1 week to go

Good morning Fudgey Friends,

Well by this time next week it should all be over. The Scottish half marathon starts at 8am next Sunday.

All these weeks of training, 5 rolls of zinc oxide tape, dozens of energy drinks & gels, 3 sports massages, a Garmin, a race in the snow & -3 temp, a trip to Dublin, a couple of PBs and loads of highs and a few lows - it's almost time. I'm both nervous and excited.

Last Long Run week 11 Run 4
I was up and out by 8am this morning and was deceived by the weather. It looked cold and wet so I wore my long sleeved running top & my lightweight waterproof. Only 5 minutes into the run I had to take my gloves off and was getting warm. Though it was grey & damp there was no wind at all and it was quite humid. I didn't have a very good run today - I had a dodgy tummy - this is the first time this has ever happened to me - it wasn't good but I still managed 59 minutes & 9.32km. I'm kind of glad it wasn't a great run - it's a little like a dress rehearsal for a show - you want all the issues to happen then rather than on first night....so with my glass half full I'm hoping that today's uninspiring run has set me up for a jolly good show next Sunday.

I came home & was in my 2nd ever ice bath by 9.10am. This week I knew the trick was to jump in & sit down as quickly as possible with no procrastination. It worked. Again the first few minutes were the worst but you soon get used to it and I do feel so so so much better for it - this is definitely part of the running regime I'll be keeping up. Fantastic Mr Fudgey brought me a cup of tea which really helped too.

Stats for Week 11
Distance run this week 25.43km / 15.8 miles
Time running 2 hours 47 minutes 01 seconds

WARNING IF YOU DON'T LIKE SMALL FURRY CREATURES - STOP READING NOW!

Sunday Morning Gift
So fresh from my run, ice bath & pancakes for breakfast, I stripped the bed and put on the washing machine and let the littlest of our cats, Beau, out - the others weren't that interested. I then decided I'd sit down and blog. Next thing Beau jumps in the window with something hanging from his mouth and heads down the hall. I shout to Mr Fudgey 'what has Beau got in his mouth?' as I start to follow him - Beau is heading for the bedroom. I shout at him and he drops a 'dead' tiny little grey mouse on the floor. I think I shrieked. Hubby came to the door of the other room. Beau had ran in the bedroom so I shut the door on him. Then the 'dead' mouse moved. Hubby & I both jumped. Hubby reacted really quickly by shutting the other door - though he was inside the room, this was a swift and good move as if a mouse got in that room it would be a nightmare to catch. I grabbed one of our old tea towels & covered & then scooped up little mouse to take back outside. I shouted on hubby to go & shut the kitchen window so that the cats couldn't get back out or bring anyone else in.
I took the little mouse outside and I actually do think he is dead but I put him over the fence on the grass so if he was just in shock he can run off....or another cat or a big bird will probably take him away.
Beau is now sulking because I took his mouse off him.
Of the 4 fellas Beau was the last of them I expected to bring anything home - he's scared of his own shadow most of the time - so I'm both proud of him & mad at him at the same time.
As if the running wasn't enough Beau certainly helped elevate the heart rate this morning!
Photo is of him sulking under the coffee table, and I think he is now sulking under the bed.

Well that's all for now folks. I have a PT session and a sports massage to look forward to tomorrow so will let you know how those both go.

Enjoy your Sunday

love Fudgey
x x x

Short Post about a Long run

Hello Fudgey Friends,

I decided to do my long run today & am resting tomorrow.
It was my longest run to date & I finally conquered Arthur's Seat. The access road forms part of the course of many Edinburgh running events. The last time I ran it I had to stop and walk a little, jog a little, run a little and walk a little. So I was ecstatic today to run the whole of it. I wish I'd had a camera though as some of the view of Edinburgh were stunning, it was a glorious sunny morning but at the top of the ascent I could see the snow covered Pentland Hills in the distance.
I had a lucozade energy gel today & it affirmed to me that I prefer the Science in Sports products so will need to pick some supplies up.
Today's run on the plan was 1 hour 40 minutes, but I ran 1 hour 58 minutes and 16 seconds covering 18.12 km (11.26 miles). I ran the whole way with only a few brief stops for traffic lights on the way back.
When I got home I had a Science in Sport rego recovery drink and a lovely bath. Me being me I also cried! But these were very happy tears - 7 weeks till the half marathon & I'm beginning to realise that I can actually do this.
Mr Fudgey keeps telling me how proud he is of me & my wonderful family and friends do too but finally I've realised I am proud of myself.

