Countdown to Madrid

Countdown to Madrid

Tonight, the training started. The Countdown to Madrid has begun!

OK, so between now and then there’s the small matter of a wedding, but for this evening, my mind is firmly on Madrid! 🙂

Following yesterday’s rest day, my training plan called for a nice, easy 3 miler, which @TheWelshWookie and I did around the harbour as usual. It felt great! I forgot to set my Hal Higdon app, but I was able to enter my info manually.

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Tonight, I’m going to settle down with my Madrid guidebook, and begin planning our post-race festivities!

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Have you ever been to Madrid? Any ‘must do’s’ I should know about?

Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope your hangover has cleared, and you’re now over yesterday’s big game.

Today is day one of my half marathon training programme, and it starts off with a rest day 😉 I love Hal Higdon already!

Here’s to a fun filled, run-packed, good-eating week! 😀

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The Invites are OUT!

The Invites are OUT!

****WARNING****WEDDING TALK AHEAD!****

We posted our wedding invites on Monday, which means that MOST guests will have received their invites over the past couple of days! 😀

If you are reading this, and you are a family member who has yet to receive their invite, then heed this SPOILER ALERT and stop reading NOW! 😉

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Our wedding invites were non-traditional. They were……….

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Race Bibs! Yes, we had TYVEK race bibs made up, with the date of the wedding in place of the participant race number. We also sent out safety pins, so that guests can take photos of themselves wearing their bibs, and send them to us 😉

We included ‘race instructions’ along with the invites, which included details that we’d usually find at any race event: race registration (RSVP), start line details (Church details), race photos, post race refreshments, post race entertainment, etc. 😉

We also had a QR code printed on each letter, which means that all guests have access to a specific wedding website, where there’s information about the wedding itself, accommodation, things to do in Tarbert, links, etc.

It’s so exciting!

So, what do you think of our wedding theme: Race to the Altar?

In many ways, marriage is like a race. The wedding is only the start line…. I’m having great fun, combining my love of running with my wedding planning!

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Wednesday Wisdom

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Monday Funday

Monday Funday

Today is Blue Monday in the UK, the day when British folks feel most depressed and down.

Not me! I’ve had a day of productivity and progress, so I’m thinking positively!

I thought I’d share a wee photo I took on my run yesterday. Don’t get too excited: it’s a picture of a puddle!

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Now, if you squint a bit, don’t you think it looks a little like a map of Britain?

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Happy Monday, all!

A Sunday Run for #MegsMiles

A Sunday Run for #MegsMiles

Like many of you, I’ve been touched by the story of Meg Menzies, who was tragically killed by an alleged drunk driver while out doing a training run last week.

I’m sure we’ve all had the same thoughts: sympathy for her family, comparisons, and the inevitable ‘it could have been me’.

And so, in honour of Meg, @TheWelshWookie and I ran 5K today. We chose to run our favourite training distance, following our favourite route around the harbour. I think that’s the most fitting way to honour this runner I didn’t know: getting out there, doing what we love, in the way that we love it.

Rest peacefully, Meg.

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Thinking About Training Plans

Thinking About Training Plans

Well, we have made it to Friday. I’ll admit, there were times this week I wasn’t sure whether Friday was creeping closer, or pulling further away!

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This weekend, I’ll be running and doing some wedding planning. Someone has to!

But I’ll also be reading this:

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I have been perusing various training plans, trying to see which one is most likely to suit me for marathon training. Up until now, I have always used Nike training plans. But for the forthcoming RnR Madrid half, I’ve decided to try out Hal Higdon’s training plan. If I’m honest, the iPhone app seems pretty cool, so that persuaded me!

I’m really looking forward to comparing it to the ones I’ve used in the past, to see how it fits my running.

But, the wonderful Full Moon Runner suggested I read Greg McMillan’s book. I downloaded it last night, and got stuck in!

I’m only a few chapters into it, but so far, I’m already thinking differently about how I run, and how I train. I can absolutely understand why you’d personalise a training plan, and I’m excited about that, too! I’m sure that this book will be devoured over the weekend, and I promise to give you all my views on it 😉

Which training plan do you use? Do you develop your own?  Have you read this book yet?

Still Excited

Still Excited

Evening, all! It’s Thursday….. almost the weekend…… where has January gone? It’s flashing past me!

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That would help!

Any hoo, I’ve been super excited for the past couple of days, since signing up for my first marathon. Thank you, everyone who has commented, encouraged and congratulated me: I hope you stick around over the coming months, I think I’m going to need your support!

It’s great to see that there are quite a few of us first timers working towards the same goal: we can share ups, downs and in-betweens; and we can benefit from the wisdom of all of those who already have a marathon (or a few) in the bag.

2014 is shaping up to be quite a year!

So, I was excited to get some running in tonight. I did a really easy 5K on the treadmill tonight, followed by 15 minutes on the rower. It felt great!

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Though I’m looking forward to getting outside to run maybe tomorrow, but definitely over the weekend! It’s the first weekend that@TheWelshWookie and I have had at home for months, so we’re looking forward to a run, and a relaxing time.

How’s your week been so far? Any weekend plans? Would you love or hate time travel, and why?

Wednesday Wisdom

Wednesday Wisdom

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