Lazy week

Yeah, couldn't really be arsed this week. Went to the gym on Tuesday, having waved goodbye to Al who came back for a fleeting visit, only to bore myself into submission. Was supposed to do an hour (probably split 45 mins / 15 mins) at 6.7 mph. Actually did 10 mins at 6.7 mph, 10 mins at 6.8 mph, got bored, went and did some weights (the usual, all at 20 kg). Then approached the treadmill again and did 3 miles in 30 minutes - a mixture of 6.7 mph and fast walking on a steep gradient. It wasn't that I was tired so much as just bored...And hot. It does get hot in the gym. Can't wait to be able to run outside in the evenings. Oh, did a bit of bike at the end too.

Anyway, I have also reached that 'must have chocolate' time of the month, during which I have learnt better than to deny myself. It's not every month my body decides I need chips and the sofa, but this time it was quite clear and I duly abandoned plans for my speed session both yesterday and today (not that I was planning two - I vaguely told myself I'd reschedule) and spent the time productively sitting in traffic jams instead. Well, it is the first speed session I've missed so far in all my training. Trying not to think about next week when I will be somewhere steep and snowy without running facilities.

Luckily I have agreed to run with Matt tomorrow which will get me back in the game. Have to come up with a 13 mile route for us. He didn't look happy when I mentioned it.

Quick catch up

Had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday which left me in Edinburgh at 5pm - still light enough for an outside run. I went up Easter Road, round Queens Drive and back, a total of 7.2 miles. Tried to keep the pace up and finished it in 1 hour 4 mins, which I was pleased with. About 6.7 mph.

That was my tempo run for the week. Did my speed session at Friday lunchtime (having remembered to take my own hairdryer to the gym so I could go back to work without wet hair):

• 3 mins step machine at 5.5 floors per minute
• 3 mins cross trainer, level 11, above 10 mets
• 5 x 0.5 mile in 3 mins 45 secs, with 0.15 mile at 4 mph in between.
• About 0.7 miles at 6.6 mph

Couldn't do more as I had to get back to work, but completed a 7 mile walk on Saturday and a 12 mile run on Sunday. The run was slow on the way back as it was uphill and there was a strong headwind, but it was a bright day and good to be outside. The smell of Fi's roast pork as I entered the home straight also kept me going! The walk was lovely - good company and lots of lovely scenery and interesting things to see along the way, including a folly and a 300 year old oak.

This week, planning tempo run and speed work tomorrow and Wednesday. Long run with Matt Friday night and the duathlon as my hill session on Sunday.

Newcastle trip

Did my long run as planned on Friday night, with Matt gamely agreeing to come and defend me from muggers. Though frankly I don't think he would have been much use towards the end when he stopped chatting and started to look a bit peaky. The furthest he'd ever run before was 10km, so the step up to 11 miles was a big ask! However, he finished strongly and we agreed to run together again the Friday before our next duathlon. We also completed the flatish course (Easter Road, Willobrae Road, park, Meadows, Queen Street, Easter Road) in 1 hour 35: very respectable.

Then off to Newcastle for Helen's early birthday present - a surprise trip to the X Factor concert! It was a really nice break after a frantic few weeks as we chilled out on the train, kept Helen guessing till the last minute and were suitably entertained. Some of the singers were quite good, though not, sadly, Leon the actual winner. The songs were mostly old favourites though, which got the party going.

I was also completely won over by Newcastle. In the bright clear sunshine it seemed lovely, only an hour and a half from Edinburgh, with great shops! I was very excited by my first visit to Primark and got a great winter coat for £10 and a dress for £12 - though since Jenny has told me they were made in Chinese sweat shops I have decided to donate an equal amount to charity to assuage my guilt...A star find came on Sunday morning when Hilary remembered a nice area from an episode of Location, Location, Location and we went there on the metro and found a lovely place for brunch.

Unfortunately I couldn't continue the chilling out on our return as I had to give the flat a final clean - its new tenants will have moved in tonight. I hope they like it and take good care of it - it was quite emotional shutting the door for the last time. Was supposed to run as well but it was nearly 8 by the time I was done so I went to the gym after work today instead. This was last week's belated hill session:

• 6 mins cross trainer, level 11, staying above 10 mets
• 25 mins treadmill at 6.5 mph
• 10 mins bike, hills
• 1 x 12 reps chest press at 15kg and 3 x 12 at 20kg
• 35 mins treadmill, cross country 1 setting (inclines up to 8%), at 5.9 mph
• 2 x 12 reps each of all three settings on back machine at 20kg

Felt like I wasn't pushing it much. Will set the hills up another 0.5% on the inclines next week I think. Although I was probably fresh as a result of two days off and energised by a multitude of mini M&S flapjacks.

