11 weeks 'till the London Marathon!

Here's Nelly and me after Sunday's 9 mi run (note the snowdrops just to the right of Nelly!) It was a beautiful weekend, and without the rain, the birds are chirping and it feels like Spring!

I made it above 30 miles last week and although 26 miles still seems impossible, feel like I'm ready for the Watford Half Marathon that Nick and I are running next Sunday.

I lost my Blackberry while running on Sunday - what a bummer! It would be one thing if it was mine, but its from work! I went back with a flashlight to try to find it on the trail, calling occasionally in open spaces when I could not remember exactly where I ran. It rang the first few times, and then I got the message that this mobile phone has been switched off. So someone found it... now the question is whether it is someone who will call the reward number on the back or sell it on ebay. I guess I'm just carrying to much stuff - Nano, Garmin, dog poop bags, buscuits, lead, and now the Iriver too. I wish had had not just put it on the belt, but zipped it into a pocket! And I MISS IT!!! (very sad)

12 weeks and counting... my third trimester of sorts

I worried that my goretex Solomon shoes were a mistake - too hot and not cushioning enough, but I can't imagine running on trails this month without them! Here the toe is washed off in the puddles (more like ponds) in the road near home, but the confidence that my feet stay dry when running in deep scloochy mud is great!

Nelly's off running this week as she had to have surgery for a sebaceous cyst, so the cleanup is alot easier - you can't just toss the muddy dog in the washing machine! I've almost run 30 miles this week, but my longest is just 8 miles so the Watford Half Marathon in two weeks will be a bit of a stretch, but I think I'll be OK.

I'm still waiting for my iRiver to be delivered from Ebay. I've contacted a blind couple through a friend at work that have agreed to let me interview them about their experiences with Guide Dogs, but I need the recorder!

I've got to learn to not over-dress! The pile sweater and rain jacket that feel cosy when I step out the door are really a hassle tied around my waist for the rest of a long run. It is warming up. I need to get an exterior thermometer to check so I take the right gear. I'll have three days working from home this week, so I've got no excuses to not get my mileage up over 30 next week.

Cold and wet 13 weeks to go...

I'm been good about sticking to the John Ellis-advised moderate and consistant plan, running an hour or so every day, but very slowly. But the trails around home are incredibly muddy! Nelly is such a mess after our rund. I feel mean hosing her off with the cold garden hose, but her legs and belly are covered in mud!

I ran one day inside on the treadmill at work last week, but that was just too boring to bear. I'm really looking forward to more sunlight! (photo shows a bad post run hair day!)

I bought an iRiver on ebay so I hope to have an audio contribution for the brilliant Extra Mile Podcast very soon... well as soon as it arrives!

14 weeks to go.

I've been following John Ellis' advise - running 5 days a week for an hour or an hour and a half, keeping to an easy pace and avoiding hills to avoid inflaming my plantar fascia... so far so good. However, finding flat trails has been hard - there seems to be a road anywhere through valleys. Nelly is good on roads, but we both enjoy trails through woods and fields where its softer underfoot and crazy drivers are not a problem.

But this weekend I had to test it, so after my morning run, we we took to the hills of Surrey... yes, that leafy green, mostly very EXPENSIVE suburb of London. We found two great walks up Leith Hill and Box hill (the next day), both about 7 miles long and at least for brisk walking, I was fine. I was amazed that they felt remote - you really would not know that they were so close to London except for the jet noise from Gatwick (solved that with ipod!).The only problem we enountered was mud, particularly when the footpath merged with bridlepaths. We found a remote National Trust Car park that cleared out by 5pm, so we had a very quiet night in the campervan listening to the wind and rain in the trees. It felt pretty strange to be sleeping in the campervan less than an hour from home!

I've been very thankful of the help I've received on the fundraising front and am collecting childhood photos of all my colleages at work and plan to have some sort of event/contest where people get to try to identify who is who. And I had some of those moo minicards http://http://www.moo.com/products/minicards.php made with my just giving site address on the back. I plan to pass them out at dog training class tonight.... .. I'm still not very comfortable asking for money!!