Week 16/24: Keep Smiling :)

On Saturday I had a headache, backache, in fact everything-ache and that was BEFORE our 14-mile run, haha!

Well, you'd have smiled if you'd seen us before we set off, with back-packs full of Lucozade and jelly babies. Freezing weather gone and with more pleasant temperatures, around 12-14 degrees C, Trevor decided to wear his shorts and even I exposed a bit of leg in three-quarter length joggers. We managed to complete 2 x 7-mile circuits round our village. The first 13 miles were surprisingly OK and we were very pleased with our stamina (for a couple of oldies!) My aches and pains disappeared and we rather enjoyed ourselves, frequently dipping into the jelly babies. I'm not sure whether or not they helped top up the energy levels but we enjoyed eating them anyway. The Last Mile? Urggghhhh, the headache returned with a vengeance and we both hurt everywhere! Oh well, 'no pain, no gain' as some people say. We've cracked the half-marathon though - wahay!

It's hard to believe this but we do have lives outside of our running. I thought I'd show you our more theatrical side. If you ever thought we might be a little eccentric, these pictures will confirm your suspicions ....

This photo was taken on the landing of our old house in December 2006. Please don't think this is Trevor's usual bedroom attire! He was getting ready to play the Angel Gabrielle in a nativity play (honest guv).

Here we are are as Aggie & Lil, a couple of 1950s characters I have created for other church sketches. Strictly between me and you I think Trevor likes wearing a dress....

Us dressed as caterpillars - you can't tell that we're wearing sleeping bags can you?

We played Sybil and Basil from Fawlty Towers in this sketch, but I can't help thinking that with that moustache, Trevor looks more like a certain German leader .....

Week 14/24: BACKchat

Here we are, already into Week 14 of our 24-week marathon training plan - in just over 10 weeks it will be the Big Day!
After last week's tiredness, Trevor and I are now full of zest and enthusiasm, despite the weather and a couple of minor accidents....
In our area, the first flurry of snow appeared on the 2nd February, with a heavier snowfall 3 days later. By Friday the 6th, the snow had frozen solid and that's when I slipped and fell, my poor left knee taking the full force. It's still quite painful to the touch, but there doesn't appear to be any joint damage. A couple of days later I rather stupidly dropped a heavy tin on my left foot. My poor old bruised toes and knee now resemble bags of fruit pastilles.

This week I'd like to talk to you about my chiropractor. I had been troubled with hip joint/lower back pain for some years and my friend recommended that I go and see him. It was last summer that I first encountered the wonderful Dr. Stefaan Vossen, who describes himself as a ginger giant, on account of him being tall and um... ginger.

After a thorough examination, Stefaan started a series of corrections to my spine; he also identified problems with my feet and sent me to a podiatrist, who I will feature in a future blog post. Stefaan's treatment has helped considerably and he's been very encouraging with regard to my marathon training.

This is a link to Stefaan's website, The Chiropractic Network, which takes you to his office in Warwick, though I see him at his practice in Rugby.

This week's training includes 3 runs during the week for 20, 40 and 65 minutes, with a 2-hour run on Saturday, weather permitting.

Fund-raising for Carers UK is going well with just over £500 raised so far. Trevor and I are touched by the generosity of many people, especially at this time of financial recession. Donations have been received, not just from our friends in the UK, but also from the US, Canada, India and Hong Kong! Heartfelt thanks to those who have sent money and for those who haven't - we've yet to raise another £2,500 and any amount would be gratefully received! Please visit our fund-raising page, Running for Carers.

Not ideal running conditions. That's when the treadmill comes in handy!

Due to school/work closures, a group of people gathered in the village lane.

The snow didn't stop the Virgin trains from running though - good old Richard Branson

Trevor so enjoyed throwing snowballs - I only just managed to avoid this one!

I captured this scene yesterday; it was gloriously sunny but the snow stayed.

Week 13/24: Let It Snow

This was the view from our bedroom window this morning and I didn’t need persuading not to run outside… I did 50 minutes on the treadmill instead.

On Saturday, Trevor and I completed our first 10-mile run. My hip joint and feet weren’t too happy towards the end but I was very pleased with our stamina.

We feel really tired today though!! Perhaps we’re too old for this. I walked the dogs for an hour this afternoon and Trev has just arrived home from a long meeting and gone straight to bed! Apologies for the boring post, I’ll try and be a bit more interesting next week……

This pic of Trevor was taken around 4.00 pm today

Week 11/24: Yes We Can

As our dogs slept, dreaming of juicy bones, chasing rabbits and terrorising the local cat, Trevor and I watched Barack Obama's inauguration on TV today.

On such an important day in history, our marathon training may seem a little insignificant. Oh well...to us and to Carers UK it isn't!



At Week 11 of our 24-week training schedule, all is going well and Trevor's knee is pain-free. (I think men from Mars heal a bit quicker than earthlings) This week involves 4 running sessions: 20, 40, 50 and 90 minutes. We joined a local gym a couple of weeks ago, the main attraction being the swimming pool. Once you get over the shock of jumping into very cold water (the heating system has packed up) it's rather a pleasant way to unwind. Last week, Trevor forgot to take his glasses off when he dived in. He lost them and spent the next half an hour blindly feeling his way around the pool trying to find them. Did I help? No, I was too busy laughing at him.

Sometimes I get a bit panicky about running 26 miles. It's like being pregnant: you know there will be a lot of pain when the time comes but there's nothing you can do about it! All we can do is stick to the training regime and try to keep ourselves as fit as possible. Can we do it?
.....um YES WE CAN........

