Marathon number two!

Hello everyone

I am a total blog neglector...I am currently training to be a teacher and am 4 weeks into my course and therefore very busy.

Anyway when I got home on Thursday I had a letter/magazine of acceptance to the London Marathon 2012. Woohoo.

Its really hard to get into so I know I am really lucky to get in again and am grateful for it.

I know some people say it is selfish to apply when you have already ran it once but there are many people who have done it loads and loads of times and frankly for once I think I'd like to be selfish!

I am so super excited.

I am going to start training now ready to start a proper training plan at the beginning of January. I would really like to get a better time this time. I am also intending to record my weight and waist measurements before my first run and regularly during training. I am going to record time spent running and distances and keep a diary so that when it gets to marathon day I can say I've spent X many hours training and covered X many miles.

I am so excited for this challenge :-)

101 in 1001 update and suggestions for a new list please

My 101 in 1001 list runs out on 13th September. I thought now would be a good time to blog on how I got on and also to start writing my new list.

Items in bold are completed.

1. complete a half marathon (I have actually completed 4 of them in the time this 101 list has been going)
2. graduate from university
3. walk/cycle everywhere for one week. Not sure whether this has been done or not.
4. go on holiday abroad.
5. continue to give blood regularly
6. make baked alaska
7. make a gingerbread and sweetie house
8. type all the recipes out from Gran's recipe book
9. make the wartime fudge from Gran's recipe book.
10. go to the beach
11. make Christmas dinner
12. only eat homebaked bread for 1 month
13. make jam
14. learn some basic Italian
15. go sledging
16. learn to play squash
17. eat 5 a day fruit/veg every day for 1 month
18. eat 3 a day dairy every day for 1 month
19. complete a full marathon
20. go camping
21. go on the London eye
22. teach Milo to roll over properly
23. journal properly for one month
24. cook a new recipe once a month
25. join the bone marrow donor register: this is not done as I am not eligible but I did however have to enquire to find this out and am therefore calling this done as I would have joined if I was eligible
26. go crabbing
27. watch the sunrise
28. go horseriding
29. don't eat meat for one week (another I can't remember if I have done it one)
30. go ice skating
31. bake something for Milo to eat from the dog treats recipe book
32. cycle to Kimmi's house
33. climb a tree
34. make my own mulled wine
35. go to Scotland
36. go Carol singing with Laura
37. go rollerskating
38. buy someone some flowers
39. read all of The Lord of The Rings
40. go for one month without eating any chocolate
41. buy something with the £50 Nan gave me for my 18th
42. play the lottery ten times over the 1001 days
43. keep a record of everything I spend for one week
44. paint a picture
45. spend an entire day in my pjs
46. take part in a conservation project
47. eat oily fish twice a week for 6 weeks
48. take an evening class
49. get a manicure
50. go to York again
51. climb Ben Nevis
52. bake a cake for someone
53. make my own sweets
54. watch all 3 lord of the rings films in a row
55. make a massive sandcastle
56. go on a ghost tour
57. watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame
58. watch all of the Labyrinth
59. walk around Grasmere and Rydal Water
60. buy something designer
61. do karaoke again
62. have a weekend in a new city
63. make my own tiramisu
64. try yoga
65. make pretzels
66. get into my old jeans
67. customise something
68. get something from Tiffany's
69. make my own nutella type thing
70. spend one day a week off facebook for 6 weeks
71. enter more competitions
72. make flat chips
73. feed the birds
74. have a tapas night
75. read 101 books over the 1001 days
76. epilate my legs at least 20 times over the 101 days
77. do some regular volunteer work
78. go on a lot more walks to different places locally
79. go to Warwick castle again
80. go to Birmingham shopping
81. have a barbecue
82. cook over a camp fire
83. make a themed cake
84. make chocolate truffles
85. buy some more matching underwear
86. visit Stonehenge again
87. visit Liverpool
88. visit Blackpool
89. go at least one day a week without eating chocolate for 3 months
90. make my own cereal bars
91. throw a 3 course dinner party
92. learn to change a tyre
93. have a poker night
94. learn to play chess
95. throw a proper slumber party
96. visit Ireland
97. Learn to play 10 songs on the piano
98. see a Shakespeare play at The Globe
99. make a bracelet
100. go to a pub quiz
101. on day 1001 write a new list: I am currrently writing it and will definitely do

My beautiful garden

Tomatoes growing

The courgette I harvested to go in my roasted veg for dinner

My coriander plant in flower :)

Growing my own is proving fun and (excuse the pun) fruitful. I have so far harvested two courgettes and there are plenty more at various stages of growth.

I have only got 4 tomatoes between my two plants at the moment but there are plenty of flowers on them which should mean plenty of tomatoes soon.

My pepper plants (capsicum) have grown more quickly since I discovered they should be watered twice a day and started doing so.

My runner bean plants produced their first two flower buds on Monday so I am looking forward to seeing some beans soon.

Carrots are still small but seem to be growing well.

I got some more herbs to add to my collection: curry plant, basil purple ruffles and chocolate peppermint.

