Oh the last 2 days have been fun with Kettlercise and Zumba. My inner thighs are pinging away!
Today I treated my body to quality sofa time!

I also stuck to oatibix, hummus, wraps, pitta bread, sausages,chips and coleslaw cos I know they wont upset my tum.

Had a few Nuun tablets in pints of water. It was a very hot day. No point trying to hydrate and sit out in the merciless heat so I stayed indoors. Had a couple of naps before work. I didn't sleep well last night. Perhaps I should have practised staying up all night.

Just enjoying a hot milky Milo hot chocolate drink.

I will be up early as England playing world cup rugby at 8.30am but at least I can stay in bed for that. Heading off into London 2pm tomorrow.

It's Going to be hot,hot,hot (weather, not my Me)

Shine starts at 8.30pm and I suspect that with the group I am walking with we shall be seeing Dawn in and finishing about 6am, Sunday morning. First train home is 7.15am.

Wonder if my family will have a bacon wrap and Guinness ready for me?

text donations to 70070 DUCK51 £5

http://www.justgiving.com/TheRamblingDuckshine

Finally..all toxins eliminated from body and I am feeling alive again!

Had a fantastic session doing Kettlercise Class in Pangbourne with Gareth.

I enjoyed it for a variety of reasons - being a part of class with fun,chatty people, the fluidity of the movements to music with easy instructions, the build up of intensity, feeling hamstrings and glutes really work hard, not wanting to slow or stop as everyone else trying hard too! I shall be including a couple more classes a week as so beneficial to building the powerhouse (my body and glutes!) for running.
I also found out a new class for Zumba so can add that back into the training plan!

It's a beautiful sunny day so I am now going to walk the dogs for 5 miles and readjust to imperial measures!

I am starting to feel the pressure of my Great South Run which is 10 miles, but I am actually starting to actually embrace it rather than shirk it. I have some wonderful chats with positive enthusiastic runners who, like me, hated running initially, and were very overweight. Key message "slowly,slowly build up" I must stop driving myself so hard with the running. I willdrive myself hard with the cross training of swimming,Kettlercise and Zumba. They are strenghtening me.

I might only be walking a marathon this weekend for Shine over night time but I still need to balance training and make sure body isn't too tired for it.  Doantions can be texted to 70070 quoting DUCK51 £1

I am especially looking forward to supporting Damian and Digger on the Peterborugh Half Marathon - or the Great East Run; this will be powerwalking/light jogging which I am comfortable with. Humour and motivation to get the boys around in the World record Breaking time is the main task in hand! Check out Damian's Bombsuit Challenge - proud to be part of the support for that.
Plus obviously I am also raising funds for Veteran's Charity with my Forces March participation, with Team Warrior and Damian

This week I am concerntrating on the Night time full marathon for cancer research, Shine.
I have had a head cold for the last 4 days so haven't really wanted to do much. Plus work load has been mammoth.
Each day I shall be doing between 5-10miles just to keep myself warmed up for those London Streets!
I am also steering clear of anything that may upset my stomach so lots of potatoes, rice and chicken.
I have also packed my rucksack which is about 2.5kg including a litre of water. I hydrate more than I need refueling!
I have got a kettlercise class with Gareth on wednesday. I will also do 2 swimming sessions, but the rest will be on my legs moving!

You can sponsor me for this event by texting DUCK51 £1 to 70070 - easy peasy ;0)

Last 5 days have been fun and probably a little too tedious to blog.
Had a wheat blip so consequently wasn't feeling great and had no energy. Had to let body rest and sort itself out.
However, I did manage to clock 10 miles most days walking. Can't let the body totally go off the rails!
Plus food options still good.
Just under 2 weeks now for the fun Shine Walkathon. Feeling confident that can that very easily. So am now really focusing on my next running race which is the Great South Run .
I had focused on a full marathon running plan over 16 weeks but it took the fun out of training and made me freeze. So revamped the running mileage. Have also decided to have 2 days running and 1 day powerwalking with Nordic poles as I miss that.
Have also taken dog walks out of training plan as a lot of my training was becoming far too pressurised in my busy work day. I am fitting a lot of things into my work pattern and I need to have a divide or humour failure.
The days I have Gigglebags will not be a run day anymore but will be the XT day with my pushing him in the buggy be a part of that, and gareth's circuits. More manageable and more fun.
Ah yes..that's what has happened..I have taken the "fun" element out of the training . Whilst i am serious about my goals, running for Fibromyalgia and Veterans Charity, I can't be successful unless the whole journey is fun!

