I'm a happy running reindeer

It's been an awesome week! I've managed to regain control of my eating (and have lost 4lbs!) my dodgy ankle seems to be holding up well, and I got a PB at my 10km race yesterday! Couldn't be more pleased :)

The race yesterday was the RNLI's Reindeer Run 10km, around Lee Valley Park in Waltham Abbey and I finished in 53 minutes, 59 seconds.

It was an excellent race, really well organised, with a great marshal team who seemed to be on every bend on the course, cheering us all on!  It was primarily a fundraising fun run, and the RNLI gave everyone reindeer antlers to wear, and flashing red noses - and surprisingly there were loads of people who ran in them too!

There was an awesome atmosphere, with lots of children and families who were involved in the other events (a 5km or the 2km Santa Saunter) and everyone seemed to be having a great time, despite the fact that it was unbelievably freezing cold and foggy. 

Although I have a bit of an odd expression
on my face (I'm not very good with photos!)
 here I am with my antlers!

The course was over mixed terrain around the park, and followed some paths around the lakes and the River Lee and it really couldn't have been more beautiful with the fog rolling over the water - all very atmospheric and it made up for my numb fingers and toes!

I think my mood was also helped by the fact that I felt really strong after the first couple of km and so enjoyed the run itself (and overtaking quite a lot of people was very satisfying too!). In fact, I was a bit sad that it was over so quickly, and think I could have had a good performance over a half marathon distance - maybe that'll be an option next year...

Will I never learn?!

Despite the fact that this happens every time I return to running after a break, I think i've increased my mileage too quickly over the last couple of weeks and all day I've had some niggling pains in both of my ankles, which have always been my "weak points", and prone to injury.  This is not good!! Just as I get back on track and feel positive and motivated, about both my training and my diet, something else goes wrong...and it's entirely my own fault.

I decided not to run this evening, and will wear supports on my ankles tomorrow - I'll probably still go out in the evening but may not do the 6 miles I'm planning.  I think I might also have to re-evaluate my expectation of reaching 1000 miles this year.  If I achieve it, but at the expense of causing myself an injury (rather than a bit of niggly pain that with a bit of rest I'm sure will resolve), I will jeopardise my 2012 marathon and ultra targets, and to be honest, they are more important than the 1000 miles.

I mustn't let myself get too annoyed...or too worried.  I am sure that if I take the next couple of days carefully, and reduce my total weekly percentage increases (yes, I know, should stick to 10%...but that just seems so low, maybe 15% will be ok!) I'll be absolutely fine.

But it amazes me that I've let this happen again!

Taking control

Well, after my post on Friday, unfortunately my eating is still a bit out of control....but I'm very glad I'm not the only runner who continues to struggle with my weight.

This morning I read the blog post below from Ben Davis over at bendoeslife.com (and in the photo) about him refocusing on his weight loss and facing up to the scales again after starting to regain some weight.  It's come at just the right time for me!  I've blogged about Ben before, but if you haven't seen his blog before, it charts his extraordinary journey over the last three years - he's lost 120lbs, run marathons and completed Ironmen events, and even created his own movement that has inspired people across the world to lose weight, get moving, and most importantly...to Do Life!  It's been fantastic following his blog, and while I'm struggling to get my eating under control again, it's good to know that someone like him can get a bit out of shape too...and hopefully I'm going to be able to join him in regaining control, one weigh-in at a time - starting tomorrow!

---
November 13, 2011

I bought some new batteries for my scale. It died a couple months ago and I haven’t put any effort into getting new ones because I haven’t wanted to face the scale. All that changes today.

The fact is that I won’t be able to get through 52 marathons next year if I don’t drop some weight and get back into the shape I was in this summer leading up to Vineman Ironman.

And so begins 47 days of weighing myself.

A weigh a day.

Every morning I will roll out of bed and onto the scale.

But, Ben, isn’t weighing yourself daily a bad thing?

 Yeah, there are probably some dieticians and Women’s Health writers that have some psychological list of reasons you shouldn’t, but right now I need to wake up, every day, and face the results of the previous day’s actions—good or bad.

I will take my scale with me wherever I go.

