Back in the sand pit.

Yesterday, Sarah and I arrived back in Dubai after a great summer traveling around and seeing family and friends. We spent so much time with Jack, it was great and we loved every minute. The flight was an overnighter, it was good on the whole, but you never really feel great after 12 odd hours of traveling and we didn't get much sleep on the plane. All our bags (and the bike!) arrived fine, even though we had loads more stuff than we flew back to the UK with. So much so, that we had to pay £90 extra for the extra luggage in London, whoops! One of the best things about being back in Dubai is the weather I mean the weather on the way to Heathrow was awful rain, rain, we won't be seeing that for another 4months!

This morning, while I was still knackered, I met up with some of the guys from the team and rode for 100km with Wolfies Friday ride and then we ran for an easy 4km afterwards. It was great to see them all, but I struggled in the heat and I could tell that I'd been in Europe for the summer. Still I'm sure that its not going to take too long to get up scratch.



The picture above is Clint and Janey's tortoise. Clint is one of the guys I train with and his on the team. He recently raced in the Philippines Ironman 70.3, where he won his age group. The guy did super good, well done Clint, top marks and he certainly would have beaten this wee tortoise.

I'm looking forward to the coming month, I'm back on training plan and I know it'll include some gym sessions (which I was going to do extra) and a possibility of looking for a big hit out in the Dubai marathon in January - a sub 3hour crack pre-IMSA. I'm also really looking at my diet with Sarah. We are both looking kill some weight and lean down hugely before for Xmas in prep for the big sessions in the new year and IMSA. We both feel that if we both do it, it'll make it easier for for us rather than trying to lean down individually, which is always going to be difficult.

Right talking of food I'm to have some tea.

Be safe,

Ed

Just a quick picture of the bike for you.

Bike porn! :-)

Glass of red wine anyone?

It almost been 5 days since the summer challenge 100miler and I Sarah and I have been up north to see friends and we had a great time, but I have to admit that I'm ready to go home now back to the sandpit and back to training. I've had a fair bit of wine, red wine which has been beautiful, as I missed it back home and I've really enjoyed having a couple of glasses from time to time.

A number of the team have raced throughout the summer and it's been great to hear how they got on from London tri to Swanage tri, tri2aspire has raced throughout the UK. I'd like to wish good luck to my good friend Clint and training partner, who is racing this weekend in the Philippines Ironman 70.3, good luck mate. We'll keep our finger crossed you qualify.

Good luck mate.

I'm ready to get back into some real training now, none of this unstructured stuff. I'm looking forward to getting back on programme, some sun, smooth roads and going for runs where people don't give you advice on running like Forest Gump.


The worst thing about this mind, is that once again we say bye to Jack. He's been with us for pretty much all the summer and I think to honest that this is the last time that we have him with us like this. We've been all over the UK and I just don't think it's fair on him, just as he thinks he's with us again we bugger off back to the desert, poor lad. So I think, however much it hurts, from now on he'll just stay with my Mum and Dad when we come back. We can just make a huge fuss of him there instead.

Love you Jack x

Ed

Day 6 - Challenge 100, done.

I started with these legs, so I'll finish with 'em too.

When I started this challenge I started it for one reason. When I first started running properly about 5 five years ago I used read these crazy articles a out Paula Radcliffe running 100miles a week in training etc. I thought 'Jesus, how the hell does she do that?'

Well, a load of Ironman races down the line and a whole load of training, I still never could really imagine what it was like to run that far in training in a week. So I decided that as it was my off season, I could give this a real crack. Go back 6 days and I was standing on the drive of 34 Enfield Avenue, New Waltham, Grimsby ready to get started. If I'm honest with you, it was hard mentally and physically, my legs are now shot for a day or two and I'm I'm looking forward to some down time this week with Sarah and Jack, as we're popping up to Northumberland to celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary.

Today was hard going, this morning was 20km very slow at just over 5min/km pace and, then this evening I finished off with just under 5min/km pace, so all in all I'm over the moon with the week and how it's gone. There are a couple of things which have come from doing this challenge, Firstly, me 'BIG' toe, which I've had real trouble with over the last two years has been fine, no worries at all, which is great. Secondly, I always find how amazing all these challenges/race I do are mostly in the head. Most of the people I have raced against are way faster/fitter than me, but I do believe that I'm mentally stronger than most, why? I don't know, but it seems to be the case.

Over the the six days a couple of this things happened, what with Mr Shuffle passing onto the machine heaven and several visits to peoples houses on road trips that were organised prechallenge, but there was one thing that I kept on thinking about during each of my runs. That was my old pal Jonathan Peel, who passed away 2 years ago whilst on a run in Wiltshire, leaving his young family. The guy was one of the best you could meet, he was happy, always with a 'Chrissie Wellington' smile and he never had anything bad to say about anyone, also he was a huge geek with the biggest heart ever. There a are so many people out there who miss him everyday and for that very reason this challenge is dedicated to him.

Jonathan Peel RIP


Just finished!

Be safe as always,

Ed

Day 5 - 15km up hill, 21km after dark, only 35km to go.

No music, with only my thoughts to run with me, today was always going to be hard, however the first run of the day was up the only hill in Beverley, Yorks all 7.5km out and then 7.5km back (which was down hill). This was hard and I have to admit that my legs are now starting to to give me some cheek for the abuse they have received over the last 5 days. The new total is 125km done in 5 days, I've only 35km to reach the total of 160km and finish the goal of running 100miles in 6 days with a rest day (Monday).

