Talkback: ASICS Target 26.2 Team: Emma

Apologies for the typos everyone - still feeling a bit ropey!

Tenjiso - I hope Sam's program will provide you with all you need to achieve your target!

There are so many excercises that Sam could suggest - but given the time I have availiable she has chopped it down to four exercises that can be adapted to make them more challenging.

1. PLANK - front for 15 secs the to the side and back again. The target for me at the moment is to get to 6 rounds of this!
2. BRIDGE - lying you your back and then raising your hips so that there is a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. To try and make it a bit trickier Sam has suggested walking my legs out and back a few inches. Eventually I should be able to extend one leg at a time - not happening at the moment.
3. SQUATS - these are different from squats I have been used to doing as I need to squat right down to the ground. My heels have to come off the floor for this - but it is important to keep your body weight central and your chest up. I do ten of these.
4. SINGLE LEG 'SIT BACKS' (this is my own made up name) - this involves standing on one leg with your arms out in front (for balance) and then mimicing sitting down on a chair - I can get that far back and I am very wobbly so trying to do fove on each leg for a hold of 10-15 seconds. This is the one I find the toughest.

Hope that helps!

I'm still feeling queesy and very sorry for myself!

Hope you are feeling better Emma. I am also a teacher with 2 boys (aged 11 and 7) so will be following this thread to see how you get on!

I have signed up for my first ever marathon on 1st April, excited and also a bit daunted!

Good luck mathschick! Great name! The rest of my family are maths teachers - I'm the odd one out being a chemist!

Still feeling ropey - I am hoping that I will feel better tomorrow - I have a track session in the evening. Only 4 miles but they need to be good miles!

Hi KN - Sam did suggest doing them together - If i get good at them then perhaps will split them up as wil be doing them for longer. I think she would like me to try and do them three times a week. Once I feel a bit brighter I shall try them again!

mcs - hubby has been great last couple of days when I have felt poorly! But he's getting fed up with our bickering boys!

the bickering boys don't get any better as they get older - mine can be a nightmare!

oh, and I put on 4 stone with each child. I did lose it inbetween, but still haven't got back down to pre-baby weight.

I didn't put on any weight, but have gained alot of grey hairs with my 2 boys. I think all boys bicker mathschick, mine are like tooth & nail most of the time. It's when they are quiet that's the worst - what are they up to?

Tried a few of those side planks tonight Emma - not an easy one, but hopefully they'll get easier!

Hello Emma

Congratulations! I hope you are feeling better.

I have a similarly hectic lifestyle, 3 very busy children (although older than yours) and work as a University Lecturer. I run early mornings as I provide a taxi service for the children in the evenings! I have done 3 marathons (London each time). I look forward to following your trainign as I get into my schedule for VLM!

Good luck

Still feeling sickly but not as nauseous as yesterday!

Looking farward to track tonight - I've been running much less over the last week or so and think I need to blow away the cobwebs.

I didn't manage to loose the weight inbetween each pregnancy - but also think getting older makes it more difficult. At the fitness assessment they told me I was a shocking % fat - above normal! ARGHHHHH! Bit depressing but apparently because I have it all around my bum it is ok! Very cheeky tenjiso!

Such a good idea running in the morning - what time do you go out? I get up at 5:50 as it is to get to work on time - think getting up earlier might push me over the edge! Perhaps when it starts to get lighter I might be able to manage it?

I hope I don't disappoint everyone and stick to the schedule as well as you! In my rather OCD way of doing things I have interpreted Sams schedule in to a spreadsheet. It's not all fancified with colour and funtions written in but I can post it if it would be useful to folks as a tick list. It also contains details of races that I am entering - hopefully see some folks there? Just let me know if you would like the spreadsheet posted.

Sort of in the words of my alter ego Brucie 'Keeeeep Running!'

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_GB&hl=en_GB&key=0AtYUDEBzxf5zdG04cTlHUFRaRS13NlU0dGVrNnd5ZlE&output=html

I'm hoping this works!

HI Emma

Yes, the spreadsheet works and thanks for posting it! Although you are more advanced than I am it is useful to see what you are doing.

I also have to get up at 6 on a normal day to get ready for work, so on the days that I run I get up about 4:30. Actually not too bad when you get used to it, even in the dark! I put all my gear in the bathroom so I can get up without disturbing OH, so I just roll out of bed, have a bit of water, get stuff on and go. I take some water with me too, but don't eat or anything before heading out. It is honestly the only way I can fit the runs in to the busy day - even if I leave school early as soon as I get home it is cooking/ferrying kids about etc and no time to myself.

Not sure what time I will have to head out when I have to up the midweek mileage though! I am dead slow so would have to leave really early to fit 10 miles in, so not sure how I am going to do that!