My First Race!

Remember when you were at school and they'd have a sports day where everyone would win a prize? Well yesterday I took part in the adult equivalent and it was brilliant! Got myself a medal and a new T-shirt as proof, and I didn't even do that well - it was top notch.




I took part in the 5K at Run Balmoral, a day held in the grounds of Balmoral Castle held every year attracting hundreds of runners, from beginners to professionals.
It's famous for its beautiful surroundings and the massive hill that hits the 10k runners, when they're almost halfway through. I really struggle with running uphill and need a lot more practice at this before I could contemplate running the 10k...maybe next year.

The weather in Aberdeen was rotten when I woke up. Drizzle dripped down the skylight window above me and it was so very tempting to roll over and pull the covers over my head. Instead I got up early, packed the dog into the car and drove an hour and half into the countryside to join all the other crazy people.

I started out quite well. I'd planned to take it really slow in case I burned myself out too early and didn't have the stamina to finish. The scenery was quite amazing and proved a real happy distraction from the pounding of feet and muscle fatigue that set in quite fast. The spirit of the occasion really carried me along too. You'd have 5 minutes or so of running through a wooded section, then you'd turn a bend and find small pockets of people lining the path cheering you on. The children watching were really enchanted by the atmosphere as they were always cheering the loudest. One of the more surreal moments in my life is sure to endure as the three boys who'd broken way from the crowds and taken a spot on one of the banks. I ran past, alone, with a swelling crowd a little behind me and another far in front. The boys shouted things with the utmost sincerity like "Come on, you're doing really well" and "Keep going you can do it" and blowing little whistles. It would have cracked me up if I'd had any spare breath to chuckle. They were only about 5.





The race was a reality check to me. All this time I've been saying that my goal is complete Baker Highes 10K without stopping to walk at any stage. I knew this was a tall order 3 months ago when I started running for the first time and found I could only go for about a minute before needing to stop. However I really thought with the right training and good eating, I could get there. And while I've made excellent progress, it's still a far off goal. I can run for 30 minutes, and even then it's tough. What I've realised is that I can't do a 5k in 30 minutes.I don't go fast enough to cover that ground in that time. OK, OK, I admit it, I had to walk a bit. One of the small hills about 2k in saw me slowing down to a brisk walk, just to alleviate a stitch in my shoulder of all places.

In the end I completed it in around 37 minutes. It's not spectacular, but considering I could barely run for 37 seconds all of 3 months ago, I'll take it. And I got a shiny medal for my efforts.




We spent the rest of the day watching the other races and letting the dogs run around on the grass. I had a great time and went home with a sense of achievement and some renewed enthusiasm to train hard for the 10K. I've got one month and then I have to run double what I did yesterday. But I also know what fun it can be to run in a crowd and take part in such a collective feat of endurance.



P.S The guy who won the 10K did it 5 minutes faster than I did the 5K. How impressive is that!

A Week Off Work

I'm having a great time this week, spending lots of time with the dog and visiting lots of beautiful places. I've also not had a drop of alcohol, although I'm loathe to boast as it's only been 4 days and that makes me sound like a lush! It has to be said though that generally during a holiday I'd have a glass of wine or two with dinner, and certainly a beer or two in the pub. I feel better for avoiding it though and I don't feel like I'm missing out either. I've also not had any junk food, not even on the drive from Aberdeen to Glasgow which is usually a boring 3-hours punctuated by various chocolate bars and bottles of sugary juice.



Yesterday I ran around Mugdock reservoir and managed a 30 minute run. I would have gone for longer except it was a sweltering hot day and I had too thick a hoody on, the combination making me feel quite unwell. But as a location for running, I loved it. It's all flat with stunning views of rolling countryside in one direction, and the bright lights of Glasgow in the other. The dog loved it too. It never ceases to amaze me that even when I am charging along like an elephant, the dog's legs never seem to go any faster than a light trot, and he's still ahead of me. Maybe I'm slower than I think... I'm going to head back there in an hour or so for another run.



But I've not just been sticking to the flat - I climbed Conic Hill the other day with some friends and their wee Jack Russel, Milo. The dogs scampered up the hillside while I had to take several rests as it was really hurting my calf muscles. I'm hoping this is going to help improve my hill running too, as I find hills a real killer. We waked to the top then I foolishly said we could climb down the other side. In reality the other side was more of a scramble and when we got to the bottom and looked up, it looked more like a cliff face for abseiling down. The dogs had a great time anyway and went home mucky and tired.



