GULP just entered my first half marathon

2 Mince pies, 10 Quality street, 4 chocolate biscuits, 2 glasses white wine is not= 4 mile steady run (sadly).

Aim for the week, not to gain any weight, keep training plan on target, dream on!

 Well done Saltpot, great mileage- we too had port at the weekend, I had to open the bottle to make the cranberry sauce and we all know it doesn't keep well!

 Keep running everyone, how are all the injuries?

Day off again tomorrow, nativity rehearsal and first night.  Youngest cub is a King.

Well done Saltpot for still running.

 Nativity last two nights with mulled wine + wine + some more wine & chocolates with no running,  well I do need to rest my ankle (much better now).  I will just try and keep my fitness levels up this next fortnight without worrying to much about training plans untill 2009.

A quiet night tomorrow,  so I will try and get out for a few miles.

Take care all

Hi all

Hope all is well with your plodding.

I had a couple of days off and went for a long run (9 miles)  but had to call it a day as I developed a groin strain (funny comments anticipated) and it was getting worse so had to call it a day at mile 7. Really annoying as I was running so well and felt so good in all other ways. Shall have to rest now for a while I guess and hope it clears up quick! That's what you get for not warming up properly.

Hope everyone else is ok.

.....................oh dear, the lid is off.......................(tin of Roses (bargain at £4.86 Mr T had to have them)) .

Looks like the party starts here

Can only hope the running keeps the wobble off, managing to stick to the training plan by shuffling some days around.

It's comforting to know that i'm not the only one though. Hope all your injuries get better soon

Got given a box of Heroes (Because I am one, apparently) by my boss.  Very nice of her but not for the diet. Had a good day today though, skipped breakfast, ran intervals session to work (day off but had to go in for epipen training).  Hurtled round like a house elf cleaning house from top to bottom very energetically reading to put up decs. when cubs break up.  Then tunred into Xmas elf and went to their school as guest for xmas lunch- primary school portions are not large!  Then a good tea.   No Quality Street (despite open tin upstairs), mincepies or weight gain yet.  Can it last?

Planning a running route round dropping off my Xmas cards.  Very green. HM training plan on target.

 Hope the injuries are healing

 Keep it up guys, don't worry Julia, you can run them off no trouble- the long runs are great for that.

PS Cub was the BEST king (and I'm obviously not biased!) but the heating in the church was broken and hypothermia nearly set in, brrrrr!

SKIPPED BREAKFAST?! NO! (14 YO Daughter wrote that, but I feel I must agree with her......although I am guilty of this myself as I get stitch if i run too close to eating shhhhh don't tell her  )

Heard a horrific story on the radio this morning, Celebrations are taking out the Crunchie and the Dream, replacing aforementioned with cheaper substitute AND cutting down on the NUTS!   Not buying them anymore then.

Daughter is past the Christmas play stage, BOO HOO, children singing always set me off  even more so when Christmas is involved.

Off for a run now, still no weight gain so plan is working so far......

Hope everyone's ok

Susiebe- fab news, that is great.  Keep taking it easy a bit longer.  How about some knee strengthening exercises.  I was taught to do 1 legged squats, only to about 30deg so not too deep.  Just a few on each leg, gradually building them up.  Another one can be done sitting or standing and is basically a straight leg raise, lifting up with a straight knee.  Again do a few then swop legs, gradually increasing the number.  Really helped my ITB, dodgy ankle, sore knee and tracking problem.

Boys are a bit older: nearly 9 and just 6 so similar gap.  So busy observing nativity this time (As I have to rerun it on Xmas Eve) that missed getting emotional.

 Julia= please apologise to your daughter.  It was remiss of me to skip breakfast, I was planning to nip into my department en route to training and grab some more choc biscs (so that's alright then!) but ran out of time!!  I hated breakfast when I was younger but am now a big fan and nag the kids at school all the time about it.   I can assure youI had some Bran flakes before my steady 4 miler today and what a beautiful morning it was for it altho' legs were a tad tired and leaden and I didn't get many "going too fast" beeps from the Garminmeister this time.  Day off tomorrow ready for 9 miler on Sunday with my neighbour again.

 Julia, how are you finding the Garmin training plan?  Are you still doing it by HR?  INterested to hear how that is going as might try it after WHM.  Well done for keeping the weight off. 2QS today, and they aren't what they used to be either!  Just made my Brandy butter so only pastry and mincepies to go now I think, + a bit more wrapping.  Load of family round for naughty nibbles and bubbles tomorrow- not good for the diet, nor the Sunday run!

Happy running those of you who can!

Susiebe, fantastic news about the knee, fingers crossed that it holds out when you have your first run. I can't belive how bad it feels not to be able to go out (although touch wood so far i've not suffered from too many injuries), you'd think we'd be glad of the excuse to sit on our bottoms eating chocolate wouldn't you!

Saltpot, as bizarre as it sounds, I can highly recommend running as a fabbo hangover cure ( last sundays 5 miler and todays 7 miler fixed me a treat. Although don't stray too far from home as i've found I often have to do an emergency dash for the toilet after alcohol!) And drink lots of water as Foxy says.

