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

D-Day - before

Jimmy, our first hound

It's D-Day and I'm nervous! I had a dream about running last night - but not even the running part, just getting ready to go to the race and picking up my number and going to the toilet.
I had a run on Tuesday, which went well (6 miles in 52 minutes), and I do feel confident I'll finish the race, but I'm starting to have stupid doubts, like: what if I can't do it? what if I'm really slow? what if AAAHHH all of the 'what ifs'. I really just want to get going now!
We've smashed our fundraising target, so thank you to everyone who's sponsored us! We were aiming for £300 but have actually raised £400. It's a definite motivator, knowing how many people are supporting us. I'll also be thinking about all the rescue hounds at Hersham today, imagining them waiting for us with wagging tails at the finish line. And, of course, my hounds past and present.
Ultimately, no matter how hard the race is, nothing beats that euphoric feeling when you cross the finish line. Running long-distance is such an emotional journey - you battle pain and exhaustion, and if you can keep going, it's a real achievement. 
We're hoping for under 2 hours, but anything less than my 2012 time of 2 hours 7 minutes would be good. 
See you on the other side! .

August Round Up

This update comes a little late, but I have got lots to tell you (some of it crosses over into this month but whatever)...

Career

I have an announcement to make. After careful and prolonged consideration, I am leaving publishing to pursue teaching. This is not a decision I have made lightly, and I can tell you it was a genuine shock when I realised… I really miss teaching. I like my job, but it doesn’t give me that sense of joy that comes from being in the classroom – I thought, when I was teaching, that working in publishing would give me that spark, but it seems I had it all along. I’m sad because I spent so long trying to get into the industry, and of course I’ve considered if it is this role specifically, but even the idea of editing doesn’t fill me with excitement anymore. I know many people will have a strong view on my decision, and it’s the same as when I went to Uni in 2008 and dropped out – at the time it was terrifying, but it was the best thing I could have done. So, the studying begins again… 

Hair

Still no dye! It’s been 10 months now. My hair is so much healthier from lack of colouring and chopping off a large chunk of it – I’m not saying I’ll never dye it again, but I’ll certainly be more fussy about the dyes I use. I haven’t missed ‘fading anxiety’ (I made that up but serial hair-dyers will understand). 

French

Maxx and I came back from the World Equestrian Games last week (blog post to come), which meant spending every evening with his family, so I had plenty of chances to practice my Franglais. Although my French isn’t perfect, I’m certainly more confident when speaking.

SJ competitions

I finally had an SJ lesson! Ernest was a little unfit at the time so we only did 25 minutes - instead of 45 - but it was fun! I felt all wobbly and unsure of my riding after such a long time off, but Ernest still sailed through the air like Pegasus. Since my lesson, I’ve been upping Ernest’s exercise to get him back on form, not that he minds cantering around fields. I’ve entered 3 dressage competitions, 20^th September, 11^th October and 29th November, but haven’t seen any unaffiliated SJ competitions advertised recently. At the Games, I may also have bought Ernest some fabulously sparkly blue ribbons for his plaits, in anticipation of the dressage competitions…

Running

We’re 31 days away from the half marathon now, and I’m starting to feel excited and nervous. I went for a run on the course by myself last night, to conquer my fear of the big hills – it worked. The loop I did took 74 minutes, which I thought was extremely slow as my route was only 4/5 miles; I drove round it afterwards and was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually 7.2 miles. I managed half of both hills, but with another 3 weeks to go I’m sure I’ll be able to improve on this. Last night was a real battle with the voice in my head, which tells me how painful it is, how much my ankle hurts, how I won’t be able to do it, how tired I am... I did walk a few times, the longest for about 2 minutes, but I made myself get going again. I’ve developed an even stronger voice, which sounds like an army commander, who positively screams at me that I can do it, I will do it, I’m doing it for Rio, for Claus, for Jimmy, for Princess, for Lassie, for all the hounds at Hersham, and I am not going to quit! Going out alone, with only myself to rely on, was a rewarding experience and I can now say I’m looking forward to October 5^th. I ain’t scared of no hill.

Body Fat

The BFF Challenge required me to lose 2%, and if I failed I have to do kettlebell swings to failure. Well, I’d been eating 100 times better and running a lot, but I’ve put on ¼%! What surprised me more was my reaction – I’m completely OK with it. Unlike the last BF update, where I’d put on 3% because of eating like a hog and felt really disappointed in myself, The Smiling Assassin and I attributed this gain to the high-carb diet I’ve been on since upping my half marathon training and the lack of weightlifting. Even though this wasn’t the result I wanted, I’m going to continue my healthy diet and see if my body fat goes down again once I’m off the carbs. If it continues to rise, I’ll look into it...

New Country

Maxx and I are going away with friends next year, and then with family, but if we can afford to we’re aiming for a long weekend in Ireland.

