neglected

I have been neglecting this blog for a long time and lots of things have happened in the meantime. The two most important ones are:

1) I am back in london after 3 years and I am loving it :)

2) I am back in training!

I am not following any plan. I am just started to to build back the mileage and then, when 2010 comes, I'll start training for a spring marathon....whoohooo!!! still haven't decided which one....let's leave it open!

I am living in an area in london that I didn't know and I am enjoying going out there to discover new running routes. there are nice parks around here, but the 'bad' thing is that it is very very hilly and I DO hate hills.

there's one that I call "the hill of death"! yesterday though it seemed to have gotten shorter somehow!

I normally meet the "hill of death" at around mile 3 or 4 of my run and I struggle. it's 800 meters long and the last 300 meters are deadly....it becomes too steep for me to run. so I normally plod on the first 500 meters and then walk the rest. One day I'll run the whole "hill of death"!!!! Today though I felt like I have been making some progress as the first 500m went by much quicker than usual....not that I was faster or anything but I felt less in pain and out of breath and then I thought "oh...it's over, it's already walking time!!"....I guess that's a good sign :-)

this week I went out 3 times out of the planned 4 but yesterday I did some cross training as I walked for 2 hours in Hapmstead heath!! ;-) how beautiful is that place!!

wed: 10k
friday: 8k
sunday 12k!!!! :-)
total of 30k, more than 18miles...I am pleased with it!!


oh yeah!! today was the last day of juneathon and I completed the challenge with a 5 mile run. I am pleased with how it went, apart from the conference week in which I run only twice :( next year it will be much better :)

so here are my stats:

Juneathon summary

1/30: 3.73 miles (run)
2/30: 5 miles (run)
3/30: 3.12 miles (run)
4/30: 5 miles (run)
5/30: cross-training + free weights (50')
6/30: 2 miles (run)
7/30: 7.5 miles (run)
8/30: 12.6 miles (cycling)
9/30: 1 mile (walk)
10/30: 5 miles (run)
11/30: 5.5 miles (run)
12/30:
1.5 mile (walk)
13/30: 3 miles (run)
14/30: 11 miles (run)
15/30: 1 mile (walk)
16/30: 5 miles (run)
17/30: 5.6 miles (run)
18/30 walk
19/30: walk
20/30: walk
21/30: 4.5 miles (run)
22/30: sit ups
23/30: sit ups
24/30: 5.6 miles (run)
25/30: 5.86 miles (run)
26/30: 4.37miles (run)
27/30: 4.37 miles (run)
28/30: 13.92 miles (cycling)
29/30: 2 miles (walk)
30/30: 5 miles (run)
___________
total run: 92 miles
total cycling: 26.6 miles
total walking: 6 miles (approximately)

running days: 18
cycling days: 2
x-training days: 1
walking days:7
sit-ups days:2

calories burnt: 11,958!!! (not telling you how many cals I ate though!)

juneathon hours: 19

I have been away for a week and my mileage has dropped substantially despite all my good intentions. I went back to dublin for a 3-day conference and I was staying at friends. It was very difficult to fit in a run between the conf and tentative attempts not to be rude with the people who kindly gave me a roof over my head: how could I have said I am going for a run when the dinenr was ready, or when the conversation was really nice and interesting? so for the days of the conference I just walked like mad everywhere I could. I have no idea of distances and time but all I know is that by the end of the day my feet really hurt.

I managed to go for a run on sunday along the beach in dun laoghaire and that was really really lovely: beautiful landscape and perfect temperature (13c and cloudy): 4.5 miles



On monday I was off to belfast to stay with friends and do some sightseeing. once more, I had a few logistic problems to go for a run so I did situps instead: 2 series of 50 on monday and tuesday. On tuesday the plan was to get up before my hosts and go out so not to disrupt anything they had planned for my visit. but her baby cried all night and when I finally got up it was too late to do anything. Yesterday though I managed to get up before them (the baby had a quiter night) and I run for an hour (5.6 miles) before resuming the sightseeing :)


I am slightly disappointed at my juneathon efforts this week so I'll try to make up for it in this last final week.

Juneathon summary

1/30: 3.73 miles (run)
2/30: 5 miles (run)
3/30: 3.12 miles (run)
4/30: 5 miles (run)
5/30: cross-training + free weights (50')
6/30: 2 miles (run)
7/30: 7.5 miles (run)
8/30: 12.6 miles (cycling)
9/30: 1 mile (walk)
10/30: 5 miles (run)
11/30: 5.5 miles (run)
12/30:
1.5 mile (walk)
13/30: 3 miles (run)
14/30: 11 miles (run)
15/30: 1 mile (walk)
16/30: 5 miles (run)
17/30: 5.6 miles (run)
18/30 walk
19/30: walk
20/30: walk
21/30: 4.5 miles (run)
22/30: sit ups
23/30: sit ups
24/30: 5.6 miles (run)
___________
total run: 71.55 miles
total cycling: 12.6 miles
total walking: 4 miles (approximately)

there are many races at the weekends around here. which is cool. so this morning, after 6 MONTHS of NO racing I set off with my dad to join a couple of hundreds runners (maybe more) for a non competitive race. yes, you've read it right.

