Club run and pre-weekend frenzy

This weekend we're off to Callander for the annual Garscube Harriers' training weekend. I say training in the loosest way possible. It's usually a bit of a messy affair. There's traditionally a lot of late boozing, a Singstar competition and very dodgy morning runs. Actually one year I was so ill, I pretended I had a stop to tie my lace...waited until everyone was out of view and went back to bed.

This year I'll need to be a little more sensible. Not only will be have Cairn on tow, but Coach Lesley will be there to keep us line. Plus, I've probably been drinking too much for a gal who's supposed to be exclusively breastfeeding. There seems to be more bottles being introduced. Bottles of wine for me. And bottles of formula milk for Cairn. Thankfully Cairn - like Sonic - doesn't mind where his food comes from. As long as it's frequent and in abundance. I swear he would suck milk off a dirty cloth. Cairn that is, not Sonic.

So I've had two girlie nights with my Sis and Sharon, which have ended less than graceful. And I was at the Scottish Press Awards at the Radisson last week: In a dress, with make-up, lady shoes and a very, very small bag. It felt a little strange going out with light luggage. Anyway like all awards ceremonies, there were a lot of audience quiet moments, which unfortunately meant too much of the complimentary wine was consumed. I did laugh when the invite said the bar would be open until 3am. I'm pretty well-known for my inability to function after 10pm. The only way I would see 3am is if I needed a pee of a pillow fluff-up. I did think 11.30 would be do-able though. But I texted Sonic at 10.30pm asking if he would come and pick me up as I was "tipsy and tired". In reality I descended the marble staircase like I'd just been shot. I probably only had the equivalent of 3/4 glasses of wine - which were diluted with soda - but I gibbered utter p*sh all the way home and suffered from the wrath of the grape on Friday. Every time I half-heatedly sign the pledge never to drink wine again, but it's just too good. Pity the love is unrequited.

Anyway. Running. Let's talk about running. This evening I went out with the club. Not without precise planning though. I meet Sonic at his office and picked up his gear, whilst he went on a six mile run up to Bearsden. I drove up to the club, feed Cairn and then handed the parental duties over to Sonic. Reminding him not to throw him in the air as he's only three months old. Sometimes is best not to know what they get up to. When I came back from my run on Tuesday, Sonic excitedly informed me: "Look! He's eating banana". Help me, Boab.

I'm digressing again. Tonight's run was an "out and back". The plan was to run out (along the f-king canal!!) for 25 minutes and then turn and run the same distance back in the same time. It's supposed to be about even pacing, but I felt pretty rubbish when I set out, so I did the return journey in 22:50. I was tempted to hide behind a tree and spare the wrath of Coach Lesley, but I was willing it to be over. I only averaged 8:30m/m as I felt my legs were so stiff and heavy. I might need to reintroduce speed work sooner than planned.

Enough about him. It's all about me!

Apart from running about after Sonic (and not just on the WHW) I have been pounding the streets myself. I'm nearly up to 30 miles per week. Woohoo, ho'd me back. I've had some cracking 10 mile runs. And a 14-miler that nearly cracked me. Every run gets better and faster. The fact that I'm getting lighter (down to 8st 6lbs)has really helped. I definitely feel lighter on my feet. Still a wee bit to go until I feel comfortable in my pre-preggers jeans, but definitely moving in the right direction. I suppose three months on, I can't use the baby weight as an excuse. Especially when the baby weight is sitting in his Bumbo watching BBC news right now. Strange kid, I know.

I've been using a 10-mile route on the Balloch Horseshoe to gage how things are going. Before I was preggers (and the week after London marathon) I completed the run in 1:22. At the end of March I did it in 1:35, which I thought was good until I came back at looked up my previous time. Last week I ran with Sara in 1:35 and on Sunday I ran myself in 1:24. So I'm getting there.

I still haven't done any speed work. I'm going to wait until Mid-May and after the Ladies 10K. Then I'll be in serious training for the Devils race in August. I have no idea how I will get on in the 10K. And to be fair, I'm not really that bothered. The only reason I'm running it is because it was my first race way back in 2002 and I would like to complete it every year. If I got under 50 minutes I would be absolutely delighted. But I would be happy with anything under 55. Although I did the Paisley 10K at five months pregnant in 54 minutes, so I would have to have a serious word with myself if it was anything slower. I'll be shelving my 2008 goal of a sub:45 for another year, I think.

Although I think I'm doing OK, I would like to mention my crazy blog buddy Natalie, who ran the Boston Marathon in 4:21 - 10 weeks after having her baby son. That's four minutes faster than my first marathon. Well done, Natalie.



Congratulations to everyone who ran the London Marathon at the weekend. Special congrats to Paul (Brother Sonic) who ran after being injured for three weeks, Athole who ran a stormer in 3:05 and Coach Lesley. We came home on Sunday - with no radio, mobiles or news updates - only to discover the Skybox had crashed :-( It was quite sad to watch the marathon on TV. I ran London in 2004, 2005, 2006 (2007 I did Paris Marathon) and 2008. I've got a guaranteed place for next year, after getting 3:31:00 in 2008, so I might go back and give it another bash. But again, it's on the same weekend as the Fling, so I'm torn.

Anyway, I forgot to mention the most amazing athletic performance of the month. Forget Usain Bolt, you should have seen Dr Crazy German sprint across the carpark when a certain Mr Bragg was in need to some painkillers. Wow I've never seen a burd move so fast :-) We're both running the Devil's this year. I hope we don't have the same competitive rivalry as our husbands, or I'm in serious trouble :-) :-)

Highland Fling pictures

Click here

Dave - you might want to click, click, click.

Sonic's Fling in the Highlands

My wise pre-race words to Sonic were: "Run your own race and ignore everyone else. If you don't get the time you're after, you can say whatever you want at the end: You got injured, you blew up, ran out of energy..anything. Just do not tell me you went off to fast". Now anyone who knows Sonic, will probably be chuckling at my ambitious advice. Especially when six miles into the 53 miles, he appeared on the horizon right on the shoulder of the course record-holder and North Face sponsored ultra-human, ultra running, Jez Bragg. I was rolling my eyes so much, it took me nearly an hour to regain focus.



And, surprise, surprise, 12 miles on at the first check-point in Drymen he was still in hot pursuit. Even one of my "LOOKS" didn't dampen his sprits, as he was off bounding down the track like a Labrador that had been let out a car.