Slowly improving...

Yes, slowly getting there. Went back to Runfinder and worked out the weekend long run was actually 10.8 miles, so 1 hour 40 mins feels more respectable. Nearly 9 minute miling it.

Gym yesterday, did:

• 6 mins cross trainer level 11, staying above 10 mets
• 45 mins treadmill at 6.5 mph
• 2 x 12 reps chest press at 15kg and 1 x12 at 20kg
• 2 x 12 each of biceps, triceps and latimus dorsi (finally remembered to check what it was), all at 15kg except the last biceps, which was 20kg
• 10 mins bike, hills
• 15 mins treadmill at 6.5 mph

Then today did:

• 6 mins step machine (was in the girlie gym and the only cross trainer is always busy), 5.5 floors per min
• 4 x 0.5 mile in 3 min 45 sec, with 0.15 mile walking in between (at 4mph)
• 1 x 0.25 mile in half time
• 2 x 12 reps pull down at 30kg, 1 x 12 at 35kg
• 3 x 12 reps tricep push down at 25kg
• 1 mile treadmill at 6.5 mph
• 10 mins step machine at 5.5 floors per min

Have to do my long run tomorrow after work as I'm away over the weekend so can't fit it in otherwise. I'm trying to work out an 11 mile route round Edinburgh that I can do after dark - surprisingly difficult, and it looks as though I'll have to either brave Windy Gap or stick to really boring, busy, fume-filled roads. I think I'll take the Gap and just hope potential muggers and rapists can't run very fast. There's only a short stretch that's mildly scary. Maybe I can get Matt to come with me. Or actually, I could go down Seafield Road to Portobello. That's only two thirds on boring roads, and Porty is quite nice early evening. Although it will be Friday. So it may be full of drunken chavs. Oh, I don't know. I wish it would hurry up and get light.

That leaves one more run - my hill session - to fit in. I had told myself I'd get up at 8 on Saturday to do it before leaving but I think it's more realistic to leave it till Sunday night and go to Meadowbank.

Anyway, the jeans are getting looser and there is starting to be a difference when I look in the mirror. I swear blokes find it easier to put on muscle. Al barely has to walk down the road and back to turn into a lean, mean, running machine. I've been training consistently for nearly two months and have just got to the stage where the barest glimpse of stomach muscle can be seen emerging from the flab. Hey ho.

Doh!

That should be 1 hour 40 minutes, for the 10 miler yesterday, obviously. I'm not THAT slow.

Still slow though.

On the plus side, to make up for eating nothing but chips and doughnuts yesterday, I've been on a fruit and veg binge. Today I've had loads of dried fruit, an apple, a salad with olives and avocado, a stir fry with courgette, onion and peppers and blueberries with yoghurt. At least seven portions. I feel healthy just thinking about it.

Hills, hills, hills

Long run today. I actually did the hideous hilly loop I'd been contemplating. Realised belatedly that to run it from Al's would add an extra three miles so drove to Rossie Place, ran it from there and and then picked up a clothes airer, clothes hangers and some utensils from the flat on the way back. Realised even more belatedly that I could have run it from Al's and added three miles of fairly flat Easter Road instead of three miles of hilly Queens Drive, but it was too late by then.

Felt pretty good as I was doing it, pushing it on the downhill and steady on the up. It was good running weather - cool and still and misty after a really mild springlike day yesterday. And on Radical Road I ran almost the whole second half of the uphill section. So I was disappointed to find it took me a whole 140 minutes to do the 10.2ish miles. Bloody hills.

TFI Friday

Gave my self yesterday off to just go home, watch Top Gear (the one where they drive across Botswana - superb) and eat an entire family pack of mini eggs.

Then made myself go to the gym today and feel extremely virtuous that I did and have thus had a proper four sessions this week.

Did:

• 6 mins cross trainer at level 10, staying above 10 mets
• 3 miles treadmill, 6.5 mph
• 2 x 12 reps chest press at 15 kg and 1 x 12 at 20 kg
• 3 miles treadmill 'cross country 1' setting, which was hills up to 8% at 5.8 mph
• 2 x 12 reps each of biceps, triceps and the other one on the back machine, all 15 kgs except last biceps at 20 kgs
  

Then drove home. It's pretty much exactly a 40 mile drive which has had me musing that I could run it in a weekend, perhaps for charity? Could cross the FRB and run along the river rather than get squished on the motorway. Or maybe bike it in a day.