I had heard about them and I've always thought it was kind of weird and today was my first. this is how it works: at the non-competitive races you don't get a bib number, you can start anytime you want within a time set by the organisers (this morning was between 8 and 9), there's not official time at the end and there's no winner. that's it. I still thought it sounded weird, but now that it's over I say...yeah BRING THEM ON!!


we only paid 2 euros each (!!!!!). we could choose to do 6k - 12k - 18k and along the course the drink stations were really cool. one every 3k with water, water and lemon (very good for my stupid tummy), pieces of oranges and lemons, biscuits, toasted bread with jam, sport drinks....2 euros!!!! on top of that the course was stunning. we had access to the gardens of some venician villas (I live just outside venice now) which you normally have to pay to see. my dad and I run together for most of the time and finished together. after we crossed the line, the feast continued with free (included in the 2 euros that is) sandwiches, cherries, water, wine and beer, yoghurt. I was truly impressed. Another good thing about this type of races is that you have all sort of people running it, and walking it...so all the annoying competitive crap that I have to see in normal races over here is not there!!!

I finished in 1:59...very slow, I know, but it was the longest distance attempted after the injury pause. Plus, it was hot, too hot for me...it was 28c and I am not used to that anymore. It's good that they start so early in the morning.

Now I have a nice sun tan :)

my juneathon this week went quite well even though I had to opt twice to just go out for a short walk. Once for girly pain, once because I walked in venice all day, and if you have been there you know that that can kill you!! all those streets and bridges!

juneathon - summary
1/30: 3.73 miles (run)
2/30: 5 miles (run)
3/30: 3.12 miles (run)
4/30: 5 miles (run)
5/30: cross-training + free weights (50')
6/30: 2 miles (run)
7/30: 7.5 miles (run)
8/30: 12.6 miles (cycling)
9/30: 1 mile (walk)
10/30: 5 miles (run)
11/30: 5.5 miles (run)
12/30:
1.5 mile (walk)
13/30: 3 miles (run)
14/30: 11 miles (run)
___________
total run: 50.85 miles
total cycling: 12.6 miles
total walking: 2.5 miles

I have been very lazy and stopped blogging (again) about my juneathon achievements!!

so here comes a quick summary:

5/30: I decided that 5 consecutive days of running was a bit too much. so I opted for some cross training. as you know (or maybe you don't) I am back at my parents' house for the summer and my mum has got a collection of tools to exercise as she hates the gym. quite handy, really! One of these is a sort of elliptic machine which squeaks like mad. I hopped on and did 30'. I thought I was going to kill myself after that, but I didn't and I am happy to tell you that I am still alive, therefore blogging. but it was BORING and NOISY! after that I did some free weights exercises and I played with the hula hop :)

6/30: short jog

7/30: I attempted 12km. I managed to complete the run but I was really knackered at the end. I can believe I ran marathons!!!! I am very grateful to the friends that stopped along the route (the village is tiny and the route is a walking path along a canal): they gave a good excuse to stop and breathe :)

anyways. I finished my first week of juneathon having completed 26.3 miles!!!! yay me!!

yesterday I was too tired to try and run again, especially after the 12km killer run so I hopped on my city bike and did 20km. I was very pleased with that.

not sure what I'll do today.

juneathon - summary
1/30: 3.73 miles (run)
2/30: 5 miles (run)
3/30: 3.12 miles (run)
4/30: 5 miles (run)
5/30: cross-training + free weights (50')
6/30: 2 miles (run)
8/30: 7.5 miles (run)
9/30: 12.6 miles (cycling)
___________
total run: 26.3 miles
total cycling: 12.6 miles

juneathon 4/30

today I went out a bit earlier than usual 'cause it didn't feel that hot and probably it wasn't. I mean, there were probably 25 degrees. which is not 36....that'll come soon. so anyway I went out at 6:45pm and the first ks were really tough. my legs felt heavy and my breathing laboured. I got unitl the end of the first half of the path, ready to cross the road to get to the second half of it but it was closed due to road work. I turned aroung a bit disappointed and tried to finish my planned 5 miles. by mile 3 I started to feel much stronger but I was sweating so much it was unbelieavable!! my eyes burnt, stupid sweat! I think it's time to invest some euros in a nice hat.

so there you have it:


5 miles in 51 minutes
pace - 10:17

juneathon - summary

1/30: 3.73 miles (run)
2/30: 5 miles (run)
3/30: 3.12 miles (run)
4/30: 5 miles (run)
___________
total: 16.85 miles (run)

juneathon


I have decided to dust my blog off to celebrate my second attemp at completing juneathon. Last year i failed miserably due to a stupid allergy test. this year nothing will stop me...maybe!!

so 3 days have been done and dusted...three days of running!


1/30: 6km
2/30: 8km
3/30: 5km

clinck on the day for evidence:

so far so good :)

I haven't been blogging in a while so here is an update:

a) I had to stop running for 3 months due to injury (ITB).
b) I am back to italy for the summer....and it's getting quite hot

;;