(she says, keeping her fingers crossed)

Week 8/24: Men Are From Mars......etc

Trevor and I share some interests, but since we started our marathon training, never have our differences been more obvious. The man I am sharing my life with is, I am convinced, an alien from Mars or more likely, Uranus. It's ironic really, that one of our similarities, a desire to run a marathon, should expose his cover as an Earthman. Please don't misunderstand me, I am passionate about my husband. Whatever species he is, there's no denying that he's got fantastic legs and his kisses are out of this world.

Our 24-week marathon training plan was obtained from the Flora London Marathon website. I'm running a bit less now than I was before the training started 8 weeks ago! I figured out that the person who wrote the plan (Tim Rogers) must know what he's talking about. Not wanting to wear out my joints I decided to take the cautious and sensible option of following an official training plan. At Week 8, the running schedule includes 2 x 30-minute, 1 x 10-minute and 1 x 10K (6.2 miles) jogging sessions - spread over 7 days with 3 rest days in between - easy peasy (apart from the cold weather!)

Trevor on the other hand, has taken matters into his own hands and decided that training should be far more gruelling. He likes to run twice a day EVERY day and now an old sports injury (damaged and stretched knee ligaments which meant 6 weeks in plaster) has come back to haunt him. I don't know how many cans of 'freeze' spray and tubes of anti-inflammatory gel he has used but as soon as the pain subsides slightly, he runs. A very attractive knee support has become a permanent part of his attire.... in fact I think he may need to get it surgically removed some time in the future. I do admire his drive and determination but who is right? Well, it doesn't really matter but the point is, we are so DIFFERENT in our approach to things.

Enough of us... I hope you had a great Christmas. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

From Annie &
hgudyd.dhsishd,dfkdjdhd,dkdshs.vkfhsdksd.
(Martian for 'Trevor' )

Week 6/24

At the start of Week 5 of our training last week, I suffered a bit of a crisis. Too icy and dangerous to run outside in the morning, I stepped onto the treadmill and discovered to my dismay that the running board had collapsed! Trevor was working out of town and this is an imaginary conversation between my inner selves, Annie 1 and Annie 2:

A1: What a catastrophe!!! I can't possibly train without the treadmill! I'm not running outside on my own... It's too icy and dangerous! Trevor was the last person to use the treadmill... I should never have let him near it.... he's too heavy......

A2: Calm down... you have to blame someone don't you? The treadmill has taken YOUR weight for 18 months. Trevor has only used it a few times. It's a basic and inexpensive treadmill and was probably not designed for excessive use. It's 'run' it's natural course and is ready to join that great white gymnasium in the sky.

A1: You're not making me feel any better, I'm having a crisis here! We can't afford a new treadmill - we're desperately short of furniture. We'll have to do our training outside in the horrible weather but I shan't enjoy it :(

A2: Oh come on Annie - in the big scheme of things, it's hardly a crisis - you do catastrophise!! There have been many reports this week of child abuse, cholera in Zimbabwe, suicide bombings, terrorist shootings, financial chaos and people losing homes. A broken treadmill hardly qualifies as a crisis....

A1: Well now you put it like that....

A2: And no-one desperately needs furniture....Come on, you're lucky that you are healthy enough to run. This marathon was never meant to be a bed of roses anyway. You're running for Carers who would LOVE the freedom to run, instead of working long hours for no reward.

A1: Yes (sigh) I get the message, there's no need to go on...I'll run outside later when the ice has melted.

A2: That's the spirit...

We decided in the end to buy a new treadmill then discovered that the first one was repairable! (We've ordered a new part for £15). The new machine is faulty though! Sigh, such is life but we are ahead of schedule with the training plan... so far so good... or in the more positive words from our friend JK from India, "All far, all good". (Thanks JK and bless you for your prayers and support).

Twenty-Eight Days Later....

My husband has arisen between 5.30 and 6.30 am for 28 consecutive days to go running for an hour. I've taken a gentler approach for the last few days, preferring a shorter (and less early) 30-45 minute jog on our little treadmill. In the comfort of the spare room, window wide open, music blasting out to all who happens to walk past, I'm as happy as Larry. Who IS Larry, does anybody know?

Test results from ECG and blood tests: I'm happy to report being normal.. I know, I know, it's a matter of opinion. Well the old ticker is normal, so are cholesterol, glucose levels, liver, kidneys, um.. maybe something else I've forgotten but anyway, whatever it is, it's normal- yeehaa! Blood pressure was even normal on Friday but it's a bit high again today. The nurse advised me to buy a BP machine to keep a frequent check on it.

Right, enough of me and my hypertension and on to the more important business of carers. What do carers do? Well, this silent army of people give much to society and are valued at around £87 billion a year. Without them the NHS would collapse! Many carers face financial hardships and isolation as a result of giving their lives to care for ill, frail or disabled loved ones. Carers UK is an organisation working to improve the lives of carers. They provide a voice for the 6 million people who provide unpaid care and they campaign for changes that will make a difference to carers' lives.

In his 35 years of working for the NHS, Trevor had some involvement with Carers UK. In fact, we were invited by the Chief Executive, Imelda Redmond, to attend a ceremony at the House of Commons, to celebrate the launch of the 'Carers Equal Opportunites' Act in October 2005. Back then we pledged our help to Imelda and are grateful for the opportunity to run for Carers UK in the London Marathon.

Hywel Francis, MP, and Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive of Carers UK
October 2005

I met Guy Fawkes at Parliament. Unfortunately I got too close and set off the security alarms!

This was taken in the Strangers Bar at the House of Commons
October 2005

Trevor leaving Parliament