Half Marathon Video

Hello Fudgey Friends,

Mr Fudgey has been working hard all week editing the footage from last Sunday & my journey to my first half marathon. An ENORMOUS Thank you to him x x x x x

Enjoy!

Life after Fudgey's EHM Countdown

Hello Fudgey Friends,

How is everyone?

Well as I posted the other day the EHM Countdown has come to an end :-(

Looking forward
But there's plenty to look forward too. On the running front: Race for Life, Glasgow half Marathon & Scottish Kilomathon. On the social front: Smurfy's dinner party (I have a fab dress already), trip home to Benbecula & Margaret Mary's Christening & our first wedding anniversary fast approaches. There hopefully will be other exciting developments in the world of Mr & Mrs Fudgey & the fury fellas sooner rather than later....so keep following.

New Look - New Title
I realised I couldn't keep my blog title as Fudgey's EHM countdown so was trying to think what to change it do & have now decided on Little Running Wife....this is what Mr Fudgey calls me since I lost 6 stone and got mildly obsessed by running.
Last night I was playing around with my blog and giving it slightly different colours & a new photo, but Mr Fudgey worked his magic again & did the fabby new graphic that you now see. Isn't he the best? I'm now wondering if I could get this on a t-shirt!

Taking it Easy
Monday I had a complete rest day, though I did have to walk half way home from my Slimming club. I still go most weeks even though I've been at my target weight since September.
Tuesday I decided to go to the gym with Smurfy at lunchtime. I ran on the treadmill for 10 minutes, then 10 minutes on the bike & 10 minutes of stretching. I felt great when I went back to work but by 4pm was feeling stiff again & my right calf was really tight. Thanks to the wonders of a tennis ball, my own thumbs & a tube of Avon Cooling leg and foot gel I managed to release the tight muscle and have felt great ever since.
Wednesday I had another complete rest day - I can't believe how tired I have felt all week. I decided best to take enough recovery time before starting to train for my upcoming events.

Back in the Saddle....Spintastic
After weeks of no classes at the gym due to EHM training and lack of time in my schedule, I've been looking forward to getting back to Body Pump, Circuits and Spinning and today was my first spin class in weeks. It was made even better that the class was taken by my amazing personal trainer Colin. It was only a 30 minute spin express class but we worked hard and Smurfy & I were both dripping sweat by the end. The hardest part for me though was taking my jelly legs downstairs afterwards :-)
We need to talk KMac into joining us one day next week if all our diaries & work allows as we've not been to a class together in ages - and we always have such a great time & gossiping on the way there & back!


Well that's all for this evening folks - I'm hoping to get to the gym in the morning to do my programme but I'm not going to force it as I have been pretty tired this week. Already looking forward to freedom from the alarm on Saturday.

Take Care everyone

love
Fudgey
xxx

The end of the EHM Countdown

Hello Fudgey friends,

Well EHM is now over :-(

As promised stats for week 12:

Stats for Week 12 incl race
Distance run this week 27.58km / 17.14 miles
Time running 2 hours 52 minutes 56 seconds


Well over half way to my 1000km challenge target for 2010 - 553.33km / 343.83 miles


So what's next....

in 3 weeks time I'm running Race for Life - a separate post on this soon
& i have signed up for The Glasgow half marathon & The Scottish kilomathon - think that will keep me out of trouble till the end of the year!

Sharing
I have to share these gorgeous flowers with you all. Gerberas are my absolute favourite they are so happy. Fabulous Mr Fudgey sent me these. He is the best :-)

Righty better get some food on the go

Take Care all
Fudgey
x x

The Scottish Half Marathon - Race Report

Hello Fudgey Friends,

Well yesterday was an early start...5.30am the alarm went off & I got up about 5 minutes later. By 6am I'd had a small cup of tea & my Marks & Spencer Apple & Sultana instant porridge which is now a ritual. I also made up 500ml of Maximuscle Viper and drank 500ml water - between all that fluid and the nerves it's no wonder I went to the loo about 6 times before leaving the house at 6.40
I had got all my stuff organised the night before as I knew it was an early start, so all I had to do was get up, fuel up, hydrate, tape feet, apply sun cream, get dressed, grab stuff and go. I was really really nervous more so than I have been before any other race and poor hubby had to deal with some tears. I think it was just the emotion of it all and knowing this is what I've been training for, for months - the day was finally here.