Monday rest day - run
Tuesday - XT day with Gareth's circuits and swim
Wednesday - gentle run & Kettlercise
Thursday - Noridc walk/XT train day with Gareth's circuits and swim
Friday - long run
Saturday - work/family rest days
Sunday - family day with dog walks

Food, well you have got the jist of the pattern and I seem to have got the idea of eating little and often through out the day. Porridge for breakfast. Wrap/spel crackers with hummus or poached egg for lunch. Protein and small carbs for dinner.  Protein drink after main exercise. Keeping things low fat and minimal sugar. Weight loss will happen eventually. So dropping the food diary

Smile, Smile, Smile!
 

Woke up without any aches but still body feels tired. It woke up after a gentle 45 minute dog walk.
It really woke up after a 1-1 Kettlercise session with Gareth! I had 90% energy for 90% of the session - abs & bat wing exercises are a killer!
Will have a slow day. Wednesday child and I will go bowling at the very least.

2tsps bee pollen dissolved in water 30 mins before breakfast
breakfast  - big bowl of porridge with mug full of milk & 1 tsp honey, cup of tea & vitamin/supplements (staple breakfast) and then spoon of manuka honey

gentle 45 min dog walk

1 hour kettlercise with Gareth

protein drink

lunch -  Spelt cracker with low fat philadelphia cheese. cup of tea & flapjack.

gentle dog walk

dinner jacket potato with mince bolognaise

work/bowling

rest, relax, snooze, read!

Hmm..Broke or rather wore meself out today!
I did all the right things after each session such as have protein plus something to pep me up but just ran out of power from the left glute - which was the tender spot after the 10km race sunday.
Could be I over did it today so soon after the race..I shall await advice...

2tsps bee pollen dissolved in water 30 mins before breakfast
breakfast  - big bowl of porridge with mug full of milk & 1 tsp honey, cup of tea & vitamin/supplements (staple breakfast) and then spoon of manuka honey

dog walk

banana

lunch - poached egg with fresh spinach in a wrap & satsuma

10km speed walk pushing buggy (followed by stretches)

protein drink & tsp manuka 15+ honey

tried to run 3 miles..after just half a mile I couldn't move forward. No power left in me. Walked home. No ache or tender spots just no power!

packet of crisps & kitkat whilst awaiting dinner - suddenly felt hungry & in real need for food immediately

dinner - organic beef steak, new potatoes, peas sweetcorn

feel very tired and sleepy and its only 6.30pm...unheard of!

no Gareth circuits or swim.

Officially post race rest day! so for a change I will take it quite literally..ish!
Had a half hour swim and steam room session. Helps me relax and iron out the wrinkles in tight ligaments.
Had a fantastic sports massage by Vanessa Munday (totally different to the relaxing holistic treatment Em Long gave). She sorted out very tight glutes/hams/hip flexors. Plus she gave some tips to help self massage. I have booked in a massage for after each of my next 3 events. She is also a tri-athlete so is very aware of all potential problems etc incurred from running,etc.

I had a power nap before work with Monday child - very relaxed work session.

I have also plotted my training plan for the next 2 weeks; and leading up to the end of October.
I am doing the 26 mile walk marathon for Shine 1st October, then Peterborough Half marathon 9th october (light jog) and Great South Race (10 mile run). My plan is to be able to run a marathon in the next 16 weeks so the races are the goal posts/bench marks within that plan.

Monday rest day - swim,sauna, knee rehab, dog walks only
Tuesday - Dog Walks, Resistance Walk (work) - after work easy run, Gareth circuits, swim
Wednesday - kettlercise/Gareth circuits (outdoors), revive cross trainer & swim & sauna, dog walks
Thursday - tempo run, knee rehab, dog walks, Resistance walk (work) swim & sauna,
Friday - Gareth circuits, revive cross train, swim & sauna, dog walks
Saturday - knee rehab, dog walks
Sunday - long run, dog walks

*dog walks are used as warm up/cool down & recovery walks

2tsps bee pollen dissolved in water 30 mins before breakfast
breakfast  - big bowl of porridge with mug full of milk & 1 tsp honey, cup of tea & vitamin/supplements (staple breakfast) and then spoon of manuka honey

swim & steam room

lunch - wrap with coleslaw, poached egg & spinach, banana

dog walk

dinner - protein drink, slice of cheese

snack - dorritos, hula hoops, kitkat, 2 caramel rice cakes (hungry day!)

