads alone for my second run.  This is when something rather strange happened.  I was going into work last Friday for the day so was intending to drop Noah off at my mum's at 8am.  As the birds were merrily singing away at 5am, Noah decided that 5am was, in fact, morning.  After an hour of lying in bed with a very awake baby, I thought to myself 'What a lovely morning for a run!'.  Since when have I ever thought that any time of day was a lovely time for a run?! 
And that is how I found myself hopping out of bed at 6.30am (on my first day back in work!) for an early morning jog around Frampton!  

Here are the before and after pictures to prove it....


This time I managed 1.93 miles.  Well, you've got to start somewhere!

Why a half marathon and why now?!

I'm quite lazy when it comes to physical exercise.  I've never really challenged myself physically before because I always find a reason not to.  Getting hot and sweaty is not something I enjoy.  It's always too hot, too cold, too expensive, too early, too late...really just too much effort, to exercise.  

But things have changed massively in my life in the last 6 months. 

In December I gave birth to my scrummy (and very cute) little boy, Noah.  This has spurred me on in two ways.  Firstly, I now have even more of a flabby tummy than I did before and it has to go.  The only way that is going to happen is through exercise.  Secondly, I figured that if I can give birth and manage to survive the first few weeks with a newborn then I must be able to do a half marathon.

The other massive change is that my Dad passed away in April after being diagnosed with a brain tumour at the end of February.  For anyone who knew my Dad, you will know that he loved sport, especially cycling, running and walking, and was always a very active person.  In fact, he was due to run the Bath Half Marathon this year but was too ill to be able to do so.  This has obviously also encouraged me to start doing some exercise.  Firstly, I think my Dad would have laughed if I had told him I was going to run a half marathon but I also know that he would be very proud if I ever completed one!  Secondly, I want to do something for one of the charities that give support to individuals and their families who are diagnosed with a brain tumour.  And finally because it's made me realise that you just have to do things rather than talk about doing them! 

So that's my motivation.  Now to start running....