D-Day - after

We did it! We did it!  2 hours 9 minutes...
... and we ran all of it!
So I know earlier I said I wanted to finish in less than 2 hours 7 minutes, but I actually cannot believe we ran all of it (well, I had a 30-second walk up the steepest hill but apparently that doesn't count). By mile 6 I was having some serious issues with my left ankle, by mile 10 Maxx was in agony with his knee, but we just kept pushing on.
I'm pleased that I felt pretty good from the start to about mile 8, but after that my ankle did start to really hurt. The last 3 miles were gruelling for both of us and we are very sore now - I have the biggest blister on one of my toes. I wanted to post a photo of it, but I also like having people read my blog, so thought better of it. 
The highlight for me (aside from running the whole damn thing!) was running up the longest hill - about 2 miles - without walking. I've never done this before, in training and during the half in 2012. It's a real achievement for me, but because I kept a slow but steady pace it didn't feel horrible, surprisingly! Maxx encouraged me when I was tired and I couldn't have done it without him - I'm so proud of him for pushing through the pain and completing his first half in such a good time. He's been a real source of support for me during training and during the race, and I'm truly grateful. Thanks Hen!
I love this half marathon. There were people lining the streets cheering, clapping, offering sweets and high fives and support for all the runners, and it really created a great atmosphere. Everyone who came out today - to support or to help at the water stations - deserves a medal too. It really makes a difference when you reach mile 9, your body is aching but someone shouts 'Well done 966 and 965, you're doing great!'. Four runners actually went back to help carry someone who couldn't weight-bear on one leg across the finish line, and one of the guys shouted 'Come on, give him a round of applause!', which everyone duly did. Now that's sportsmanship. You can see them behind us in the picture below.
We've now raised £425 for Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare, but if you'd like to sponsor us after hearing about our HUGE SUCCESS please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/pipandmaxx/

Look at those nostrils, sucking in all the air

Basingstoke Half Marathon Training Run #6

Happy Sunday. I've had such a relaxing day - I've watched 3 episodes of Obese: A Year To Save My Life (I love it! So addictive and Chris Powell is such a cool man), walked my greyhounds and been for a long run.
Maxx and I went on an 8-mile loop at around 12.30 - our longest training run so far. It was quite warm, so I felt a little uncomfortable at first, but I didn't want that to be an excuse to take it easy. The first 4 miles were comfortable, but the fifth mile was surprisingly hard given the route was flat.
After a 5-minute walk, we ran another 1.6 miles. By this time I had been having stomach cramps for 40 minutes, so decided to walk the last mile home. I might have collapsed next to a roundabout first, feeling very nauseous...
The last 1.6 miles were exhausting, partly because it was the longest training run we've done so far and sometimes having a walk makes it harder to get going again. After analysing our times for both sections, it became clear why we had burnt out - we ran 5 miles in 43 minutes, which is about 8 1/2 minutes a mile. That's a pretty good pace, if I say so myself. After our walk, it took 21 minutes to run 1.6 miles - really slow in comparison.
I think it comes down to pacing - while I'm pleased we ran 5 miles so fast, we cannot afford to burn out so quickly during the half marathon. But this is precisely why training is so important - making these mistakes now means we'll be much better prepared during the race!
The half marathon is 6 weeks away today, and I'm feeling a little apprehensive when I think about the big hills. However, I know that getting out on the course and running up them will reassure me - it's easy to build something up in your mind to be much scarier than it actually is, and I'm anxious of failing to finish because I'm running for charity. But I will finish, as I said in my last post - I just would rather sprint through the finish line, rather than be dragged across it.
Here's a breakdown of the run: 5.0 miles, 43 minutes 0.4 miles, 5 minutes (walk)
1.6 miles, 21 minutes 1 mile walk home - we didn't time this as we were cooling down Total = 8.0 miles, 6.6 running

Post-run bath with Lush's Fizzbanger bathbomb, a p-shake and some quality reading

Basingstoke Half Marathon Training Run #5

Due to being poorly last week, I didn’t manage to do much by way of exercise – I felt drained, couldn’t eat or drink and had excruciating stomach pains, so didn’t fancy running 8 miles or lifting heavy things! Being thoroughly spoilt on my birthday and not indulging too much surely helped my recovery, so this week I was looking forward to getting back to training.

