You call that running???

We are in our third week of the program and it is certainly not getting any easier. My trainers are still giving me troubles, although I am wondering if I am being too hard on them as it is only a little rubbing, or if I am bring too soft on them as I am only running for 30 minutes at the moment… what happens when we get to running for a full hour and more?

Other than the footwear we have also been struggling with our footing somewhat. In the program they make a big deal about the jump from 30 seconds to 1 minute of running (within the 30 minute walk/jog routine) and although it was difficult the first time we went up to 1 minute of running, by the second time we could both handle it with relative ease. The same when we upped our running time to 2 minutes, but now at the 3 minute mark we are both struggling. As I explained on our run on Sunday we could not finish all the runs, so too when we tried the run again on Wednesday, we simply could not complete the run. After the second rep we decided to lower our running time to 2 minutes for the last half of the routine.

Now I am looking at my schedule for the next few days and tonight and tomorrow are supposed to be 4 minute runs. We are almost at the stage where we are supposed to be walking and running for the same amount of time, and we cannot get passed the 3 minute blip!

Part of me thinks that realistically we should not try to do the 4 minute run, but instead keep working on improving the 3 minute run, but then I am scared that we will just get in a rut of 3 minutes and not progress any further.

Then I am wondering to myself, how on earth am I going to be able to solidly run for anything between 4 to 6 hours if I cannot even run 3 minutes? I am filled with self doubt, but then I know I am not the first person to start training for a marathon. This is possible, and I am counting on ending it with Jazz hands and a big smile on my face, but right now I have a nervous flutter in my heart that maybe I have bitten off a little more than I can chew. Again, thank goodness I have my sister doing this with me! Seriously when they tell you that you can never do these things on your own and you need a running/ diet buddy they are right!

Ok so I am going to stop beating myself up for today and instead I am going to skip the run tonight. Don’t worry I am just going to swap my rest day on Saturday with today. So tonight instead of running, I think I am going to just go for a long walk… before enjoying my first ever Thanksgiving dinner (I am English so I am being forced to go dressed as a red-coat).

Day 11 – Raw

So I have finally calmed down about my nightmare trainer problem. It really is not a nightmare. I can take them back no problem and perhaps I was too hasty in trying out my new shoes and should have given my poor heels a little more time to heal.

So instead today I decided to take some positive steps to solving the problem without taking the shoes back right this second. I mean I really did not give them a chance. So in my lunch break I headed to the mall and managed to find that proper running socks are not the ‘sports’ socks that Marks and Spencers sell, nor are they the cute little trainer socks.

Proper running socks have padding. Padding that covers your heels and other areas that might potentially rub against your shoe. What if I had had these socks in the beginning? Would I have had to take back my first pair of trainers? Well I am going to test them out tonight so I will let you know.

I realise that I have spoken a lot about the training schedule and how the actual running is going, but what happens the other twenty three and 10 minutes of the day? What about my diet? Well the diet is still a work in progress. A lovely friend in the States has been helping me work out a diet that will suit the training program and me as I progress, but at the moment I am just enjoying food. This does not mean that I am stuffing my face with cakes though. I would like to state for a fact that this is something I have managed to avoid, despite many temptations of Birthday cakes, leaving cakes, and returning from holiday chocolates that have been flowing around my office in the last week alone.

When I say that I am enjoying my food I mean that I am enjoying the flavour of food more. I have been adding garlic and lemon and lots of vegetables to my skinless chicken to replace the fat, I have been eating raw fish and salads made with herbs instead of dressings. In this way I am enjoying the taste of all things natural and you know what I realised? I realised that the natural flavour is actually better.

It tastes real, fresh and it does not make you feel sick. The one issue is you really have to be in the mood to chop 6 different types of vegetables, marinate chicken and stand over the stove for an hour to feed one. I do agree, buying a burger is definitely easier. But I found a new fast food replacement… Sashimi (Raw Fish). I love it so much I have made it a bi-weekly take-out regime. Raw fish is an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fats (the good fats) and other nutrients like selenium, niacin and vitamin B12, phosphorous, magnesium and vitamin B6. Ok so I have no idea what all of these are for, but it sounds very healthy to me!

