Training blog

I don't know where to start with 2020! There was a fair bit of change for me on top of the global pandemic. Tom moved in after 12 years together and 2 year married (we like the unconventional approach!), I changed job and Tom retired from professional sport. There have been huge highs and lows. I ran some of the best times in training that I every have and smashed some great sessions. If I'm honest my motivation has been waning recently with the second and third lockdowns - it takes a lot of mental energy to do a crazy-busy job and keep running in the dark, with no races that are likely to go ahead. I'm just trying to take each day at a time and focus less on motivation and more on habit.

Week starting 21st December - 67.91 miles.

Off work this week so lots of sleep and rest. It's amazing how long I want to sleep with blackout blinds, no alarm and some extended time off work - 10 days! I had a really great week of training although my left foot is hurting a bit. I passed 3000 miles for the year this week and I felt really proud that I managed to keep running through all the s**t this year has thrown at us.

Monday 21st

AM Easy 50 minutes 5.97 miles

PM Steady run with strides at the end - I ran with Ben and Ellie which was lovely. Their natural running pace is a bit faster than mine so they dragged me along. 6.58 miles

Tuesday 22nd

Split threshold run - 5 x 5 minutes off 60 seconds with a 5 minute tempo at the end. 7.44 miles

Tom and I took Goose to Highcliffe beach in the afternoon - it was bleak - thick fog but so lovely to be by the sea. Goose had a great time.

Wednesday 23rd

AM 75 minutes easy - Ran with Ellie. Lovely chat and one of my favourite routes. 9.11 miles.

PM Easy 40ish minutes 5.20 miles

We flew to Northern Ireland in the evening, taking as many precautions as possible - lots of alcohol gel, washed our clothes and showered on arrival. We deliberated a lot about going - my parents were desperate to see us and my brother and his family weren't able to go as Wales had gone into lockdown. Honestly, reflecting on that decision, I don't think I can say it was the right one. We didn't see anyone other than my parents and thankfully, thus far, no one has any coronavirus symptoms. It was lovely to be home and to see my mum and dad but it didn't really feel like Christmas without the normal family gatherings.

Thursday 24th

Oregon circuits on the beach with my husband Tom. Tom Craggs has set a few of these sessions recently and they're really fun - a mix of running fairly hard for 200-300m interpreted with squats, plank etc. 5.53 miles

Friday 25th

Very easy run with mum and Tom. Tom went for a swim afterwards in the sea - braver than me! 3.80 miles.

Saturday 26th

AM Gale force winds! Easy run with Tom back and forth along the beach - 8.11 miles.

PM Easy 30 minute run round the coast in the middle of Storm Bella. Good to clear my head.

Sunday 27th

Long run with the last 30-40 minutes picking up the pace.15.21 miles.

Week starting 28th December - 63.49 miles and 3031.9 miles for the year.

A decent week of training but a niggly foot put a bit of a dampener on it.

Flew back to England today. Felt really unmotivated and sad when I got back. Back to work blues!

Monday 28th - 5.45 miles, all easy.

Tuesday 29th

AM Back to work today! Started the day off well with 35 minutes easy in the dark. 4.19 miles

PM 4 x 5 x 30 second hills off 30 seconds jog down the hill. I was so happy that Jo, one of my WADAC teammates, was keen to join. So great to have company for the session. 6.58 miles

Wednesday 30th

Unscheduled rest day - long day at work!

Thursday 31st

Lush run with Ellie before work - 11.04 miles

On call for the next 4 days so an early night for me!

Friday 1st January

AM Easy run along the golf course in the morning. Absolutely freezing but lovely to be out early before the masses. 6.59 miles

PM 4 x 6 minutes with a 2 minute jog. A decent session but my very optimistic Garmin thought it was amazing. 7.98 miles.

Saturday 2nd

Oregon circuits with Ellie in the morning - lovely to catch up!

Sunday 3rd

2 hours today and my foot is hurting again. An optimistic Garmin today again - not sure I quite believe the numbers!

Week starting 4th January - 61.8 miles

Another lockdown beckons. I finally caught up on the the guidelines on Tuesday - no more double runs going forward. That's probably the biggest change for me as I was already in a Tier 4 area since December 26th.

Monday 4th

AM Easy run - 50ish minutes, 5.64miles.

PM S&C session over zoom with Andy for WADAC

Tuesday 5th

AM Easy run in the morning for 40ish minutes. 4.98 miles

PM 5 x 6 minutes (90 seconds) - just proud of myself that I got out after work and got it done! 7.47 miles

Wednesday 6th

Long day at work but got a million layers on and headed out for 75 minutes - 9.13 miles. Started to freeze on the way home so it was a bit slippy and icy.

Thursday 7th

Easy run with my friend Dani - 5.77 miles. Lovely to run with someone else and catch up.

Friday 8th

Oregon circuits with Dani - I love this session because it's so different! 4 x 8 minutes of continuous circuits - 200m runs interspersed with squats, plank variations and lunges. 5.42 miles total.

Saturday 9th

Off road loop with Ellie over St. Catherine's Hill, into Twyford and up Cheesefoot Head. It was lovely to catch up and enjoy a relaxed run. 11.47 miles

Sunday 10th

90 minutes with 30 minutes of 1 minute hard, 2 minutes steady. Dani joined me for the first 45 minutes before I started the speedier stuff. 11.87 miles.

Week starting 11th January - 58.32 miles

A really good week overall. The slightly earlier finish on Thursday meant training in the light - made such a difference to my mood.

Monday 11th

Rest day from running. Andy's S&C session on Zoom in the evening - it was tough - a lot of single leg squats, Romanian dead lift and glute bridges!

Tuesday 12th

Oregon circuits with Dani. He sent me a text in the morning to enquire how we were going to do it as it was raining (Dani is Spanish and suited to warmer climes!). It did mean the ground was wet for glute bridges and press ups and my hands froze on the tarmac. It was really fun. Some children asked their parents 'What are those people doing?!'. I was grateful for the company - at least both of us looked like we were acting strangely! Total 6.34 miles.

Wednesday 13th

10 miles easy before work. On call tonight so no chance of running after work. 10.6 miles total at an easy pace.

Thursday 14th

12km with 10km progression although we ended up running 9.14 miles. I was lecturing in the afternoon over zoom so managed to finish a bit earlier and met Ellie. Really surprised myself!

Friday 15th

Physiotherapy appointment with Michaela McCallum as my foot is still niggly - had some excellent treatment - much better afterwards.

A combined PT and run session. Saw Tom Smith in an isolated carpark to do a socially distanced PT session - really nice to get back to some strength work. Finished and ran to meet my friend Ed for a lovely easy run round the Easton loop. We talked pensions, books we are reading and the usual work stuff. So lovely to see another human outside of work!

Total 8.72 including the jog to PT

Saturday 16th

Session with Dani - 3 x 5 x 1 minute off 30 seconds with 2.5 minutes between sets.

Really pleased with this. I had set my alarm to do this early but felt really tired so had a very slow and gentle start instead. Eventually left at 3.30pm with the bonus that Dani had also had a slow start and was keen to join.

Sunday 17th

Long and muddy run with Ben. Out and back along the South Downs. Gorgeous weather - sunny and crisp and a great chat. The miles and mud flew by. 15.81 miles.