Posts filed under 'Running'
OK…back from the dead…again!
I couldn’t let the Olympics go by without a word or two. It’s been blimmin exciting so far, even (I would imagine) for those among you who don’t like sport. This is a bit all over the place but forgive me, it’s too exciting!
We (as in Team GBR) are doing amazingly well so far. It’s amazing how smoky it seems to be in our lounge at the moment, tears are a regular occurrence in the Rowe household…also amazing how the men seem to cry more on the podium than the women.
The mornings this weekend have seen us up watching sailing on “interactive”. That has been awesome - and more so because I actually understand what they are doing nowadays since I learnt to sail! If you don’t think you like sailing, watch the 49′ers medal race. Wow! As for Ben and the Blondes - were those shiny gold medals ever in doubt? My heart was in my mouth for the Yngling…
Of course, we started well in the swimming. Admittedly we have not won as many medals as we would like but we have won golds and a bronze, with more to come too. On the plus side, we have lots and lots of British records and PB’s - you can’t really ask for more from an athlete. Naturally the swimming has been entirely dominated by Michael Phelps, who can fail to be amazed by 8 gold medals? Who can fail to be amazed by his physique and who can fail to be amazed by how low he wears his suit without showing off his bits?! Honourable mention here to Ryan Lochte, who is my personal favourite swimmer in the USA team, even if he isn’t so famous as Phelps.
We have been dominant in the cycling so far. More shiny gold medals for men and women…hopefully with more to come. I am very much looking forward to seeing Cav (that’s Mark Cavendish to many of you) on the track with Bradley Wiggins in the Madison. Of course Mark recently won 4 stages in the Tour de France and he is awesome. If a little cocky…can’t blame him really though. More medals to come I think in the cycling for Team GBR.
More fantastic performances from Team GBR in the rowing, lots of tears from the men’s lightweight double sculls (and from me and David watching!). We haven’t lived up to expectations in some of the events but you can’t win ‘em all…I think Gary Herbert who commentates wishes we could though. His voice has somewhat gone!
On the athetics track we haven’t been dominant though, we have managed to get Christine Ohuragu in the 400m final, we *had* Jeanette Kwatche in the 100m final, Andy Baddeley is in the 1500m final. No-one in the men’s 100m final, no-one in the women’s 3000m steeple. Luckily Greg Rutherford is into the long jump final (unlike a certain Mr Tomlinson), as are our 3 high jumpers. Naturally all the headlines have been grabbed by Usain Bolt and his frighteningly fast 100m…gold medal and new world record. I only hope it’s not drug-fuelled. I can only assume not, as they have been tested so many times by all accounts. David made a good point about his physiology being so different than everyone elses, so perhaps that’s the key? He is kind of lanky…
In the gymnastics we have won our first ever apparatus final medal in the form of a bronze medal, which is fabulous. He beat the men’s overall champion, who happens to be Chinese too. We also won a couple of bronze medals in some equestrian stuff…someone made a point about the horses winning medals not riders. Perhaps they should get a medal, I hope they at least get a rosette.
It’s not all been good though. We have failed miserably at judo, shooting and archery…we were meant to be winning medals there but didn’t.
Here’s to another week of great action. One thing I can be sure of is that I am going to suffer severe Olympic withdrawal symptoms. The other thing I can be sure of is that I will burst with excitement in 2012…
August 17th, 2008
Wow! I was emailed earlier by one of the guys we know who does the BPTT regularly (and also does lots on the website) to ask if I would allow my 10k race report from earlier today to be included on the BPTT website.
Here’s a link to my “hero” page…I am impressed 
My only fear is all the embarassing photos that are there which will now be viewed by even more people! I am in good company on the “hero” page with the Olympic silver medallist Sonia O’Sullivan. Double wow!
January 7th, 2007
…was today! If you want to read more, go to www.rowerunning.co.uk - a little site for David and I to blabber on about our running exploits!
January 7th, 2007
I’ll post a longer update soon (as I’m working over Christmas but do have a few days off coming up) but wanted to post a quick Merry Christmas message.
Naturally, we started Christmas Day with a run at the Bushy Park Time Trial, along with about another 160+ crazy people! Festive wear was not obligatory although many of us chose to get in the spirit of things - as the post-race photo testifies. David was even first one to finish wearing a Santa hat!!!
December 25th, 2006
I was today reminded that it has been a long time since I wrote a blog entry, so I thought I would do a quick update for my five readers (yes, I have one more now! LOL!). So, what’s new in the world of the Rowe’s? If you don’t mind I will update on a few things all at once
Running: I have kept going with my running and have also kept going in the BPTT (Bushy Park Time Trial), which I blogged about a while ago. Since the new BPTT running year began on 7th October 2006, there have been six runs (David has run in them all) and I have run in five of them. The best thing is that in four of them, I have achieved new Personal Bests - the most recent of which being yesterday. I managed the 5kms in 32:55, which I was astounded by (and yes, I know some people do 10kms in that time but they aren’t me!) and David was mightily impressed. He came to the finish line with my drink expecting me to still be a fair way up the final straight but I was almost at the finish line. I put it down to the fly I swallowed near the start - the extra protein must have done me good! Overall in the year I am currently in 18th place (out of 302 women and, more excitingly, am being Sonia O’Sullivan who is is an Olympic Silver medallist you know….and yes, I know she has only run three times and is only six places behind me, but still…!) and David is 4th (!!!!) out of 613 men so far this year. He is doing amazingly well and has entered a half marathon in early December (he is doing 15 mile training runs every weekend). Also in the world of running, we have joined a running club and are now both members of the Ranelagh Harriers, who are based very close to Richmond Park.
