Long and longerer

Plan was for an 8 mile run, with half an eye on the Great East Run which is creeping up on me and Lizzie (2 weeks to go!). Although I had a route prepared for us, I neglected to say where we should meet, so my run down to the mill was followed by a run back up the hill (OK, slope) to Church Lane and a pit stop at Waitrose before continuing!

After that it was Brettingham Avenue and out to Swardeston and back, coming home via Waitrose. Total just shy of 9 miles. Running time was 1:30 with a couple of stops, one to take a gel and a couple to catch my breath. I did give blood last night so figure that had an impact, but very happy with 10:12/mile on average, considering the hills along the way. Feeling tired now but I'll have 3 days with no exercise in Poland, so Wednesday should be a good session!

Plod

Well, step, but a bit slow today due to the presence of clueless newbies. Mean of me, maybe, but a fairly logical prerequisite of a step class should surely be some concept of following the beat, and being able to remember a sequence of left-right or right-left. It wouldn't be so bad if newbies didn't bury themselves at the back where all they can see is other newbies. I had to work to keep myself on the beat as it was kind of slow (as Donna kept telling us). Still, endless repetitions of the same thing lets you put more bounce into it and I was still drenched and exhausted by the end of it. Next week I'm grabbing hand weights.

Four fives

Efforts tonight - good paced warm up out to Norvic Drive, then around the usual effort loop (Unthank, ring rd, South Park) making up 4 x 5 mins with 2.5 min recoveries. As far as I could work out, I was doing the efforts at 9 min miles, as usual falling in between the front and back groups (I chose to double back and meet the others behind, as none of them had a watch!). Then to make up 30 mins for warm up and cool down, I came back via Fiveways. The efforts went surprisingly quickly, but perhaps that means I wasn't going fast enough!

Back in the swim (yet again)

Tuesdays is my new regular swim day, having got back into step on a Friday. Thought it would be tough, butactually felt quite good. I'm not as fit as I was last time, but things felt pretty good and it all seemed to be flowing. I just swam for 40 minutes, didn't count or time or anything, and enjoyed it.

Greenways

Nice steady loop round Greenways, ring road, Avenues and back via Fiveways to do at least 50 mins. Spent a bit of time waiting for a chap who was struggling, but towards the end Claudia and I were having a good run on our own, each thinking we couldn't quite keep up with the other! Pretty much 10 min miling, which is fine.

New shoes!

About time - my current pairs are ageing. I'll try out the new Triumph 6 (men's) from Pilch, and if they work out I'll just get another pair in a month or so. They've always been comfy so far in their previous incarnations!

Step change

Sarah covering for donna this week, so a more mixed routine in terms of floor moves mixed in with the step work. And the killer? The toning section! I knew it was billed as "step & tone" so was expecting something, but it was pretty tough - in a very good kind of way!

Halfway through the class we got hand weights (1kg) and did a setof squats, lunges, etc. using the step, making deliberate arm moves. Hope I can still move my arms tomorrow! And we got abs at the end - all good stuff.

Familiar territory

Okay, back to efforts it is. Norvic Drive, so a nice easy reintroduction. Three loops, three efforts each, then the dreaded Peckover Road on the cool down/return to base. Did the last flat effort all out, just for the hell of it - fun :) Good steady pace on the others, though.

Waterworks

An old favourite route - Waterworks Rd and back on the Avenues. Going really well (9:36/mile) until 4.5 miles where I really needed the loo, and had to jog/walk back from there. I have to get my afternoon fuelling strategy sorted! Felt bad for Lorraine who had come with me on the full route (our back of the pack colleagues cut off Waterworks/Old Palace and just did Dereham). Grr.

Hello stranger

Out for a steady run with Kerry, managed to persuade Mark out as well - wonders will never cease. Having done just one 2-mile run since the Yarmouth 10k, he made it round with us really well (a smidge under the hour for 5.7 miles, 10:20/mile). I did OK, considering I ran yesterday as well.

Slow, but felt quicker!