So the Stats for Week 5
Total distance run this week 36.8km
Total running time 3 hours 58 mins 29 secs

Next week is a recovery week - there will still be 4 runs but they will be shorter than the last few weeks have been, before picking it back up again the following week. On my next long long run I am going to go round Arthur's seat again & I'll take my camera this time to share with you all the beauty of Edinburgh.

Hope everyone has a lovely Easter

Take Care
Fudgey
xxx

12 weeks to go! Official training plan starts here

Hello Fudgey Friends

Well at this time in 12 weeks time the Edinburgh Half Marathon will be over. 12 weeks to go.....official 12 week training plan now starting.
I'm both excited & nervous.

I've got 2 and a bit training plans. I have a beginner & an intermediate training plan for running a half marathon - It's really strange for me to think that I now fall into the intermediate category based on the amount of running I've already put in. However I'm going to mix and match the 2 plans. The bit is the extra stuff I'd like to do i.e my personal training sessions and cross training such as spinning, resistance and toning.
I'm going to take each week as it comes and listen to my body and build my training around that rather than follow one rigid plan to the letter.


Today I headed to the gym for a treadmill run rather than my usual Sunday long run.
Reasons as follows:
1) It's flipping baltic here! No honestly it is really really cold and with my recent injury keeping the muscles warm seems to help.
2)If I run on the treadmill and it doesn't feel good I can hop off and do some form of cross training - bike, rower, cross trainer and some weights. Where as if I was outside running I'd just have to come home and feel fed up
3)I have a 5km race next weekend that I'm kind of saving myself for

Anyway I'm pleased to report I managed 7km in 41 minutes 18 seconds and my ITB feels great.
I was also a good Fudge and did plenty of stretching.
Only one minor issue....I now have a niggle in the right side of my groin....but that it is all it is just a minor niggle and probably compensation as I'm still protecting the left side ITB quite a bit so I need to regain my confidence and strength and focus on my overall running posture again so I don't bear weight unevenly. See I'm getting really serious (yes hubby....and boring) about it all now ;-)

So the stats this week:
Total distance run this week 22km
Total running time 2 hours 09 mins 26 secs

Distance Run in February 65.5km
Distance Run 2010 to date 169.9km

So after my gym visit this morning I headed home to find wonder hubby had done all the ironing.
I made us both some scrambled eggs.
Whilst hubby worked out, I got busy in the Fudgey kitchen.
I put on a load of washing........yep mainly sports kit!
Then I created Sunflower seed and blueberry crispy bars and Butternut Squash, Carrot & Honey soup.
The crispy bars are the same recipe as the Pumpkin seed and apricot bars simply replace the pumpkin seeds with sunflower seeds and the apricots with blueberries

The Soup
Ingredients:
1 red onion chopped
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 large carrots peeled & chopped
1 small butternut squash, deseeded, peeled & diced
1 vegetable oxo cube
1 tablespoon honey
water
In typical Fudgey style this soup is never the same twice. The amount of carrot, butternut squash and onion varies and today I thought oh I know what I'll add some honey.
Method:
Basically just chop up all the ingredients & throw in a pan. Crumble in stock cube, add honey and top up with water & then simmer till veg is tender. Once cooled I blend this & it ends up like a thick puree.

Here is a question for you all. How come I can lift some non diddy, non girly weights in the gym but when it comes to crumbling a stock cube I'm useless???
I especially hate the new shaped x oxo ones. I think I may have to go back to the marigold swiss vegetable bouillon powder.