Conic Hill is about an hour up and an hour down, with breathtaking views over Loch Lomond and all its islands. It's so quiet and still at the top and on a sunny day, it's just serene. It reminded me of all the times I went there as a school pupil, with Mrs Thompson. She was my French teacher and directed the school shows, and later her own drama company. All the kids in the show used to climb Conic Hill in the months leading up to opening night. At the top we'd all have packed lunches and her and Mrs Montgomery would crack open the Babycham. She was very much a mentor to me throughout my adolesence and treated us as much more than just her pupils. We'd spend time rehearsing songs in her living room - and she organised theatre trips to London for us, and later Paris. I'll never forget the day she called me to her classroom to give me a row for not performing as well in my Higher results as she felt I should have. She was more like an aunt than a teacher.



Mrs T died a couple of years ago from bowel cancer. Scores of us, now scattered across Scotland, returned to Glasgow for the funeral and we all sang for her one last time. I still can't believe she's gone - it doesn't feel real to me until I return to a place like Conic Hill, which I will associate with her forever. It's for Mrs T and all the others like her that I'm working hard to raise this money. She is just one of millions affected by cancer and my efforts in this training are dedicated to her and the others like her.

A New Leaf

Sometimes I take a look around Aberdeen and think to myself 'I am glad I live here'. Today was one of these days. We're not always blessed with the warmest weather. (I notice it is dryer than the west coast, but it is certainly a hell of a lot colder. )This morning however felt like the first real day of spring, with a hot sun beating down from a cloudless sky. The beach was peppered with families, doggies and people having a good time. McNulty dug in the sand, bade farewell to yet another ball as it was carried off on the waves, and ran around with a couple of Westies.
It felt like a day for new beginnings - so here's one. I'm aff the drink.



The 10K is now 6 weeks away. I've been following a training plan for the last 6 weeks and have gone from running in tiny little bursts, to half an hour quite pleasantly. But it's now time to really up the ante as I want to do this 10K in an hour, and that's obviously twice what I'm capable of at the moment. In a bid to make it a little easier on my body, I'm going to cut out all alcohol for the next 6 weeks just to see if it makes a difference. Well, it can't really hurt.



My days of clubbing are behind me now anyway (last night being a rare excepetion to the rule - but I don't know if you call bopping around to Hole on an empty dancefloor, clubbing as such)but I do enjoy a glass of wine in front of a film or a few beers after work on a Friday. So it will be a bit of a task for me to cut it out altogether, but I'm going to give it a shot. I want to get to that starting line in 6weeks knowing I did everything I could.



Progress this week: On Thursday night I decided to jack in the plan for the night and see if I could actually sprint a couple of miles, as opposed to the idle jogging I'm accustomed to now. It felt bloody marvellous for about 10 minutes and I felt like I was running properly, for perhaps the first time. Now I warn you, this part is pretty gruesome but sadly it is also true. When I finished this sprinting session and started climbing the stairs to the flat, I started feeling sick. Like, dreadfully sick. The contents of my stomach were churning up, my whole body suddenly turned very red and hot and it felt like my guts were going to discharge themselves from any number of orifices. It was grim, I can tell you. I'll spare you the details of what happened next, but I felt much better after lying on the bathroom floor for a while, then taking a bath. I think I'd better stick to the plan from now on and stop playing at being an athlete when I'm clearly very far from it.

Physically my shape is changing. I've lost several inches from my waist and my face has gotten a bit slimmer. I'm slowly getting more lean but I haven't actually lost a single ounce on the scales. I know this is because I am putting on muscle, but years of yoyo dieting and lapsed Scottish Slimmers and Weight Watchers memberships has given me a scales fixation that's hard to break. So maybe if I cut the empty alcohol calories out I'll finally see the numbers go down.

I'm on holiday next week and plan to do lots of writing, take the dog to some pretty places for walks - and start my 6 week to 10K plan.

And here's the dog smiling on the beach.

The Power Of The Mind

After a bit of reflection on today's run, I've come to the conclusion that real improvement is based entirely on mental distraction. It's not so much as willpower to overcome the pain and fatigue, as something else to think about so you don't obssess over it. This must be why I was never much cop at the treadmill. Running on the spot has got to be the most stultifyingly boring pasttime and no amount of Euro trance pish will make it fun.
After work I drove through the drizzle to the Sports Village to jog around a deserted track for half an hour. I've just had a look back through my playlist for mental prompts and this is a pretty representative snapshot of my thought processes, song by song. The following thoughts are all 100% genuine musings. Warning, if you would like to maintain an impression of me as a philosophical, intellectual sort of person, stop reading here.

SONG: This Town Aint Big Enough For The Both Of Us - Sparks
[This early in the session, I'm all aches and pains. A brief stitch in my right shoulder transfers to around the appendix zone before finally dissipating as I hit my stride]
THOUGHTS: Kick Ass was such a good film. I never noticed how fitting the lyrics in this song were to the storyline. Is it weird to go see it a second time? His costume wold be good for Halloween. So would Hit Girl's. Ugh the weather is minging. There appears to be random machinery strewn about today. They probably thought no-one would venture outside. I do hope no-one is watching me from the windows. I look like a nutter and I'm wearing all the wrong stuff etc.



