No dayglo-yellow jacket yet. Hurry up, Parcel Farce.
4 easy miles on Saturday. Having a break tonight - going to do a 6-miler tomorrow.
Oh, current fundraising total = £115 - marvellous!
Monday, 26 January 2009
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Mr Steve's firstest post
Things that I have learnt over the past few weeks:
1.
If Dr Cath goes for a training run and, whilst she's out, it starts raining a frankly ridiculous amount, I need to be waiting in the porch when she returns with a washing basket so that her running stuff doesn't drip all over the hall carpet.
2.
I should check Dr Cath's running timetable so that I'm aware of which days she needs her running gear washed by. On a related note...
3.
Our washing machine lies. When the countdown timer says there is one minute to go, there are still five minutes to go.
4.
No company has ever made tastefully-coloured running gear, and probably never will.
5.
Ron Hill and Ken Wood are similar.
At the moment I'm avoiding being long-suffering, I think. Attending the training races that Cathy has been on has been quite pleasant, especially the summery one at Market Drayton that netted us a free tray of "Muller product". Yum.
Even the "Christmas Pudding" 10-mile run that Cathy did just before Christmas wasn't too bad. The bitterly cold conditions were tempered by the hot chocolate that the school canteen were serving.
For the time being I'm safe from inclement weather in that regard. Cathy's next training event should be a half-marathon (location unknown as yet!) in March, followed by the Asthma UK 10k in April.
Which takes me back to the last Asthma UK 10k, last year - an amazing event in which every possible adverse weather condition occurred in the same place within the space of one hour. Snow, hail, sleet, driving rain, gale-force wind, and even some sunshine. This year they're apparently planning a tidal wave, an earthquake, and an eruption of the long-dormant volcano on which the Eton Rowing Club built their new clubhouse. After the hour mark they're sending in a plague of locusts to hurry up the stragglers, and the whole complex will explode in a spectacular and expensive fashion if people are still running after 90 minutes.
Or it'll be quite mild and sunny. One or the other.
1.
If Dr Cath goes for a training run and, whilst she's out, it starts raining a frankly ridiculous amount, I need to be waiting in the porch when she returns with a washing basket so that her running stuff doesn't drip all over the hall carpet.
2.
I should check Dr Cath's running timetable so that I'm aware of which days she needs her running gear washed by. On a related note...
3.
Our washing machine lies. When the countdown timer says there is one minute to go, there are still five minutes to go.
4.
No company has ever made tastefully-coloured running gear, and probably never will.
5.
Ron Hill and Ken Wood are similar.
At the moment I'm avoiding being long-suffering, I think. Attending the training races that Cathy has been on has been quite pleasant, especially the summery one at Market Drayton that netted us a free tray of "Muller product". Yum.
Even the "Christmas Pudding" 10-mile run that Cathy did just before Christmas wasn't too bad. The bitterly cold conditions were tempered by the hot chocolate that the school canteen were serving.
For the time being I'm safe from inclement weather in that regard. Cathy's next training event should be a half-marathon (location unknown as yet!) in March, followed by the Asthma UK 10k in April.
Which takes me back to the last Asthma UK 10k, last year - an amazing event in which every possible adverse weather condition occurred in the same place within the space of one hour. Snow, hail, sleet, driving rain, gale-force wind, and even some sunshine. This year they're apparently planning a tidal wave, an earthquake, and an eruption of the long-dormant volcano on which the Eton Rowing Club built their new clubhouse. After the hour mark they're sending in a plague of locusts to hurry up the stragglers, and the whole complex will explode in a spectacular and expensive fashion if people are still running after 90 minutes.
Or it'll be quite mild and sunny. One or the other.
Friday, 23 January 2009
Week 3, Day 5 - The Things I Do For Asthma UK
So, today is a rest day - I've turned my thoughts to fundraising.
I've accepted what is known as a "Golden Bond" place in the FLM for Asthma UK. Basically, charities "buy" places from the FLM organisers, in order to pass them on to people who will (hopefully) raise a decent amount of mulah for them. Being as I've accepted one of their places, and paid the entry fee, I need to raise at least £1,500 for AUK. And, being a bit ambitious, I'm really hoping to raise £2,000.
Obviously, this kind of money is not going to just drop into my lap. In previous years, when I've poked/prodded/bribed people into running the AUK 10K in Windsor, we've managed to raise a decent amount of sponsorship between the team* simply by the traditional badgering-people-method, with an online sponsor page at Just Giving. This time, though, I think I'm going to need a bit more than that.
I'm just about to email a lady who works for Virgin Vie, Mr Branson's cosmetics company, to ask if she's still happy to do a "party" for me at some point next month. She's done a couple for my friend in order to raise funds for an animal charity, and I had a word with her at the last one regarding holding another party for my marathon attempt. Hope this one comes up trumps!
I'm in the process** - as I type - of printing out some business-style cards with my Just Giving address on. I'm hoping to hand these out to people so they can take them away and give due consideration to sponsoring me, without me pressuring them on the spot!
Other thoughts that have crossed my mind: bag-packing, a dance/disco, mass emailing (working on this one)...the Facebook option is already active, and any other ideas are welcome.
Right, off to calm down the husband, who's screaming at the printer. Laters, folks.
*Not meaning to blow our own trumpets, or anything, you know, but as a team we were one of AUK's top three fundraisers for the 10K in 2008 - I estimate in the end we raised about £2K.
**Well, I've done all the design work, but now the printer's playing up, so Steve's sorting that bit out :-)
I've accepted what is known as a "Golden Bond" place in the FLM for Asthma UK. Basically, charities "buy" places from the FLM organisers, in order to pass them on to people who will (hopefully) raise a decent amount of mulah for them. Being as I've accepted one of their places, and paid the entry fee, I need to raise at least £1,500 for AUK. And, being a bit ambitious, I'm really hoping to raise £2,000.