Another musing is to make Sunday's long run the evil radical road loop from a couple of weeks back with - get this - an extra three mile loop round Queen's Drive! Which would make it 10 miles. Hmm. I'm not sure that planning runs while driving is the best way forward.

Right. Got another bag of mini eggs needing attention here. Bye.

PS - anyone else having trouble with Blogger's spell check? Doesn't seem to want to check my blogs at all.

Gym

Quick training update.

Gym yesterday - in Alloa, so still getting used to the machines there. Did:

• 6 mins cross trainer at level 10, staying above 10 kmph (is that the same as 'METS'?)
• 5 mins bike, just playing with the different settings, really
  
• 30 mins treadmill at 6.4 mph
• 3 x 12 reps chest press at 15 kg
• 2 x 12 reps each of the three different settings on a back machine which works biceps, triceps and some other muscle (lateral something or other? dorsal fin?) at 15 kg
• 2 x 6 reps pull down at 35 kg

The pull down is much more difficult as the weights only go up in 5kg increments so no 32.5 setting, plus you can't adjust the bit you put your knees under and it's set for big muscley 'world's strongest man' types (of which there are many) so I fly up in the air a foot every time I pull down.

Then finished in the ladies' gym with another 30 mins on the treadmill, alternating 6.4 mph with sections of slow uphill jogging.

Today:

• 6 mins cross trainer level 10, above 10 kmph (or METS or whatever)
• Treadmill: 4 x 0.5 miles in 3 mins 45 secs, with 0.15 miles walking in between
• 10 mins bike, hill setting (very steep)
• 2 x 12 reps chest press at 15 kg and 1 x 12 at 20 kg
  
• 2 x 12 reps each of the three different settings on the back machine, all at 15 kg except the last bicep one, which I did at 20 kg
• 1 miles treadmill, 6.4 mph

Starting with the Yassos instead of doing a mile or so first made them easier, or maybe it helped that I had toast for breakfast and scrummy carrot cake at 3pm. Carbs rule! Need to cut down the walking time between Yassos though.

Weekend

Well I think it's fair to say this has been one of the less scintillating two-day periods of my life. I feel as though I managed to bore myself deeply while simultaneously not achieving very much. I hate moving. And I especially hate moving when I can't even unpack into a new an exciting home but have to pile everything into boxes and live out of suitcases for the foreseeable future. I just want everything to be in its place!

Yesterday woke up to discover the sore throat had developed into a full blown cold. Got up and moved two full car loads of stuff from mine to Al's - each car load takes 4 trips in the lift up to his flat. I suppose I should be grateful he at least has a lift. It was strange driving in daylight. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the dashboard - it looked somehow different. Was an alarm light on? Nope - just the fact that the headlight icon was off was so unusual it freaked me out.

Had two people come to look round the flat, one of whom seemed to like it and was also the ideal tenant - a nice quiet single nurse. The other guy said it was nice but had no room for a music studio, which is fair enough.

Couldn't believe it when the nurse said she'd seen other places at the same price smaller and not as nice. It's on at £545 a month! I can get a three bedroom house in Clackmannanshire for that, or I could if we weren't so damn fussy.

An update on this: there's nothing out there good enough! I rang a couple of agents to explain what we were after: rural, detached, with a garage or storage. One of them was great and agreed to keep in touch. One said, 'Oh, we've a lovely two bed flat in Alloa - very handy for the town centre.' Er, hello? Which part of 'rural and detached' did you not understand?

So now I'm stuck in limbo, surrounded by boxes. Al's flat was already stuffed to the gunnels with his stuff, so mine is mostly just abandoned. There are two crates of groceries in the middle of the kitchen floor. And I can understand how we might end up with two of everything, but how come we've got three open bags of plain flour, four packets of lasagne sheets and 50,000 jars of peppercorns?

Retired early to bed with Lemsip last night so missed the make-up hill training I was going to do. Dragged myself up today to do my long run, which actually cleared my head a bit. Did four and half miles to Murrayfield and back along the Water of Leith, so nine miles altogether. People getting ready for the rugby at the stadium, which I later watched the first 20 minutes of before decided I wouldn't be missing anything if I kept packing. (We lost, as usual, though in the face of some pretty terrible refereeing).

