Juneathon Disaster #Day 30

It all started so well, I had such high hopes for Juneathon, and well, the weather didn't help at all ...
many times that I ran, rain ruined play. I still ran, but I'll be honest I'm not so keen on getting soaked when running.

Oaks Park, where I run, enables me to run off-road through the woods, so it quickly turns very muddy when it rains, so I wasn't able to go in the woods as much as I would like and I'm not so keen on road running...

Well, that's a whole pile of rubbish excuses isn't it. It's really hard to exercise every single day, with not one day off. Then on 20th June I went for a mammogram, this was followed by an ultrasound. I waited a horrendous week for the results, although I knew I was dealing with 'calcifications' and nothing else, no mystery lump or tumour.. but it was still a horrendous week, and although I did exercise I just didn't feel like the loggy, bloggy bit. Forgive me please.

Anyway, this week I found out I have 'micro' calcifications in one particular area, rated as a '3' on the old BIRAD (Breast Imaging and Radiology etc, etc) scale. This is a 'Probably Benign' result - 98%.  I could wait a year and have another mammogram and see if there has been 'activity', or have a mini biopsy, or a larger biopsy where they take a 'representative' sample of tissue/cells which the lovely pathologist will analyse ...

I've opted for the larger biopsy, it's a week today.. apparently the sample will be the size of a spherical 10p coin (or approx the size of a quarter if you're reading this in the US). I was told the amount they take is proportionate, so you don't end up lopsided. BB has promised me I can get myself a pair of DDs if I have a problem afterwards. Yeh ? In his dreams, was my reply.

I'm still running, so am still on for my Kielder marathon in October, and you know what ? I'd really like to think about maybe doing that half Ironman that I've spent a lot of time thinking about, and no time at all making real plans for.

If you happen to know about calcifications I'd love to hear from you, or if you are getting a diagnosis of this nature, try not to worry. Remember these calcifications don't show up without a mammogram, you can't feel them and most of the time they are not troublesome.

However,  if you do have family history of breast cancer, as I do, and you have any suspicious lumps or bumps get to your GP and get an appointment for a mammogram. It's not the most comfortable procedure and they don't always show up everything, but it might just save your life.

Juneathon #Day 22

I think this has been the rainiest month so far this year. I wanted to run again today, but I couldn't face running in the rain when I already felt cold, and also felt like I was coming down with a cold. No fun.

Yesterday for Juneathon Day 21 I did just one 2 mile loop around Oaks Park. Monday I was off for the day with a school meeting, so no exercise that day either. Sunday I mananged a nice long run, although I had to do battle with the London to Brighton cyclists who pass right by my run route (How dare they !!)

I hope that my Janathon endeavors work out better than these Juneathon ones...

Juneathon # Day 19

Total Juneathon neglect as have been sooooo busy. BUT I have been exercising, just no time for loggy/bloggy bit for the last few days.. Will do big long post very soon !!!

Juneathon #Day 14

What a lovely day for running today. I often think at 9am when I'm at work that I could just go and do a hard gym session, or some cycling and rowing... but I'm at work, so I can't go. I'm definitely a morning person and I'm energised at the beginning of the day. By the time I leave work at 1pm and commute for an hour, well sometimes, I'm too tired or I've just lost the will for any exercise.

Today was a little bit like that, I just felt / feel tired. Normally I get into my stride and feel light on my feet, today I felt like I should have had a sign on my bottom saying 'Wide, Heavy Load'.  When I feel like that I know that I have to listen to my body. I didn't exactly cut my run short, but I did take an alternative route along a shorter, steeper hill. I'm tired now too, so it's an early night for me.

Bring on a more energised tomorrow.

Juneathon #Day 13

Finally back in the saddle today, with a brisk walk to work, and then a 4 mile run-your-heart-out challenge with one of my male colleagues, and then also a long walk from a different train station to collect CC. I let my colleague win the sprint  - this time. :o) I think we did about 30-32 mins for the 4 miles which I'm pleased with, it was hot too. BB sat this one out as he has painful glutes from yesterday's half.

