quickie

To HB and back, gentle 39m

Just a little warm up for tomorrow's half marathon. Feeling tired after playing Guitar hero until 2 am and trying to avoid the wine going around. Anxious paranoia is setting in, I need to research numb toes. And get more sleep.

3rd attempt at speed running

Ravenscourt Park again

A small improvement tonight, I counted when it really hurt (and marmite ricecakes repeated on me), and I reversed the route to aid round 3. Still can't make it to 4 laps yet.

Lap 1: 5m 7s (1m 35s int)

Lap 2: 5m 9s (2m 11s)

Lap 3: 5m 25s (reverse)

Oh, and more delightful comments came from the five-aside football cage...

sun run

To Berkley Square, 5.7m, 49 minutes

Legs still very sore from tuesday, but I had to rescue my abandoned bike from Mayfair, and it was a lovely sunny afternoon. Too sunny. I hope it isn't so hot on the 26th, I wonder if I know anyone who lives on the route and could feed me ice? Or a calippo? 

Running on busy roads made me curse the most polluted city in the world that is my home- especially on the interminable Holland Park Hill. But all was forgiven in Hyde Park-lovely!  

My running belt seemed to squash my lunch today, can't decide whether to bother with it. 

I have received my running number (43198), it all seems very real and very close now.

My last long run...until the reeeeeeeeeelly long one..

Twickenham Bridge to Putney Bridge, 17.46m, 2 hrs 37m 23s

This was zen-like running, a beautiful, calm, LIGHT (at last!) evening, where my knees behaved, posture was easy, Helly socks were ace, my earphones stayed in my ears and snot stayed in my nasal passage. Even fat/with child/with dog/oblivious with mobile pedestrians seemed to get out of my way (did my charity vest command more respect than the smelly tshirts of previous months?). I thought back to starting my training, in the dark and cold, how angry I used to get while pounding the streets, and it felt so unfamiliar today. Today it felt EASY! 17.4 miles of comfort! Wow!

There were a few niggles- my back ached towards the end, maybe from holding a water bottle mainly in my right hand and consequently twisting, and I am giving up on lucozade gels, they seem harder to digest that the apple and cinnamon flan that was saturday's failed training fuel. Plus the latest dilemma to preoccupy me: is 26.2 miles in a thong a good idea? Or should I be resigned to wasting a few kilojoules of energy on underwear-realignment on the big day?

I went to a Putney pub to refill my water bottle and was offered 'Fosters?', if I'd had money on me and he'd had Amstel on tap I might have been tempted...

Hurting.

HB-KB, 9 miles gentle, no time.

Beeping my watch could only exacerbate the pounding in my head, so I didn't. 

My usually enjoyable sunday run was impeded by hangover 

and sore feet from saturday night tottering in silly red heels. The Pimms tents set out for the Boat Race today didn't help either. Fortunately my new sports sunglasses were a hit, £4.99 from Millets, bargain.

I need to limit alcohol consumption now, I have decided the best way to tackle this is to only drink bubbles.

Speed Training 2

Too many people have pledged to double their sponsorship if I clock a sub 4 hr marathon. 

The words roll off the tongue, they are familiar, as I currently dedicate every 'stuck in front of a computer with nothing better to do moment' to Running Forums (overtaking previous obsessions on Genes Reunited, Ebay and the obligatory Facebook). The reality check on this challenge tells me I have a need for speed in my training plan if I have any hope of grabbing the extra cash. 

With 4 weeks to go, and a better late than never attitude, I grab 30 minutes break in the rain and set off to Ravenscourt Park for my first Interval Training.

This means running asap ('s' for speedily) for a kilometre, and then recovering for a minute before doing it again. 4 times. 

So, not really having mastered the nutrition bit of my program, I wolfed down an apple and cinnamon flan for energy and set off. It was really tasty, gooey, my indulgent second piece of the day. It lingered on my fingers and by the time I was jogging through Acton Green's temporary fairground, the combo of apple, cinammon and ripe candyfloss was nearly fruitful.

Made it to Ravenscourt Park, flan still in belly, and tried to sprint.

I am not sure of the precise definition of the verb 'to sprint', but I managed at least 10 paces very fast, another few paces quite fast, and then a fairly fast spurt at the end of each lap, with the 5 aside football pen-my finishing point- in sight (and a consistent cry of something about a 'Cheese Grater' coming from the west london youths in it?). I managed 3 laps before I thought I might die.

I much prefer plodding. But, in the same way as 20 miles in adversity (gales/hail etc) has given me the confidence that I can do 26.2 miles of flat, hopefully kinder weather. If I can 'sprint' for 10 paces laden with sugary fruit, I hope the next speed sesh will be a bit easier...

Lap 1: 5m 08s (2m int)

Lap 2: 5m 17s (1m 10s int)

Lap 3: 5m 24s (stagger home)

Proud to be running for Richard House

HB-KB, 9m, 1hr 18m 40s

Much better run tonight, followed by a trip that could only aid my training- a visit to Richard House, the children's hospice I am running for.

The wobbly journey on the DLR to the dump around City Airport didn't fill me with positivity about the visit. I had armed myself with waterproof mascara and tissues, and was ready to put a brave (andpatronising!) face on for the kids, but also to be sad and upset and to count my

blessings. But I needn't have bothered. Honestly, I have never been to a place so full

of joy and humour and life. And the fact that it is joy, humour and life in tremendous adversity

heightened the positivity further.

True, I was not party to painful treatment of course,

and the rainbow sign that is hung on the door to the Rainbow Room when a child dies there was absent, but what became glaringly obvious to me, who had presumed hospices to be all about comfortable death, was that Richard House was all about LIFE! And living as fully as possible, as far as the wheely oxygen tank will allow. And you'd be surprised....

Richard House and it's staff are dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of the 200 children and young adults on its books, and it's not all Micky Mouse and football stars, but simple things, experiences we take for granted. For example, children who were not expected to make it to their teens, with advances in science, can now find themselves on the cusp of adulthood and with all the desires that go with that. So, one of the hospice's recent trips was to go clubbing in Blackpool! 

Another project has been making their own films. This weekend they are having an Oscar Ceremony, complete with red carpet and Victoria Wood to hand out the awards!

I know it sounds like I'm painting a rosy picture of what must be one of the most traumatic experiences you could go through, to lose a child, but the point, I think, is that Richard House distracts from the pain, and supports during the pain, and makes as much living alongside the pain as possible, possible. We are all

 dying after all. And a desire to live as much as possible makes foolish people like me want to run 26.2 miles.

So, now, in a very tiny incy wincy way, I feel proud, and certainly boosted with energy for training, and for fundraising!