Needless to say, 20 miles in, his arrival at Balmaha was somewhat less jovial. He was 20 minutes ahead of schedule, but still in good form. Sonic must be the easiest runner in the world to support. All he fuels on is energy drink and gels. Throw in the odd jelly baby and sandwich and my job is pretty simple. So other than the fact it takes me almost as long to drive as it does to run, I had loads of time to chat, cheer and take pictures.

Because of the staggered start - females and vets start at 6am and the rest start at 7am - there was plenty of action and support teams about. It did get a bit confusing trying to work out the runner's postitions though.

Sonic was still 15 minutes ahead of schedule at Rowardennan and still looking fit. He set off on the 14 miles of the Lochside, whilst I started the journey of driving round to the other side - which can take up to an hour and a half. Although runner's always moan about the Lochside, I think the support teams get the short straw.

Watching runners appear over the bridge at Beinglas Farm is like watching the Dawn of the Dead. The lochside is notorious for zapping every ounce of life out of you. What's worse is that hitting the top of the Loch is like almost the end, but in reality there's another 12 miles of very undulating (f-ing hilly) terrain to battle.



Sonic appeared in Beinglas looking very white, after losing all the time he'd gained in the first section. He was still on target for his race goal of 8:25, but was in danger of losing it. Especially as his knee was throbbing and the girls were trying to get him to take a seat - and I was pulling him off it and telling him to get a move on. I know, I'm a bad bitch, but I only had his best interests at heart.

I stopped at the A82 about four miles along. I really hate this support point. I always feel slightly queasy stopping and getting out the car, whilst cars are flying passed at 60/70/80 miles an hour. It's a pretty straight road, so drivers really put the foot down and motorcycles dice with death. You can imagine how far my jaw dropped when I saw another support team doing a three-point-turn. WTF??

After I packed up my bag of goodies and put Cairn in his baby carrier (which is almost an operation) I headed down to the track with kathy and Silke - Dr Crazy German and wife of Sonic's biggest "friendly" rival, Tom the Crazy German. Sonic had stayed ahead of the Crazy German all day, but I knew when he appeared first my weekend was in danger of going t*ts up. Thankfully I was entertained by the Crazy Germans shouting at each other in their Mother tongue and throwing sparkling mineral water everywhere. What a diva you are Tom :-) Most people would happily cool off with some tap water. But no, not you.

Sonic arrived soon after. Walking. Of course the only thing he requested was the only thing I hadn't dragged down to the trail, his road shoes. So off I scrambled running through the tunnel and up the steps - with Cairn strapped to my front and a bag of food on my shoulder. After shouting at Sonic to change is shoes faster and stop sulking about "everyone passing" - everyone being the Crazy German - I gave him a knee strap handful of grapes and pushed him onwards.

My last support stop was to be the Wigwams, which is about 2-3 miles from the finish. I drove along to the finish in the hope of seeing the winners crossing the line, but I was too late. Jez had broken his own record and finished in 7:19. Now you can understand my previous angst.

Back at the farm I met up with Mrs JK, the long suffering wife and support of, obviously, JK. Although he was still on for a storming time, he wasn't his usual cheery self. As previously mentioned, I'm convinced little birds dress JK in the morning. But what was this? Could he have been close to spitting the dummy? :-)

After sharon went blazing through to secure a fabulous third place, I was willing Sonic to appear so I could get to the end to see her finish. I didn't have to wait for long as he came jogging/hopping down the trail in a much healthier state than the last time I saw him.



So back in the car, it was nearly over. And I was bloody exhausted. Between getting up at 4am, driving, supporting and looking after a three month old baby, I barely had time to stop let alone eat or drink anything.

Sharon finished third lady in a fabulous time of 9hr 41. And still smiling. As she had to leave, I got to pick up her prize - much to the confusion of many spectators.



Sonic finished in 8h:52. 15th position out of 242. Although he seemed quite dissapointed, I was totally over the moon for him. And to be fair if he knew that was going to be his time before the race, he would have been delighted with that. No guesses as to what he said his race faults were :-) I could say, he's just a boy at a bad age, but his plans for sorting out his race strategy was short-lived. On the way home he was still analysing the top runner's pace and splits. With he learn in time for the big race in June? Stop shaking your head. I've got eight weeks to drum it into him...

...in one ear and out of the other

But at least Sonic and the Crazy Germans are still pals. Although it looks like Sonic was off to drown his sorrows.



Big huge congratulations to everyone who ran, supported, organised and marshalled such a fabulous race.

Safari run

Well, Sara, where do I start? My closing words to Sara when we completed a 12 mile trail run was: "at least I'll have something to blog about".

It started before I'd even laced up my shoes. My original plan was to run with the Millies, but Sonic had booked a sports massage and wouldn't be home in time for their kick-off time.

The Pacepushers were going to join us, but they decided on WHW run. Sonic was hoping to have an Xbox evening the Pacepusher though. So Sara I planned our own run starting at 6.30pm. Sara, notorious for her tardiness, was on time. Sonic, also notorious for his tardiness, wasn't. It was closer to 7pm when we embarked on our journey over Stoneymollan to Cardross. All was going well. It was a nice clear evening, so the views over Loch Lomond were amazing. After heading through Cardross we turned onto the farm tracks to take the off-road route to Renton. I had just warned Sara about the evil sheepdog, when said evil sheepdog and two of his equally evil pals appeared. We tinkered about for about 10 minutes, but there was no way they were letting us passed. As previously mentioned, I'm not very good with dogs, so I wasn't going anywhere. The dogs were down on their front legs trying to chase us back down the track - and I was taking the hint. Then we saw the farmer coming up the road in his tractor. After what seemed like eternity he approach and we cowardly asked if he could help us passed. God, if felt about five years old. He seemed suitably unimpressed with us, but admitted they were "quite fierce". After we made it through we were half expecting the farmer to set them after us, so we were up the hill in record time.

Five minutes later we were surrounded by cows. Sara's a farmer's daughter so she stomped on through - with me attached to her. Despite my love of the great outdoors, I'm still convinced that all coos are bulls. One day I'll know the difference. Why do animals that bloody HUGE cower away from humans? I bet there's a story of a cow who killed a human. I'll google it later.

We passed through the last farm pretty much drama free. I was slightly nervous as the last time I was on the route a manic dog came flying out from no where.

