Yep! Still afflicted.
No point beating myself up about it.
If I do anything then the coughing spasms start!
I am on sleep deprivation too!
Another day in the warmth and dry, on the sofa, reading backlogs of Runners World!
More yummy tomato,lentil,onion and garlic soup!

I did chuckle when I texted the family I work with to say I have coughs n splutters; they replied "Please don't share your germs, cute as they are"!
Erm, I caught them from you guys!

Yup! Got another one!

Spent friday and Saturday in bed with a temperature, aches, coughs and splutters - Birdflu!
I thought this running and fitness malarky was meant to be good for me!

Fact - running is good for  me but the body should be allowed time to rest. The immune system is down after a long run.

Hmm, I am my own worst enemy and don't rest and recover enough! After the Sainsbury run I should have rested for a few days! Not carry on training. I did work with a new family last week. they all had colds. I was a magnet for those germs.

Do I practise what I preach? Erm, no! I did a 2 hour Zumbathon for Read College yesterday. I am committed to a practise to take part and help. They are one of my Super 7 Wonders! So no way do I wrangle with my conscience on that one. It was fun, fast, furious, energetic.. and yes,I was cream quackered after!

So today, I shall have a slow day, steam up with tea tree oil, drink lots of warm fluids, make a lovely warming vegeable soup full of cold attacking Vitamin C and add in some immune boosting supplements to my daily diet! read and learn from the The Running Bug's cold facts.

It is less than a week to my next run, the Shinfield 10km, for the British Heart Foundation. if I can't train or feel up to par I may have to dip out of that way. When ill, you put pressure on your heart to perform if you continue with a high exerting sport. Brain rules heart!

I am sure "drought" is a euphemism for get drenched with all manner of wetness from the skies!
This week I have done 3mile runs in hail,rain,wind,more hail, bigger hail.
The puddles are getting deeper and the mud is getting stickier & thicker. I shall need running spikes and stilts soon!

I haven't had a chance to swim or get to the gym as I have had some new work contacts to work with. One is a very speedy two year old. He is a complete work out! I shall know my new work schedule today to replot my own training.

Training will now be done as a solid time slot and spread out through the day. With new advice from my ever faithful and concerned doctor I shall only be training 4 times a week. These will be known as #QuackOclock on twitter! Keeping a dream alive for Ged and inspiring from afar as a Duck and as the author for www.the12pmclub.com  There are a lot of loyal and motivated people out there inspiring the nation to get fit, have fun with exercise & a healthy diet, with me. I shall also use #QuackOclock to fanfare motivating fitness & healthy tips too!

I also really want to reach out to drive the message home that we must all have regular check ups at the Doctors. It is not just about making sure your Heart is strong and fit, but also Blood Pressure, and any other tests the Doctor can do. Learn about your family medical history too. Don't be complacent and think you won't suffer more than a cold. Read my Thoughts

Food wise I have sort of been good!
I am still having porridge for breakfast but my lunchtime sensible options have gone out the wondow! Mostly because I haven't planned ahead to take lunch out with me! I then get home and cram my mouth with fast hunger pang pleasures suchs as hula hoops and Mars bars.. I know...so bad..so bad!
I shall go fruit shopping later. There is a distinct lack of fresh stuff in the house, mostly down to lack of funds and having time to actually shop properly! Still excuses.. it's jsut as cheap and easy to buy a bag of bananas and apples as it is teabags and milk .. and not let husband pick up biscuits! Whicih in a moment of sugar low weakness I know I will ste

Today I woke up at 6.00am as usual.
I didn't jump out of bed as my hips and ankles were feeling rather tight and achey.
I was also feeling dehydrated, hungry and slow.
Guess that's because I ran 28 miles yesterday..hehehe! Still got a big smile from that.

Spent the morning stretching and massaging the joints. I also kept on moving. Within a couple of hours body back to normal. Took the dogs for a 3 mile slow walk in the woods. A beautiful walk with bluebelles..erm..mud..erm..hmmm..I wasn't really paying attention!

I should have been enjoying the peace and tranquility. What was I doing? I was reading through my twitterline catching up on all those either running, cheering and supporting, or volunteering at the London Marathon.