I know I was pretty good last week, running so soon after last weekend's half marathon, but I think I felt the difference today. Despite a couple of days off from the running my legs still felt tired today. Or maybe I was feeling sluggish after a weekend of excesses and non-movement (well, by my standards anyway..). So, I'll be monitoring the legs for the rest of the week.

That crAZY cramp that woke me the other morning, felt like it was on it's way back after my run today too. So, on my walk back from the train station tonight in my 'Shape-ups', I tried to get a stretch in my calf with every step.

A good day all in all, with 2 walks and a 4 mile sprint. Yippee !! That's the bloggy bit done, now the loggy bit !

Here's a little photo of my Skecher's Shape ups - they're great !!!

Juneathon #Day 12

Another day, another bout of rain. Another day with no running... well, that's not exactly true we travelled to Southend so that BB could take part in Southend half marathon. It was a nice, flat, loopy (out and back, round and back-etc, etc.) course. We left the house at 0645 this morning and got there in time for BB to register.

BB was chuffed with his time of 1:42:15 (according to his watch), which I must agree is pretty impressive. CC and I walked up along the seafront to a decent spot to take some photos of BB doing the race. And that was the sum of my Juneathon challenge today - a walk along the seafront in the rain. Good huh ? However, I am not a fairweather runner, if BB had not been running today, then I would have pulled on my waterproofs and a hat and got out there. In fact, I quite like running in the rain.

I have packed my running kit for tomorrow, Monday is the day when I run  in Hyde Park in my lunchbreak. So, I will be running come rain or shine. If BB's legs are up to it he will come with me, if not a colleague from work sometimes joins me, otherwise I will go on my own. I can't wait to run tomorrow.

Juneathon #Day 11

Juneathon, Juneathon, why-did-i-ever-say-i'd-do-it-?-athon. Another day, more rain, and another day with no rollerblading and only a few stomach crunches to count for 'exercise'. How rubbish is that?

CC's day was no better, she had tutor this morning from -10-11.30 followed by a mock test at a local grammar school from 2-4. BB recently bought us a new home PC, so CC gets the old one in her room. To achieve this we needed to clear the books from under her desk. At the moment there is a big London-based scheme to improve the literacy of the capital's children. There has been various stats banded about - including that some children have only an Argos catalogue to read at home (Wow!), and that a quarter of children leaving primary school (aged 11) are unable to read. Also, most suprisingly, one in three children has no books of their own. Shocking isn't it, read all about it here :

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23955105-the-capitals-future-depends-on-literacy.do

When we cleared out CC's bookstore under her desk I made her count them. The photo below shows her busy at work this afternoon.

In all she counted 170 books, we both agreed that she had the books that all those other children should have had. Obviously she doesn't need that many books, but she has actually read them all, and she makes me take her to the library to get more out, and she gets them out of the school library too. She's into reading, I'm into reading. I have a blog, she has a blog. (http://thecoolcupcake.blogspot.com/). I guess you could say that she's a chip off the old block. Except, there's one big difference, my parents were not bookish at all really. I was the kid with the Argos catalogue, devouring every word, reading every advertisement that I passed (out loud - must've drove my parents mad). I was thinking about this last night, and I remember reading the Enid Blyton books over and over again. I also remember reading the Virginia Andrews series of books starting with one called 'Flowers in the Attic'. And that's it. I used to beg to go to the library, sometimes I got to go, most of the time I didn't. I would be told to stop reading to help my mother with chores, or just be told to stop reading. No reason. (Or none that I could see or understand anyway.)

My love of books has never faded, I find it weird when I go to someone's house and they have no books .. what do they read ? I find myself thinking.. I think I have books in every room, except maybe my bedroom. Lately I've tried to stop buying too many books and go to the library more. I'm really enjoying it. I would urge people to get down to the library, it's a really great way to find out what's going on in your local community too.

So, let's hear it for the written word - whether it's billboards, leaflets, magazines, novels, manuals - let's get reading.

Ah yes, back to Juneathon - tomorrow we will be up mega early for BB's half marathon - yet it's his turn this week, we're off to Southend (on the coast) for the day.. I don't know what the weather's going to be doing, but either way I'll be going for a nice, long walk with Juneathon in mind.