Obviously, this kind of money is not going to just drop into my lap. In previous years, when I've poked/prodded/bribed people into running the AUK 10K in Windsor, we've managed to raise a decent amount of sponsorship between the team* simply by the traditional badgering-people-method, with an online sponsor page at Just Giving. This time, though, I think I'm going to need a bit more than that.
I'm just about to email a lady who works for Virgin Vie, Mr Branson's cosmetics company, to ask if she's still happy to do a "party" for me at some point next month. She's done a couple for my friend in order to raise funds for an animal charity, and I had a word with her at the last one regarding holding another party for my marathon attempt. Hope this one comes up trumps!
I'm in the process** - as I type - of printing out some business-style cards with my Just Giving address on. I'm hoping to hand these out to people so they can take them away and give due consideration to sponsoring me, without me pressuring them on the spot!
Other thoughts that have crossed my mind: bag-packing, a dance/disco, mass emailing (working on this one)...the Facebook option is already active, and any other ideas are welcome.
Right, off to calm down the husband, who's screaming at the printer. Laters, folks.
*Not meaning to blow our own trumpets, or anything, you know, but as a team we were one of AUK's top three fundraisers for the 10K in 2008 - I estimate in the end we raised about £2K.
**Well, I've done all the design work, but now the printer's playing up, so Steve's sorting that bit out :-)
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Week 3, Day 4 - What I Learned From My Run Today
1. Running down the Halesowen by-pass in the opposite direction to usual is infinitely more preferable.
2. My sanity hangs by a thread. I actually considered running down the Hagley Mile (which would, of course, according to Newton's laws of physics, mean that I would have to run back UP it). The thread, however, is my saving grace, because I didn't actually do it.
3. Love Hearts make a good alternative to Jelly Babies. Note to self: don't try to inhale them. This causes transient breathing difficulties.
4. Going at hills like a bull at a gate CAN work, and actually makes the pain briefer.
5. "Take My Breath Away" is neither an amusing nor helpful track to have on your MP3 player whilst running. Especially whilst running up one of the steepest hills in Halesowen. Similarly, "Leave Me Breathless" and "No Air" will be finding their way into the laptop Recyle Bin tonight.
6. A 10-mile run in cold weather results in approximately 500mls fluid loss. What percentage dehydration is that? Must find out.
7. A three-minute loo stop to account for an episode of Jogger's Trots can actually revilatise a long run somewhat.
Things that I already knew, but failed to remember:
1. Mortons Toes* can be a proper pain in the....well, toe, really. Especially if you've cut the nail wonky. Now have nail-shaped hole in skin.
2. My nose runs in the cold. Therefore, I should take tissues on a run, to save using the old-standby - the sleeve.
*Fancy name for having your second toe longer than your big toe. Cleopatra had 'em, apparently.
Long run today - 10 miles. Average HR 161. Felt pretty good generally - last mile was a bit tough though. I have surprised myself over the last few months, in that I have started to not mind hills. Really. Still working on the actually *liking* hills, but that might come in time. Orrrrrr maybe not.
I've also ordered a water-resistant running jacket today, from Ron Hill. I was spurred on by going out for a short run a week last Monday when it was just lightly drizzling; a mile out, and the heavens opened. Complete deluge. Flash flooding in the gutters. You get the picture. I got back resembling a rat that's been drowned in a storm, then revived and dumped in a reservoir. Well, I was quite wet, anyway. I'm hoping the new jacket (in Dayglo yellow, much to my husband's chagrin) will prevent future occurances of this...
2. My sanity hangs by a thread. I actually considered running down the Hagley Mile (which would, of course, according to Newton's laws of physics, mean that I would have to run back UP it). The thread, however, is my saving grace, because I didn't actually do it.
3. Love Hearts make a good alternative to Jelly Babies. Note to self: don't try to inhale them. This causes transient breathing difficulties.
4. Going at hills like a bull at a gate CAN work, and actually makes the pain briefer.
5. "Take My Breath Away" is neither an amusing nor helpful track to have on your MP3 player whilst running. Especially whilst running up one of the steepest hills in Halesowen. Similarly, "Leave Me Breathless" and "No Air" will be finding their way into the laptop Recyle Bin tonight.
6. A 10-mile run in cold weather results in approximately 500mls fluid loss. What percentage dehydration is that? Must find out.
7. A three-minute loo stop to account for an episode of Jogger's Trots can actually revilatise a long run somewhat.
Things that I already knew, but failed to remember:
1. Mortons Toes* can be a proper pain in the....well, toe, really. Especially if you've cut the nail wonky. Now have nail-shaped hole in skin.
2. My nose runs in the cold. Therefore, I should take tissues on a run, to save using the old-standby - the sleeve.
*Fancy name for having your second toe longer than your big toe. Cleopatra had 'em, apparently.
Long run today - 10 miles. Average HR 161. Felt pretty good generally - last mile was a bit tough though. I have surprised myself over the last few months, in that I have started to not mind hills. Really. Still working on the actually *liking* hills, but that might come in time. Orrrrrr maybe not.
I've also ordered a water-resistant running jacket today, from Ron Hill. I was spurred on by going out for a short run a week last Monday when it was just lightly drizzling; a mile out, and the heavens opened. Complete deluge. Flash flooding in the gutters. You get the picture. I got back resembling a rat that's been drowned in a storm, then revived and dumped in a reservoir. Well, I was quite wet, anyway. I'm hoping the new jacket (in Dayglo yellow, much to my husband's chagrin) will prevent future occurances of this...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)