On the one hand it was good to see such a buzz. On the other hand I should have been enjoying my walk, the scenery, the elements. But I was too damn nosey to know what was happening "out there" all the time!

This was a conversation piece with a friend, who doesn't use twitter or Facebook, or use a mobile phone other than to "speak" to friends. This got me thinking. I am being controlled by social media and I am missing out on all the things I used to love. I actually don't even relax and switch off properly any more. If I have a bath, walk, run, gym, work, watch a film..my phone is always to hand to check twitter! is that really realxing? is it really necessary? I have conversations whilst reading my phone!! I have no recollection of either conversation or words read! Sad really!

Whilst in the coffee shop chatting with my friend I was amazed at how many collections of people socialisng with each other were constantly checking phones. Not giving each other the attention they deserve? My family and I sometimes do that when we are all on the sofa together, supposedly watching TV together. Or even chatting. We are all guilty of checking our phones..responding to noises that alert us to a facebook message, tweet, email, text... these aren't social skills, this is creating a lack of real social interaction and courtesy..a potential time bomb!

So I have now removed both Twitter and Facebook from my phone. I will now only check in when I am catching up with emails a few times a day. I need to get a grip and learn to switch off properly and relax. That will improve my sleep and training; plus the relationship I have with my family, friends, training and Mother Nature.

This is essential training news..not a ramble. True rest and relaxation aids recovery!

Food wise -
lots of water today!
porrudge for breakfast.
Cheese with crackers and olives for lunch.
Chicken and mash potato for dinner.. mm..real food!

Today I had an absolute Ball!

After yesterday's training blog you'd have thought  couldn't run 2 steps and was ballooning out of control!

Mindset is a powerful, very powerful thing. It messes with your confidence!! As in, you think you are pants, and then a miracle is pulled out of the bag!

I just had two things to "endure" today. Parkrun and whatever I could muster to help as a fundraising effort at Sainsburys, for Simon Goodall and Team GB Paralympics Goalball team (I am Simon's sighted running partner).

Firstly, I actually did ok at Park run. Not a PB but I ran non stop, gradually picking up speed. I motored with young Chloe who's little legs seemed to get faster and faster - a little legs heckle! Funnily enough, she said she was trying to keep up with me! Loved it..but I had that constricted throat thing happening in the last 200metres so just had nothing left to sprint. Next week, maybe!

The next stop was Sainsburys. I had no idea what I was going to be doing. I was initially put on the treadmill. I blew this up after an hour. It then had a rest to recover for the lighter members of staff to use. I decided to run around the gazebo protecting the bike and rowing machine. This I did for nearly 6 hours. Round and round and round. Like a Hamster in one of those balls! It was confirmed I clocked up 28 miles! unbelievable! This, I hasten to add, is a gestimate based on my times, pace, steps. But as three people independantly worked it, I shall HAVE THAT!

The music, the staff, the customers and some wonderful friends popping in to support is what really helped me. Plus my stubborn bad ass duckittude!

I have now been sat down on the sofa and I am feeling a little stiff in the hips and ankles each time I get up to move around. Not bad, eh!

I wonder what I will be like tomorow? because that will be a gauge on how I shall fare on the Forces March!

I actually didn't have much of an appetite whilst running. I had to really make a point of eating to refuel. I enjoyed a banana, chicken & salad baguette and some little cakes. I just drank water, and got through 3 litres, sipping slowly. I had only eaten plain porridge for breakfast. that really does go a long way!

I had made a vegetable chilli in advance so that was hungrily eaten with rice a few hours after I had finished. 3 glasses of red wine helped to wash it down.

procrastination - the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time

cunctation, shillyshally, delay, holdup - the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time.

Yep - still got my hand up! That's me!

I can read back over quite a few blogs where I have set up training schedules and started off with good intent each day.

However, within an hour I have usually rail roaded and ditched all good thoughts.

I am like a Jekyl & Hyde creature. Incapable of being good, slowly turning to the dark side and then giving up completely. Why do I do this?

I know the health benefits of healthy eating and living. I know the dangers of eating rubbish and being inactive!

I also twitter away all the virtues of good clean food, running, swimming...

I can probably come up with heaps of excuses and reasons.

I know I am tired, and lack any enthusiasm to train or cook sensibly. I lack a really good network of support on a variety of different levels. I miss the groups I did get support in such as kettlercise. However, lack of funds means I can't get there.