Plus it seems like everyone is going raw at the moment, even Gordon Ramsay has been talking about the benefits of eating raw foods; increased energy, radiant skin, lowering of body fat. Sounds like a win win situation to me. They have been opening raw food restaurants all over the place, London, New York… so when is some bright spark going to bring it to Israel! Tel Aviv… pretty please!!

This Sucks

Tears are streaming down my face. This is after the walk of shame I did home from the gym choking back the tears. Or should I say the hobble I did back from the gym after trying out the second pair of shoes that I bought after the first pair cause deep blisters in my heals.

I let them heal for a few days, wore old trainers that didn’t rub against my heals and yet half an hour into my work out, which I would like to say was going pretty well, I just could not take the pain anymore. I stopped, tried to readjust my socks, replace the band aid I had put on for extra padding, but the band aid had rolled up and stuck to itself and my socks just did not help.

I don’t want to go back to the store again. I have had enough! What is so damn wrong with my feet that ‘professionals’ cannot find a pair that wont cause me pain enough that result in my sat here crying like a baby and feeling sorry for myself.

It’s just so fucking unfair!

A Shamless Plug

Ok, I know this blog is about preparing for a Marathon, but I have to say a big thank you to the wonderful people at Pro Sports store in Tel Aviv:

Dear Pro Sports store workers and Manager (The bald male one and also the blonde female one, although you were not in the day I returned my trainers)

I would like to say a big thank you to you for helping me in my time of need. When I walked into your store with trainers that I had run and sweated in three times, no less, I was nervous that you would take one look at the soles and tell me to get on my bike. However, you did not so much as check the laces, for you were not concerned with the shoe. No, you were concerned more about the giant blisters at the back of my ankles, you were concerned more with trying to help me and solve the mystery of the girl with the attacking shoes.

Thank you for bringing out band aids and thick socks so I could at least attempt to try on a new pair of trainers without wincing in pain. Thank you for understanding that a girl who has only just started an 8 week training program cannot give up just because of a blister, no matter how deep it is. Thank you for taking the time to try to work out the mystery of my feet. I know the original trainers appeared to fit perfectly, and I loved them too, but when it hurts it hurts and no-one can argue with the holes in my heal.

Thank you for you patience as I held my head in my hands wondering what would my mentor suggest without being able to call anyone because I left my phone in the car. Thank you for re-assuring me that if the pair I took later on also cause me problems you would change them again whether I tried them out in the gym or on the road.

Above all thank you so much for your understanding and your care. In return I promise that I shall recommend you to everyone I know and put a shameless plug on my Blog.

Thank you again and again

Channah

To get the best service when buying running shoes I suggest you head straight to:

PRO:SPORT

121 Hahashmona’im Street, Tel Aviv.

http://www.pro-sport.co.il/english.php

The store is open Sun-Thur: 10:00- 19:00, and Fri: 09:30-14:30.

No pain no gain?

I have just come back from the gym. It is my 4th day on the programme and the first day we actually jog and I am close to tears. Not because of the work out. The work out I could handle if my bloody shoes weren’t rubbing great holes into the back of my heals. Bare in mind that this is with blister plasters on my heals and thick winter socks for extra padding!

I have given them 3 days and I am beginning to wonder how long it takes to break in a pair of running shoes? I am also wondering whether I am a huge fool and should have taken them back after the first walk when they were rubbing and I am wondering if it is now too late to go crawling back to Pro Sport and ask them to exchange them and somehow find for me trainers with a lower back. Damn my tiny feet and low ankles!

I am looking at them now and wondering how it all went so wrong. “How you tricked me, you evil shoes! When we were in the store you fit like a glove, I felt like I was walking on air and now… now I make you work you stick the knives in my heals!”

The only thing stopping me from burning them right now is the knowledge of how much my mum and dad spent on them.

Does anyone out there have any advice? Shoe Fairy please guide me… I have a training session tomorrow!