Work: Well, besides the fact that the world of mummies and babies is an astoundingly busy one, things are good. I am still loving it - the only bit I don’t love is the fact that due to it being so darned busy I don’t get to always provide the care for the women that I would ideally like, due to time constraints. However, I know that I am doing my best and I am still abiding by my mantra which is to try to do one thing every day which will make a difference to someone I am caring for. I am doing pretty well on that so far. On another work note, I was promoted to band 6 the other day. As far as I can tell there is no great difference except I can no longer say, “but I am only band 5″! I was already doing the job of a Team Midwife as it was - but it is nice to have the extra tuppence ha’penny every month (as much as that, I hear you cry?)…
Jamiroquai: We have been lucky in the last few weeks to see Jamiroquai a few times, not least at the Jazz Cafe as part of the BBC Electric Proms. It was a fabulous gig and took me back to the first time we saw Jamiroquai (1993 I think, in Sheffield). We also were lucky enough to go along to Strictly Come Dancing (BBC television show), where they performed wearing tuxedo’s and looked really cool. However, seeing the band that night was somewhat usurped by the fact that David had his photo with Emma Bunton…he had the same cheesy grin that he wore when he first had his photo taken with her in 1999 at a Jamiroquai after-show party.
Holidays: We have a trip to Prague planned very soon, which we are both really looking forward to. This will make up for the lack of Christmas holidays as I will be working throughout (when oh when will babies realise it is far better to be born Monday to Friday, 9-5?!)…
So I think that’s about all for now. I promise to try to keep this a bit more updated but you know…
November 12th, 2006
Well, not technically my first 5km run - I have done two charity “runs” a few years ago, with times of just under 50 minutes if memory serves. Not really runs at all in fact. However, after my six week training plan, it was time to see if it would do what it says on the tin and get me around a 5km run.
Every Saturday morning there is a run in Bushy Park near Kingston-upon-Thames. The Bushy Park Time Trial (BPTT) is free and a varying number of runners (normally 130 to 200+) turn up - David has done it a few times now. I lined up at the back of the start line - butterflies in my tummy - and after a quick warning about the frisky stags, we were off! I had a 1km rough marker and 2km rough marker in my head, so knew vaguely what I should be aiming for time-wise. This was ruined straight away, as when I reached the 1km point, I was about 50 seconds faster than I normally do (usually I am about 7:40 min/km). Hmmm. I appeared to have gone off too quickly. David conversely said he went off too slowly, which is why he looks so comfy in this photo. Must have got carried away in the excitement! Anyway, I plodded on. The plan that David and I had discussed was for me to run as far as I could before stopping to walk for a minute and then running again, hopefully to the finish.
The six week training plan had enabled me to run for 15 mins, walk one minute, then run for 15 minutes again, covering a distance of just over 4km. The idea is that after the six week plan is finished, you should be able to run 20 minutes before walking. I reached 15 minutes, then 20 minutes and finally managed to reach 26 minutes without stopping! I walked for one minute and then started to run again. Amazingly I was about to enter the “home straight” which David had told me was the final kilometre. He had finished in 20:14 seconds (slightly less comfy in this photo!), so had a few minutes to wander up to me at 27 minutes - and then he ran down the final kilometre with me again. I crossed the line in 34:55, which was 6:59 mins/km!! I was over the moon - and finished 143rd out of 148, so not last
All in all, a successful Saturday morning, incidentally David was 28th out of 148. I don’t think I will ever catch him somehow. My next target is to be able to get around the whole thing without having to stop. Oh - and still talk at the same time as running. Not that I have anyone to run with, so if anybody fancies a running buddy…?
October 1st, 2006
I have only gone and posted my London Marathon entry form. For April 2007. Eeekk! David already posted his a few weeks ago, he was sure he wanted to apply, I have taken some serious time to really think about it. I know that we have a very small chance of being accepted but we have also potentially lined up a guaranteed place through a charity, which we will use if we don’t get in through the general ballot.
When I decided to do the marathon, I had 32 weeks in which to train. 32 weeks to go from not really being able to run a step to getting around a 26.2 mile long course. Tonight I go for my first run in week 5 of the program, which is pretty good I think. It is a “run 9 minutes, walk 1 minute - repeat three times” night. I think I am doing pretty well, all things considered. I now go about 4kms in about 30 minutes, which by my reckoning means I will get around the marathon in about 6 hours. David will no doubt complete it in about 3 and a half hours and have an awfully long wait for me at the finish line (assuming I cross it!!) ;)
For many years I have watched the London Marathon on tv and dreamt of running/walking it. Now I am finally trying to turn that dream into reality. It is scary and brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. I cannot tell you how it makes me feel to think of crossing that line. I only hope I can do it. Lots of dreams have come true for me in the past few years, so why not this one too?
Naturally, as the time draws closer and we find out if we have been accepted, we will be chasing you to sponsor us. No amount too small and all appreciated…I am already on a promise of £100 each from two friends, whch is fabulous!
So, off to don my runners and run along the Thames towpath. Fingers crossed for us that we are both accepted. If we aren’t, then another marathon will surely be there for us to run (especially after all the training we will already have put in, as we don’t find out until December if we are accepted) but London would be special.
September 7th, 2006