Juneathon # Day 10

I was so glad to not be running today, it's unreal. It's not the running I would have minded, you understand, it would have been the prospect of getting soaked for a third day in a row. No thank you.

Instead I took my train homeward bound, and as I wasn't picking up CC from school today, I headed straight for the supermarket. I shop every 2 weeks and it seems to take forever, I don't know how those that shop monthly can face it ! If online supermarket shopping wasn't so bad, I would start it up again, but once bitten, twice shy.

Back home, to start unpacking. BB surprised me by getting home early, and he and CC went swimming... whilst I did the ironing. Fun.

So, Juneathon for today will be a lowly few stomach crunches before bed. I so wanted to go roller blading today too, but rain stopped play. Still, there's always tomorrow....

Juneathon # Day 9

I've just added my morning walk using runningfreeonline.com. I have to say I don't like using this web site at all. At the bottom of the screen they have said they are going to add 'how to' guides, well I wish they'd hurry up! I added my route, that was ok. Then I added the route to an activity, then for some reason, it took me ages to figure out how to add it to my actual training. Then when I thought I had it sussed, I had added it twice. Of course, now I can't figure out how to delete the extra one. I swear I could have videod the route quicker walking it myself !!!

In addition to my lovely morning walk today, I also managed another 4 mile Oaks Park run. Just like yesterday, it started off sunny and then went suddenly very dark. For a moment I thought I had entered some sort of parallel running universe, where I had been running for four hours, but only a few minutes had passed. Then it started to rain. Instead of a parallel universe, it was like Groundhog's day as exactly the same thing happened yesterday.

I'm not quite sure how I'm going to mark day 10 tomorrow, but I won't be running. I noticed in-line skating on the training list so I am thinking I may just have to get them out when my CC gets back from her ballet class.  Why wait till CC gets back ? Well I just can't face the embarrassment of a grown woman on roller skate now can I ??? But if I'm with a 10 year old that's another matter.... :o)

Juneathon # Day 8

Had a great 4 mile run around Oaks Park today. It was pouring with rain, but I was under the cover of the trees so I stayed dry. The legs are completely recovered now I'm pleased to report.

I'm really enjoying Juneathon, this was originally supposed to be a sports blog, but became much more of a food blog, so it's nice to have a focus on sport for the month, and make new sporty friends.

I train alone, I have no training buddy. To a certain degree I like it that way, but every now and then it would be nice to train 'en groupe'. I joined South London Harriers running club so that I could go running in a group, but so far it hasn't happened due to other constraints on my time.

By the way, if anyone is interested  in meeting in London (or the South-East), for a London race, then that would be great!

Cupcake made this lovely dessert the other day. Healthy, but also very scrummy ! Oh and double good luck to CC for tomorrow in the school athletics team that she has been selected for, they compete against other schools after school tomorrow, and also Congratulations to her for being selected for the school swimming team yet again. She definitely has the sporting gene, and I'm pleased to report that she's just as into Juneathon as I am.

Juneathon #Day 7

The rain has stopped, which meant I was able to walk to work today, which I quite enjoyed. I jogged after work in the lovely Oaks Park - there were a few dog walkers out, but no fellow joggers today...

I only did one lap, which is about two miles, which isn't too bad after only one day of rest after the half marathon on Sunday- usually I would take a week off. Serious.

 Later I will try and map the routes, both the Oaks Park one, and the walk to work as I'd be interested to see how far they are.

In the meantime, here's a photo of the cake I made for my Cupcake back in April. She persuaded me to use Betty Crocker vanilla frosting (when I would usually make my own), and whilst it tasted  nice, it gave me the most horrendous heartburn that kept me up all night - oddly Krispy Kreme also have that effect...

Juneathon # Day 6

I'll be honest, after my little half marathon yesterday my legs are feeling like lead today. So, horror of horrors, as it was raining and I was achy - I took the bus to walk instead of walking for 20 minutes. When I arrived at work, I took the lift instead of taking the lift. I would have had a gentle run in Hyde Park at lunchtime, but it had been raining so hard, so I thought I'd take a late lunch.