My second run of the day was done after dark and running down the seafront, I got some lovely comments like 'run forest!' and 'c'on legs eleven!' all very original and thanks. My left achilles is extremely sore and I am using my skins to sleep in tonight and I've popped the anti-flams, hoping I've not done something silly, but the session this morning up the hill was hard, so I'm keeping everything crossed. I originally only went out to run 15km, but I thought I'd try to bag the planned 21km, as I really wanted set on task. I have to admit it took all my mental strength to do so, but I'm really happy I did as it will make tomorrow a lot easier hopefully!


I'm looking forward to a couple of these once I've done this challenge.

Right I'm off to sleep, because I'm knackered, this time tomorrow I would have done this silly challenge, only 35km to go!

Here's to a steady 35km tomorrow.

Ed

Day 4 - it's only 15km, but I'm not really that interested and the Shuffle is dead, RIP Mr Shuffle.

Cleethorpes Seafront - I run along here loads.

This one was only 15km, but I really couldn't be bothered. The whole idea seemed to be a pain in the arse and I really just wanted to relax, as we had been traveling a fair bit, it was raining hard, my Ipod had broke and we were also popping up to Sarah Sister-in-law in Beverley that evening, however I ground out 15km all sub 5min, got home, showered, jumped in the car and drove off for a lovely evening in Yorkie land.

RIP Mr Ipod Shuffle,

Ed

:-)

Day 3 - How straight can I go?!!! 30km in the bag, 75km done 85km to go.

The run out - flat!


The run back - as flat!

These session were quite hard, we were staying at my MUm and Dad's and then we moved onto my sisters for the evening, so I was running in areas I really didn't know. I normally enjoy doing this as you get to see different things, but as you can see from photos there really wasn't that much to see, as the roads were so straight and the countryside was as flat as pancake! The first run I did was 16km out to a river and then I ran ran later in the day for 14km to make up the 30km I wanted to high for the total. On this run I was averaging 4.07min/km and the last km I did a in 3.25min.

My body is holding up well, especially my right foot, which I've had problems in the past so fingers crossed it stays that way!

Run safe.

Ed

Day 2 - only 15km done, another 115km to go.

Oh this was a crap run, trust me, I really didn't enjoy it at all, I started early and I'd had a rubbish nights sleep, after waking up feeling hungary. I had a quick breakie and rushed straight out, as Sarah and I were traveling down to see my Mum and Dad. After about 6km I was bloody struggling, my foot was hurting and I was bonking big style. I just couldn't believe it, after running well the day before I was really thinking I was going to have to walk for a bit, eh? No chance!

You've got to be joking! I slowed my pace down, took stock and just carried on. This sort of thing can happen in a race, so you've got to be prepared and the only way to prepare is to do it in training. So, that's it for today no more running. I'm resting my foot too, as it's a little sore too, as are my legs, but they'll be fine. My shuffle also decided to play me up a bit. I've got another one off ebay coming, so hopefully that should with me before we travel back to Duabai.

So tomorrow, in order to keep to the plan for the week I've got 12km and a 15km run to do for things and then in the evening. We're staying with my sister Emma tomorrow, so it'll be nice to catch up with her and her family.

Be safe, as always.

Ed

Day 1, 2 lots of 15km

Today I've ran 15km twice, once this afternoon and then this evening. Both times I've felt pretty good, although the first set I had a difficult patch around the 10km marker for reason, maybe because I was being a girl. The first set I averaged 5:03min/km pace and then second set was 4:36min/km, so at a steady rate throughout both runs to be honest. So it's 30km down and another 130km to go this week. I love a good challenge and this is just what I needed to get back into the training and running swing of things.

Run hard,

Ed

Challenge Summer 2010 - Running a hundred miles in 7 days!

It's been a couple of weeks since Challenge Roth and I've decided after getting back into to all I'd decided to set myself a challenge, to run 100miles in a week (7 days, if you don't know what a week is). Oh yea, and I don't just want to plod this out, I'll keep up at at 12/14kmph or faster.

I'll update the blog each day, as I go a long, but it's just a bit of fun to keep me training till I go back on programme again from coach pain.

Run hard (well at least for this week).

Ed

Time off, food, drink and then back to running.

I've a couple of weeks of training and it was lust, but I have to admit that I did miss it. What I didn't miss was the daily grind of needing to do something, either run, bike or swim. I do however, feel that I put on weight and I know that it was under the coaches orders, but I just wasn't too happy with it, to be fair. So pretty early on I got back into my running and I have to say I've really enjoyed it.

A couple of days ago I popped across to the Planet X head offices in Sheffield to have a look around the showroom and to take my rear wheel into have my Powertap fitted. It was a funny trip to be honest, it was all a bit odd there (some of the people), however on my second trip there the day after to pick the wheel up they were completely different towards to me.

The showroom is quite cool, with all their bikes on display. I've spotted a road bike I'd like to get my hands on, so lets see what the new season will bring. If this is what PX is like I'd love to see one of the big European companies are like like Look or maybe what Trek is like, the mind spins it really does.

I'm really looking forward to the new season of training. Sarah and I are going to try a new diet to lose some weight ready for the new season, so It will be interesting to see how that works. I'm enjoying life back in the UK at the mo, but then when we gat back to Dubai is when the real work start again, so I'd like to enjoy this time for now. I'm running loads at the mo, about 150km a week and I'm really enjoying it, hopefully this will help me once I get back to structured training.

Right I'm off to bed, I've got Sarah's foster brother, Jamie and Becky's wedding tomorrow and I'm looking forward to a couple of cheeky ones with all the family ;-)

Train safely as always,

Ed