Back on the tarmac, a mile from the main road, I thought we were on the home straight. But no safari would be complete without some neds (that's undesirable young men to my international readers!). Except these were neds with a difference. They stopped their car and asked us if we'd seen two Rottweilers. WTF?? After a series to "you're joking"/"we're not joking" they informed us that the dogs had got out of the North Lodge, as someone had left the gates open. I was totally expected them to start laughing, but they remained poker-faced. I knew the dogs they were talking about, as I'm generally terrified just walking passed the lodge gates. They are mental. The electric gates, complete with CCTV, are about 10" from the ground, so you can see the dogs growling and foaming at the mouth as they try to get free to kill you. The always remind me of Fluffy from Harry Potter. But the neds informed us: "don't worry, they're pets". I know, it keeps getting better.



We were about 70% convinced it was a wind up, but we were obviously super cautious and super terrified. Thankfully I came up with an SAS-style plan. "Right, if the dogs appear, we should cuddle each other and hide our faces. Best not to run". WTF! Where do I get my stuff from? Even super-nice Sara looked like she wanted to push me off the hill. Note to self: Look up what to do in a dog attack.

Back on the main road, we passed the Lodge. They gates were closed, but there was no sign of the dogs. Was it a wind up?? The only things that made me think otherwise was the fact the neds-in-car literally came round the corner and stopped to ask. It wasn't like the saw us coming and thought it would be a laugh. Plus, they didn't laugh. And they drove away really slowly. And the dogs actually exist.

We completed the last two miles a bit shocked and slightly battered. Think I'll shelve that route for a while.

Little Sonic on Conic

A little jaunt up Conic Hill is becoming a bit of a bank holiday tradition. This time we had Cairn - enjoying his first hill walk. Well at least it was his first hill walk in the outside world. He was so underwhelmed by it all, he practically slept the whole journey.





The Bank Holiday Conic Hill dash is becoming a tradition for Team Kynaston too, as we bumped into them en route - for the third time. We're not stalking you. Honest!

I'm looking for a half marathon in June/July. Most of them seem to be on June 21, which are out because of the WHW race. I'm contemplating Girvan or Stonehaven halfs. Has anyone done either or have any suggestions for alternatives?

Back on the Way. Wayhay!!

Today was my first run on the West Highland Way since last June. I was so excited and geared up for it. Sonic wanted to run this morning too, so it involved some planning. He had to go first, as I've got to feed Cairn. Plus, we both needed to start sharp as we were going to my Mum's for an Easter feast.

Sonic drove over to Milngavie, left his car and ran the 19 miles to Balmaha. Click here to read all about it. I thought running back that distance on that terrain was a bit much, so took the fairy option and started at Drymen. I would have preferred to have run more than the 12.25 miles, but there isn't really a cut-off point between the two sections.

I had a bit of a stop/start first few miles. I had to stop to adjust my backpack, tie my laces, take off my extra layers, pack my gloves away and fix my ponytail as my cap kept blowing off. Then I needed a comfort stop and couldn't get the tier on my tights undone. My pelvic floor is not what it used to be, so it got quite frantic :-) Finally I was off and settled into a steady run. I wasn't particularly bothered about pace. My main aim was to run the whole way and just enjoy it.

As I started at 10am and was going in the opposite direction to the walkers, I got quite annoyed having to acknowledge everyone I passed. Not annoyed enough to turn into one of those rude runners who totally ignore everyone though.

I quite surprised by some of the changes on the route. The tree clearings, flattening some of the rocky track and knocking down historic stone-built walls and replacing them with steel gates. WTF? John posted some pictures on his blog. Granted, sometimes the stiles were quite tricky, but they were an iconic part of the trail. As usual it's health and safety gone mad. There will be handrails, chairlifts and wheelchair access before we know it. Although I feel for the those living in the houses next to the new gates. They poor folks will have to hear the gates slam shut 175 times during race night.

After I got over the disgust of the changes near Carbeth, I was heading into the unleashed dog territory of Mugdock Park, so that was something else for me to whine about. I'm never quite sure of dogs, especially the big hyper ones. One came bounding towards me and the owner shouted: "Don't worry, he might jump all over you, but he won't bite". I had a overwhelming urge to throw something at him. I've vowed never to run through Mugdock again. Famous last words.

I finished the run in 2:07, which I was quite pleased with. At no point did I feel knackered or breathless. I ran up all the hills and finished feeling really strong and could have taken on more.

I'm going to do a 12 mile trail run on Tuesday night, club on Thursday and then try for 16/17 miles next weekend.

Two runners + a baby

A combination that requires military precision and planning. But to be fair it's been a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I envisaged Sonic and I bickering about who's turn it was to go running, but it's been pretty smooth. Sonic's lunchtime training group "with the fast boys" frees up the evenings for me. And Mama Sonic kindly volunteered her grandmother services so we can both go to club training on a Thursday. Perfect. The weekends usual take a bit of planning. Especially with Sonic's high mileage - and his inability to carry anything more than a Lucozade bottle and a gel :-) - has meant that Cairn and I had have spent a fair bit of time following him along the West Highland Way. Poor kid definitely got the short straw when choosing his 'rents.

Well it's been all go...

Last weekend we were at Center Parcs for four days, which was great. Sonic had organised it as a surprise for my birthday, but Mr Center Parcs posted the booking pack in a clear envelope. Doh! We had a fabulous time. The weather was sunny, but cold. It was nice to go for little jogs (one in, one out), long walks and nice dinners. We took Cairn to the swimming pool, which he seemed totally unfazed about. He was more interested in what was going on around him. It will be great to go back next year, when Cairn's a bit older. And I can take the baby jogger :-)







On Monday, when we got back, I went for a easy 3.5m run. On Tuesday night, I went out with our local running club, Milburn Harriers. They were planning a 12 mile trail run, a bit of a step up from my ONE 10 mile road run. I thought I'd give it a bash. After all Dario assured me my legs would remember the distance :-) So off I went with Davie and four of his buddies - who referred to him as TomTom. Davie took us on a fabulous tour of the local countryside. I'm a self-confessed stuck-in-my-ways runner, and don't tend to venture off my ol' faithful routes. I like to know where I'm going and how long it is. Sonic, on the other hand, is very much an off the cuff route master. I was a bit sceptical of Davie's intentions and navigation when we were apologising to farmers, climbing fences (not Davie's forte) and stomping through water-logged grass, but I had a great time. As suspected, I HAD bitten off more than I could chew, as I arrived home completely broken. I walked through the door like I'd lost my horse. My hamstrings were in tatters. But, thankfully, I was as right as rain the next day. I can't be as unfit as I thought I was.

My legs were a bit rusty for Thursday's seven-mile club run, but I plodded round the undulating route with Sara. I'm a firm believer that how you handle hills suggests how fit you are. Although it's getting better, hills remind me that I need to fit in some speed work.

