Juneathon day 7: plank

Although Friday is usually my rest day from running, I wanted to run today because yesterday's wasn't great. However, today I'm really busy, I have so much to do before this weekend (my son's birthday party tomorrow, and we have guests this weekend). So my day 7 Juneathon effort is a full plank for a minute. 

I've also weighed myself for the first time in 2 weeks and I'm pleased to see I'm maintaining my 10 stones nicely. I'd like to drop half a stone but I'm weak for lager when it's hot so my dieting is being compromised somewhat. Oh well :) 

Looking back at this week, my highlight was the mile time trial on Tuesday when I ran 7:20. I'm still buzzing from that!

Juneathon day 6: uncomfortable running

Tonight was running club; I felt good and I was really looking forward to a run. Usually I'd go to both sessions, the 7:00-7:30pm beginner group (which I help with coaching) and the 7:30-8:30pm intermediate group. 

At 7pm I ran with my friend Sarah who has been running with beginners for a month or so now. We ran a 10 minute interval before we took a walk break and then just repeated that over our 2.5 mile route. During the run I started to feel unwell with stomach ache and by the end I just wanted to go home and lie down. So I did. 

And now I'm pissed off because I missed out on a good 5 miler that the inters did. I hate missing run club! Stupid body. 

Juneathon day 5: birthday circuits

Ah, birthday circuits. I usually take cake to circuits when it's my birthday. Sadly for everyone at circuits, it is not my birthday today, it's my son's. And I've not yet made his cake! Fail. 

Anyway, circuits! We worked in pairs today. One person would do say 12 biceps curls while their partner did squat jumps. Then they would swap, and this continued for 2 minutes. It's a good session (last time we did it I nearly passed out and had to go home early).

There were eight paired stations, so 16 exercises in a circuit, and we repeated the circuit, so 32 exercises in total. Quite exhausting. Arms and legs and abs are complaining already. 

But I didn't pass out. Yeah!

Juneathon day four: mile time trial and wobbly knees

A double-exercise day today. My running club was holding its monthly mile time trial tonight and I decided I could just about manage the 7:00-7:30pm slot before Pilates, if I ran fast!

I started the trial and paced the group to 10 minutes so people following had someone to chase, I then turned round and ran my mile. And my time (on my Garmin) was 7:20! I'm really happy with that. 

Pilates was excellent tonight, a lot of focus on gluts, hips, and KNEES. I started Pilates last September because of my IT band injury, with the aim to strengthen my knees. My physio said I couldn't do a squat without my knee wobbling. I'm delighted to announce that my Pilates instructor watched me carefully tonight on squats and declared No Knee Wobble or Turning. At all! Not quite fixed though because I couldn't managed one-leg squats very well. More practice on those is needed. 

At the end I requested the Prickly Ball in a future class (we were allowed to make a request!). The prickly ball is returning! Next week! Woo hoo :)

Juneathon day three: severe case of C.B.A.

Today's Juneathon effort was going to be my walk to Cubs with my son, a short step along the river path to the Scout Hut, with the local nature reserve in view. It's a lovely walk, and we saw plenty of wildfowl and plantlife (my son nearly fell in the river he was so engrossed in looking at the ducks). 

Anyway, I got home and packed him off to bed, then the Asda shop arrived and I unpacked that. Finding 20 Coors in the bags made me resolve to go out for at least a mile so I could have one later. It's amazing where inspiration can come from. 

I headed back out along the river, hoping I might spot a flash of a kingfisher again (the last time I ran by the river I saw one). Nothing moving on the river, it was past 9pm though, so a bit late perhaps. I carried on home via the lane and Stotfold Mill. It's a beautiful lane, hedgerows high on both sides with cow parsley. The scent is heady. 

As I passed the Mill Meadows Nature Reserve I spotted some cars parked up in a strange way. Now what's that about? My guesses: either a drugs transaction or some couples about to engage in a spot of dogging. Ha! I didn't hang around to find out. Perhaps tomorrow. 

My run was 1.64 miles in 15:34. 

Juneathon day two: the one when I got a bit lost

I like finding new routes to run, it's one of the things I love about running. The freedom of being outside and having the ability to run more or less anywhere. It's great to learn about where I live too, to find out how roads link together or where a path goes (I've lived here 6 years and still get lost).

Today I wanted to run for 70 minutes, my training plan said I had to run it "fast" but I just decided to take it steady since it was quite hot. My usual 10K route would've sufficed, with "a bit" added at the end. But I'm getting bored of running the same route. So I cut across the Letchworth Greenway and headed towards Radwell Meadows. I took the lane under the A1 and ran along the A507 (on a small footpath!) until just before Baldock Services. there is a road signposted "Radwell only" and I've always been curious to have a look. My son did a night hike from Radwell with his beaver group, so I knew there was a path from there back to town. Could I find it though? No chance. 

After much running to and fro and pretending I knew what I was doing I made it home. About 6.5 miles total in just over an hour, my Garmin wouldn't pick up a GPS connection for about half a mile so it could've been further or shorter. 

Juneathon day one: a family walk along Hunstanton prom

The first day of Juneathon, no run today because I'm away camping. We decided to take the kids on their bikes along Hunstanton prom, the aim being to reach the town centre and enjoy a seafood lunch, then cycle back.

We got less than a mile before my daughter started crying. It's very cold today! 

We retreated to the campsite and headed out in the car instead to Hunstanton cliffs and lighthouse. We enjoyed a walk along the beach, dodging the waves and finding razor clams, oyster shells, and seaweed. A great 2 mile walk in total.