After all this kitchen action I took my lovely husband back to the place we were married at 6 months ago for some food. I can't believe it's been 6 months already, the wedding still seems like yesterday.
Mr Fudgey.....LOVE YOU LOADS XXXXXXXXX

and now we are home and chilling out. I'm just running myself a lovely Molton Brown bubble bath & then I think we'll watch a movie.

Hope you've all had a great weekend.

lots of love
Fudgey xx

100 Days to go / My Amazing Charity

Hello Fudgey Followers,

So the countdown tells me it's 100 days till the Edinburgh Half Marathon on 23rd May. I'm kind of excited & kind of nervous but I know I can do this and as with everything I do I'll give it my best.

Of course it's an enormous motivator that I'm running for charity not just for myself.

So let me introduce you to my amazing charity.

CCLASP
is an Edinburgh based charity that helps children and adolescents suffering from cancer and leukaemia & provides advice & support for parents

My first involvement with CCLASP was when one of my fabulous friends Eileen Norman was seeking volunteers to help with the annual CCLASP Christmas party, which is held at my office. Anyone else who works at Standard Life Investments, who has been involved in this day will back me up and tell you how much fun it is, even though it's hard work and can be emotional - it is one of the best ways to spend a day. So I signed up to help out with the party, at the time I also had a part time weekend job so I couldn't stay for the actual party the first year, but I helped out making sandwiches, getting all the gifts ready for Santa, filling helium balloons and getting everything ready.
Then in 2008 Standard life Investments celebrated their 10th Anniversary as part of our anniversary year we pledged to raise loads of money for CCLASP. Mr Fudgey & I took part in The Great Scottish Walk , a 12 mile walk round Edinburgh, this event was also sponsored by Scottish Slimmers, another very very very important part of my life - they helped me lose 6 stone ;~) but I shall save that story for another day. Mr Fudgey & I raised £500. I should also tell you Mr Fudgey did this the day before he started his new job - I hate to imagine what his new colleagues thought when he walked tentatively in the next day!
Standard Life Investments hosted a fabulous Christmas party in 2008 and this time I was able to stay the whole day. The great thing about CCLASP is that it's like a family and the whole family come to the party, every child gets a gift from Santa, not just the children who are ill. All the children are treated the same. All the families recognise each other or know each other from shared hospital time and other CCLASP events and it truly is an amazing support group. The parents can sit back & enjoy a coffee while the children run around, chase the lovely volunteers who have dressed up as TellyTubbies or characters from Monsters Inc, play party games or sit quietly & colour in. Of Course the highlight of the day is Santa's visit. Every child goes home laden down with goodies.

The Christmas Party is just one of the many many fun events that CCLASP organise. They also provide transport to and from hospital appointments, running a drop in centre, run a telephone helpline, arrange holidays, fundraisers, newsletters and the weekly clown entertainment on a Wednesday (theatre day) for those in hospital. These few things are just the tip of iceberg, Check out the website to find out more for yourself.

So this year I'm going to try & raise £1000 for my chosen charity. the main event being The Edinburgh Half Marathon. However I have now pledged to run a 1000km for £1000.

Events
The Great Winter Run - completed
Meadows 5km March
The Great Ireland Run April
The Great Edinburgh Run May
Edinburgh Half Marathon May

THANK YOU
to everyone who has sponsored me already - I really appreciate it so much & I know CCLASP will too.

SPONSOR ME PLEASE
Please please please sponsor me. Every little donation will help so much.
Your sponsorship will keep me motivated to keep training & keep blogging & will be thankfully received by CCLASP.

Please vist my just giving site, or come & see me if you prefer the old fashioned form method.

In true fudgey tradition there will be home baking to Thank you!

and you can check back to my blog regularly to see my trainign progress, classic Mrs Smith 'thoughts' and just my general all round fudgeyness

and if you don't sponsor me I can't promise that I won't show you my scabby runners feet with blisters & lost toenails......you have been warned :-)