Today, I was feeling a little delicate after drinking too much wine and analysing the world with Sharon and my Sis, so there was no running for me. I took my niece and mini-me, Beth, along to participate in her first fun run. I didn't want to be the pushy Auntie, but she was really excited about it. Actually she spent half an hour before the start, racing the boys up and down the carpark to see who was the fastest. She wasn't quite grasping that she was using up all her energy. Anyway we've got a mini endurance runner in the making. All the kids sprinted off at the start, but Beth ran the whole 1.5 miles without stopping. She was smiling and waving when she crossed the finishing line and was running about five minutes later. Everyone came up to tell me how well she had done and what a great wee runner she was. I was as proud as punch. She's desperate to do another race...so watch this space.

It's a running blog after all

So I best chat blogging about running. Just in case you think the depths of my exercise regime is limited to pressing buttons on cameras, here's a summary of what I've been up to.

Monday: 8 mile walk. 3.5 mile run with step reps. Found a cracking steep, stepped path over by Strathleven. Did eight reps of about 45 second turn around.

Tuesday: Not much today. Had to take my car to the garage to get new tyres (they had actually gone beyond the dangerously bald stage) and then Cairn has his first immunisations in the afternoon. He was pretty hot and grumpy, so I didn't want to leave him.

Wednesday: 5 miles over hills whilst my Sis enjoyed some bonding time with her nephew. Then I went for a 3 (ish) mile walk with my Sis. I bought a pedometer a few weeks ago and I aim to do at least 10,000 steps a day - not including running.

Thursday: 10 mile walk over the Balloch Horseshoe. It was very windy today. Pushing a buggy against gale force winds, is like trying to roll a boulder up a hill. It's a good workout for the arms and calves, that's for sure. The weather forecast was for heavy rain, but we were blessed with sunshine. The rain started as soon as we got home.

Friday: The weather was awful (notice the pattern here?) so we went to Braehead. Got my 10,000 steps walking round the shops. I'm not sure whether that's desperate or genius :-) In the evening I did a 3.5 mile easy run.

Saturday: This run was part of my upping-the-mileage plan. The most I have run is seven miles, so moving up to 10 was a bit of a jump. I choose the undulating (f-king hilly) route round the Balloch Horseshoe.

I forgot to mention in previous posts that I had a one-to-one session (stop chuckling) with personal trainer extraordinaire, Dario. He showed me a few moves to shift my mummy tummy (or mummy belly as Sonic called it!) and generally tone up using a gym ball and resistence bands. I know Dario sometimes reads this blog, so I best be careful what I say. Lets just say I haven't been as dedicated as I should be. The heart's willing but the body aint. Dario's coming back in a couple of weeks, so I best stop pretending I use it for more than sitting on to watch TV. The best thing about the gym is that is seems to roll about and get in Sonic's way :-) :-)

Some Flip videos

Cairn's first kilt

I'm lovin' my new Flip Mino. It's so easy to use - I didn't need to read the instructions. It's so light, I actually thought the box was empty. And I can just plug it into my computer and email or post on the net, without having to save or faff around. In summary, it's brilliant. And much cheapness too. I got it on Amazon for £100.

Anyway, I'll post some videos soon. But in the meantime, here's some pics of my boy in his kilt for Rob and Kas' wedding party at the weekend.




(thanks for the pictures, Anita)

Back on track

Given how accident prone I am, you'd be forgiven in thinking I'd been hit by a bus. Fear not, I'm still here. And everything has been going well.

I've always said I'm a firm believer that everything happens for reason. Getting injured when I started out too quicker, was the best thing that could happen. I started running again two weeks ago - after two weeks off - and feel much better for it. My body feels stronger, fitter and totally ready to get back into training. I haven't started any speed work, as putting too much pressure on myself was what set me back.

I've been running 5-6 miles every other day. I haven't bothered about pace, but I've been averaging 9m/m and just enjoying it. Losing a few pounds has made a huge difference and I feel like my lungs have doubled in size. Maybe that's why having babies makes women better runners? :-)

My plan is to start introducing some long reps and tempos and gradually increasing my mileage. Seven weeks until the Glasgow Women's 10K and over four weeks until I have to take on the 43m Devils race. Yikes! Not much of a jump, eh.

I've got a new toy to play with - a Flip Mino video camera. It's a really nifty wee gadget. So light and easy to use. So you can expect lots of video posts soon.



I plan on catching up with everyone's blogs over the next couple of days. I've lost count of the amount of times I said "I just don't know where time goes".

Happy belated Mother's Day to all you Mommys out there.

I think someone's trying to tell me something...

Cairn had his first visit to the baby clinic on Thursday - for his six week check-up. All is very and the doc commented on how alert and happy chappy. He also said he has a "tall and lean" frame. That's definitely a Consani trait, as I come from a long line of midgets. I told him he's going to be a great runner, as he's a thoroughbred after all :-) The doc is a cyclist so tutted and informed me that cycling is best as "you can take in the world at the speed it should be enjoyed". I retorted by saying that cycling is what I do when I am a) injured b) commuting or c) enjoying a nice summer's day.

So, given that I am a)injured I had to dip in to my alternative exercise reserves and get back on the saddle. As it was quite chilly this morning I put on my long tights, jacket and gloves. After a collision with a wall a few years ago, which resulted in five clips in my head, I tend to wear a helmet when I'm on my bike. My sensible safety and clothing attire was a wise choice, as four miles along my route I ended up splattered on the middle of the road.

I was making my way up a hill on Bonhill Road, when I noticed a car approaching the junction on the left. I was slightly cautious as a car came out in front of me at the same spot last week, just missing me. I was sure the driver hadn't seen me, so I slowed down as I crossed. Unfortutunately he didn't slow down and to make matters worse, cut the corner...and smashed into my bike. I was thrown backwards and he took my bike with him.

So there I was flat on my back on the middle of a busy road. I could hear commotion round about me, but I think I was too stunned to move. Two women in a passing car rushed over to help me and the chap who hit me was standing over me practically crying and shaking. Possibly because he realised he'd hit a cyclist as a policecar was coming round the bend. Doh! I tried to get up but one of the policeman made me stay down and called an ambulance. The other stood in the road directing the gawking traffic. OMG I was mortified. I knew I'd have some cracking bruises, but I wasn't at death's door.

After I was checked over by the paramedics, I was safe to go. My legs had taken a bit of a bashing. Sod's law, my knees took the brunt of it. But my bike it totally mangled. Sonic came to pick me up, but the paramedics took my bike home in their ambulance. You can imagine the curtain-twitching on my street :-)

My knees are black and blue, but I was so thankful my skin was covered and I was wearing a helmet. Bet the driver is too - as he's been charged with careless driving. I told the policeman I didn't want him to be charged - accident's happen - but apparently I don't have a say in that.

So, running's out, my bike is in bits, the weather is too rubbish for walking and the local swimming pool closes at 6pm...do you think someone is trying to tell me something?

Next weekly round up.

Eh, nothing. Yep, nothing. So much for my great come back. Two weeks in and I'm out already. As briefly mentioned in my last post, my knees are goosed. To move, to touch and to bend. Yep, completely knackered. I knew running was out of question, so last Saturday I decided to cycle. It doesn't quite cut it, but it's better than nothing. I did a nice 13-mile route, which I really enjoyed. But since then, even walking has been a struggle. They feel better today, so hopefully I'll be able to do something over the weekend.

I was planning on going on a long walk today, but there's a bit of a snow blizzard going on so the great outdoors looks quite uninviting.

I suppose I'm slightly disheartened as I really wanted to get back into an exercise regime. I had big plans of shifting the extra 12lbs of post-baby weight that are hanging about my body. I don't feel particularly bad about it, but none of my pre-Cairn clothes fit me. And anyone who knows me, knows that's a lot of clothes! So for the last week I've been super healthy. I've been deciphering labels, counting calories, weighing portions and cooking lots of veg-packed dishes. I have to be quite sensible as I'm feeding Cairn, but I was really, really good. So after all that hard work, you can imagine how peeved I was to only loose 1lb. I thought breast feeding was supposed to burn loads of calories! Pah! That's enough to drive you to chocolate and red wine. I suppose it's step in the right direction, so it's back to the carrot sticks.

Weekly round up

I don't really have the time to post my daily drivel anymore...but I'm working on it. I've almost got my morning routine (getting myself, Cairn and the house ready) down to under three hours. Trust me, that's a huge improvement. It can take me 1.5 hours just to feed Cairn, by the time: he's fallen asleep numerous times; puked on me; burped; gets bored; and stares vacantly at the lights. Thankfully, I've have leant not to get dressed until I've bathed him, as the excitement of coming out of the water always makes him pee. And usually down my clean clothes. Which means more washing.

So, I'm slowly getting back into a exercise plan. The weather hasn't been too bad, so Cairn and I can go for long walks.

I'm still following the FIRST training program, so here are the updates.

Sunday, Feb 22: 7 mile run at long tempo pace.
This was a bit of a shabby attempt, as I was recovering from the wine/champagne/beer I drank at Sara's wedding. Oops. Plus, I'd left it so late in the evening, that my heart wasn't in it. But hey, I finished. But that's probably about all I achieved.
Splits: 10.36 (warm-up) 9.31, 9.19, 9.34, 9.37, 9.33. Average 9.34.

Tuesday, Feb 24: one mile warm up, 5 x 400m reps and one mile cool down.
There was no way I was driving out to a track, so I found a 400m route round two blocks of houses on my street. The times are probably a little wonky, as the route involved many ups and down off pavements and driveways and four 90 degree bends.
Rep times 3.58, 3.54, 3.53, 3.54, 3.48.

Thursday, Feb 26: 1 mile warm-up, 2 x short tempo pace, 1 x easy, 2 x short tempo pace and 1 x cool down.
I choose quite a hilly route to try and incorporate some hill training. Plus, I'd struggle to find a route round here that don't have killers hills :-)
Splits: 10.24, 9.06, 8.19, 9.42, 8.53, 8.44 and 9,59. Average 9.11.
There are quite a few points on this route that are dark and on uneven pavements, so you're forced to slow down. My plan was to try this again at the weekend in daylight, but my knees are shot. They seem to be easing off today, but they were really sore when I was up during the night. Hopefully it's more of an ache than an injury.

Thur

Who's getting married in the morning?

Dear Sara,
Thanks for the comment, but what are you doing reading blogs the night before your wedding day? Shouldn't you have curlers in your hair, practicing your vows...or climbing out of the bathroom window :-)
Can't wait to see you and Jerry tomorrow.
Debs xx

Also, good luck to Team Kynaston on their wedding day tomorrow. Laura is the first to fly the Bronte-esque coup. Looking forward to seeing the video of JK's Father-of-the-Bride speech. He did promise afterall ...

So tomorrow will be the first day I'll be parted from my boy. Yikes. He's off to stay at his Gran's for the night.

First day on the job

As previously mentioned I'm going to follow the 12 week 10K plan. It's called the FIRST training program and based on three quality training runs per week. The sessions are much more intense and focus on strength, speed and endurance. Every run is either reps or tempo runs at race pace. The tempo pace is broken down to short, mid and long pace (depending on distance) and based on the runners' 5K pace. I'm a bit in no-mans land with regards to race times, so I'm going with a medium between my 54min 10K at five months pregnant and my 57min 10K at six months pregnant. Now I know I'm not pregnant anyone, but up until last week I had only run three miles in seven weeks.

So the plan for tonight was 1 mile warm-up, 3 x miles at short tempo pace (8.59m/m) and 1 mile cool down.

The longer I upped the pace, the "easier" it got. I really think it's just reminding my body that I can run faster. Here are the scores: 10.11, 8.38, 8.42, 8.59 and 9.48 (average 9.17).

Plan needed

Yesterday, Cairn and I went for an eight mile walk. I really enjoyed moving briskly and getting some fresh air. He was so underwhelmed that he slept the whole way. I was weird to think that the last time I walked this route round Dumbarton I was trying to bring on labour.

Today I had a dentist appointment at 10am. I swear I had to start getting organised at 7am. Gone are the days when I'm showered, dressed and out the door in an hour. There always seems to be some drama - usually involving frequent changes and feeds. Cairn decided to throw up on my boobs %-) And when I whipped him out of the bath to answer the door to the postman - he peed all down the front of my top. Just when I was telling the postman he's as "good as gold".

Then the health visitor was round in the afternoon to check on Cairn's progress and my mental well-being. Gawd, they ask a lot of daft questions. Like am I "managing" to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner? Yeah, probably about two of each and snacks.

After Sonic finished work, I got to go for a run. Thankfully he's got a new lunchtime training group, so we don't need to divvy up weeknight running time. Unfortunately I don't really know anyone in the area, so any me-time exercise involves waiting on Sonic or a 55 mile round trip to where all my family live.

