It's been a while

And for good reason. I had a couple of changes to schedule. First off the BBQ was postponed, so I had an 18 mile run to do anywhere I chose. I was going to run on the Sunday, but I got an attack of nerves and didn't do it. I couldn't find a decent route and I didn't really want to go out.

Instead of running the 18 miles, we went out for a nice walk in some woods and I decided to take the day off work on Tuesday and run 18 miles to kickboxing.

The day set off well, I had all my things ready, took a nice big bottle of lucozade with me, a tin foil cape for afterwards, some sweets and some money for anything I might need, and my oyster card to get back home from kickboxing with.

I got to Little Venice when my knee started grumbling a little bit. I had knee supports on both knees and so I started running on the grassy bits. Then I just couldn't take it. I sat down on a bench and thought about what to do. I decided to get the bus home and rest the knee for a while. By the time I'd walked home from the bus stop I was in agony.

I iced and raised and rested for the rest of the day, and then went kickboxing!

I've spent the last week stretching and doing strengthening exercises for my ITBS. I've also ordered some new shoes, and hopefully they'll be here before the Great North Run this weekend.

Last night at kickboxing I got some more sponsorship money for my efforts, so if you're reading this and haven't yet sponsored me, get your guilt on and click on that there widget for justgiving and flex your credit card! Ta!

Going Someplace?

This is starting to worry me!

I am due for an 18 miler on Sunday. Now yeah ok, I "ran" 16 miles the other week ending with 4 miles of knitting-needles-in-kneecaps but apart from that.... So technically my body can go the distance.

I am plotting out my route because I have been asked to a barbecue at a friend's house on Sunday afternoon. Said friend lives approximately 20 miles away, give or take. Now my plan is to run there, have LOTS of food and get the train back. It's mildly disconcerting how small London is becoming. To think that I am able to cover the distance between houses ON FOOT where it will usually take me over an hour on the motorbike is stupendously mind-boggling.

"Get out of Jail Free"

After a mildly stressful Saturday organising London Summer of Sport with my Martial Arts Club I was left feeling 100% rotten. I'd started the day off with a headache and not feeling particularly bright. I got through the open day with Red Bull and Baklava and somehow managed to get home without falling off the bike. I spent the rest of Saturday in bed, and decided that I didn't have to force myself out for a long run on Sunday if I didn't want to.

Needless to say, in the end I slept until 3.30pm! I love Sundays!

We took a very short walk up to Hampstead High Street and I bought cake and pizza, the most healing of foods. We got back and had dinner, then dozed again and watched DVDs.

So now my training plan has a "Get out of jail free" sticker over Sunday's 18 miler.

Oh yeah

and if you want to sponsor me ---->

16 miles of agony!

My long run started off nicely. Then around mile 4 my running (walking) partner decided he was hungry and wanted pizza! So we stopped for lunch and quickly got going again. We ran west along the Regent's Canal and I managed to keep up a fairly constant running pace. Around Alperton we were looking for the Brent river crossing the canal but we must've missed it and we ended up at Alperton Sainsbury's! Looking at the map it was clear we'd missed the Brent by about a mile! So we decided to get off the canal and run back home along the north circular road!

I managed to run/walk until just after the bridge after Ikea at Neasden. Then my ITBS started howling and I limped the last 4 miles home. Strangely enough it was my left knee that started hurting, rather than my right. My right was injured before and I always wear a knee support on that knee when I'm out running but I thought my left knee was cool with all the running. Seemingly not. So I have been icing, compressing, elevating and popping ibuprofen like a good 'un in the hopes that it might actually be sorted for the next long slog on Sunday.

I missed the gym yesterday - partially because I was in a meeting over lunchtime and was too faint with hunger to even contemplate walking there, and partially because I thought it would be an ample chance to rest my knee. I'm off to the gym today though and will catch up with what I missed yesterday. I'm scrapping the idea of a tempo run tonight and will probably just stay in and rest it.