We've been bunny baby sitting for the past week, and they were being collected tonight, so I cleaned them out and got their stuff together for going home. Then CC and I did her homework, some tutor work, some of her blog (http://thecoolcupcake.blogspot.com/). I made her lunch, her tea and I got ready for work tomorrow, folded the washing etc. Then started preparing my spag bog for myself and BB once the bunnies were gone home.

The bunny owners arrived, and left, and arrived again (the took an old hutch I had got off freecycle and was suprplus to requirements), then I swept hay, and rose petals and basic clearing up.

Now it's very nearly 10pm and I'll be up again tomorrow at 5.15 (yawning just thinking about it..) So before I get into bed tonight my Juneathon effort for today will be a very small set of crunches, and I;ll be grateful that it's even that. My abs are already aching I think that is due to the yoga on Saturday, but also maybe from all of the 'jogging' of my body as raced down those stony cliffs yesterday.

Tomorrow I'll be back on the walk to work and a nice run after work now that CC is back at school.

Day 7 tomorrow - one week done !!!

Juneathon #Day 5 - Seaford Half Marathon

After a late night, we had an early start and left for Seaford at 6.45 this morning. There was a lack of traffic and we arrived nicely on time for the 9am start. That's me at the start looking all and nice and fresh. :o)

I ran this race back in 2007, I have a loathing of repeating races, so I don't really know why I signed up for this one again.. Back in 2007 it was a swelteringly scorching day, today it rained and I was glad.

The official times aren't out yet, but I know I managed around 2:11, 2:12 which isn't bad for a half which goes across the South downs and has you  crossing stiles every few minutes. My time would have been about 3-4 minutes quicker, but I had to stop for a loo stop. I totally still haven't worked out the nutrition, which doesn't bode well for my marathon in October. Still, a few months yet to hone my 'skills' in that 'area'. I know that the stop not only cost me about 20 race places, but it also completely broke my stride. I didn't manage to regain my position. Maybe I just shouldn't eat anything for the 2 days before my marathon !!! Seriously, I'd be very interested to hear what other people's pre-race nutrition consists of.

Overall, I'm pleased that I'm not totally exhausted after this race, previous races have seen me finish the race, get in the car and sleep all the way home, and then go to bed when I get home.. I've no idea what that's all about ? Today, I'm fine, a nice long, hot bath and I am ready for a 'warm down' run tomorrow for Juneathon # day 6.

Official Results

Wow! I didn't think the results would be out today, but they are!! I did 2:12:51.

This means I was: 65th female overall (out of 160 female runners)
41st female under 40 (out of 100 females under 40) I also out-run 37 guys in my age group.
Overall I was 272nd out of 484 runners.

What did we learn ?
I think we all take something away from every race that we do. Today, I learned that I definitely need to sort out my tum, but overall I'm happy with the stats.

PS> No joggy-bloggy-loggy thing today, as I couldn't find the html to be able to put it on this page. I added the race a while back, and added my results just now, but it doesn't show up on my training 'record'. No idea why this is, and frankly right now I'm too tired to worry about it. Now, where's that red wine ? :o)

Juneathon - Day 4

It's Saturday and it was always going to be difficult for me to be able to fit in some exercise today. I went and made it worse by having arranged to spend the day in Birmingham with my family, seeing my sister, my parents and my brother all at  my brother's house. Birmingham is 140 miles from South London, so I don't get up to Birmingham that often.

We were tempted to do Banstead Woods park run before we left, but with it not starting until 9am, and having already promised my lovely sister-in-law that we would arrive by 11.30am we knew that Banstead Woods would be a non-starter..

Just over a year ago, my brother reached a milestone birthday and was feeling overweight and he said how he was struggling to reach his feet to get his socks on in the morning. 'You need to do yoga' I said, it's great, it makes you flexible, it tones you up. It's a perfect workout. But, it wasn't just yoga, we talked about running, the gym, spinning classes, healthy lifestyle. Well, what a turnaround, just over a year later my brother has completely turned things around, and he now even teaches yoga ! When I arrived there this morning, I said 'Right Bro, please can you give me a little taster of your yoga please - I need to do some exercise today - and here and now is the only time I've got'. At first, he thought I was joking, but then I said about mats and he got a CD out, and, well, about 40 minutes later I was nicely warm - and well, day 4 of Juneathon was absoluutely well and truly in the bag. I never thought I would say this, but  this is the first time I have practised yoga with my brother, and I have to say he is a fantastic yoga teacher. I was truly impressed.