I will put the effort in and I will see it reflected on the scale. Because that’s all it takes and I know it.

So join me tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. (pacific) and every morning for the next 47 days as I get ready for the new year

A weigh a day.

Party on, party people. 

--

Thanks Ben...you're awesome! :)

1000 miles in a year

Francis and I went for a bike ride today (which was lovely) but on adding it to my dailymile.com log I noticed that the mileage had taken me over the "1000 miles covered in 2011" mark and it really started me thinking about my running mileage for the year.  That total on my dailymile log includes the cycling I've done, but I don't really think that counts, so I do keep a separate record on my training schedule spreadsheet (yes, I have one of those) and my running mileage, as of today, is 770 miles in 2011.

Back in May, I wrote a blog post about the number of miles my training schedule showed me completing by the end of 2011...it was 1,316!! I was realistic enough to know that I may not achieve quite that distance, but I remember thinking at the time, that I was definitely going to get to over 1000 and being really pleased with that as an idea.

Now though, with the various issues that have reduced my mileage (long recovery after races, injury, extended holiday, and too often laziness!), I still have 230 miles to run to get to 1000 miles in 2011, and in 7 weeks that's going to be a big challenge.  However, I'm going to try and do it.  Having spent quite a lot of time tweaking my training schedule I will just be able to get there by the 31st December, but only if I really focus and stick rigidly to the plan, even over Christmas.  Obviously, it's not quite the achievement of running 1,316 miles (that's London to Rome you know?!) but still, running 1000 miles in a year for me for be an achievement I could be very proud of! 

So, that's what I'm going to try and do.  I have a couple of races coming up too, a 10km in Ley Valley Park this Sunday and the Bedford Harriers half marathon at the beginning of December, so with those, and my 1000 mile target to complete over the next seven weeks, I will certainly be spending a lot of time pounding the pavements! 

My favourite food group? Does cake count?

My eating habits have always been somewhat erratic at best, and although in June I started my Weight Watchers programme, was eating pretty healthily and managed to lose over 20 lbs (and, partially as a result, in September smashed my marathon PB) since coming back from holiday, my diet has reverted to being supported mainly by the biscuit, cake and chocolate food groups!

After a bit of a faltering start, I've managed to get back into my training after the month off, but I'm finding it much harder to get my eating into line, and am rapidly edging towards putting all the weight back on that I was so happy to have lost, never mind actually dropping the 15lbs more I still have to lose.  Now, obviously, that bothers me when I consider the effect it has on my appearance - one day I'd love to look like a stereo-typical runner and when I line up at the start of a race with all of those slim athletic types, I don't want to be bulging out of my lycra!  More importantly though, I'm never going to run the fastest marathon I can, if I'm carrying an extra 20lbs or more.  I'm going to be slower and put more stress on my body and joints - it's a no brainer that as a runner I need to try and be the strongest and slimmest I can healthily be. 

But as well as the weight, I don't think my body can perform in the best way...or recover efficiently...if I'm not properly fuelled!  I've blogged about this before, have felt like this before...in fact it seems I've spent half my life thinking about what and how much I should be eating and then ignoring my own advice! But, that's not going to stop me trying to get it right.  Having restarted training after the holiday, and suffering as frequently as I do with hyponatremia (had another bout in Madagascar), I really do need to be more aware of the nutritional value of the food I'm eating, and make sure that my diet is healthy and properly balanced.

It's not a question of giving up the the biscuits, cakes and chocolate entirely - I know that's unrealistic, and I certainly wouldn't want to stop eating foods I enjoy so much...but they can't continue to constitute the majority of my daily intake!

I'm still paying for my Weight Watchers membership, and tomorrow, as they say, is another day.  So, I've decided that I'll be restarting my food tracking in the morning, refocusing on my diet goals, and probably rereading this post every half an hour through the day as I try to resist the office snack table!  Here's hoping I can be as successful as last time - I desperately want to succeed in my running goals for 2012, and fuelling myself properly is as important (yes, ok, I know not quite as important but you get my drift) as getting the miles in during training, and I have to work hard in both areas if I want to achieve my best performance in the marathons and my ultra next year.