Overview

Week five is here.  Really enjoyed our 8 miler on Sunday though Sister Claire suffered a bit.  Looks like we're both well on track for the Tunbridge Wells half in a few weeks though - can't wait !

I've got to leave Sister C to her own devices for a week or so shortly as I'm heading down to lovely Padstow with Lady J and Princess D on Friday.  Anybody know any runs in that neck of the woods ? I've got myself a map of the Camel Trail for the long one on Sunday - though I think its geared mainly towards cyclists.  Not looking forward to running on my own - though I'll have the new Gruff Rhys album to keep me company, courtesy of Lady J. 

Lots of love to the ladies of the Monday Club at Cafe Bello in Broadstairs, this week's most glamorous sponsors.

See you out there

Ieuan

Tags: Routines

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Week four has begun.  Sister Claire and I knocked out a very comofrtable 8 miles in a leisurely 90 minutes yesterday.  Couldn't go first thing in the morning as usual so had to run in the afternoon - avoiding hordes of walkers and kids on roller blades along the clifftop from Broadstairs to the boating pool in Ramsgate.  Legs hurt like hell this morning during our usual 2 miler but we're certainly progressing.

However, I seem to have developed a pain in my abdomen - right at the bottom of my rib cage on either side - directly in line with my nippies.  Any clues ? Feels like bruising but I can't see any (not surprising given the layer of blubber that currently resides in that area.)  Other than that everything is groovy and I'm enjoying the training.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, I bought a body fat monitor weighing scale jobbie today.  I looked up my % body fat on the web and its roughly equivalent to that of a cornish pasty.  I'm not going to get obsessive but I need to bring it down a bit.  I won't tell you what it is yet, though when its down to a reasonable level I'll do a nice graph or something.

Over and out

Ieuan x

Tags: London marathon, London 2012

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Blimey - bit windy today, though managed to knock up my quickest 2 miler so far despite the conditions.  Ankles seemed to hurt quite a bit though, particularly to begin with.  Isn't it funny how some days feel great and others seem like you've gone back a few steps !?

I'm also noticing a bit of upper thigh chaffing.  Any tips ? Maybe I should get some vaseline or maybe some goose fat.  Come to think of it, I don't think I've washed up the roast spuds tin from Christmas Day yet - I'll have a look tonight.

Got my Lucozade Sport bumper pack delivered yesterday from the Academy.  Very exciting.  I hope I don't go off it or stop training for some reason, though I guess it could go quite well with vodka.

Now to my main subject - dogs.  So far on my early morning sojourns along the cliff-top with Sister Claire we've encountered a fair few of these beasties.  Their owners seem to think that its reasonable to let their dogs run free because nobody is around.  I'm getting to know most of them now, though it doesn't stop me from leaping out of my skin each time that I encounter a snarling hound leaping from behind a bush.  Anybody out there ever come a cropper? 

See you out there - watch out for those dogs

Ieuan

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Rest day today, might get on the cross trainer tonight.  Depends what sort of mood she's in.

Its week three of my programme and this is only my second blog.  I've no idea how most of you guys get the time to post so often, I guess I need to be a bit more disciplined and spend less of my non-training time on my lovely new Nintendo Wii.

Well, this running lark is OK really - though I'm a bit depressed at not losing any weight yet.  I've been keeping up with the programme, stopped drinking pints of real ale and swapped kebabs for bananas, but not much happening on the old gut front.  Never mind, I feel much better and I'm sure I'll start to see a difference in a few weeks. 

Stayed in a hotel at the weekend and couldn't really get out for my long run on Sunday as the roads were a bit rural and scary, but they had a couple of very good treadmills.  Managed to knock out a comfortable 10K on Sunday morning.  Any views on how mill running compares with road running ? It was one of those flashy ones with variable gradients and all that.  I'm actually quite tempted to get one, though I realise it wouldn't be a substitute for getting out there in the wind and rain. 

I put in a bulk order for Lucozade Sport yesterday, and just managed to pick up a really cheap second pair of shoes from M and M Sports.  I'm really pleased with my Asics Gel Kayano 12s and planned on getting another pair in a month or so, but M and M are currently doing them for about 60 quid - a great bargain.  Have a look at www.mandmsports.com 

Its been a bit mad on the old purchasing front actually - I've used my training and historically dodgy back as an excuse to get a new flashy bed with one of those memory foam mattresses.  I'll let you know how good it is next week when it arrives.  Big up to Alan the osteopath in Ramsgate - I had a pretty strenuous session with him a week or so ago and he has worked wonders.  No further blips so far.

Sister Claire and I are contemplating the Tunbridge Wells half on February 25th. Anybody know it ? I've heard that its a friendly race with a good mix of different abilities.

Bit slow on the fund raising so far, though lots of promises from people.  I'll have a piece in our corporate newsletter next week with a link to my charity page - I've carefully timed it to coincide with pay day. 

OK, that'll do for now.  Running music this week has mostly been provided by Bloc Party (I wasn't sure for a while but I'm a recent convert) and the magnificent Super Furry Animals.

All the best, see you out there

Ieuan

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Well hello there everybody.

My name is Ieuan, I'm 34 and running my first marathon this year.  I haven't run more than a few yards since I was about 16, but my training is going really well so far.  I'm following the Runner's World "get round without too much risk of cardiac arrest, rhino suit optional" programme, and so far I'm very impressed.  However, I've only been going a week so I'll reserve judgement for a while longer.

I'm running for Orchid because I was treated for a testicular seminoma back in 2005 (orchidectomy and follow-up chemotherapy) and its time to start giving a bit back and raising some awareness about this horrible condition that is so easily treated if caught early.  I had a bit of a dodgy time because it took 3 visits to 2 different GPs to get my initial ultrasound scan.  Anyway, thats history.

OK, down to the nitty gritty.  I've got myself some Asics gel Kayano 12 running shoes (and I could do with another pair of these wonderful shoes, in case anybody from Asics is reading), a pair of snazzy running tights and a natty jacket with removable arms - and so far its all going well.  I'm running first thing in the morning, with my lovely sister Claire, and I've started making friends with the local dog walkers along the coast here in Broadstairs.  I'm currently aiming for a half marathon in the last week of February, which fits in perfectly with the training programme - though currently the thought of running that far makes me want to cry.   

Thats it for now - looking forward to hearing how other Orchid supporters are getting on.

All the best

Ieuan

www.bmycharity.com/ieuan4orchid 

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