I know I am feeling overwhelmed, even a little "depressed" .. head space filled with a variety of issues. I never get the opportunity to speak out aloud. To speak out to some one. To get them out of my head, rationialised. Round and round, the thoughts circling inside.

Somedays I really do feel it is just me... a small insignificant being who really has no worth no matter how hard I try. So, I just can't be arsed. It isn't wallowing. I am just struggling with an age old battle to fight inner demons.

However, I do owe it to myself to really get a handle on this. I need to man up and get back to fighting the flab, avoiding the rubbish, really put some effort into the training.

Writing can be cathartic .. can also open up a vunerable side that people will either despise or empathise. Does it help me? does it help you?

Focus on the strengths. Let them grow and nurture the weakened mindset.

Today is my tomorrow...

Another bad night's sleep due to a dog wanting to hokeycokey all night in the garden!
Cancelled hair appointment, a lunch date and a play date for a rescheduled supervision with Boss - she cancelled again!
So, there was a very grumpy duck Grr-quacking.

A facebook message hinted at a swim session so I went off for an hour's swim. Felt better and recharged.

I then went out for a run with the dogs in the last pair of sparkly new treainers that needed breaking in. I am now sensibly rotating 3 pairs of trainers. These will last about 3 months with all this charity running malarky! It's costing me a fortune! The run was cut down to a walk/run as I hadn't realised quite how tired I was from the swim! Still, I persisted and "waddled" 5km. I have reset my garmin to measure in kms so that I can start working on speeding up for 5kms and 10kms. Which was tricky in the muddy woods with lots of ups,downs, twists and turns!

I did suffer cramp in the glutes so a good roller and stretch session is now required.

Apart from the 6 hobnobs, I have mostly been sensible. Think I am eating too many carbs and need to reduce them again and return to a higher protein diet. I am feeling heavier.
Tonight I am researching a better breakfast and lunch.
I am also replotting my training as having done the swimming I know I need to do more, more more!

It's a back to school kinda morning!
The kind when you have to turf sleepy teenagers out of their warm beds into a wet dark morning, very early, to start back at school for the SUMMER term.

I am also busying myself with getting back into a routine. Dog walk in the rain then smarten up to go and say Goodbye, nay, Adieu to a dear friend. It's Ged's funeral today so I shall be somewhat off training schedule.

However, it's not a time for excuses to get out of training and sink into deep dark sad thoughts. He was a man about action,training,fitness, but above all fun!

Oh so close to being back in control with my days .. last day of half term!
I shall be working all day, and chauffeuring my children to cinema and extra school studies.
Penny, young dog, still broke so still only doing short lead walks for her.
I shall enjoy a 3 mile run this evening.

My Forces March training has proven quite a toughie. Taking me up to marathon distance for running. May have bitten off more than I can chew, but I shall keep on chewing. I know I won't be marathon run fit in time but I can certainly power walk the distance.

I have also got 2 10km runs to do before that so I shall also be doing some speed work on the flat. I usually do all my running in the woods. I shall do my long run and recovery runs there. The scenery and space is very therapuetic.

I have plotted in a more varied training schedule into my diary so I shall be doing home-based kettlercise x 3, swimming x 3, zumba x 1, Gym (rowing machine, static bike, X-T) x 3 and do speed work on treadmill. I would like to be a bit faster for tuesday night Running Club and Saturday Parkrun so will be improving my pace there too!

Food wise? I have been a pig for a couple of weeks. Focus! Will use fitness recipe book for some exciting recipes. I am stuck in a rut and need to jazz up the plate, but not the calories!

It's been a week of erratic blips and splurts of training!
It is tough juggling training with having the children off school and combining my work with them. Plus the the household chores, dogs and horses!
I haven't used it as an excuse to not train, just change the expectations and goals.
At the most I have got a small run in with the dogs. I say run, more of a plod. I haven't been in the best of health this week.
But I wouldn't let the training schedule rule me, and I haven't let my body suffer in the name of training.
It has also been a week of brain power overload! The dog walks and short runs have helped revive the flagging grey cells.
Today is a break from training as I am taking my children out for the day for a much needed change of scenery. A day in the open and fresh air at London Zoo!