WOW! #12 and many achievements!!!!

So picture this, a wet miserable friday evening after a busy week in work and an early start of 6.30am for a networking event.  Previously this picture would have also included a trip to the shops on the way home to get a nice selection of sweets, savouries, lagers and pretty much everything you shouldnt eat!  Well, this evening this picture was very different - well, it was still wet and miserable, work, early start etc but this evening I got home from work, got my kit on and went for a jog - wait for it.... on my own too! AND did more than I did with Leean just yesterday!  Did 7 blocks of 7 plus on a couple of the blocks went over the 7 minutes too!  Even when I started I didnt think I would go as far/long - BUT I DID!

I feel fantastic!  I can now go out tomorrow feeling proud of myself rather than going out feeling like a fat, unhealthy slob!

My next challenge is to do something on Sunday night after my hangover!  Watch this space! :o)

#11 done and a busy weekend ahead!

Well, the training continues and we're definately continuing to progress.  This evening completed 7 blocks of 7 minutes (with an extra 90 seconds added onto the last block).  Completed approx 6 miles in around an hour and a half.  When doing the training, the half marathon seems realistic, but going into a competition is a completely different ball game!  Leean and I had a much more of a warm up today as we parked in a different place (as the RNLI were doing an event starting at Civic Centre).

With me going out on an all dayer on Saturday, potentially having a whopper of a hangover on Sunday and then meeting Lindsay on monday my next official run with Leean isnt until Tuesday! So... really, I should be doing something tomorrow night combined with something on Sunday evening.  This will be a bit of a test for me.  Here goes! :o)

#10 and still progressing!

Just a little note this evening to say that I've completed session #10 (plus the Race for Life).  Up to running for 7 minutes at a time and did 6 blocks of 7 this evening on the Swansea front.  Next session planned for Thursday where we will continue with the blocks of 7 but will increase to 7 or 8 blocks!  Its approx 12 weeks till the Half Marathon and have been forwarded a training plan which I dont like the look of, so hopefully Angela Lewis will review it for me and let me know what may work better for me!

Will also need to review my 'eating habits' as its really not the sort of diet someone should be eating if they are 'training' - its not to lose weight (although that really would be a bonus) its to give me energy and improve my fitness levels!  Going to get some realistic advice hopefully!

Also realise that I need to increase my training to 4 days per week plus getting in some walking too!

Race for Life 2010

Race for Life complete and I managed to get in done in 38 minutes!  Was hoping to get it done in 35 but I suppose that would be something that I would aim for.  It wasn't easy but hell of an achievement!  Possibly going to enter into the Swansea 5k in August http://www.swanseasummer5k.com/ as this will give me more practice for the half marathon in october - which really does seem like a long distance after just doing just a quarter! :o$

Back to training on Tuesday! 

New Kit and #9 complete

Leean and I had a marathon shopping session yesterday which resulted in us getting a load of new kit, including leggings, blister socks, running jacket, new top and a bright pink running bottle... and not forgetting my pink hairband to wear next Sunday for the Race for life!

New jacket came in handy today as we ventured out in the bad weather (for the first time) - very wet and windy!  So proud of myself of doing it and even managed to push ourseleves a little harder.  Still did the 5 and 3 minute combination, but did 8 lots so in total running for over 40 minutes! With one part being for 7.5minutes - which probably isnt alot to you regular runners out there, but for me its a big smiley face!

Next session is Tuesday down on the Swansea front where we are going to push ourselves to 6 minute blocks of running!

Ive challenged Leean that we will do the Race for Life next Sunday in around 35 minutes - or at least thats what we will aim for!  Watch this space! :o)

Session #8 and entry to Race for Life complete

So, this week I've had a bit of a blip as I wasn't able to train on Tuesday (as Stu's car broke down) and Thursday, well, Leean wasn't up for a session and I could have run, but I decided not to!

Session #8 completed this evening on Llanelli Coastal Path.  Now running for 5 minutes (walking for 3) for 5 miles, so we are completing the same distance in less time!  Next session is Sunday along the Swansea front, so we're hoping to do the same combination but for a much further distance of 7 miles!

Somehow, during our session we agreed to register for the Race for Life on 25th July in Swansea!  The 5km is half the distance we do in Llanelli so hopefully it should be fairly reasonable so we are going to challenge ourselves to get it done in a reasonable time! :o)

Anyone reading this who would like to donate to Cancer Research, please visit my online fundraising page:

 http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/nat_reynolds

My forms for the Half Marathon are being handed in on Wednesday! So once the Race for Life is out of the way, I will start collecting for the James Whales Kidney Fund!

Really starting to make progress...

Session #7 done with a bit more progress again!  We started at a further point, went to a further point at the other end PLUS we increased the amount of running time from 4 minutes to 5 minutes - 7.3 miles in total today!!! More than half of a half marathon!

Leean and I are finding that we're finding the breathing easier! And I have to be honest, I'm really enjoying it too!

I'm still looking like a beetroot afterwards but I dont really care!

Application form arrived in the post today to enter into the half marathon, so I'm going to get them completed and return them straight away!  I'm doing this! :o)

New Route & Distance!

Session #6 complete!  Tried out the Swansea Bay front tonight, starting from the Marriott Hotel.  It was fab as it was all flat!

Leean reckoned that it was further than our usual session, and she was right! It certainly was!  Our usual run is 5 miles (with hills) but today was 6 miles!  Thats nearly half of a half marathon!

Leean also reckons that we are running faster too - so I suppose shes right about that too!

Our next session will be Friday afternoon down Llanelli.  I'm sure we'll be doing more runs along the front as it seems to be much easier! 

I've added my routes to the bottom of my blog so people can see the distances we are running!

We have been told that we will need to sign up for the Half Marathon by 12th July (thats Monday!) which means we would  have only done 8 sessions!  I suppose having 8 under our belt is quite good!

Keep jogging!

5 Sessions and counting....

Very slowly starting to make progress with the training!  5 Sessions under my belt and Leean & I reckon that we are running a little faster!  

Currently still doing 4 minutes of running with 3 minutes of walking for approx 6/7 miles this evening (usually 5) on the Llanelli Coastal Path - going to mix it up by doing our session on the Swansea Bay front on Tuesday!  This will hopefully make it a bit easier as there will be less inclines!  We've also discovered that we may not be warming up for long enough so will adjust that too!

So, all in all, going well at the moment!  Simply as we have done 5 sessions.  We've committed to signing up to the half marathon after 13 sessions so in about 4 weeks time!  Here we come! :o)