Foxy, the heartrate schedule is going really well. Although the schedule I printed off seems different to what's actually on my Garmin. So far I've managed to stick with it and it's nice not to worry about speed, mind you, I got the slowest one i could find on this site which is for a sub 2.15 can't see that being very likely, I seem to be about 12 min mile pace so looking at around 2.45 time. Still, if I can lose the last couple of stone it will make a huge difference, I'll get serious on the eating front once all the Christmas nosh is gone

I apologise for the comments made by my unruly teenager, but i have to say i run better when hungry, I think it goes back to caveman times when we had to run after our food and catch it ourselves. Hunger makes for faster legs for me!

mmmmmmmmmmmmm brandy butter and mince pies mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

OD'd on prawns yesterday and rather too much bubbly so a poor night's kip - I just can't take the pace anymore.  Mince pies and brandy butter- had a couple yesterday-oh yum.  Mincemeat recipe came from my Grandma in-law before she died 8 years ago and is wonderful.

Despite this, managed the 9 miler today altho' managed to switch the Garmin off for 1.25 miles along the way so data unclear.  Sore feet (wore shoes with heels yesterday pm) and tired legs.  Took some water (to help the hangover SP!)

MTP- did the 8 miler I told you then added on a loop to the rugby club and cubs Xmas party there- oops more yummy party food to nibble at.

Julia- I'm following the sub 2.15 plan as well, as despite dreaming of 2hours, I missed out when the sprint gene was allocated, so reaslism bites.  I do manage to sometimes go a bit further/ faster than it says though.  Maybe next year ...........

Glad your daughter is so sensible, if we had more like her at my school things would be a lot easier for me!

Rest day tomorrow, more visitors, WW sausage casserole, loads of veg and Apple pie if I can be bothered.

Hi all, glad everything is going well for most. I am swimming and cycling at the mo as I'm still injured. Shall try a short run tomorrow me thinks, very frustrating though.

FL well done on the 9 miler, it's a pain when you accidently stop the Garmin, I've done that to mine before now - especially when you feel as though it went well. Hope the drinks went down well. Mrs MTP and myself went to the Waggon on Friday evening and both had more than we should have done, still doesn't hurt, more incentive to run it off I guess.

I've been using my Polar heart rate monitor lately when cycling, the batteries packed up and I went to Sweatshop in Reading and they said I had to send it back to Polar. I thought nah, can't be doing that so went to Timsons and they put a new battery in for £11 and its fine - you should all remember that when yours goes.

MTP, thanks for the advice re polar.  I managed to find both bits of our old one at the same time recently but it needs a new battery and I have been meaning to send it back for a while so Mr FL can use it, however I will now send him to Timsons for a fraction of the cost.

Day off today and visitors again so more food than I should but kept off the booze.  Mr FL took cub1 for his 3 mile run today and said he wasn't even out of breath so I've challenged him to my steady 4 miler tomorrow. On top of that, aged 8 he suddenly seems to fit my running top and socks.  Only a couple of shoe sizes and he'll be in my trainers too.  Scary stuff.

Julia- Tin of QS is finally finished, just a box of Heroes to go!

MtP should that be ON the Waggon rather than IN the Waggon!  Hope your short run went good for you.

FL I have not done todays intervals, finding it a chore at the moment so have decided to take a few days off and restart on Saturday with hopefully some renewed enthusiasm!

Food consumption ok so far today.....................................still time methinks!

My 14yo daughter is taller than me and wears size 9 feet so cannot have mine! Scary stuff but she'll always be able to see in a crowd  

Food consumption? ......hmmmm........it's the mince pies that get me! I've run 13 miles in 3 days (quite a lot for me) and yet I seem to be morphing into Santa, but without the jolly nature!

Anyone else use nike + i pod, race on Sunday said was 4.6 miles and my ipod recorded 5.11!!! -  more proof that I need a garmin?

Hope everyone is well (Ho! Ho! Ho!)

Scoffing for England now and off to make mincepies.  Another tin of QS arrived today from a supplier, have they no idea what they are doing to my will power and waistline?

 Increasing the mileage of late is taking it's toll and my neck/shoulder hurts, my back aches, my knee is crunching and an old toe injury is playing up altho' not when running.  Emergency sports massage booked for next week but have another 24 miles to run between now and then.

Cubs wanted to run today.  It was meant to be a mile warm-up, 10x400m intervals and then a mile cool down.  Took No1 son on first 2.4 miles, dropped him home, did some more and collected cub 2 for the last 0.7 miles; sort of worked out and I supect I'll be allowed out solo for my 5 miler tomorrow, (B4 anyone calls social services Mr FL works from a home office so can supervise in my absence!)

Looking forward to all the goodies Santa FL just wrapped up for me, all surprises of course!

Hope the injuries are healing everyone.

Merry Christmas All

Been very quiet lately resting ankle hmmmm! then catching a real mans cold you ladies just don't  know what they are like?

A little 3 miler today (but in a good time) just to ease myself back in.  Hope all your training and xmas planning are going well. 

There is just to much temptation in this house with food and drink I'm losing the battle but hopefully not the war.

Hope Santa brings you what you need. 

Have a good one.

Atchoo Darren.

Hic Happpy BBbbbbbbbbbooozzxxxxxxxxing dat evvvvvvvvvvverrrryone hicl.............

ooooooooo iiiiiiii nnnnnnedddddddddddddd to have a run tomoz and get ssssssssober agin      hic