(work hampered being able to eat dinner with everyone so just had protein drink)

During the night it rained very hard! I walked to Pangbourne Primary school through the woods we would be running through to check out the terrain. Luckily it wasn't as bad as I had thought. Still a lot of muddy puddles on the exposed paths around the woods and fields. The Hill section was very wet clay so thick,slippery and sticky. Some of the open paths with a chalk underlay were very slippery. But I had my trusty Adidas Kanadia trail shoes on so will put my faith and trust in their fantastic grip - even if they were a year old and the very shoes I did this same race in last year!
Weather stayed ry and windy for the race. Heavens opened as I got home! Perfect!

Got to the school (Pangbourne Primary) where the race would start and finish. Felt a little strange to be wandering around quietly in my 'hi viz running duck suit'. I didn't really know anyone. A few came over to thank me for running as the Duck again - a decoy? Hehe I shall be a very happy duck to get over the finish line a in a more resepctable faster time than last year..actually I will be quite happy to finish the course with a smile and no injury. The best thing about this race is that it is local, and pretty soon a lot of familiar people were coming over to say 'Hi!" It was a very warming and friendly atmosphere. I began to relax; Duck just likes to Chill and Party.. I knew I wasn't there to race competatively, but to enjoy the experience. A lot of people helped me to do just that. So a big thankyou Everyone who took part, and especially the Marshalls & Volunteers who gave up their time to set the course up and steer us around safely. A big thankyou to the race organisers for another succesful Pangbourne Race. I shall look forward to coming back next year.

Oh! My time? I managed a new Personal Best of 75mins (according to my garmin), knocking off 5 mins from Monday's training effort, and erm...quite a lot of last years time of 1hr42!! Doh! I thought I had done it in 87mins last year with those Nordic Poles!

Thankyou Gareth! 5 marathons in 5 days will be a walk in the park if we keep up this training partnership! Plus thankyou for coming along to support!

Have tried to relax for the rest of the day..hahahaha! chores! chores! chores!

2tsps bee pollen dissolved in water 30 mins before breakfast
breakfast  - big bowl of porridge with mug full of milk & 1 tsp honey, cup of tea & vitamin/supplements (staple breakfast) and then spoon of manuka honey (2 hours before the race)

10km race in 75 mins

protein drink & Mars bar  straight after the run

lunch - 2 hard boiled eggs mashed into some coleslaw in a wrap; slice of my home made flapjack

dinner - no idea yet.... husband in charge...probably Eggs, bacon, Chips and baked beans then!

treat - 1 pint of Guinness watching the F1 - 1st alcoholic beverage in 3 weeks

Not quite a quiet restful day :0)
9 hours of walking around Blenheim horse trials with a 6am start.
Drove straight to sister in law to celebrate her 50th birthday.
Finally home 10.30 and roared with the last Night of the Proms.
Just doing finishing touches to the new duck outfit - let down by printer's who didn't finish my new shirt in time..very sad. Hat ruined by the black 3D paint writing bleeding so re-jigging the design using a hand puppet..bet you cant wait for the photos!

2tsps bee pollen dissolved in water 30 mins before breakfast
breakfast  - big bowl of porridge with mug full of milk & 1 tsp honey, cup of tea & vitamin/supplements (staple breakfast) and then spoon of manuka honey

lunch - 2 wraps with chicken & coleslaw, my special flapjack, 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 mochas

dinner - buffet food at party (avoiding anything that I know will give me dodgy tum)

training - well I shouldn't have!! but I did a lot of walking

Long deep sleep despite fears that husband's boozy night out would ruin my sleep with snores!
I made sure I had a slow day; as in no running or training. Had plenty of housework,washing,ironing, blah blah blah!

Bought memeory foam pillow & mattress topper. Hoping that sorts the crick in neck & shoulder blade blip.

next 48 hours I am carbing up (lots of sweet potatoes,carrots,beetroots,potatoes,pulses) and hydrating up

2tsps bee pollen dissolved in water 30 mins before breakfast
breakfast  - big bowl of porridge with mug full of milk & 1 tsp honey, cup of tea & vitamin/supplements (staple breakfast) and then spoon of manuka honey

dog walk
2 rice crackers with chocolate top

lunch - 2 spelt crackers with hummus & banana, home made coffee with galaxy hot choc powder

dog walk
low fat salt free crisps

dinner - plaice, new potatoes, coleslaw, peas, sweetcorn

If hungry before bed time will have a protein shake again as that works beautifully

Going to watch a film and do nothing as got a busy day tomorrow - on my feet at Blenheim Horse trials All day!