Tonight I was hoping to pick up the pace a little. Lord knows I couldn't go any slower than Sunday's run - without going backwards. Again, I felt better and fitter, but I was slightly overdressed. I hadn't really taken into account the sudden rise in temperature. Two running tops weren't needed. I did a one mile warm-up and then five-miles at a steady pace. I don't quite have the drive to push the pace. Which is probably just as well, as I would only end up injuring an already ruined body.

Total distance: Five miles. 48:39. Splits 10.01, 9.34, 9.37, 9.36, 9.45. Average 9.43. I really need some hill training, as I got to pot on even the slightest incline.

I've been thinking over the last couple of weeks, I need a plan. Although my aim is to start with the women's 10K in May and then build up to the Devils in August, I've got no idea how to get there.



I bought this book and it seems to give some solutions. It's based on three quality runs a week. There's a 12 week 10K plan, which I'm going to follow. I'll report back once I've read some more.

On board to on tow.

As Keith kindly pointed out, I had to update my blog name. It was kind of my list of things to do over the last couple weeks. But like everything else on the list I never quite got round to it. Anyway, it's updated now. The baby on board is now the baby on tow. I think I preferred being a pregnant running, as at least I had an excuse. I've felt slightly self-conscious on my new-mum runs. I really want to get a T-shirt printed that states: "I've just had a baby. This IS fast".

It's been a year since I put the hit counter on my blog. Over 16,000 isn't bad. And they're not all me either :-) Thanks for reading, folks.

Part deux

Today was the first day that Sonic and I has to juggle runs. So far he's had the free reign, but now it's a case of taking turns. He got to go first, as I've got to feed Cairn. So off he went at 8am to meet Lins, on the agreement that he'd be back at 9.30am. So I ran about like a blue-arsed fly to get everything sorted and waited...and waited. At 10.15am a broken Sonic returned spluttering apologies and dramatic stories about messed up routes, fatigue and Lins' hamstrings. Lins' wife was waiting for him to return so she could go out running, so he was in trouble too.

So off I went, with the aim of running five miles. My legs actually ached from Friday's run, so I felt quite jerky. I loosened up and started to get into it. I was pretty amazed how fitter I felt already. I remember when I started running seven years ago, that I was amazed how easy running became so quickly. So I'm hoping history will repeat itself.

The pace was pretty slow and steady, but my aim was to cover the mileage without stopping. Or at least dying.

I think my body's still suffering from the effects of childbirth. Although my stitches have healed, I still feel tender. My coxix still feels quite bruised. And my boobs are in tatters. Last week I had mastitis, but the antibiotics have cleared that up. Even if I wanted to take first dibs at running this morning, I don't think my boobs could take it. If Cairn doesn't feed during the night, then I wake up looking like Jordan :-) After a one hour attack by the milk monster, by boobs were rattling about in my sports bra like week-old water balloons :-) Sorry for the graphics, dear reader.

5.2 miles round Balloch. 51:56. Average 10.11 m/m

I'm back!

OK that may sound like a grand drama-hands statement. It should be more like I'm sneaking my way back. Last night I went out for my first run. I took my new trainers out of the box, put on my pre-pregnancy running gear and headed out into the dark streets. I took the first mile like I'd just been let out of a cage. It felt great to be lighter and have sole possession of my lungs. Unfortunately by mile two I was starting to pay for my over-sprightly start. I kind of ran/walked/jogged for another mile of so. Clocking up a total of 3.5 miles. Ho'd me back! But hey ho, it's a start. Every step is a step back to fitness...right?

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Hope you're having a romantic day. Sonic and I managed to buy each other gifts from the new North Face store. Spooky. He went one step further with the red roses though. He even treated Cairn and I to a cross-country race and a trip to PC World to buy...(something I switched off to)... I know, I'm living the dream :-) We did go to Nanakusa for lunch for a sushi and noodle feast. Then I fell asleep 15 minutes into our evening's movie viewing.

Three weeks on...and I don't know where the time has gone.

I haven't quite got round to going for a run yet. I'm thinking about venturing out before the weekend. Does thinking about it count?

In the meantime, here are a few more pictures of Cairn. I promise I'll stop posting baby pictures when I've got something running-wise to chat about :-)

Cairn's race memorabila

The best baby gift EVER deserves a blog entry of its own. Here's the fabulous gift Cairn received from Tim and Muriel Downie.

I think a 10-week embryo will hold the record for the youngest WHW finisher for a while. Dario has threatened to introduce pregnancy tests at race registration.

Baby contest and some pix

Here are the final scores on the door. Well done to my Gran and George Reid. Prizes to follow..once I've thought of a suitable prize for each recipient.

Double-click on document below for full list of guesses.

And more importantly, here are some pictures of my boy(s)


Cairn - just minutes old


Sonic being super-helpful :-)

The arrival of little Sonic

You may prefer to be spared the gory details. But it's my blog, so here goes.

On Tuesday I decided that going for long walk might get things going. So after eight miles, my body felt suitably battered. By Wednesday morning I felt a bit achy and grumpy (nothing out of the ordinary) and sent Sonic off to work. Following his epic 1.5 hour journey to work - after numerous traffic dramas - I assured him that he was safe to go out for his lunchtime run. I may have even suggested that he feck-off-and-leave-me-in-peace. So in true karma-style, he must have stepped his foot on the pavement as I stood up and got my first contraction. Ouch. No problem, I thought. Loads of time between each in the first stage, right? Enough time to tidy up and finally sort out my hospital bag, right? Wrong. Bang! Three minutes later along came the next. And they were coming fast and furious. By the time I got hold off Sonic (who chosen that day to do a long run!) I was in the midst of deep breathing and gasped "Home! Now!" down the phone. When he came in they were two minutes apart and lasting at least one minute.

After a chat with the midwifes, I was told to go into the maternity unit as things were progressing quite rapidly. Too fast for my liking. There was no rest bite and I felt drained. It was like running your first marathon at 5K pace!! I had three contractions from the carpark to the maternity ward, as they were one minute apart by then. After a brief examination - just heart rate and pressure stuff - I was in the birthing pool.

As the endorphins set in I was completely within myself and practically unaware of what was going around about me. I had no idea how far along I was, as I declined an internal examination, but it wasn't long before I had an uncontrollable urge to push. Lesley the midwife gave me gas and air to try and stop me from pushing. Gawd, that stuff it magic :-) Sonic was keen to give it a go, but decided against it when he saw that I'd vomited down the tube %-) It gave relief, but didn't stop me wanting to push. My membranes hadn't ruptured, so that came first. It was like passing a balloon. Lesley pierced the sack and told me the head was on it's way. After what seemed like eternity of burning and stinging, out it popped. I distinctly remember making a noise that I'm convinced only labouring woman can make. It was like a long, throaty grunt. Then with the next contraction, my beautiful son was passed up to the water's surface.

