marathonmummy

The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start – John Bingham

So. A long run is a learning experience, designed to iron out problems and help to focus your mind on the big day.

Lessons from yesterday:

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Last night, when the children finished school, I drove them 16 miles so I could go shopping. I was really grumpy all day, because I’d decided to rest my leg until I’d seen the physiotherapist and I was all out of endorphins. I thought a bit of retail therapy might cheer me up.

We got to the shop, and having promised (threatened?) them with the delights of deeply unhealthy food from that place beginning with M, I got my fix at Sweatshop. I fondled trainers, I gazed at gels. I coveted coats. It was lovely. And then, I treated myself to these:

Playlist downloading onto iPhone as I type, meaning no more unexpected attacks to my ears by the Prodigy or Dire Straits.

I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not One Of Those Things, it’s a running waist bag. It’s official: I think I’m losing it. When you skip out of a shop full of excitement about an iPhone armband and a ‘running waist bag’ (snort) it’s not a good sign.

Ahem. In more serious news, I went to the physiotherapist today, where I am very pleased to report I didn’t have to wear shorts after all. I rolled up my capri pant things instead.

The good news: there’s nothing major wrong. A bit of soreness, nothing out of the ordinary. She did some ultrasound treatment on my sore calf/knee muscle, she poked around, I walked, I stood on one leg, I did lots of bending. It was quite relaxing, actually. Jo, the physio, said that mothers often find it hard to focus on their body and how it’s doing, ignoring pain or discomfort until it gets out of control. The gin probably doesn’t help.

Technical bit coming up: a few years ago when I sprained my ankle, I tore the ligaments on the outside of my foot. The same foot over pronates (collapses inward) slightly, so I have trainers which stabilise and correct that problem. However, doing that creates stress on the outside of my foot. It’s a vicious circle, and the way to break it is with an orthotic insole, apparently. So my next medical adventure will be with a podiatrist next week.

I’d like to point out that all this faffing about with medical people is seriously eating into my lying-on-the-couch-eating-chocolate time. My Sky Plus box is full of programmes I’ve missed, I have a mountain of books lying unread by the side of the bed and I’ve read more running magazines than any sane person every should. Oh yes, and I drove sixteen miles to buy a bum bag. I’ve lost it, haven’t I?

How lovely, on a horrible rainy day, to receive a Sunshine Award for my blog. It’s from my friend Paula and it’s just what I needed on a day like today. Bring Me Sunshine is a song that Dad used to sing to us when we were little, so it’s brought back some lovely memories after a difficult day yesterday.

In other news, well, there isn’t much really. It’s half term, the treadmill is my only option, and on Tuesday night I did a horrible interval training session, which was one of those runs. I ended up thinking I’d be better off taking up knitting instead (and anyone who has seen the only jumper I ever made knows that’s a bad idea).

Talking of music, I’ve been creating the ultimate running playlist, which is only really suitable for the plodders of this world. I think proper runners like music at about 160bpm. Mine is, er, not.

Zoe and I had a theory that lots of songs with meaning to us would get us round the marathon. Some people might think training would be more helpful, but we’ll gloss over that little detail.

Rod Stewart – Baby Jane and Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? (my dad used to sing these with the windows down in the car, usually in the middle of town, and we would die of embarrassment)
Placebo – Every You, Every Me (reminds me of being pregnant, hence reminds me of birth, which will make running seem like a walk in the park. That’s a bad metaphor. My running speed already IS a walk in the park.)
Pretenders – Back on the Chain Gang
Dirty Pretty Things – Bang Bang You’re Dead
Toni Basil – Mickey (I have no shame)
Come Dancing – Ray Davies (you’ve got it in your head now, haven’t you?)
Killers – Mr Brightside
Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire (aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, my legs are on fire)
Scissor Sisters – Take Your Mama Out
Supergrass – Richard III
Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters
Idlewild – American English
The Automatic – Monster (what’s that coming over the hill? is it a monster…oh no, it’s Rachael, running)
Snow Patrol – Run (haha!)
Foo Fighters – This is a Call
Marilyn Manson – Rock is Dead (and so will I be after 26.2 miles)
Longpigs – She Said
My Chemical Romance – Welcome to the Black Parade
Radiohead – Street Spirit
The Stranglers – No More Heroes
The Go-Gos – We Got the Beat
Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People (not me after running, I look like a beetroot)
The Knack – My Sharona (RIP Doug Fieger)
The House of Love – Shine On (reminds me of school)
The Fray – How to Save a Life (will make me cry, but that’s okay)

Any suggestions, anyone? I’ve already had a few: how I could I forget Don’t Stop Me Now and Keep On Running, as well as the Glee soundtrack? Thanks C and G!

I started this post this afternoon in a half term grump, but I’m finishing it on an endorphin high after 50 minutes on the treadmill. It was just a plod, but every mile counts. Every boring mile on the treadmill, and every boring mile on my own on featureless country roads will be worth it.

2 months, 6 days, 14 hours, 8 minutes, and counting. London, here I come.

I can’t believe it’s taken me 9 months to discover the joy of running with music! Being a bit low tech, I don’t have my own iPod, so I borrowed Mr Marathonmummy’s MP3 player, hit shuffle and suddenly I can see what all the fuss is about.

run run run
Fall Out Boy (This Ain’t a Scene…oh, I love this song and I’m all fired up with marathon excitement)
run run run
Radiohead (Street Spirit, perfect song)
run run run
Placebo (Every You, Every Me – tempo matches my ultraslow running)
run run run
Elastica (Connection – haven’t heard this for years, can’t think about running because I’m reminiscing about university)
run run run
The Sundays (note to self: singing along uses up vital breath, also makes me look deranged)
run run run
Editors (Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors)
oh this song is sad. Now I’m crying and running. This is good training for the marathon. I miss my dad. When I did the Race for Life a few years ago the messages written on people’s t-shirts made me cry, and this marathon is going to be a box of tissues job.

run run run
The Proclaimers (Cap in Hand)
was feeling a bit tired, but am now fired up with Scottish fury
run run run
Deacon Blue (Dignity)
run run faster run, fired up with Scottish fervour and remembering being fifteen
run run Dire BLOODY Straits? Stop. Manic Street Preachers, that’s better. Home. Yay, love running with music. Must try not to get squished by a car though.

I only went out for a quickie for half an hour whilst no1 did ballet class – but the good news is that despite running faster, my average heart rate is 10 beats lower than it was the other day. I’m getting fitter, my Garmin says so. Yippee.

(PS please excuse slight bonkersness of this post. Still operating on Bulgarian body clock, spent the afternoon digging up the allotment of doom, and am completely exhausted and incoherent.)