You will not be surprised to learn that I couldn't bear to not do something challenging in November so I have signed up for the TURBO X TRAIL  20th November. A lof of muddy fun - 10 miles of mud and whatever Mother nature has up her sleeves!

Post GSR I just had a small run with the dogs this morning. I am hungry and thirsty today so will make sure I eat sensibly and drink plenty of water.

I am doing a double shift for work - bad planning! Neither shifts will be physically demanding but mentally weary! Neither children can talk so a lot of signing!

Don't forget to read my blog about the GSR!

Ooo and I am actually excited now!

I may have lost my running mojo in the week but it sure is back now!
I shall be relying on my core training to make sure I complete the event safely and with humour!

I shan't be doing the Park Run today as I am working 10am to 3pm with a young man in a wheelchair. It will be a physcial day for me. I can almost hear Gareth and Darren saying REST! although I have done a lot of that this week, eh!

So Greath South Run people, watch out for the 6ft Duck waddling at the back dancing and singing with the crowds!

I do these runs for fun and the for the two charities I am passionate about - The Veterans Charity and Fibroduck Foundation. Let's keep the eye on the ball and focus, wallowing over and mojo is bouncin'! Remember my motto "Running the Miles for Smiles!"

I shall update after the event as I shall be staying overnight in Southsea.

As always you can text your donations 70070 DUCK65 £5 or donate to

..and I am sitting on my bum!

it's my day off yet I still had to get up and do the horses, dogs, kids, shop, cook, etc!

It's a beautiful day and I really should go for a short run with the dogs. But I still have got that "I can't be arsed" feeling about running!

My new "Runners World" has just arrived so I shall curl up with that for awhile.

I am not too worried about the Great South Run as I know I will do it, albeit slow. Despite pranging my back earlier this week I have still managed to do 2 kettlercise classes, and be careful with my back, so the body is ready for a slow plod.

It is rather daunting and intimidating to read all the twitter posts about people doing last minute 10km runs, having done lots of ten miles over the weekend! I have been sensible and serious with my training up until last saturday - I am just suffering a slight mishumour about running. Hopefully I shall find my mojo in my trainers or in my ducksuit on sunday!

Whatever the outcome, I shall be run/walking with a smile and soaking up the fantastic atmosphere in my full Ducksuit!

I have been sensibly carbing up and hydrating, with a lot of thought going to saturday night and sunday morning when I am staying overnight in Portsmouth so I won't have access to my usual feeding trough.

I run for two wonderful charities so I shall be quacking out for them! Veterans Charity and Fibroduck Foundation!

..and I would rather stay in bed and let it run past me!

Since the weekend a general malaise has set in. This often happens when I am overwhelmed with work and daily life. It hasn't helped that I have been feeling a little under the weather (cold that won't erupt properly?)

I also pulled a ligament in my back on tuesday through work. It has eased up now, and I think the wednesday Kettlercise class helped it.

Wednesday evening my fast daft dog ploughed straight into my right leg; I just managed to turn and bend my knees so that she didn't push my knees backwards. That is just a little swollen but not painful or swollen. Quick wit & agility prevented a potential nasty injury!

The very  thought of running fills me with dread and depression. So why is this? So close to Great South Run? I had been so looking forward to it!

I have tried to analyse and over anyalyse. I know I actually do hate running but that has been why I rose to the challenge of running, instead of doing the North Pole Race. Didn't think it would actually wear me down mentally.

I got a great buzz after running the Peterborugh half marathon with little actual running preperation so I am hoping that the spirit and atmosphere of the day will carry me through for the Great South Run.

Swimming, Zumba and Kettlercise have been great body strengthening and conditoning so I know I shall fair well, Perhaps I will have a slighly weaker cardio response but I am built for endurance so I know my stamina will slowly and steadily see me over the finish line. Plus the support from Duck fans and dear Becky, who is running with me. I may not be built for speed but I am a finisher.

I do the running for my favourite charities The Veterans Charity and Fibroduck Foundation. I try to get over my love-hate relationship of running for them. I am no longer in fear of running, because I have done some long distance events already and successfully completed them, albeit slow.

Having this little confession has unburdened me and for the first time in a few days, I am actually smiling. Perhaps I don't have to physically run much to take part in a runing event, just strengthen the body with the things I love most :0)

Ooo another beautiful crisp refreshing autumnal sunny day that makes you glad to be alive!