Here are some photos of the session, I have to thank my lovely nephew for patiently sitting and taking over one hundred photos as we worked our way through it. If you are lucky enough to live near Birmingham, I suggest you give the classes a go. Here's the site: http://www.yoyoga.tv/

I'm loving my toned arms on this one.

I think you can tell we're from the same gene pool in this one. Funny.

How does he do that ??

X-factor pose (according to my bro) well, that's what he was doing...



At this point, I should say bid Good Luck to my bro, who is starting a 14-day raw diet starting tomorrow. He was trying to persuade me to do it with him, but what with Juneathon and everything else going on, I just laughed in his face.

Half marathon tomorrow, and I'm feeling good ! Bring on Juneathon day 5!





Joggy, loggy, bloggy bit:

See the activity on RunSaturday

Type:	Cross - Yoga
Duration:	45:00:00
Distance:	0.00 mi

Juneathon # Day 3

I guess I was a bit silly yesterday, cake for breakfast (when I would usually have a banana, yoghurt and a cereal bar) and  cake for lunch (when I would usually have veggie soup and a wholemeal roll) - that's right -  no fruit and veg, no dairy, no proper carb or protein, just sugar. Not good! Add to that a lack of fluids, and a hot day. However, I thought I had turned it back around later with homemade fish pie and 2 portions of veg, but no, it was too late.

At 4am this morning, I woke up screaming with the most amazing cramp in my right calf. Owch ! Not what I need when I'm supposed to be exercising every day, and certainly not good with a half marathon this Sunday. How stupid am I ? You would think I would have learned by now. The cramp was that bad that I've been left with an aching, sore calf all day. Very depressing. Of course, my leg feels like it is going to cramp again, and I must admit I have a little bit of a phobia about getting cramp. It's a pain thing I guess, my muscle just spasms and tightens and it hurts like hell.

Anyway, enough whingeing. BB has kindly offerered to take my race place, and do my half on Sunday. 'Over my dead body!!' was my reply, but I guess in all seriousness it's a rather tough race over the South Downs and if it's hot again like the first time I did it, it may be more sensible to sit it out... but then it's only 13 miles right.. ?

Moving on, for my day 3 Juneathon I decided to do a short run of  2 miles. I would be tapering this week for the half anway, me and my silly calf muscle took it easy. Here's my 'proof I did it' photo below. That's me having a little stretch.

Here's the summary from the joggy-bloggy-loggy site:  how cool is that??? As you can see I was way out on my distance, I actually clocked up nearly 3 miles!!!

.

Type:	Run - Easy
Duration:	25:00:00
Distance:	2.99 mi

Moral of this story ?? Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition and lest we should forget, Nutrition.

Juneathon # Day 2

Today's run never happened. BB had told me Cupcake would be 'up for' a short run today, but yesterday's experience told me otherwise. CC had insisted she wanted to do Juneathon too though, and as it's half term, it's not like I can exercise in my free hour after work, whilst she's at school is it ? (like I usually do).

So, I came up with the next best thing: Wii Fit. We bought the Wii about 3 years ago now, and we rarely use it, more through a lack of time than anything else, but actually today's exercise session worked out great. Here's what we did.

5 minute intervals on Wii fit for a total of 30 minutes (including step+, jogging, boxing and one go on the balance board for me)

Whilst CC did her 5 minutes, I got on the mat and did a selection of squats, sit ups, presses and leg stretches.  I added ankle weights and wrist weights for extra resistance. So, I probably got in 50-60 minutes of exercise in total.

Proof of exercise !!!

All in all it was a fantastic workout, without even leaving my front door. Result ! And if you need proof check me out in the lounge doing my exercise. Excuse the blur, obviously because I was moving SO fast. Ha!