It was a truly amazing experience. Not something I'd want to repeat anytime soon, but it's so not as bad as it's made out to be. I think having a positive and fearless frame of mind, made it for me. I really wanted a natural bith and will always cherish my proud moment of achieving this. Especially when I can say twos-up to the people who said I couldn't or shouldn't.

I keep relaying the experience over and over in my head, from the first contraction at 12.35 to Cairn's arrival at 7.17pm. I never thought it would be over in 6hrs 42. That could be a hard PB to beat.

Sonic was amazing throughout. Really calm and comforting. Although I do recall him mentioning the dog bite on his ass to everyone of the midwives on duty :-)

All niceties and songbirds aside, I did tear quite badly. Weighing it at 8lb 2.5 Cairn wasn't exactly tiny. It took two nurses 45 minutes to stitch me back together. I presume it was a bit of car crash, as the needle was working like they were whipping up a patchwork quilt. I suppose I can take comfort in the fact that they both stood back and admired their handy work by saying they'd done a "lovely job". I am too scared to look, as I harbour fears that it may resemble a hedgehog that unsuccessfully crossed the M8! :-)

More photos (of Cairn - not the aforementioned) and updates to follow.

Its a Boy!

Go to www.consani.co.uk for movies and photos

Health and safety gone mad

Here's a picture of my lovely new Baby Jogger



Here's the manufacturer's description

When we set out to design the most advanced, high performance jogging strollers on the market, we did it with the serious runner's training regimen in mind – the marathon runner, the tri-athlete, and even the weekend 5k warrior. We know how it is getting up at 6am for a training run with a child or children - you want to make sure you’ve got them buckled into one of the safest strollers on the market, and one that can take the miles and miles of wear & tear that you put on it.

Our Performance Series Jogging Strollers feature the only one-piece frame in the industry, which means there are no hinges or joints to weaken during frequent, high intensity use. Their 20" wheels make it one of the easiest joggers to push on the market today - allowing you to run further with less effort. The sleek aerodynamic design and shock absorption system make it easy to maneuver whether going over rocky terrain or for a jog on the beach.

So here's what it says on the side of the box: Built to withstand frequent use by the avid runner.



So it might come as a bit of shock with the cautionary advice on the other side of the box states: NOT SUITABLE FOR RUNNING. WTF? Talk about covering your a*s.

Jack Crawford 10K

Well done to everyone who completed the blustery course.







Sonic finished 16th in 36:12. He was quite dissappointed as he got his PB (34:48) in this race last year...but I slapped him round the heid and told him to get over himself.

Still here.

Wow! Check out the countdown clock for the on slot of mayhem. Two days! Holy sh*t. How did it come round so fast? It feels like only weeks ago that I nearly fainted when the blue cross appeared on the life-changing stick. I really expected to be in for the long haul. Everyone duly informed me (as part of the multitude of "advice") that the last few weeks really drag. Really I think the whole experience has flown in with limited drama.

I think I've still got a wee bit to go though. I've had a few twinges, a bit of backache and LOTS of Braxton Hicks, but nothing to write home about. Sonic was convinced he/she was coming yesterday, but I'm still sitting here like a beached whale.

I'm trying to keep as active as possible, although it's a bit of a struggle to stay motivated. I've been walking a few miles each day, even in the pouring rain. Anything to keep me away from daytime TV. I'm convinced it's a continuation of chat shows, house renovations programmes and repeats, broken-up with commercials for debt consolidation and fad diets. Riveting stuff.

I've got a confession to make. I parked in the Mother and baby space at Tesco - without a baby! I've got no excuse. It was pouring of rain and my ribs and back were aching. There were loads of spaces, so I just nipped in. My Sis (who works in said Tesco) said they're for expecting Mothers too, but I felt really guilty. I practically crawled from the car with shame. I know I'm nearly in the category, but nearly's not enough. Especially considering I make such of drama out of people parking in disabled spaces. It makes me soooo angry.

So please make the baby come soon. Although I'm still quite content being preggers, I'm getting a little bored. Plus, the longer it goes on the more stretched my skin is getting. JK - I've told Sonic that if I get stretch marks I'm blaming you :-) You and your spookily accurate predictions.

Mat leave and Slumdogs

Well I finished work on Friday, before I was officially escorted from the building. The jovial comments about me given birth at my desk were starting to evoke slight panic. The guys were joking about bringing in hot water and towels. I wondered if they were going to turn the clocks back to 1942 as well :-)

So yesterday was my first day on maternity leave. By 8am I was already climbing the walls. Nobody warned me how bad daytime TV was. And who thought it was a good idea to bring back Mr Motivator? By 9am I'd logged on to my remote access and had my Blackberry in hand.

I was hoping the "nesting instinct" would kick in, but I had to force myself out of boredom and necessity. I even made a big pot of soup and spend an hour cleaning out the oven - which was long overdue. Sonic is lovin' it though. I made him breakfast before work, sent him on his way with a packed-lunch and had dinner waiting for him when he got in. Actually I was so bored and deprived from human contact that I practically pounced on him when he came in the door. Now before you think I've gone all Stepford Wives, I was wearing a stain splattered hoodie and joggy bottoms %-)

The major plus point in maternity leave, is not having to go through the drama of finding something to wear to work. Clothes and shopping are my biggest passions, but you only can only be so creative when you're nine months pregnant. At the end of last week, even with numerous wardrobes full of clothes, I only had two pairs of work trousers that fitted. Needless to say, they're now at the bottom of the wash basket. Never to to be seen again.

Today, the sun was shining and the temperatures were kinder so I went for a 4/5 mile walk and then met Sonic after work to go to the cinema. We went to see Slumdog Millionnaire, which I would highly recommend. It's the best film I've seen in ages.

Thanks for the extra baby guesses. I'll post an updated version later this week. Davie - thanks for your comment about your son being three weeks late. Don't worry, my original estimated date was December 31 (according to nature's calculator) but the growth scan put it back to January 19.

The guessing game

Here are the guesses so far. Anyone else want to have a go?

