Raising Money For The Cystic Fibrosis Trust
>Monday 28th January 2008 - £1500 Fundraising Target Has Been Hit!!
I woke up this morning still not quite feeling back to my old self so rather than push things, I'm for once being sensible, so I've given myself a couple more day's rest before returning back to training. So fingers crossed I should be back to normal and running again Wednesday Morning.
Still a little disappointed that I'm not able to crack on with the training, I logged onto the internet and took at look at my sponsorship page. I'd set the fundraising target at £1500, I originally set the target to £1000 which was hit on the 9th January 2008. So I'd reset the target to £1500 on the 10th of January 2008.
Yesterday when I checked my page it was sitting at £1430 and today 28th January the £1500 target has been reached, which I'm amazed at, it's only taken 18 days to reach the new target. So a big thank you to each and everyone of you that have sponsored me, or help spread the word, I couldn't have done in on my own.
I'm still going to carry on fundraising the more we are able to raise the better it is, every penny still goes towards The cystic Fibrosis Trust so every penny from now on is a real bonus.
I know that's lot's of you are logging on to keep an eye on the target, I hope that you enjoy the new Training Diary Page, and fingers crossed I shall be running again very soon. Please feel free to leave me messages on the guestbook, I shall read them all xx
>Sunday 27th January 2008 - Still Fighting The Bugs
Still fighting the bug but feeling better in myself today, still have the horrible sore throat but the light headed sicky feeling has gone so fingers crossed that it's only a quick bug and I'll shall be back out running soon.
Today should have been 100 minute run, no way I could have tackled that so no point even thinking or worrying about it.
Some good news though whilst I've been sat at home thinking about the runs I've missed, my fundraising target of £1500.00 is getting close to being hit again yippeeee!!!
It's now sitting at £1430.00 so a big thank you to everybody that has sponsored me, thank you so much for all of your support the whole experience has been like a dream come true for me.
I have been overwhelmed by the support I have received from so many people so thank you for all being a part of making my dream come true.
>Thursday 24th January 2008 - Winter Bug Puts Holt On Training
Just when everything was going so well, the training was all coming together, the runs were feeling quite comfortable, I woke up this morning feeling really, really rough. Today should have been just a 20 minute run.
I hoped that it was just a sore throat, but as I got up and took a look outside at my wind metre (The Willow Tree Opposite), I just knew by the light headed feeling that I really didn't feel well enough to tackle a run this morning.
So I decided the best thing was to dose myself up, give the run a miss this morning and hopefully fingers crossed it would pass pretty quickly.
>Tuesday 22nd January 8.00am - Back To 40 Minute Run
Monday was a rest day which to be honest I was quite glad about as my poor knee's felt quite stiff after the long run on Sunday.
But my prayers were answered when I asked for Monday for the wind to blow a gale and the rain to fall to get it all out of the way for this morning, Tuesday morning which it did.
I woke up and opened my curtains to take a look at my highly technical wind meter, (which in fact is just the willow tree over the road) you can always tell how bad the wind is by if it's waving it's branches around madly, thankfully today they looked pretty calm, so on went my running shoes, the yellow vest and stopwatch and out the door I headed.
As I left my house and headed on my usual route I could tell that my legs still felt a little tired from Sunday, but I was delighted that once I was out in the open there was still no wind.
I only had to dodge a couple of cars this morning, and like Lynne mentioned, I do live out in the sticks, right out in the fens so at least most of the time I can see them coming to jump out of the way in plenty of time, well fingers crossed anyway.
It was a really lovely morning, the sun was low in the sky and there was quite a bite to the air, which to be honest I don't mind at all, it stops you over heating.
Running Tip: for other runners out there, when it's really cold for the first mile you breath quite hard and it can really hurt your chest and give you that horrible taste like you're swallowing blood. I got a scarf from an outdoor shop, which is just a tube of material really with a pull cord toggle on the top, and it's ideal for running, you can pull it up over your nose and mouth, for the first mile when you breath quite hard and then when your breathing settles down, you can just pull it down, it's not to thick so it doesn't get to hot and because of the pull toggle it stays in place where other scarves start to slip and become very hot. Then once you're breathing had settled you don't get that horrible taste or a sore chest.