Maxx, Maxx’s cousin and I ventured out on Monday. I’d Google-mapped a route which we’ve not done before but looked very picturesque, as it was mostly country roads, so I felt really motivated.

In total, we ran 4.8 miles (with no walking!) in 50 minutes – the only reason we didn’t reach the full distance was because I didn’t want to be late to my grandparents’ for dinner. I know that I would have managed the other 1.2 miles as my pace was perfect and I felt really comfortable, so I’m not worried about this. Monday’s venture also reassured me, as I thought it would be awful after not being able to eat properly/train the week before.

I’m equally as motivated to run on Sunday – I’ve mapped an 8-mile circuit which incorporates part of Monday’s route, so they’ll be plenty of magnificent houses and farms to look at on the way round. That’s definitely why I loved Monday’s run – farm animals grazing in the fields, a cool breeze, old houses, a little bridge with a stream underneath... Perfect!

Due to being poorly I’m a week behind where I’d like to be in training, and I was feeling very down about it just before my birthday, but I know that whatever happens I will finish the half marathon. It might not be the fastest time, and I might have to walk a little, but I will cross that finish line.

If you haven’t sponsored Maxx and me yet, and would like to, please go to: www.justgiving.com/PipandMaxx. We’re hoping to raise £300 for Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare, a wonderful charity in Hersham who care for over 80 greyhounds. In 9 donations we’ve managed to raise 55% of our target, so please help us smash it!

   

The BFF challenge is still on, which I need to lose 2% body fat for. I have 10 days – I’ve been keeping a food diary for the last 3 weeks, to monitor my intake and also keep a record of any reactions. I am not counting calories, I am looking at how healthy my meals are and trying to find which foods are IBS triggers. Maybe it is wishful thinking but I do think I’ve lost a little body fat as I’m less squishy! 

Basingstoke Half Marathon Training Run #3

Last weekend was exhausting but rewarding (to clarify, I’m not talking about Longleat weekend, but 12^th and 13^th). On Saturday I had my first dressage lesson in years with a top instructor – that’s not to downplay the work my friend has invested in helping Ernest and I – and on Sunday Maxx and I went for a 4.2 mile run.

To put it in the bravest terms possible, I still ache. Yesterday in particular I felt like I’d gone 5 rounds with Mike Tyson (thankfully I’ve still got 100% of both ears).

Saturday was hot and humid; I felt like I was sweating out of my eyeballs (that’s not the same as crying). Ernest was absolutely dripping; I had to hose him from his ears to his hooves. We both worked hard and were rewarded for our efforts, but my gosh did my legs ache the next day! 

So, after the hammering my legs took on Saturday, we decided to go for a longer run on Sunday to start building up our distance. I’d ridden this route before and knew it was relatively flat and picturesque. Sunday afternoon was beautiful, if not steaming, and as we ran buzzards and red kites circled low overhead (they were probably waiting for one of us to drop! By one of us, I mean me). 

Here’s the breakdown of our run:

Run: 19 minutes

Walk: 5 minutes

Run: 10 minutes

Walk: 90 seconds

Run:

Maxx: 7 minutes

Me: 5 minutes, 1 minute walk, 1 minute run.

If I’d known I was so close to the end I would have pushed through, but by the end I was exhausted.

The whole 4.2 miles took us 42 ½ minutes – 35 minutes of running in total (for me). We must have been going at a good pace, maybe around 9 minutes/mile. I’m pleased with our run, as it was incredibly hot, but would like to try running for longer, with shorter breaks, next time. 

The inside of my right foot has been painful since Sunday, but I’m not sure why – perhaps it was the longer distance, or the fact I had to run on gravelly terrain to let a car pass... I’m hoping it won’t hinder my next run.

A Brief History of Greyhounds

Once upon a time, there was a family named Jones who decided to adopt a greyhound. His name was Jimmy, and he was a beautiful light-coloured brindle. He was kind to the other, very old, family pet, a whippet cross named Jasmine whose sister had recently died. 

The youngest Jones, Pip, remembered being picked up from primary school, in 2000, by her mother and new greyhound. He was patient and long-suffering, laying down for hours so Pip could sketch him for her GCSE art coursework in 2006.

