Forgot to Say...

I have sold......  2 books!

I know, there is a very strong message in this and I've got it!

Just What Have I Learned?

Have to be honest, the countdown has begun. Just over 2 weeks and my life as a 'runner' will come to an end and I can't wait! When I started this blog almost 2 years ago I used to start each post by asking what I had learned. I thought that I would look at the past nearly 2 years and put down what I have learned. So here goes:

• I was not put on this earth to run. I may be many things, but I'm not a runner and no amount of 'training' is ever going to make me one.
• I don't enjoy running. I'm only ever freezing cold or boiling hot. It's boring and the more miles you chalk up, the darker the places your brain takes you to.
• Running never gets any easier no matter how much you do it.
• I've lost hours and hours of my life on the road trying to get this right.

I'm not too sure what will happen to this blog, I think it too will end after 15th. I will continue to blog somewhere - I actually enjoy blogging, I love writing. I think though that I will find something that I enjoy to write about. I will have to find something a little bit energetic do as well or I fear I will turn into Mrs Blobby! even the running can't get rid of my stomach at the moment so if I don't do anything I will become huge... I'm considering yoga - we'll see!

Into Double Figures Now

Well I have just mapped 10 miles and it looks like a very long way, even on a tiny map! Have to be confident though, I have actually run, in one hit, double that amount - once. So, it is possible. I have got this sorted now and it's not the distance that scares me so much, it's the time... far too much time to be inside your own head, especially mine.

So, tomorrow - different head on, I'm going for a very long walk, and I might do a bit of running along the way. Somehow that sits better.

I shall report back on how it goes.

The Book Has Arrived!

Well, great excitement this morning - the book arrived and I can't tell you how chuffed I am. It looks great, like a real, proper book. Now to get it out there so that lots of people buy it and we make loads of money for AICR.

If you would like to buy a copy there is a button on the right of this page that will take you straight there or you could just sponsor me using the just giving button. If you can I would be so grateful - Thank you x

Now, mapping 10 miles - going to be a long one tomorrow!

Viv's Mountain - The Book is Here

I've been missing... I know, there is a very good reason for this. I have been publishing my book - as a proper book. It was so incredibly hard but I think - I hope I have got there now.

The link is below. This will take you to the Lulu site where you can buy a copy at £8.50. All profits, around £3.41 will go to the Association for International Cancer Research. It should be available from Amazon too but the profit for the charity is considerably less through them, around £1.14.


http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=VivsMountain&categoryId=200002

If you can support this amazing charity by buying my book I would be so grateful.

Thank you

Then again .....

Nothing, absolutely nothing is easy about this running business. From getting out the door, to finding the time, to finding the energy not to mention the running. I have come to the conclusion tonight that I am going to concentrate on the distance no matter how I cover it. I'm trying with the longer strides thing but when I start off I look like I'm in Monty Python's silly walks sketch (now that ages me!). I've stopped going up and down at all and I'm concentrating so hard at pushing off with my back foot and stretching out with my front leg that I get in this really weird position with my bum stuck out and my legs flying about all over the place, I end up trying to push and stretch with different legs at the same time until I trip over my own feet - I can't tell you just how much energy it uses just in a few steps. I have to keep stopping and starting before I begin to look anything like normal ... well, normal for me!

On the bright side I covered 5 miles tonight, I did it in around 72 minutes which for me isn't too bad. If I can finish this thing in anything under 3 hours I will be over the moon.

You may notice I have added a 'sponsor me' button on the right hand side of this blog, if you would like to sponsor me and support the Association for International Cancer Research I would be so grateful, thank you.

If you would like to know why I am doing this completely mad thing - despite the lack of a single 'running gene' in my body - take a look at my first blog 'To this Point' in October 2011.

By George, I think she's got it!

This evening I did a mile in 11.33 minutes ..... up hill!