Dead on 10 min miles, but somehow felt quicker! 5.1 miles in 51 mins. Good social run with Lizzie though :)

Step 2

Good to be building up the routine, a few more people this week as the students are back. Did abs this week, whereas last week we stepped to the end. Not sure whether I like that or not. Partly I want to keep burning calories as long as possible, partly I don't like them because they are hard, and partly I think "I could do this at home". But I never do do them at home, even though they are good for me! So maybe it's as well I get 10 mins of them at the end of most step classes :)

Playing catch-up

Out via Larkman and Guardian on my first run back with the club, joining Granville and Victoria and abandoning 1km efforts (as there was nobody else near my speed, and that's grim on your own). Needed to pit stop halfway (I am beginning to remember why I enjoy daytime running as opposed to evening) so availed myself of the Tollhouse's facilities (lovely pub) and then thought I might try to catch the others up (too cold for them to wait). I did, on the Avenues, but I caught them up nonetheless!

10 min miles pre-stop, 9:06/mile catching up (includes Guardian Rd uphill and Avenues down), 9:40/mile overall average.

On my own

Did an Earlham Road loop on my own, as I got back from my first aid course at about 4:30. 5.8 miles, 52 mins, 9 min miles - nice going! Felt very good, nice and controlled, sustainable pace.

Frost stops play

Too icy in Aylesbury to get in an early morning run (and no other time) - boo.

Steppin' out

First step class of the year - good fun, hardest part is leg fatigue when we're constantly right leg, right leg, right leg... But I really enjoy it and reckon I can keep this up as a weekly boost.

Oh dear! Or maybe not.

Erm, oops?

I didn't get out much at all. Partly busy with Christmas and that malarkey, and partly (OK, the bigger part) rather lazily enjoying the novelty of the sofa.

I did do:

21st Dec: "long" run, the Swardeston loop, which is not as long as I thought! Just 7.2 miles, whereas I thought at least 8.5... At 1h08, it was 9:26/mile, but reasonably comfortable even up the hills. Mark came with me on the bike to help make sure I didn't wimp out.

23rd Dec: gym session: 10 mins rower, 2 x 10 mins stepper, 10 mins crosstrainer, warm up and cool down. Would have done a bit more but I was squeezing it in before an appointment. All OK but the crosstrainer was annoying as my feet travel back in the "shoes", and rower was annoying as the timer/computer would just stop measuring every so often, so I reckon it was more like 13 mins.

26th Dec: we both went out aiming for 3 miles, Mark did 2 but not bad considering he's been "resting" since the Yarmouth race in October. I walked for a bit then callously abandoned him to turn tail, run down to the river, to Keswick and home that way. I don't quite recall the time, nothing earth-shattering but a good steady run and some fresh air.

29th Dec: a bike ride to Goodie's, or that was what we planned... but not being entirely sure where it was meant we went a bit further - Harleston. Really we should have admitted defeat and gone back to Long Stratton, but we didn't. Harleston is nice enough, and the Swan is a decent pub, but it's about 10 miles too far from Norwich. Doing half of the Norwich Tri route in reverse was interesting too - Skeet's Hill good, north side of Saxlingham Nethergate and the hill to the A140 roundabout less good.. Still, apart from the cold, it was a fun ride, just good to be out again with the gang. We averaged about 13-14mph (no, computer still not fixed) and got home before sunset :) I need overshoes - was surprised my toes were still attached at the end. Felt fine at the end, not tired, not aching, just invigorated. Not saying I could have done it again, but not wiped out.

30th Dec: a short run around Keswick, coming in at more or less 10 min miles - clearly the bike ride was more tiring than I thought at the time. Not very quick, but a nice day to be out and about.

31st Dec: after a futile attempt to photograph the sunrise (what sun?), I went around the block with Lizzie, just stretching the legs out for tomorrow. About 45 minutes, but don't quote me - can't even think whether the route is right!

1st Jan: Wymondham 10k, which I reported for Tri-Anglia. Didn't think I would be up to much but I felt reasonably strong all the way, even the hills. Actually I would go as far as to say especially the hills, which was really unusual! I found myself overtaking people, even getting a "good running, Conac" from a lady Beach Runner I overtook on the hill at 9k. I timed it as 55 minutes on my watch, so given the paltry amount of training (above) and the couple of decent hills in there, I'm pretty pleased with that.

5th Jan: having failed to take a full complement of kit to mum's, it was back to Norwich for a run, joining Natalia for a quick lunchtime loop to Eaton and back. That's 3.8 miles, 36.5 mins, 9:35/mile - nice conversational pace, even if it was bloody cold. The ear warmer from the Wymondham 10k got its first outing and is lovely!!

Actually I have done more than I thought I had - just not as much as I could have. Oh well, onward and upward. Busy week this week but I will fit in what I can and then build up a bit more next week.