The first mile I could really feel my legs but to be honest they settled in quicker than I thought, before long I was on my favourite part of the route where there is just the cutest little shetland pony, who gave me a little flick of his tale as I ran past.
Lynne asked when I'm running to I wear an Ipod or anything like that? I don't wear anything like that mainly because I like to keep my ears on the traffic and you never know who might be around. I do a lot of thinking when I'm running, if I've got lots planned for that day, it's an ideal time to plan things and organise things in your mind, and whilst you're thinking the miles just fly so before you know it you're on the final straight.
As I turned the final corner which is about 8 minutes from home, I know I'm on the home straight, I can see people in their windows washing up thinking, who's that mad fool out running this time of the morning, well it's alright because it's only me and yes mad I am but a fool I'm not, I get to start my day with the sun coming up, the birds all starting their day busy hopping around, squirrels zig zagging their way along banks and my good friend the shetland pony giving me a swish of his tale, that's got to be better than the sink.
Feel free to ask me any questions I'll be only to happy to answer them for you, many thanks for taking the time to ready my blog,
>Sunday 20th January 11.00am - Longest Run So Far
Ok so here we go with my first entry into my diary, I've been training for quite a while already so I'll just bring you all upto speed.
I downloaded a training manual from the Flora London Marathon site, which is really easy to understand because believe me, some of them are so complicated you would need to take a degree before even signing up for the marathon.
I've been trying my very best to stick to it, stick to the times, days and only a couple of times work has got in the way so fingers crossed that this program should see me cross the line hopefully, just 3 paces behind my heroine Paula Radcliffe, ha ha I wish, as yes if I do see a puddle in the road at the Marathon I shall be dodging it ha ha.
Just a brief outline about the program, it's five days a week training, two rest days, and Sunday is the really long run days, the weekday runs are around 45-55 min runs.
Well Sunday morning I woke up and for the first time in what seems about eternity the wind was actually quite mild and there wasn't a spot of rain for once. So on went my running shoes, my bright yellow running vest, and my stopwatch and off I headed for what was hopefully fingers crossed to be an 80 minute run, which is about 8 miles.
You can always tell in the first mile how the run is going to go, one run you can feel on top of the world and the next run you can feel like you're never going to make the first mile, but this morning I felt quite good.
I got that first mile under my belt, after the first mile your breathing really starts to settle down, your legs start to relax and then I'm away.
I decided to run a route that I haven't done for ages, and it always amazes me the things that you notice when you're running that you never normally notice, I hadn't realised just ho many new houses had gone up around the villages until this morning.
I run at a pace of about 10 minute miles so looking at my watch I'm able to judge how I'm doing and that I'm on route, It was all going really well, I mean I only nearly got ran over about 4 times in the first 4 miles ha ha
I did get to about 6 and a half miles when somebody actually stopped me and asked me for directions, did they think I honestly looked in any fit state to give directions, I remember mumbling something and then watching them drive off thinking to myself I haven't got a clue where I just sent them ha ha, well that will teach them.
As I hit the 7 mile mark, I had to turn back on myself and it was head wind only for a few minutes but it made be thankful that for once the wind had been on my side and been blowing in the same direction for most of the run.
As I turned the last corner into my road for home it was only then I allowed myself to think, "thank goodness nearly there now" and it amazes me that as soon as you think that to yourself you can go from feeling fine to your legs suddenly starting the "I can't run another step" which just proves what I already knew, running is just a huge mind game with yourself.
But I managed it my 80 minute run, which is about 8 miles, and for the first time I actually said to myself "do you know Maria, I think you might be able to manage this Marathon" because before today I've been thinking to myself, have I bitten off more than I can chew.
And good news, it's a rest day tomorrow, so I shall be laying in bed hoping the wind is blowing a gale and rain is falling getting it all out of the way for Wednesday's Run.
I'm Running The London Marathon For Cystic Fibrosis, please support me by visiting www.justgiving.com/mariafutter and www.runittogether.co.uk
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