I managed to get up and out early for my first 5km at one of the organised Park Runs (These are free events and sponsored by Lucozade and Sweatshop).

I was feeling slow, and certainly knew I had been training hard all week. The head cold that has been brewing for 2 weeks was starting to "release" so I had a pounding head and streaming nose this morning.

Nothing like some fresh air and a run to sort that out then! Annoyingly as I ran I couldn't blow my streaming nose fast enough and "snot grot" caught in my throat, I had a gagging reflux and threw up at 3km. Not nice but hey ho, I carried on running!

I ran with Mandy Champion, a lady I do Kettlercise with. She has a faster pace than myself so I was certainly breathless and at a scale 8 running with her. At 3km I dropped behind after my gag, and just never managed to catch up, although she was in my sights! Next time, I shall stick like glue to her, and I was only just over a minute behind her.

My garmin time was 34mins 34secs which is a new record for 5km for me. I started at a running pace/speed of 11mph which is what I usually drop down to after 2miles when I am doing one of my own training runs! Our speed dropped down to 10mph and leveled at that, exceptional for me!

It was as I was running with Mandy, checking pace, and being aware of my heavy breathing that I realised that this is the first time I have run at speed. Most of my runs are geared to my heart rate and maintain stamina and endurance over distance, so a lot slower. I hadn't got that in my mindset when starting the 5km park run this morning, and hearing people bubbling away about getting new PBs! I have done a 10km and a half marathon so I am not shy of keeping the legs moving! Just they had to move a lot faster today! A shock and a surprise - doh! Dozy Duck! Hindsight is marvelous tool for better planning for next time!

So, I shall now set myself a personal challenge to work harder at 5km speeds as a seperate training schedule, aside from my long distance runs.

When I got home I still wasn't feeling great. I had a bottle of water that I sipped over 10 mins to ease body, and ate a Berry Nakd bar to give me some energy (and a better taste in my mouth!). Was feeling very cold despite having done a run, and puttin on a fleece after.

I took a couple of hours to warm up; 3 cups of tea, 2 more Nakd bars, a banana, and a banana Buzz Bar (bang went the calories lost on that run!) but that is what it took to feel better. All recovered now!

What lesson have I learned? If you feel crap, stay in bed. If the day was "rest day", then rest!!! hehe, easier said than done!

I shal make sur I do the Park runs weekly as I throughly enjoyed the comradery. A big thankyou to Angela liu, Mandy Chanpion, David Lewis, Wendy Shaw for spurring me on and making feel welcome. For a Duck who has only just started running I think I did ok too, today :0)
Slowly, slowly - patience was never my strong point! patience will keep me injury free!!!

No more training scheduled for next two days as weekends I have off for family and recovery!

Results straight from Park Run HQ!

Reading results for event #106. Your time was 34:25   Congratulations on completing your 1st parkrun and your 1st at Reading today. You finished in 206th place and were the 71st lady out of a field of 222 parkrunners and you came 14th in your age category VW45-49. You can view the full set of results

Initially this was going to be a lazy day!
I managed to have a good night's sleep and woke up in a very tigger-like mood.
To spare you my over exuberant gushing long winded account of my brilliant and exciting day, I shall bullet point the essential highlights!
I also keep forgetting I am a Warrior Duck! I shall be doing the Forces March with Team Warrior. I shall have write up about them and introduce you to them all!

• breakfast - 2 oatibix, banana and yoghurt
• dog walk
• 10km run on treadmill watching RWC Rugby Wales V Australia
• protein bar then,
• 1 hr Kettlebells at revive (different to my Kettlercise)
• Trek bar then,
• 30mins swim then 15 min sauna
• lunch - hummus wrap
• dinner - savoury rice, yoghurt
• treat - no to wine as wont stop at one glass! so just a pint of Guinness with small bag fatfree
• crisps (I love em), caramel rice cakes

My eyes are all agog from sitting at the PC catching up on some blog posts and raffle prizes requests. On the plus side, it does mean I am sat down resting!

My Great South Run pack arrived today. I am number 20908 - love the fact my name is printed in bold too!