Basingstoke Half Marathon Training Run #4

I need to make a confession. Yesterday at my grandparents' I had a snack-size packet of smarties - I know I said no treats before my birthday but... OK so I have no excuses. They were delicious and I ate them slowly. However, the rest of this week has been 100% clean, although I may have a treat tomorrow on my bff's birthday. I certainly won't be having treat days anymore, I can tell you... On to the good stuff... On Wednesday evening, Maxx and I decided to go for a run. Our route, which I thought was about 4.2 miles, goes through the village next to ours, past the Civil War ruins and through another village on the way back home. It's picturesque and quiet, passing pretty rows of cottages, a church and a couple of pubs. We ran the entire way round without a walking rest. Maxx mapped the route when we got home and found it was actually 5 miles! We completed it in 44 minutes, so I'm astounded at our pace - at times, I did run very slowly to catch my breath, so we must have been steaming along the rest of the way!  My motivation was just right; I was exhausted by the last mile and a half, but I kept telling myself how close we were and how proud I would feel running the entire way. This was a timely boost from Bad News Monday and puts us on track for our training plan ("plan" is used loosely - we're aiming to run 8 miles comfortably by the end of August and 11 miles by the end of September). 
In case you'd forgotten, Maxx and I are fundraising for Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare, aka Hersham Hounds, where my family have adopted 3 of our 5 magnificent goosehounds (to clarify, we don't have 5, but of the 5 we've owned - 3 being deceased - 3 of them have come from WGW). Please sponsor us - WGW is a wonderful charity with over 80 hounds in their capable care:  www.justgiving.com/PipandMaxx

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.

Basingstoke Half Marathon Training Run #2

Before I begin, my travel post on Berlin will be up tomorrow evening, I promise!
Maxx and I have been tired this week, getting back into the 'home' routine, so we decided to run this evening when we didn't feel we were squeezing it in between other arrangements. We both did a treadmill run on holiday, but thought we'd just do a 20-minute loop tonight and do longer distances during the week. 
I felt really relaxed starting out, which is quite rare for me as I usually need a good mile to warm up. We ran across the field (my favourite part), over the road and towards the pull up bar in a surprisingly fast pace.
When we reached the turning point for home, we agreed to keep going as we were both now in a fast jog. It seemed silly to cut our run short when we were both feeling energised. I felt a bit like Ernest when I take him into a big field, just before he knows I'll let him gallop - anticipating that burst of speed, with the energy bubbling up to the surface. 
I'm genuinely surprised about how good I felt as we ran up the short incline and began our final mile. There was one point when I thought I'd need to stop, as I had a pain in my neck which had given me a headache, but I pushed forward, splitting up the remaining distance into smaller milestones.
Upon rounding the corner towards home, we really let go and ran. I felt elated, hammering along the road like an athlete! There's something gloriously freeing about running full speed along.
We took 30 minutes to run 5K, which equates to a 10-minute mile. It's not my fastest time for a 5K, but given we haven't been regularly training yet I'm happy with this time.
By the end of the month I'd like to be running 5 miles at 9 minute/mile pace.
Please sponsor us - Maxx and I are fundraising for Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare.  www.justgiving.com/PipandMaxx

June Round Up

I feel a little bit freaked out that time is going so quickly... I haven't got too many exciting updates to tell you about this month, but generally things seem to be peachy!

Career

I've been at my 'new' job for 2 months on the 5th. I still enjoy it, and now have a pleasurable routine every lunch time - I go to the coffee shop, ignore the fact it's a coffee shop and order a cup of tea, buy some Propercorn 'Sweet and Salty' popcorn (BEST FOOD EVER - I eat a bag every single week day), sit outside and read Anna Karenina.

Hair

No new news. Still short, still no dye.

French

Oui. Non. Fromage. Champignon. Baguette.

SJ Competitions

Ah, now here I have an excellent update - Ernest is all back to normal! Now I'm back from holiday I'm going to book some dressage and showjumping lessons. We did a sneaky crosspole in our dressage saddle the other day...

Running

As I mentioned here, Maxx and I will be running the Basingstoke Half Marathon on October 5th for Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare. I did a treadmill training run on holiday but will be back pounding the pavements later this week. Thank you so much for everyone who has sponsored us already - we've reached 41% of our fundraising target already! If you haven't, please sponsor us: www.justgiving.com/PipandMaxx. WGW is a brilliant cause and we appreciate any donation you can afford to give.

Body Fat

I'm not too faffed about this. I'm a year behind my goal of 18%, but that's OK. I was thinking just yesterday that over 80% of my body is muscle or bone or the other stringy bits which hold me together, so I don't think I need to worry too much. Plus I'm training for a half marathon again, which drastically reduced my BF last time,

New Country

I am definitely suffering from post-holiday blues. How can a week go so fast? On a positive note, Maxx and I had the best time in Berlin and I'm looking forward to telling you all about it later this week. Maxx has since mentioned that he'd like to visit Luxembourg, whereas next on my 'hit list' is Ireland. We're saving for a house now, so we may not go away somewhere new for a little while. We'll see...

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!