I did buy an aubergine plant recently but it died :( I've been very lucky with all my other plants so I can't complain really, although it does feel like a waste of money.

I have done well though as the tomato plants and runner bean plants were given to me by someone who didn't have room for them so were pretty much free. I agreed I'd give them some of the produce to say thanks.

A Stressful day

I just typed out a post about my stressful day. However upon typing it out I feel a bit better.
It was stressful but also got a couple of important things done.
Feel like I need another day off to recover now though!

Thoughts

Hi everybody,

Here I am updating! Please don't faint in shock.

I am on a day off today as I am working tomorrow and Sunday. I got up at 8.20 this morning and put my rabbit in his run, fed him and changed his water. Then I had breakfast and read the paper for a bit before having my shower.

I went into town to get a birthday card for somebody and some food shopping.

I also got some compost for my plants. It was my birthday last week and I asked for herbs so I could make a herb garden. I was already growing coriander and thyme but I now also have garlic chives, basil, tarragon, oregano, dill, rosemary, sage, mint and parsley. Last week I planted the ones that were seeds and repotted the ones that were given to me as plants. I am also growing strawberries which I got in a set for my birthday, no signs of life yet but fingers crossed. I am growing courgettes, green beans and sweet peppers as well. Todays job was to thin out the pepper plants and repot them which I did. I was also going to repot my coriander but it looked very much like rain so I retreated inside. I'm really hoping to have a good crop.

I have eaten a lot of cake, sweets and big meals over the last week due to my birthday and my mum's birthday the day after. It was fun but I seriously need to rein in my eating habits at least a bit. Since the marathon 5 weeks ago I have put on 6lbs! I cannot carry on at this rate.

Last night I had the option of eating at home or at the pub when we went for the quiz (some of my friends were back late from a conference and had no time to cook), I chose to eat before the pub in order to save money and be healthy. Everyone elses pub meals looked lovely but today I am pleased with my decision. It wasn't being unsociable as we were doing the quiz whilst the food came out and the focus was the quiz rather than going out for a meal as such.

I have vowed not to eat any junk today. I am also trying to spread out what I eat today. So far so good. Weetabix for breakfast then a tuna sandwich on warm granary bread that I made in the breadmaker. I'm going to have a banana in a little bit. For dinner we are having pork with wholewheat couscous and ratatouille. I may have mentioned our ratatouille before, we don't use any salt at all even though traditional recipes suggest plenty of it. We also put in sweet potato and some chilli powder and oh my it is delicious. Last time I made it I took a risk and instead of using oil to cook with I used some boiling water, I then worried it would not taste nice but it tasted just as delicious and I saved a load of calories. I'm really looking forward to our dinner tonight.
I am going to a barbecue tomorrow night so can enjoy the food more if I know I was very good today.

I have been cycling to work a lot lately which is cool as it saves money, helps the environment and burns calories. Win, win, win. I think it can be very difficult to exercise regularly when you work shifts. I have only been running once a week since the marathon. I want to get back into running a bit more often but at the same time I am really enjoying not having to go for a long run every weekend and not having to run x many times per week. I have been for a couple of bike rides for exercise and have some more planned so maybe I should aim to cycle twice a week and run twice a week.

Whilst I want to lose weight I also want to eat healthily and exercise because it is good for me.

Hello my name is Sophie and I am a marathon runner

Hello!

I am officially a marathon runner. Four weeks ago today I ran/walked the 26.2miles of the London Marathon. It was hard, fun, sad, happy and most of all an amazing experience and a day I will remember forever.

I am still so proud of myself.

Four weeks until my first marathon!

Oh my goodness. My marathon is only four weeks away. Last year when I had to defer my place to this year due to illness I was very upset as it seemed so long away. That time sure has flown by. It doesn't seem real that this big event that I have been talking about for so long will soon actually happen. Do I feel ready? Yes and no. I feel like I can do it but it will be hard and I wish I was fitter. I do think that however fit I was I would feel that so I am not going to worry.

I have got a 13 miler to do tomorrow then the next long run I will be doing next Saturday is 18 miles. The weekend after I run 10 miles, then weekend after a 50minute run at marathon pace and finally the weekend after is the real thing. I have followed a beginners/just get round training plan. I am aiming for between 6 hours and 6 hours 30minutes. At the moment life is about eating plenty of nutritious foods and looking after my body. I can't afford to be getting a cold or anything and my body needs the right foods to keep it going on runs and to heal itself afterwards. My mind boggles at the thought of running 26.2 miles and I am sure I will be emotional before the start, during and definitely after but I know myself, I know I will keep going no matter what because that determination burns inside of me. I can do this and I will. And it will feel great to show those doubters out there that I was right!

I can't wait to be able to say I've run a marathon. I have a lot of supportive friends and family and am so lucky to have them. I expect they will be looking forward to the time when I don't talk about the marathon practically every day!

I am running for the special care baby charity Bliss who are a great cause. If you would like to sponsor please comment and I will send you the link. Thanks.