Another beautiful sunny day. Perfect for some outdoor training. Woke up feeling a little tired. Had been awake since 4am with a rumbling tummy so the extra protein shake last night didn't help.
Kettlercise is a great fat burner and seems to be affecting my metabolism - I am always hungry! Took dogs for a walk and ended up being out for a couple of hours as nattered with fellow dog walkers. Ran out of time for a run as horses to sort, and get to my Thursday Kettlercise class. I did chuckle to myself as I initially flapped thinking I haven't done the run scheduled into my diary! then recalled my daily Duck Quote of the day was "I don't keep a diary, or the diary will keep me!", courtesty of Mae West!

Scrubbed run, swim and sauna as just ran out of time despite best laid plans & organising the diary!

• breakfast - 2 oatibix, 1 banana
• dog walk
• 2 slices of GF bread with peanutbutter
• Kettlercise (6kg weights!)
  
• protein shake & Nakd bar
• (shook at head at notion of walk as due to start work which is very manual & demanding)
• 3pm - 7pm - work with Gigglebags (young child who doesnt walk or talk, quite heavy manual lifting)
• Dinner - oven chips, chicken, peas and sweetcorn, banana custard
• peckish at 9.30pm - yoghurt
• only treat was 10 Ritz crackers - very moorish! but yum!

That was a chilly night! Didn't get much sleep. Heating is now on and winter duvet coming out!
I also woke up very hungry so think I do need to add in more protein as training is getting more intensive. I ate far too many bad carbs yesterday.
I know it is lazy to have protein drinks but it suits my busy schedule.
I am also now having 3 tsps of bee pollen in morning, then another 3 tsps after lunch. Helped to pep me up yesterday.
I also used my Born In  a Field Compression top for training today. It is a little tight (its a medium, I would be a large but my size is dropping quickly) and takes a bit of getting used, especially breathing, but it is an excellent way of reducing "bounce" and I actual felt I breathed deeper and better. I shall write more on this as a seperate blog.

• breakfast - 2 oatibix and a protein shake
• dog walk
• Kettlercise
• protein drink
• revive gym for 20 mins cross trainer, 30 mins swim and sauna
• lunch - chicken & hummus wrap & banana
• 1 hr brisk dog walk
• Work 3pm - 8pm
• Dinner - savoury rice with vegetables & chickpeas
  
• snacks - Nakd bar, banana, carrots, apple
• treat - Costa Mocha

Another beautiful sunny day to keep me outdoors!
Have definitely recovered from whatever ailed me last week. Feel the need for some fast moving earth below my feet - well, my light jogging pace!
I have also plotted into my diary the next 2 weeks training to keep me strong for the Great South Run, plus skeleton of main training for next 7 months to make make sure I can comfortably complete 3 half marathons plotted in before next year's Forces March in May. Check out the Events page for that.

• Breakfast - 2 oatibix, banana, bee pollen, etc
• 2 mile brisk dog walk
• 3 1/2 mile run - 40mins
• Protein drink
• 20 min swim, then sauna & jacuzzi
• Work 12pm - 4pm
• Lunch - 6 spelt crackers with hummus and banana custard (home made)
• dinner - pigged out on 4 welsh cakes & feel stuffed! had boiled egg with banana after!
  
• half hour dog walk

snacks of 1 Nakd bar, apple, 3 carrots, satsuma, kiwi, banana

have also been feeling very thirsty and tired this after noon so had extra bee pollen, plus drank a couple pints of extra water/orange squash. Helped

Early Night!

Cold and chilly morning, my kinda start.

bp - 80/123 rp 56
6.30am - breakfast
7.00am -  2mile light jog with 2 dogs on leads around woods, 1/2mile saunter with old dog
9.15am - BFBS interview
10.30am - offroad run -  2 1/2 jog in 35 mins - broken down as 1/2 mile warm up, 1/2mile cool down. Jogged 1 1/2mile keeping under 160 bpm, so ran between 8 - 11 mph pace
11.45am - lunch
12.15 - 1.15 1-1 Gareth
1.30 - brisk dog walk
2.00 - half hour swim with sauna & jacuzzi
3pm - 8pm - work  (plus dinner)
 
Busy & back to back, with chore in between. Keeps me on my my toes all day which is good for endurance/stamina building too


You can hear the interview 42mins 50secs in with Veterans Charity & The Rambling Duck  talking about THE FORCES MARCH 2012 on BFBS Radio interview with Mike Howarth http://www.bfbs.com/radio/listen/player?stream=%2Fradio%2Flisten%2Fstream%2FD1_mike_howarth_pt4_r1.mp3