SONG Ray Of Light - Madonna
[Starting to run well now in big, even strides and breathing heavy. Hand frequently patting the inhaler in my hoody to ensure it hasn't fallen out]
THOUGHTS: Why the fuck didn't I tie my hair back? It's soaked now and for one half of the track it's all sticking to my forehead and cheeks,or banging off eyes all the time, and the other half it's whipped back behind me in the wind. Argh I'm really uncomfortable now. I wonder if anyone would notice if I sneaked the dog over the fence one night when it's this empty. I wonder if he'd just run in circles like me or zig zag all over the place. He's so ginger these days. I wonder if he'll get more ginger. He wasn't ginger when I got him. You don't see many ginger dogs really, do you? etc




Jai Ho - Puussycat Dolls
[Getting really wheezy now and puffing several times on blue inhaler till it passes and I feel my lungs opening up again]
THOUGHTS: Must order repeat prescription. What happens if I run out of inhaler before the 10K and then halfway through I start having an asthma attack? Oh my god that'd be so disappointing, not to mention embarassing. I wonder how much of me my parents will be able to see from the sidelines. I wonder if they'll just wait at the finish line or if they'll be at the start or somewhere in the middle. God I bet I start greeting if I see them while I'm trying to run. Must get someone to take photo of me as I cross finish line so I can send to all the sponsors. etc

SONG: Maniac - Michael Sembello
[Feeling tired now. Calves sore, panting hard now. Just about halfway through]
THOUGHTS: If I get to one week before the 10K and I can't actually manage the whole route without stopping then I'm buying a bear suit and dancing the whole thing. I wonder if there will be people in costumes or if this is just a serious running race? Reminds me of that Ricky Gervais podcast when Karl Pilkington talks about moving house on the day of the London Marathon and everyone clapping at him jogging past carrying a lampshade, thinking he was part of some charity stunt. I wonder if I should just listen to a load of podcasts during the race to keep me entertained. etc.

SONG: Single Ladies - Beyonce
[Really getting knackered now yet not slowing down any. Probably pulling exaggerated faces of exertion best reserved for marathon runners, not idle joggers]
THOUGHTS: If the 10k = 6 miles and 24 times around this track = 10k then what distance is one lap and how many miles am I running in total tonight.....?
....thoughts become incoherent due to inability to perform basic arithmetic



SONG: You Got The Love - Candi Staton
[My favourite song. The running from here on doesn't get any harder, but also doesn't get any easier]
THOUGHTS: Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god why didn't I tie my hair back? Argh I've only got 6 weeks and need to run for 3 times as long. I can't do it I can't do it I can't do it I can't do it. etc


SONG: Telephone - Lady Gaga and Beyone
[just 5 more minutes to go]
THOUGHTS: Oh god oh god oh god oh god. I wonder if Beyonce thinks Lady Gaga is weird? Oh god oh god oh god this is really hard I want to stop now. Argh will feel so shit if I give up before the end. I'm going to stop drinking wine I think and see if it makes my fitness improve. Oh god oh god how much longer -

- and suddenly it's over.

I'm finished and walking round the track as fast as I can without breaking into a jog and this is when all the acid buildup suddenly floods through my calves and they are screaming out for a rest and although all my body is tired out I've got waves of eupohoria pulsing through me in time with my heartbeat which I can feel in the soles of my hot, tired feet and behind my eyes and I'm smiling - because I'm done.



Then a quick stretch and a wobbly walk back to the car.
THOUGHTS: That was brilliant. Can't wait for the next one.

What A Difference A Day Makes

This morning I completed Week 5 - Day 3 - a run for 20 minutes without stopping. This is my first, big milestone and I'm delighted. It was scheduled in for Wednesday evening, but in some twist of fate and clearly an act of divine intervention, the weather put paid to my plans. Throughout the day at work the snow fell outside, cars careered off roads and my running shoes stayed firmly in my bag. I had psyched myself up for it however, and kept peeking out the window to see if it was clearing up at all: it didn't.

So from this...


To this...

Today being Good Friday, I've taken the day off work to head home for Easter. I'm glad I did this because the sun is literally streaming in the window but the air is crisp outside. Perfect weather for running.

I was running through the streets today which isn't my favourite environment but it's worth practicing because the 10K weaves a pattern through streets. I much prefer jogging in the in park or along the beach esplanade where there's something pretty to look at and I don't have to stop to cross roads or avoid women with buggies.