In my world this is the equivalent to the first 4 minute mile. Fair to say I could barely stand when I got to the end and getting back down the hill again took almost 2 minutes longer but I was so chuffed with myself. I also did another 2 miles at lunch time, I did do them on the machine - but I wound the thing up to almost 1 kilometre an hour faster than usual and concentrated on taking longer steps, I didn't manage to run the whole 2 miles but I was very close.

It may not sound as though I'm doing too well but I do feel as though I'm making progress. For the first time I'm running slightly out of breathe and I think that by doing this I'm pushing forward all the time, hopefully getting up that hill tomorrow should be just a fraction easier and in a couple of days I will be able to turn around and come straight back down again. I also arrived home with not exactly a high, lets just say there was a slight lift in my head ... could I at last be getting 'the bug', somehow I seriously doubt it!

Running is always so Hard!

My intention this morning was to go out and run 4 miles outside then come in and do another 3 on the machine ... note, my intention!

I woke up having not slept too well, I had a bit of a headache and I was just a tad grumpy. I had made up my mind before I got out of bed that the day wasn't going to go too well.

I got out - later than planned and inched my way up the road with Andrew on the bike beside me. In my head I was fighting the growing temptation to turn around and go home. I did the first mile in 13 minutes which is faster than the machine thinks I run. I managed about half of the second mile when 'Will' took leave and I was walking and muttering at the same time 'I can't do this, how can I ever do this' I was so cross with myself that I hadn't even made it to the 2 mile mark that I decided, with the 30 mile sign that marks 2 miles in sight, that I would run fast to get to half way. I couldn't sprint as it was still a little way but I did try to cover a little more ground with each stride. When I arrived I announced that I sometimes think it's easier to go a little bit faster than when I go so slowly - so started a 2 mile debate about 'running strides' you see, I seem to exert so much energy not actually going very far at all, my stride is about the length of my foot. The thinking for this is that if I place my foot just a couple of inches ahead of the other one then I'm conserving energy. When I'm on the machine and I speed it up, I don't change my stride I just take a lot more in a shorter space of time. Our thinking is, that if I just open up my stride by a fraction, without speeding up at all, then I will cover more distance without using any more energy. I tried this in fits and starts all the way home, tried walking it first which proved the point that I do actually walk faster than I run because my walking stride is that much longer. Andrew kept abandoning the bike and trotting off down the road to demonstrate how he runs and the difference in our techniques. Problem is that in changing your stride you also have to change the way you breathe and what you do with your arms ... I'm not sure that with 5 weeks to go, now is the best time to change my technique, on the other hand, I'm not sure I'm going to make it if I continue as I am. I think my technique is possibly the reason for my lack of progress and the maybe the elusive 'running bug'

If there is anyone out there who lives reasonably close to me and runs and knows about strides and technique I could really do with a bit of a master class!

I didn't run on the machine when we got back, it's probably good for general fitness but I'm not sure it's helping me at the moment. The plan is - and it's 4 o'clock now and I've not started what I planned to do today - to go back out this afternoon and do another 2 miles ... not feeling it right now but maybe later.

Insomnia!

Well it's just gone 2 am and I'm wide awake! I was falling asleep on the sofa but the moment my head hit the pillow sleep was the last thing I seemed to want or need. Not sure what's going on. I worked for nearly 9 hours today from 7 am, then I ran/walked for 65 minutes, then I did my online Tesco shop - you would think that I should be tired but no, brain switches to overdrive and I just can't turn it off. Anyway I have been quite productive while I've been awake so not completely wasted.

If anyone has any cures for insomnia please leave a comment, I would truly be very grateful.

Rest days and my Training Programme

It's the relentlessness of it that I begin to struggle with in the end you see!

It just goes on and on and on .... never changes, always the same .... running .... and when you finish running and you go to bed, you wake up in the morning and what is there to look forward to .... yes, more damn running! 