When Jimmy was diagnosed with cancer and had to be put down, the Jones’ were bereft. It was an unprecedented shock. But Jimmy had started something beautiful, and had introduced the family to the most superior of all pets, the greyhound (or long-snout as they are sometimes known in that most strange family). 

By this time, Jasmine too had passed and Pip had accrued a girlhound named Lassie (ridiculous name for a greyhound, but one must not judge). Lassie, or SeaBassie as they nicknamed her, was lonely. The family were lost, staring at the empty space on the carpet where Jimmy liked to rest.

Mother Jones researched greyhound centres and came across Hersham Hounds (aka Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare). Looking out at her, with perfect Malteser eyes which shone like the midsummer sun, was Rio, Hound of the Month. 

Romeo and Juliet’s love story could not compare to the love felt between Mother Jones and Rio. Of course he came home with them. The bond between Mother and hound was stronger than Ironman – Rio walked so close behind Mother Jones that his paws often went inside her slippers. He slept on her bed with his chin on her shoulder. He once gazed at her for a full hour while she ironed – as did her children, but that was more with shock than love. Rio helped to heal the gaping emptiness of Jimmy’s passing. He also helped to start Pip’s GCSE’s off with a bang when, on the morning of her first exam (Spanish listening), he tripped over his food bowl, smashed it, fell on it, and opened his perfectly-formed thigh muscle. Mother Jones nursed him on his dramatic return from surgery.

Lassie was diagnosed with cancer and passed away on 31^st January 2008. She was Pip’s hound – they snuggled together, listened to music together, pretended to do homework together. She had been there through Pip’s hardest, loneliest moments at school, and now she was gone. Loss is hard to describe because there is a nothingness which swallows everything – her spot on the sofa, her place at Pip’s side, her lead, her special walking boot which Brother Jones had decorated with the Nike symbol. 

The only thing harder than grieving is watching your deceased pet’s partner in crime grieving. Rio looked for her and wouldn’t settle. He slept in the family’s bedrooms but it wasn’t right.

Off the family went to Hersham.

Princess (aka Princess Pickle Baggins) bounded into the Jones’s life with more force than a Carl Froch knockout punch. When she stopped, dropped and rolled every five minutes on their trial walk, the family knew she was the one – she was odd, just like them. But the strangest thing was yet to happen – and that’s not referring to the jar of pickles she stole and safeguarded on her first night at home. Princess captured Father Jones’s affections by stealth – never before had the family seen him gently caress the ears of a dog, claiming what a lovely hound she was. Never before had he laughed when a hound joined him in his study and proceeded to chew his chair leg. Never before had he had a greyhound sign his Father’s Day card – until Princess. 

When Rio passed in early 2011, the Jones children saw their mother cry for the first time in their entire lives. Pip called her brother at work to tell him, then went home and cried, hugging Princess. She had promised her they would bring Rio home, but they couldn’t. This time, they had not said goodbye properly as he was already under anaesthetic. To this day, there is a Boofle toy which hangs in Mother Jones’s car - it is acknowledged as Rio in spirit.

Mother Jones called Hersham in secret. She told them she had lost her soulhound but she hated not having a boyhound in the house. Mother and Father Jones had had two dogs their entire relationship, and while she desperately wished Rio was still here, we sadly cannot bring back those we love when they become SkyHounds. 

Getting a new hound after losing a beloved one is ridden with sadness, happiness, and guilt. Is it too soon? Would they think we’re replacing them? Why are we here again? Why my hound? Pip waited on the bench outside with Princess, crying quietly. So many hounds which need homes, she thought. 

Out came a handsome black greyhound, with fur silkier than the Queen’s own bed sheets. When he turned his head to look at Pip, she almost fell into a swoon he was so heavenly. Mother Jones knew he was the right one, as ‘he licked my hand when I walked past’. It was apparent on bringing him home that he did not suit his name, Chief – they agreed he couldn’t be called ‘Big Wuss’, so Pip decided on Claus (his nickname is Mr Silks). 

That was in 2011. The family have had Princess for 5 years, Claus for 3 ½ years. The Jones family have adopted hounds from Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare since 2006, and will always advocate the hard work and passion Denise and her team put in to re-homing and caring for these loving, affectionate, gentle (and surprisingly lazy) dogs.

