First Ever 10k

After Llanrwst I started working full time – a first since 2005. On the Friday night I stayed up until stupid o’clock, like a mother hen watching Matt Malloy home safe in the World's from The Gold Coast.

Sunday morning my alarm went at 5:15 and I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow. I had pins and needles in my hands and feet, every bone in my body ached and I knew there was no way I’d make Bala for 6:45 to marshal. I reset the alarm for another hour banking on feeling better. It didn’t happen. I sent a text to one of the other girls marshalling for Wrecsam Tri with my apologies and slept soundly until 10:30 and felt fit as a fiddle. No explanations, no repercussions I have no idea why my body wouldn’t function but it wouldn’t.

This week I’ve pretty much stuck to the plan but was dreading this morning’s attempt at the 10k that I will race in 2 weeks time.

Legs felt like lead by the time I got to the end of our road and I started contemplating the cut backs. I intended to do this 10k last year and ended up doing the Fun Run with the kids instead. I’ve withdrawn from 2 of the 3 Tri’s I’ve entered this year and that’s when the “bloody well run Lynne” kicked in. I found 2 loops really difficult but by talking to myself and convincing myself I have run longer I did it. With a negative split to boot. (6 minutes slower than the person who was last in 2008)

Legs were a tad sore and I was extremely grateful I’d had the foresight to book an hour’s sports massage.

The thing is now I’ve run 10K, I’ve run this 10K and I will never not be able to do it again.

Llanrwst

There’s nothing like an event to motivate you even if you’re not competing.

I’ve been putting off increasing my run distance for no other reason than I’m a whimp. Saturday was a case of bite the bullet or I’d never be ready for the 10k.. Decided to do the 5 miler that used to kill me. Lots of options and excuses to cut back early. Once I started not finishing was not an option. It wasn’t easy but really can’t understand why I used to struggle.

Sunday was Llanrwst. I was on marshal duty on the railway crossing in the morning with a lovely Carneddau Tri Club member called Harri. We had such a good laugh and it was great to see the huge difference in speed and talent

It was a bit of a rush to T2 to time the finish from 11:15 onwards. I love marshalling but this has got to be my favourite task to date. It was extremely exciting to be able to shout so many familiar faces home.

Andy Campbell from Wrecsam Tri won overall with Adrian Leonard second. Rhian Roxburgh was third beating her husband Simon by a second.

I had a chat with the partner of one of the Wrecsam Tri guys. She’d done the Llyn Brennig 10 miler the day before. Her confession was the longest she’d ever run before was 10k and we both came to the conclusion the mind is often what holds us back, rather than the body.

I have always said I CAN’T do speed work. On Monday I tentatively dipped my toe in. OK I ran round the football pitch and added some quick goal lines with the touchline as recovery. For me that’s a big step in the right direction.

Discussing my Offa’s Dyke plans with my brother he said he’d always wanted to climb Snowdon. We’re doing it with the kids October half term.

Weight wise there was a whole week’s menus in the Slimming World magazine with a shopping list. I used it for my Tesco shop. Sticking religiously to their meals is not practical but having the healthy ingredients as staple store cupboard items has allowed me to plan much better. I was quite disappointed with only a 1 ½ pound loss but it’s a step in the right direction.

I felt rather proud and smug too when talking to so many people at Llanrwst who confessed they had yet to do an event. In a perverse kind of way I’m also quite proud that my “longest ever” course record remains intact.

Big, big thanks to Rhian, Simon & Emyr for a fabulous well organised event. Next year the aim is to comete and marshal. Look out Mrs Roxburgh you have competition

I Have A Dream

I Have A Dream...
Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:52 pm LynneE

Training is ticking over quite nicely thank you very much.

Not doing a lot, not sticking to the plan but I’m happy with 3 or 4 sessions a week.

Back in Slimming World. Not doing too well. I have honestly written down everything I’ve eaten and drunk over the last 2 ½ weeks. It makes very interesting (and highly unpleasant) reading.

Loving the new job. Start full time on Monday which means I’m going to have to be highly organised over shopping and meal planning which should help. Cait’s decided she wants to be a vegetarian which I haven’t got a problem with. I’ve found some great veggie ideas. It’s just a case of getting the balance right for Jim who’s a huge meat lover.

As some of you may know, when Daz posted his Offa’s Dyke thread, I offered logistical support for North Wales.

What did I know about Offa’s Dyke? Very little actually. There’s a pub about 8 miles from here called The Offa’s Dyke so I knew it must be about somewhere. The path is less than 5 miles away from my house I’m ashamed to say and it took Daz’s little jaunt to bring it to my attention.

I have no spacial awareness, no sense of direction and am completely crap at following a map/directions so made my husband come with me to find the rendez vous point. It was at the foot of Moel Fammau a “mountain” I’ve climbed hundreds of times from when I was a child but not so often recently. I was totally shocked when Mark said he’d never been there before. We’ve been together 7 years and he lived in Mold for 2 years before that.

My mission over the next 12 months is to “walk” the 177 miles of the Offa’s Dyke path. It’s too close and too beautiful not to. I have no illusions that it will be easy and I don’t want to say how many sessions it will take me. I have a great deal of research to do before I formulate a plan. Maybe I’ll wait until the spring before I go on my first walk but I will do it.

Good luck to everyone at the Vit this weekend.

I will be on marshal duty at Llanrwst on Sunday. Really looking forward to it and rather sad I’m not competing but… the night before last year I wasn’t competing either but I finished it – with the hangover from hell. Let’s hope good sense prevails this year.

Oh and I've just got to put this in here too - I'm so proud. Cait took to GCSE's early and got an A in both English and Science