Lots of folk out walking along the river, which was higher than I've seen it ever: at one point you have to cross a footbridge, turn round and then go under the bridge. The water here was right on the footpath and only needed to be a couple of inches deeper to make it impassable. Lots of dogs out too. I was literally tripping over black labradors. They're everywhere! I must have seen ten or twelve of them. I'm definitely not getting one now - why be like everyone else? I also surprised one poor old golden lab who was obviously a bit deaf and didn't here me till I overtook him, when he jumped out of his skin. Most people were lovely and said hello but as always there were packs who blocked the whole path and then milled around failing to create a way through when I said 'Excuse me'. Also an annoying young couple who were walking towards me and could see me coming from miles away but still didn't see fit to stop holding hands or even huddle together a bit so I could pass. Grr!

Then back to the flat for another car load. Still loads to go - books, pots and pans and CDs, mostly. Said I try and get it cleared by next weekend. But what I really need is somewhere to put it.

Anyway, digging out all the food from the back of my cupboards had one positive effect, as I realised I had the ingredients for both a pre-dinner snack of stilton, crackers and grapes and a vodka and tonic. With fresh lemon, no less. Much needed.

Why I should run to work

It's only 40 miles from home to work and yesterday I had lots of time to work out how long that would take me to run because a lorry blew over on the Forth Road Bridge at 6am, shutting both northbound lanes. I discovered this as soon as I put on the radio at 7.10am as setting off for work, which made the daily 'Kincardine versus FRB' decision easy. The roads were spookily quiet until just past junction 4 of the M9 - yes, the one junction where I could have come off and gone a different way. Then: gridlock.

Junction 4 of the M9 to Kincardine Bridge is not very far. To give you a flavour, I timed it on the way home and it took eight minutes. Yesterday morning it took me ...

THREE AND A HALF HOURS

I got in at 11.30: four hours 20 mins after setting off. I was unhappy and my left foot was sore from constant clutch action (though to be fair there was also extended periods of sitting in neutral). Apparently the lorry driver was unhurt, so he must have stayed well away from the M9 where several thousand drivers would happily have rectified that fact.

At least I was kept entertained by the variety of weather on offer: from sleet, to snow, to gales, to sunshine, to rain. Even the presenters on the local radio station were being apologetic about both the traffic news and the weather news. At one point, the newsreader added 'And that's the worst weather forcast I've ever read: sorry.'

So anyway, I could have walked that section, let alone run it, more quickly.

Went to the Alloa gym after work to relieve frustration and give the traffic time to disappate. Tried the ladies' gym for the first time. It has slightly newer machines but fewer of them and no water dispenser - surely that is a health and safety issue? Incidently, the hairdrier in the changing room is also crap. It is about as effective as asking someone to breath gently on your wet hair from a distance of three miles. I now dry my hair by getting in the car and turning the heating on.

Did 6 mins on the step machine as the only cross trainer was busy, doing 8 floors per minute I think. Then 15 minutes on the treadmill at 10.4kmph (found one treadmill set to kms, though it was ancient and I kept worrying it was going to conk out on me and it wouldn't show the time and the distance simultaneously). Then three full and one half Yassos. Still hate them. They're not getting any easier. Or rather, the first one is very slightly easier but I still want to die from the beginning of the second one.

Finished with some random weights, but they didn't have half the ones I wanted and the settings are all different from the Edinburgh ones. Did 12 x 3 pull down at level 6, which I think is 30 kg. Then some free weights and the pec machine. Think I'll be back in the mixed gym next time, less fragrant though it may be.

Was supposed to go tonight for a hill session but came home to move some stuff to Al's instead. Al was due to get the ferry at 5pm yesterday and was about ready to set off on the possibly five hour trip to Rosyth (usually 30 mins over the FRB) when the ferry was cancelled due to high winds. So he got up with me this morning and I've just heard he's arrived safely in France via the chunnel.

Just took some vitamin C and echinacea as I have yet another sore throat starting. I'll go to Meadowbank tomorrow, or do a couple of loops of Queen's Drive if it's not snowing. At least I'm not dropping the speed sessions, which is what I did last year - because I hate them they were always the first to go! Need to do a longer run Sunday too.

Forgot to say I weighed myself again last week - down two pounds so back to 9 stone, which is my usual sort of weight. Jeans fitting better again. Thanks to a regime of gym sessions and eating half my meals in my car. Perhaps I should write a book called 'The All-Car Diet' and make millions.