Please sponsor Maxx and I. This really is a worthy cause.

www.justgiving.com/PipandMaxx 
Once you go grey, you never turn away! 

Basingstoke Half Marathon Training Run #1

After entering the Basingstoke Half Marathon on Saturday, I was eager to go for our first training run on Sunday - Maxx and I set off on a 3-mile route, aiming to run for as long as possible but with no pressure, as we have over 3 months to train.

Here’s the breakdown of our run: 

Run: 20 minutes
Walk: 3 minutes (Maxx had a pain in his lower leg and I was a little puffed out)
Run: 7 minutes 

My pacing was quite off during the first mile, so Maxx suggested running behind him – this helped a lot. He’s better than me at keeping a regular pace, so I think I’ll continue running behind him for the time being. It also means I get to watch his lovely bottom, so win-win. 

I pushed myself during the first stint, past where I would normally take a quick break. I thought about stopping there, but realised it would just have been out of habit and not because I actually needed to walk.

The final ¼ mile was tough. Maxx did need to encourage me – he held my hand for a while to help me keep going! However, I did find the energy for a short sprint at the end, so I can’t have been feeling too bad.

Overall, a very positive start to our training.

Please sponsor us:
http://www.justgiving.com/PipandMaxx

We're Running Basingstoke Half Marathon 2014!

Maxx and I have decided to run Basingstoke half marathon 2014. We dropped out last year – I’m embarrassed to say it was due to a serious lack of motivation – so this year I’m determined to get back on the running-trainer-shaped horse.

My time in 2012 was 2 hours 7 minutes – this year, I’d like to beat that. 1 hour 45 minutes would be a real achievement, but anything under 2 hours would be good.

I ran for Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare, the Surrey-based charity where my family have adopted 3 out of 5 of our beautiful long-snouted friends, and I will be running for them again this year. I can’t emphasise enough how dedicated the staff are, not only to re-homing, but also to looking after the hounds who are long-term residents. They genuinely care about what they do, they know each hound individually (no easy feat when there’s over 80 currently at the centre), and they are probably the most vivacious, friendly group of people I’ve met. You definitely hear Denise before you see her!

At this stage, I can’t even run 5K (3 miles) without a couple of breaks (by breaks I mean walking) – but, with over 100 days to train, I feel confident I can get up to standard ready to smash my time. As I’ve told my friends before, a huge part of running is getting the right mentality, so I’ll be training on the hardest parts of the course to mentally prepare myself.

As a former road cycling competitor, Maxx is the perfect person to train with for a long distance event. As a wonderful man, he’s also perfect to train with because, when I’m struggling to keep going, he encourages me in a way that doesn’t make me want to smack him in the mouth with a sweaty fist. That’s love.

Any donations, no matter how small, are appreciated. Here is the link to our Just Giving page:

(http://www.justgiving.com/PipandMaxx)

Thank you!

Back on the (running) Wagon

Inspired by my best friend and blogger extraordinaire Boop (she told me her name was Becky but I think she's lying), I decided to lace up my trainers and go for a run. Only this time, I told myself I wasn't going to try and run a 5K or run for a specific time - I was just going to jog along, enjoy the sun and have a chat with Maxx, who joined me. 

I had started to feel that I should be able to run a 5K easily, having completed a half marathon - even though I hadn't run for a few months - and was constantly disheartened that I could only do about 15 minutes in one slog. What changed yesterday was: I took the pressure off. I took my pace back. Maxx and I chatted and admired the view and nearly ran into fallen tree blocking our path, and before we knew it we'd run for over 10 minutes. 

Our village has recently had some outdoor exercise equipment installed, so we stopped next to the pull up bar and attempted to do a set. OK, Maxx managed 3 fine... I half managed with him assisting me slightly. It was fun! I'm desperate to be able to do a full set of pull ups, so we agreed we'd include a set of 5 every run.

We set off again for another 8 minutes, stopping because I had a painful stitch. After a minute, I wanted to get going again - before, I would have just walked sulkily home. We ended our run by doing a lap of the athletics track by the village hall, with a 100m sprint to really finish us both off. I was the fastest! That's a lie.

My aim is to do another half marathon, then a full, then perhaps an ultra to raise money for Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare. But for now, I'm happy building my stamina back up and just enjoying any length of time or distance I can do.