We got the bus into town and the stop was right opposite the starting area. First stop - toilets!
Then it started to rain very heavily. Mr Fudgey had an umbrella and I sheltered in a bus stop. Thankfully it was just a shower and didn't last long. I looked at Mr Garmin and it was 7.45 so we started making our way to my start point. I thought I needed the toilet yet again but I knew really it was just nerves and I didn't have time to go. Kissed my fabby hubby goodbye and joined the other runners in the starting area. I had opted to run without my ipod after reading on the website that they were not allowed - however plenty of folk did have theirs, but I'd made the decision to follow the rules - which had I not read would have had my ipod but having read them thought I'd do the right thing.
The half marathon started at 8am though I think it was around 4 and a half minutes till my wave crossed the start line and I started Mr Garmin. My target time was around 2 hours 10ish so I was hoping for 10 minute miles roughly.
Just a couple of minutes in I spotted Mr Fudgey up ahead with the camera so shouted and waved and as I passed by shouted see you in 13 miles!
Kmac was waiting to cheer me on at mile 1 and that really helped. I went through the first mile in 11 minutes but was happy with that as I didn't want to go too fast at the start, though I completed the 2nd mile in about 9 and a half minutes.
At about 5k there was a water station so I took on a little water, I was enjoying myself, not even fazed by lack of ipod and pacing really well & feeling strong.
The next drinks station was a water & lucozade one - I grabbed a lucozade and drank some but as it was tropical flavour and not something i'd tried in my training runs I didn't take on too much in case it disagreed with me.
For us half marathoners we were really lucky as it was very grey, though it was humid but the temperature was between 13 & 19 degrees, The marathoners who set off at 10am had bright sunshine and temperatures getting up to 25 degrees - so well done to all of them.
I felt really good till around mile 9, then I felt like the 10 mile marker was never coming. We had to run past the race course at Musselburgh and up the road quite a distance before turning back to head down to the race course for a grandstand finish. I was just plodding up the road when I saw & heard Mum & Dad Smith - that pushed me on. Then I saw Martin Holt from work coming down the other side of the road and I shouted encouragement & he shouted back - this really spurred me on. After the turn at mile 11 my hips were starting to hurt and the road surface was
not the greatest but there was a pa and music and the chap announced on the mic 'Here comes Fudgey give her a cheer' which was fab and people were shouting Go Fudgey and clapping so I grinned and waved to the crowd.
Coming down between mile 12 & 13 there was fabby Mr Fudgey again - I couldn't look at him as I thought I'd cry. My legs were hurting but I knew I was well ahead of 2 hours 10 and was so nearly there. Turning into the race course I was gearing up for a sprint finish and aaargh thick rubber mats on the grass which after running on the road felt like torture and it was all I could do to keep going but not a chance I was giving up now - the finish straight was lined with people cheering and Mum & Dad Smith again - so I powered on and came across the finish line in 2 hours 5 minutes 53 seconds according to Mr Garmin, but my official chip time was 4 seconds faster :-)

Through into the runners only area where i got a bottle of water,a bottle of lucozade, a medal & a goodie bag.

Goodie Bag
An amazing goodie bag containing gorgeous blue technical tshirt, 2 mini deodorants, 2 wee packs of mike & ike sweets, herbal drop, asics sweat band, nature valley trail bar, fruit school bar, lo salt and some linwoods samples - I can't wait to try the cocoa & berry mix with porridge.

The Event
Really well organised event, loads of portaloos!, really well organised water stations, great course. The only minor criticism is the mile markers could have been bigger & more prominent. Would I recommend this event / Would I do it again? YES

After getting home and having my ice bath, I modelled the tshirt and medal
Then I phoned Mum & Dad Lockie who were very proud of me too.
We then headed off to International Starters for a fabulous lunch & some well deserved cava & wine.

Today I've felt far more tired than I expected and a little stiff in places but pretty good otherwise. Back to work tomorrow.

Will give you the week 12 stats tomorrow too and try and think of a new title for my blog as it's no longer the EHM countdown.

Take Care everyone
love
Fudgey x x

My First Half Marathon

Hello all,

I survived.

Provisional finishing time: 2 hours 5 mins 53 seconds

Mr Fudgey was amazing as always.

Thanks to KMac for coming to cheer me on at mile 1.

Thanks to Mum & Dad Smith for cheering me on at miles 9 & the finishing line.

Thanks to everyone for all their support & sponsorship x

I'll write a full review probably tomorrow but here are some quick photos.

Taper Torture - Installment III

Hello Fudgey Friends,

How are you all? Yippee it's Friday - hope everyone is getting to enjoy some sunshine.

Week 12 Run 3
Today was the last run before the half marathon, though to call it a run is really a joke - it was only 10 minutes.
Again I cheated a little & opted to do it in the gym which meant I could do a little bit more non running activity. So after my 10 minute run, I had 15 minutes on the bike & then a lovely superset for my abs 15 ab extensions with 6kg medicine ball & 12 reverse curls - I did this twice & then the 3rd set I managed the ab extensions but the reverse curls I could really feel so opted for paddles & scissors 10 of each.

More activity
I was at home this afternoon so decided to cut some of the communal grass at the back of the flat. This has been a sore point for several years - only myself & another flat ever cut the grass - though there are 6 flats. There's a fair amount of grass too. I cut about 2/3 of it - not out of laziness or spitefulness but simply because my extension cable only reached so far. It was pretty hard work as the grass was quite long & I was out for about an hour. It looks better though, and I got an additional workout.

I also managed to get 2 loads of washing done and hung outside and the freezer defrosted - so very productive.

FUNDRAISING - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
My just giving target of £1000 has been exceeded. My page currently sits at £1016
(£1,197.92 with the gift aid added)
A massive massive Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me - I am incredibly touched by people's generosity and I know that CCLASP will be over the moon too.
I promise to go out and be my best on Sunday to make everyone proud.

Take Care everyone
I'll be back soon
love
Fudgey
x x x

Taper Torture - Installment II

Hello Fudgey Friends,

It is so bizarre this whole taper caper....so far this week I've only run 4.5 km....it's only Thursday & I find myself wanting more!

Week 12 Run 2
just 15 minutes easy today so I decided to opt for the treadmill so I could do some additional stuff to supplement a paltry 15 minutes of running.
I was up & out & in the gym for 7am & did the following:

15 minutes easy run (2km)
3 supersets of 15 reps swiss ball chest press with 5kg dumbbells & 12 press ups
3 supersets of 15 bosu ball squats with 5kg dumbbells & 12 bicep curls with 5kg dumbbells
3 tri sets of 15 ab extensions with 8kg medicine ball, 30 oblique cycles & 30 second plank.

Really set me up for the day & off I bounced to work.

Fundraising - THANK YOU ALL AGAIN
My just giving page has taken a lovely surge today & is now sitting at £981. Thank you everyone so so much for your generous donations - both CCLASP & I are incredibly grateful. I may have been racking up the miles but I couldn't have raised this much for CCLASP without you all - so honestly Thank you Thank you Thank you.

I'm heading off now to make some food for Mr Fudgey & myself.

Take Care everyone

lots of love
Fudgey x x