A weighty issue

I really thought (or hoped) that I would be one of those gals who only put on a stone and sported a barely visible neat little bump. Unfortunately an evil combination of increased appetite, decreased activity and distinct lack of concern has meant I've topped the scales at 29lbs more than I did in April. Yes, Sharon, that's more the TWO WHOLE STONE. I started out at 8st 2 (114lbs) and I'm now weigh in at 10st 3 (143lbs). It's quite depressing to have reached double figures, but I'll worry about it at the end of the month. My only saving grace is that I've only put on a 1/4 to 1/2 pound every week over the last month. Something to do with minimum space for food and maximum chance of it it reappearing anyway.

After a bit of research (was there ever life before the internet?) I have discovered that the estimated pregnancy weight gain for my height (5'4") and pre-pregnancy weight is between 25lbs and 35lbs. Gaining the average of the weight range, here's where the weight has (or should have) gone.

Me
Uterus 2.4 lbs
Breasts 1 lbs
Blood 3.1 lbs
Water 4.2 lbs
Fat 8.3 lbs
Subtotal 18.9 lbs

Baby
Fetus 7.5 lbs
Placenta 1.6 lbs
Amniotic fluid 2.0 lbs
Subtotal 11.1 lbs

Total 30.0 lbs

Phew! This breakdown doesn't make the weight gain so scary after all. I still jump off the scales and switch them off before they start giving out the other stats. The last thing I want to know is my BMI or body fat percentage.

Reflections on 2008

Please forgive my lack of blogging. A mixture of nothing exciting to write about and trying to curtail my Internet addiction has kept me away from my PC and laptop over the holidays.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and New Year. I'm usually a big fan of the end of year festivities, but this time around my heart wasn't it. My focus is more on the happenings of this month. I think I'm the only person in the world who's glad to be back at work today. Possibly because I finish up for maternity leave on Friday :-)

Here are the key highlights from 2008

1)I ran a total of 1360 miles. Not bad considering I was only not pregnant for 3.5 months of the year.
2) I got a PB in every race I ran (pre-June). Well apart from the women's 10K in May when thought I was fatigued from over-training, but was in fact blissfully unaware that I was four weeks pregnant. I did, however, manage to match my 10K PB to the second!
3) Taking five minutes of half-marathon PB to finish in 1:42 in the Balloch to Clydebank half-marathon.
4) Finishing my sixth marathon (London Marathon) in 3:31:00 - taking nearly 18 minutes off my previous best.
5) Completing the 95 miles of a West Highland Way Race in June. I was aiming for under 24 hours but for various (and obvious!) reasons, I had only managed 30:48. I'll be back in 2010 for another bash at it.
5) Running the Paisley 10K at five months pregnant (54 mins) and the Loch Ness 10K at six months pregnant (57mins). Actually my last 10K was the same time as my first 10K back in 2002. So I'm glad to say even as a novice and a chubber, I've always broken the one hour mark.
7) Holding off hanging up my running shoes until I was 36 weeks pregnant.

Goals for 2009

1) The small matter of, erm, having a baby over the next couple of weeks. And for this reason, I have tried to keep my goals simple and flexible.
2) I'm itching to get back out running, so I hope to back out by the end of February.
3) My first race (don't quote me on this) back will be the Glasgow Women's 10K in May. It was my first ever road race, so it's a bit of a tradition for me. 2009 will be race number eight.
4) For reasons which escape me, I have signed up for the 43 mile Devil o' The Highlands Race in August. My goals for this are - Bronze: actually make it to the start. Silver: complete in less that 8.5 hours and gold: finish in under eight hours. I ran the course as a training run in May this year in 8.5 hours, so hopefully I should achieve silver or gold.
5) Other races I would like to aim for are the Great Scottish Run (September) and the Loch Ness Marathon (October). I'm not going to set myself any time aims. See point one.
6) Support Sonic to a sub 18:30 hour finish in the WHWR. I firmly believe he can do it. I just need to make sure we get that angel child I ordered :-) Oh and to stop him racing off like a rat up a pipe.

Happy new year y'all. Hope 2009 brings lots of PBs and injury-free miles.

Bump pictures

With just a few weeks to go, here's the state of progress.



At my final hospital check-up on Monday, the midwife told me I was lucky as my stomach was all baby. I didn't quite realise it was until I saw the picture below. It looks like I swallowed a rugby ball.



My stomach looks like a bulging circus - I've stratched myself in my sleep, my tattoo is expanding and there's a horrible mark where my narvel piercing was. Still no stretch marks though...yet!

On another note: After chatting with my lovely midwife, Lesley, we discovered that her husband did The Fling this year and is doing it again next year. And he's hoping to go on the reserve list for a WHWR next year. Lesley is part of Jim Robertson's (12 times WHWR finisher) JogScotland group. It's a small world, eh?

Happy Christmas everyone. Hope Santa's good to you. And don't forget to have a wee glass of wine for me. Unless, of course, you're preggers too.

Mary takes the turkey...with a little help from Joseph

Sunday was the club's annual Christmas Handicap race. The idea is that everyone dresses-up as Santa and embarks on a 3.25 mile race round Bearsden. Last year I decided to buck the trend and go as an elf.



This year, I'd need more than magic dust to get into the elf suit, so Sonic and I decided to go as Mary and Joseph. Mind you, I don't think a pregnant elf is a good look.



New club handicapper, Paul (Brother of Sonic) was in charge of allocating the times. The idea is that everyone sets off a different times and should (theoretically) finish around the same time. So faster runners should catch slower runners towards the end. Given that I'm eight and a half months pregnant and haven't run for over three weeks, Sonic and I were set off first.




It wasn't the easiest three miles I've ever run. There were lots of steep inclines. The uphills had me gasping for breath and the downhills bashed my bladder. It was quite comical running along the switchback with the cars beeping at us. Papa Sonic even came out to video the occasion. I hope the passers-by were impressed with my bump prop. I bet they didn't think it was a real bump though.

During the last half mile, the first Santa appeared behind me. I was in danger of being piped at the post. Evil Santa was being boo-d by the supporting crowd as he closed the gap in the last 50 metres. Thankfully Joseph managed to fend him off with his crook...and we all crossed the finishing line together. But the bump was first over, so won the prize...of a giant frozen turkey %-) Mary and Joseph also won the prize as the best dressed, so it was a good day all round.

Mary and Joseph finished the 3.25 mile route in 36.01 with an average pace of 11.28 m/m. I can't believe I actually put that pace on my blog! :-) I have to admit, I did have to take a few walking breaks on the hills. And check out the profile.



Paul did a fabulous job as handicapper, as everyone else finished within minutes of us. He'll know next time to mess it up and not get landed with the job.