I ran from the flat down to Queen's Cross roundabout, back along Albyn Place, around Rubislaw Gardens a few times, back to Skene Street and then back to the flat. According to Map My Run that's just over 2 miles. So I need to be able to do 3 times that by the time the race comes around. For the first time that doesn't completely terrify me because now I know I can do 20 solid minutes running and I've still got more than a month to build on that. I need to be able to run for an hour without stopping, and I think I can get there.

My calf muscles are really throbbing now even after stretching them out well but it's a good kind of pain, if that makes any sense. A pain of achievement!

Speaking of pain... poor McNulty got the snip this week and has to wear a Cone Of Shame. No running for him.

Everyone's At It...

...running that is.

When I started this new regime I downloaded a brilliant app for my iPhone called Couch To 5K. I love anything gadgety, geeky or remotely iternet-related. So to find something that was all of these rolled into one was a brilliant incentive to get me off my ass. And the fact it was called couch to 5k meant it was practically written for me! (although I'm conveniently trying to blank from my mind the fact that I'm doing a 10k and that I've got double the work...)

This is how it works. I put my headphones on, select the week and day I'm on in my training program, and start running. The intervals change every time I do it so in week one I'd run for a minute, then a voice interrupts the music to tell me to start walking. Then after a minute walking he tells me to run again, and so on. He tells me when I'm halfway through, and there's literally no better sound than his robotic faux-American voice at the end when it says "cool down."



I'd never heard of this application before, but since I started, I've discovered loads of people in my office are using it. And even more people are out running regularly. Just about everyone I know is currently training for a 10K or other. Maybe this was always the case but I always tuned it out before. Now I find myself having around six or seven conversations about running a day. It definitely seems THE cool thing to be doing at the moment. And now the clocks have gone forward and the nights are lighter, I can only imagine it's going to get more popular. I'm even considering buying new trainers and running gear after pay day. (Pay day traditionally being a day reserved for me to buy CDs, takeaways and more unecessary items of jewellery).

Tonight the man in my earphones made me run around the park for eight whole minutes before I got a break. Then I walked for five and then ran another eight. This is the longest I have managed to date and it wasn't as difficult as I was expecting. I ran all over Westburn Park tonight and for the last two minutes, when my calves were starting to really feel the strain, I ran uphill. I was so pleased to come to the end and discover that I still had more puff in me and could have carried on for longer.

I've started leaving the dog behind for these runs because they are getting longer and longer and I need all my concentration. It's not that he can't take the pace (he really can - trust me). But he has a habit now of veering off to one side in front or behind me, and this causes mid-jogging pirouettes to stop his lead winding around me legs which just make me look weird, frankly.

Now there's a big milestone looming. The next part of my training plan says I've got to run for 20 minutes without stopping. I'm quietly confident that I'll manage it, and if I do this will give me a strong conviction that I'll manage the whole 10k in just under two months time. So I'm a little excited but a little anxious. One thing that's for sure is the man in my earphones is getting more and more sadistic.

Gorillas In The Mist

You know that scene from The Exorcist when the priest turns up to do the exorcism and stands outside the house? Big plumes of fog and mist billow past him as he looks up towards the bedroom window and the whole scene is horribly eerie and atmospheric? Well tonight I went running in that!



Living by the North Sea means that every now and then we get a combination of temperature, wind levels and moisture in the air, to form a phenomenon known as haar. I grew up in Glasgow where "haar" is just the noise you make when clearing your throat, and it was only five years ago when I first moved here that I experienced this bizarre weather for the first time. It's basically sea mist. But it's a mist so powerful that when it comes rolling off the sea, it envelops the whole city under a foggy blanket all the way from the seafront, far above the city to the housing estates beyond. Walking through it drenches your clothing and even the straightest hair springs into wild curls within a few minutes.



When you've got asthma, running in it is a one-way ticket to an asthma attack and I again found myself relying on my inhaler for a few moments midway through. The pain in my calf muscles continues to throb. As a rule, if I leave a day between runs then I really enjoy going out and I just feel merely fatigued afterwards. However if I run two days in a row then halfway through the session my leg muscles start to really hurt. They hurt so much that I almost don't want to stop for my walking intervals because as soon as I do, that's when the pain really kicks in.

So far I have stuck to my training plan 100% and am advancing well. I ran to band practice and back again last night, and it didn't destroy me half as badly as it did last week. And although I have not lost one single ounce according to the scales, my clothes are getting a little looser and a colleague said today that my face wasn't as round as usual which is definitely a good thing.

I'm going to give myself tomorrow off and I might go to the gym on Saturday for an easy peasy go on the treadmill (people keep telling me it'll seem a lot easier than running outside). Then I've got a big milestone coming up - my first 20 minute run without stopping. Wish me luck!