I had a rest day yesterday. My rest days aren't carefully planned to fit into the rest of my training programme, they are brought about simply because of the height of my ironing pile or the number of hours down I am on my clock at work. I doubt Paula Radcliffe's training schedule has ever been set by her laundry!

Rest days usually come about because I run out of time. Anyway, having slept only a couple of hours the night before (couldn't find my brains off switch) I thought a rest day could possibly be a good idea. What I never bargain for is that whilst I don't run, I don't rest either! Consequently today was a bit of a disappointment 'shattered on a running machine' just doesn't cut the mustard. I .... moved for 65 minutes but I didn't run for too much of it and when I had finished I had barely covered 4 miles .... I know, could have walked faster - in my defence I really do believe that the machine isn't terribly accurate.

Anyway, I'm not going to get down about it. Tomorrow is another day and hopefully I will get a bit closer to running the whole 65 minutes and getting a little bit more mileage under my belt.

Consistency is the Key

Two runs again today ... I think consistency is the key! Both indoors, no excuses, just couldn't get over the door-step. I did 45 minutes both times. At lunch time I ran for 40 minutes and tonight I ran 30 minutes. In total I 'covered' around 5 and 3/4 miles.

I will only be able to manage one run, although I might walk tomorrow, have a bit of a break. Will continue Thursday and Friday and then go for 7 in one hit on Sunday. Feeling quite positive at the moment.

All going well .... so far!

A good day today. I have run twice, both on the machine. I was going outside tonight but the heavens opened so I decided against it. At lunch time I did 2 miles in a little under 30 minutes. This evening I ran for 40 minutes and did 4.46 km. I do feel that I'm getting somewhere at the moment, I have managed to make quite a bit of progress already. I think the twice a day run is going well for me.

I also had a delivery this morning ... I have finally found a combination of head gear that I can live with - a visor and a pair of sporty sunglasses, it hides the majority of my face - with a nice, colourful lipstick I hardly look like me at all - result! I have also succumbed to shorts - I had resisted for almost 2 years but it's just been so warm that I thought I would give them a go. They aren't short, shorts - I know my limitations, but they are ok, together with my AICR vest I am a lot happier with the 'look' than I was in the marathon. If I can just loose my stomach without actually loosing any weight everything will be fine.

Just where I'm at right now!

Well ...

It's not great if I'm absolutely honest. I went out today thinking I would split my run and do half outside (just to prove that I can) and I would finish on the treadmill. I was looking for 2 miles outside, I covered it but didn't run the whole thing as intended, I ran a little over a mile and a half before 'Will' went awol!

Back home I did another 3 miles, 2 of which I ran. Quite pleased with the distance but not so with the running. I think it's important though to get lots of miles in my legs ... however it happens. Looking for another 5 miles tomorrow - hopefully a bit more running though.

Great North Run ... Here I come!

Ok, decision made, I'm going to do it!

I have no idea where it came from or why but on Thursday my internal switch went from negative to positive in the space of a couple of minutes. You see unlike most runners (lol) I can't run myself to a happy place .... I have to be in a happy place to run - weird?

Anyway, the hotel is booked and I'm cramming for the next 6 weeks and 1 day. I discovered during my first run of the day on Thursday - yes I ran twice, and one of them was even outside! - that I can run for around 30 minutes, I covered around .... ur ... a mile? no, seriously, I did 2 so I'm not completely back at the beginning. yesterday I 'covered' a total of 5 miles though that involved some - ok, quite a lot of walking. Once again everything hurts and getting up and down the stairs is incredibly difficult, still not feeling this 'running bug' thing but hey, it's only 6 weeks and for such a good cause.

My book will be out really soon - and J if you are reading this, sorry and you'll have it by tomorrow - all profits will go to The Association for International Cancer Research
If you would like to sponsor me you can at: www.justgiving/vivsmountain

If anyone has any words of advice on how I can get just a tad faster or make this just a little bit easier I would love to hear from you. It doesn't seem to matter how much running I do it's always so damn hard!