Ice run

We spent a few days over the festive period down in Broadstairs, so I plotted a 10K route along the coast towards  Ramsgate, in a vague effort to stay on track with training and work off some of the Christmas excesses.

I had intended to get up and go very early but slept through my alarm; in the end that did me a favour as it meant that I could watch the sun coming up over the Eastern horizon and it was a stunning day. It was also very very icy which is unusual on the coast (there was even frost on the sand!) and it made for a very slow run (I almost slipped over in the road 1k in, so the rest of the route was spent tip-toeing between path/ road/ grass trying to find the safest terrain.

I now have just 115 days to go until the London Marathon. It suddenly seems quite close!

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaAldrich

The camera on my phone didn't do this justice at all

By the end of my 10K the sun was up but fog had rolled in.

Have Your 'elf a Merry Little Christmas.....

The Early Birds headed out for the last pre-Christmas run today. It was damp and drizzly, but there was a definite festive buzz in the air! We rounded off the run with some Bucks-Fizz (thank you Carolyn!) and some home-made sausage rolls. In a testament to the fact that running makes you hungry, we ate the sausage rolls even after Neil said he had rolled the pastry on his thighs. (Thank you Mrs Neil (Liz) for making them for us!)

So today marks the FOUR MONTH MARK! Exactly four months til April 23rd. Training will have to step up a gear soon...... but I think a break for Christmas Day is probably OK.

Massive thanks for the support so far in this crazy endeavour......Happy Christmas everyone!

Debbie, Penny, Andrew, Malcolm, Danny, Carolyn and Neil

Definitely dodgy....

You know you've joined the right running club when....

....you get back to the car park at the end of your run to find one of your running mates who couldn't join you has set up a breakfast bar. Orange juice, bacon rolls and a choice of sauce.

Seriously, what is NOT TO LOVE about Beginners2Runners Early Birds?

Yes, he even brought a table
Malcolm, Neil (chef), Andrew, Yvette, Elaine, Kim, Me - And Danny behind the camera

Training run aim for me today was an 8K, so I ran from home to our meet point and then onwards. We took on Westerhill, Barnes Lane and a bit of Vanity Lane before gettting back onto Linton Hill and home. It was a tough hilly route (we broke it up with a photo-shoot outside the church to try and get in the Christmas Tree!) and then back to the waiting Neil for breakfast. Sadly, I needed to carry on with my run to get home, so the solution? Put my bacon roll in my hat (not on my head by this point, as it was really mild again today!) and that kept it warm for me until I got home.

Perfect start to the weekend, and another run in the bag towards that marathon goal.

Andrew, Yvette, Kim, Me, Elaine, Malc and some very bright lights!

Not a bad pace given the hills!

As always, here is that all important link:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaAldrich

The BFG!

This evening I ran my first fundraising event beyond persuading people to sponsor me online. We made use of the excellent facilities at my place of work to run my regular Film Club event, and this time encouraged attendees to make a donation or sponsor me as part of the fundraising for Children with Cancer UK.

It went really well- we had a great turn out this time AND I raised £115 too! I'm so pleased, not only was it a fun way to spend an evening (it is a really good film and I can recommend it highly), it also made a huge step towards my £2000 goal. 

Massive thank you's to all who came along to support the event! 

The BFG

Inside the auditorium at the end of the film

If you would like to sponsor me and help raise funds, here is the link:

Http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaAldrich

Running Therapy

The festive season is kicking in and the size of this undertaking is making itself felt; no more boozy parties for me on a Saturday night. I know I would struggle to run with a hangover (it is hard enough sober and well), so am the designated driver for many of our nights out these days.

As if the sacrifice of a glass or two with old friends is not enough, the cold snap continued this weekend and I got up at 7am this morning to a very hard frost..... and no central heating either. In attempting to get to our boiler, we also found that something had been leaking in the garage.... and has seeped into some of the packing for our new kitchen units, causing some damage. Bugger it.

So what better to do than defost the car, lace up trainers, find warm layers, and go running? There is plenty of evidence out there to suggest that running, and exercise generally, is good for mental health, and whilst I don't have any major mental health problems I can confirm that a run out across the Kent Countryside lifts the spirits and relieves stress!

We ran from the far side of Mote Park today along the A20 and through Bearstead before circling back towards Maidstone Town Centre and through Mote Park again to our start point to make it a 13k /8 mile run. It was very cold and icy underfoot in places, but a really enjoyable session this morning, and I am slowly feeling fitter as a result of the extra activity; I was ready to finish when we did, but not in a state of exhaustion either. Progress!

Yvette, me, Nick. My hat is so unflattering, but I hate getting cold ears!

When I got home, Yvette's lovely husband (who had been planning a lay-in) had restored our heating and repaired a leak in the bath too, so after a huge bowl of porridge it was off to one of our locals for a quick lunch. Soooo hungry after running and enjoyed my steak and kidney pudding immensely!

Post-run recovery spot

Don't forget, I am doing this mad thing to raise money for Children with Cancer UK and for Oliver:
http://passmetheprosecco.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/about-oliver.html

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaAldrich