Last Thursday, the great and the good came out in force to offer their enthusiastic and generous support and help me march towards my fundraising target for Macmillan Cancer Support.  Cakes were baked, raffle prizes donated, pots of tea brewed, biscuits nibbled – Hostess with the mostest was Judy … aka my Mum!

The word had gone out, the flag raised and I was absolutely amazed to see so many wonderful women arrive .. each with a special message of support and their own personal stories of how cancer had affected the lives of those they love dearly.

To be on the receiving end of so much support was overwhelming and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for what they did that morning.

In the space of two hours, these magnificent girls raised £300.00!!

Unfortunately I made things a lot worse by trying to be smart….never a good idea!  I took Sydney (our lunatic chocolate Australian Labradoodle) with me to see my friend, Charlotte, on Wednesday morning.  Sydney had a great ‘play date’ with Charlotte’s black Lab., Cooper.  Whilst Charlotte and I remained inside, Sydney and Cooper got up to high jinks outside and every so often would whistle past the french windows … each time it was clear that Sydney was enjoying the mud a little too much.  Honestly, you should have seen the state of him by the time it was time to leave.  His long, curly coat was dripping with mud and decorated with twigs, leaves and various detritus.  He looked like a canine ‘Stig of the Dump.’

What has this got to do with anything?

Well I couldn’t leave Sydney in that state.  So later that evening I herded him up upstairs (trying not to obsess about the amount of dry mud he was shedding) and into the shower cubicle.  Hosing him down with the shower seemed the only option.  However, Sydney wasn’t so keen on my plans and after several attempts to escape, I was using all my weight to hold him back with one hand whilst grappling with the shower-head with the other.  And then it happened … one bid for freedom too many and I felt my left calf muscle (the bad one obviously) go twang.

I limped into Physio this morning and, after much prodding and poking, my left leg was scanned.  There it was … a torn calf muscle complete with an area filled with blood and fluid.  A serious conversation ensued covering keywords P.R.I.C.E. = Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.  Crutches were next on the list!  I didn’t even have to ask the question that was in my mind … ‘No, you can’t run the Kilomathon.’

I’m feeling very down.

Karen and I have been in touch with each other recently and I’d like to suggest you take a look at her website www.thefurrymonkey.co.uk.  She gives a very honest insight into the difficulties she has faced after her initial diagnosis and treatments.  She remains very open, funny and direct and I’m a big fan of hers.

My fundraising pot has just reached £1,073.00 and I’m truly delighted!  There’s still a long way to go as I’ve only reached 21% of my fundraising target but I’m sure we’ll get there.

If you’d like to add your name to my support team just pop along to www.justgiving.com/Joanna-Sayers and give what you can .. it all adds up!

Thank you!

I connected my iPod to the treadmill speakers, did a short warm up and off I went listening to another great podcast from MarathonTalk.   The pain in my leg never seemed to go away so I kept to the same steady pace of 9.5kmh .. a bit slow but I convinced myself that banking the miles was a better option than trying to break the speed barrier!

On and on I went, checking off the kilometres (the treadmill only works in km which confuses an imperial girl like me). I kept up my fluid and carb intake with bottles of water and carb gels.

At about mile 10, I noticed some pelvic pain and my leg wasn’t feeling any better.  I struggled on and finally got to 20km and wound down to a walk!  Hurrah, I’d done a half marathon distance.. but oh dear..I was in pain..real pain.. and then Andrew came in to film me (nice of him to catch painful expressions et al!)

“How far did you go?” he asked
“20km!” I replied with a smug smile
.. “Oh, didn’t you want to hang on to get the half marathon?”
“WHAT?” alarm bells started to ring
“Well, you had to get to 22km to make sure you did the half” he explained, whilst zooming the camera in on my expression
“Oh #@$*!”

I couldn’t believe I’d done it again…I just can’t keep a number in my head…I wasn’t going to be beaten..I didn’t care how much everything hurt, I’d only stopped for about a minute. I punched the treadmill buttons and it quickly fired back into action putting me back into running mode. Everything hurt more than before.. I was so cross with myself .. for being useless with numbers, for being injured, for being in pain .. arrrghh! I finished off the last 2km, securing the half marathon distance but I wasn’t happy.

Hoping to take the sting out of screaming muscles, I held ice packs and bags of frozen peas to my legs, hip and back. Running sure ain’t glamorous!!

A visit to the Physio yesterday confirmed that an initial calf strain had made me change my gait to compensate for the injury. This in turn had put extra pressure on an already weak pelvic area. The upshot of all this is that I’m injured and laid off from running this week.

However, to turn a negative experience into a positive one – I’m using this week to work hard on strengthening glutes and abs and get as many physio sessions in as I can.  This should produce a stronger, fitter, calmer and less injured me!  As usual, I’ll keep you posted!

• The Arches Leisure Centre, Trafalgar Road, Greenwich – Mile 6
• The Old Rose Pub – Mile 13 &22
• Mudchute – Mile 18
• Monument Mile 23
• Cleopatra’s Needle, Embankment – Mile 25
• The Grandstand – Mile 26 (limited tickets available)

I’ll have more details about the exact locations of these cheer-points very soon and they’ll also be available on Macmillan’s website soon too.  Please encourage your family and friends to join Macmillan on Sunday 25th April as the London Marathon is an amazing experience and has a wonderful atmosphere – Macmillan really will ensure you have a great time!

Personally, I know how much it would mean to me to see you there

I happily ate through half a ton of my home baked lasagne last night – no complaints from anyone else either – and although I didn’t sleep particularly well, I knew what needed to be done today.  Porridge for breakfast, bottles of water & a couple of Carb gels ready and I was raring to go.

At this point, I should remark on my extraodinary lack of mathematical skills.  Seriously, I can’t add for toffee!  When I see numbers I invariably read them back to front or in the wrong order and no, ashamed as I am to say it, I’m not at all confident with my times tables either.  I don’t really know why they’re such a problem for me but they always have been.

So, when it comes to noting my running stats .. well, I have numerous coping mechanisms.  Scribbling down times, distances and burned calories is done methodically after each run.  I use a great website Dailymile.com to record all the individual, and to me, seemingly unconnected data.  Never, ever ask me to memorise a number!!

Today’s run was great.  The first 10k was at a good speed but as I went into the second 10k, I knew I needed to reduce my pace a tad.  That was fine and on a long run the aim is miles in the bank at a realistic speed not burning out too quickly.  I seem to have developed a tightness at the back of my left knee .. not too sure whether it’s Mr.Hammy playing up or whether it’s the old referred pain from previous injury.  Coupled with some tension in my neck and shoulders, it made running harder than I’d hoped.  Undettered, I kept going distracting myself by listening to fab podcasts from Martin Yelling & Tom Williams on MarathonTalk (you can look them up on iTunes, they’re Free!)

So why did I mention my inability to do sums?   Well, firstly, I was running on the treadmill and it resets itself after 99.99minutes .. not too disastrous as Andrew scribbled down the stats before it went back to zero.  No, the shame of it was that it wasn’t until the end that I realised I had made a mistake.  I honestly thought I’d run a half marathon and at the 13 mile mark finished my run with a cool down, stretching etc.  Andrew checked my stats and having redone the Maths on the mileage taken before and after the treadmill reset, he pointed out I was 0.5 of a mile short of the half marathon … no-one likes a smart arse, particularly one with an iPhone!  Had I realised I had only an extra half a mile to go, I would have and could have kept going.

So my half marathon this morning was only 12.5miles

Next week, I’ll nail it .. and more! 

Oh..my…goodness!!

With that in mind, tomorrow is the day for my long run and I’m hoping to do a verrrry looong run indeed.  I never like to say out loud the distances/speed/time I’m aiming for but I promise to tell you all the details as soon as it’s done.

In the meantime, this may be of interest to you -

RACE CREW WANTED: 14th March 2010

If you fancy a great day out in Nottingham/Derby and are coming along to support the Kilomathon runners but would like to do more than stand and watch, Kilomathon organisers are looking for Race Crew.  They need:

• racecourse stewards
• water and energy station marshals
• goody bag and registration crew
• start/finish officials
• as well as Race Crew in many other areas.

Anyone over 15 years old can join the Race Crew Team (race crew under 18 must be accompanied by an adult). They would really appreciate your help.  Race Crew are an important part of every runner’s experience and they really make a difference.

If you become part of the Kilomathon Race Crew you can expect:

• An official Kilomathon t-shirt
• Each role earns a minimum of £15 which can be donated to the charity of your choice
• Lunch vouchers to buy a delicious lunch
• A certificate to mark your contribution to the event
• A truly fantastic experience and a wonderful day!

To sign up to be part of the Race Crew click here.

As you know, there have been times recently when I’ve not been at my best.  I’ve felt mentally depleted and despondent.  Maybe it’s the feeling that time is whistling past and that these seemingly unachievable challenges I’ve set myself are looming ever closer.

However, I can report that I’m now feeling positive and full of energy.  I may not be Paula Radcliffe or Liz Yelling but I’m capable, fit and raring to go.  I may not like bits about me but I’m me and I can’t change that.  I feel strong; I am strong!

So what’s changed?  Why the change from crying in a heap & feeling exhausted to positive & full of enthusiasm and renewed commitment?

A simple conversation has worked wonders.  I’ve known Michael Christon for some time but never once thought to draw on his professional skills…let me explain:

Michael is the founder of Freedomfrom and the Edinburgh Phobia Clinic.  He is a highly qualified and respected therapist specifically dealing with patients who suffer from fear, phobia or anxiety issues.  He is an Internationally Licensed Master Practitioner and Trainer of NLP and has also been trained in numerous therapeutic approaches including IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy), Hypnotherapy, Provocative Therapy, Mythoself approach, NHR (Neuro-Hypnotic Repatterning), to name but a few.  His success around the world has lead to television appearances and his views and advice are often sought by a wide variety of medical professionals.  His expertise has helped hundreds of clients and his cut-to-the-chase approach brings long-lasting results, quickly.  Kind of a UK version of Oprah’s buddy, Dr.Phil!

Sometimes, the most obvious answers to our problems are right in front of us.   Michael visited us recently and after a 10 year gap since his last visit, I thought it impolite to drone on and on about my Marathon training etc.  After he left, I realised I had missed a golden opportunity to get some help.   I rang Michael at home and indulgently told him of some of the motivational issues I was experiencing.  I described the self doubt, the nagging voice inside my head telling me I was a failure and the fear of making a fool of myself.

I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t what I got.  At first, he talked and I listened.  Then came the questions .. some easy, some not.  Michael’s approach looked at my fears from a different perspective and one that wasn’t quite so scary.  Whenever I put up an objection, he had an answer that I simply couldn’t argue with.  We did a number of mental exercises and he taught me some valuable skills to deal with negativity.  He didn’t use ‘mumbo-jumbo’ or talk like some new-age tree-hugger (apologies to tree-huggers, no offence intended!)  His use of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) was fascinating and although sceptical to start with, I have really experienced a very welcome difference in my approach to training.  It’s easy to see why Michael is so popular with business owners who want to re-focus on their goals.

I like this clever business video Michael has done ..
Michael told me that his aim throughout has always been the same:

“I enjoy doing the work I do.  There is nothing more fulfilling in life than helping someone get their’s back.  Left unchecked, fear and anxiety can steal so much of life – every day I strive to bring an end to this misery for my clients.”

I’m practicing turning the volume down on my negative thoughts and using language in a more creative and positive way.  I’m also not going to worry about what lies ahead but instead get the most out of today.  This is as important to my training as all the miles and physical effort I’m putting in at the moment.  Wherever you are, whatever you do, if you think you’d like to benefit from Michael’s expertise click here.

Sit back and laugh at my expense .. it’s Movie Time!