Friday, 30 December 2011
Run 101 - Last one for the year???
But out I went! I knew it would play on my mind until I did it, so out I went!
5kms, too fast to start with and it made it harder later on in the run, but I got round!
A hot one with a little breeze.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Run 100 - 999 run so far this year
So, so far this month I have run 125km, and 999km in total this year. I had wanted to run 1102km this year but the injury earlier in the year put paid to that. Still, I shouldn't be too far off, the year hasn't ended yet.
Monday, 26 December 2011
Run 99 - More than I've ever done!
The weather has turned very overcast and drizzly. Yet it is still very warm.
Wore my new running top that Sam gave me for Christmas (thank you, Sam!). It worked a treat, and ideal for the heat.
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Run 98 - Christmas Eve run
So I was up and out at 7am for a long run up Carruthers Hill. Nice morning but windy uphill (which makes the return run much nicer!) No guests in last night so Steve came with me on his cycle. The run went well and I ran a kay further than last week's long run in the same time, so happy!
Distance: 17km
Time: 2hr 6min
Average Pace: 7:26
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Run 97 - Good run at last!
Wasn't expecting much from this run as I have really struggled lately - the wedding, etc. was a lot more tiring than I had realised, then on top of that we went straight into the 'Christmas rush' of guests.
However, I was pleasantly surprised. The run went very well and I ended up doing it in 53min 48sec - a lot better than my other 8km runs of late! I warmed up at a slow pace for the first couple of kms then quickened up, and managed to maintain that pace for about 6km. I usually flag after half way but I managed to keep going this time. Does a lot for the morale! :)
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Run 96 - Great little run
5kms around the village, had to keep slowing myself down as it was supposed to be a jog rather than a run!
Weather still fairly cool as it was early, but a bit windy. Not a problem though, and felt good.
Considering the amount of people here now for their holidays, there weren't many people up at 6am this morning!
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Run 95 - Lovely Long Run
I had decided that I really couldn't face running around PB again, so I went up to the R43 and ran up Carruthers Hill. Well, half way up anyway. I did 16km, which is about a km off the top.
Slow, comfortable pace. Cool, bright morning for the first half, a bit warm (but not too windy) for the second half.
Lost track of the time as I switched off my garmin for a short break half way to listen to the peacefulness, and ran for a couple of minutes with it off before realising it was not running!
Estimated run: 16km (definitely) and approximately 2 hrs 7 minutes.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Run 94: A struggle
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Run 93 - Ugh!
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Run 92 - Phew!
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Run 91 - Long Run
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Run 90 - Let's get back into a routine!
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Run 89 - Back out around Pearly Beach
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Run 88 - At Robertson in the mountains
Friday, 2 December 2011
Run 87 - Not a good run!
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Run 86 - Grabbing a few minutes
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Run 85 - Exhausted...
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Run 84 - Finn is with us...
Well, had a nice rest yesterday and today we have 2 year old grandson, Finn, staying with us!
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Run 83: The Day After...
It is the day after the wedding. It was a great day and I think everyone enjoyed it, especially the Bride and the Groom, which is the most important thing. Sam had surprised me by announcing, when I dropped her off at the hairdressers in the morning, that she had booked me a hair appointment too. So I had a really nice hairstyle done for me. Thank you, Sam, that was a lovely surprise.
Run 82 - 5km with Richeldis and Taz
I actually had people to run with today - Richeldis (Sam's Chief Bridesmaid) and Tamsin (Sam's sister and my daughter)!
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Run 81 - 8km Trail Run in Stellenbosch mountains
Well, this run was a bit different! I had entered the Mr Price Winelands 8km trail run - a new event that runs into the Stellenbosch mountains. There was an 8km and a 16km event - I chose the 8km as I have never done this type of running before. We were already staying in Cape Town as Sam and Co had arrived from the UK and I had intended running something that weekend anyway. Sam's friend, Richeldis, asked if she could run as well, so we set off with Steve at 5.30 in the morning from Cape Town to Stellenbosch! I'm glad it's light at that time of day now!
Friday, 18 November 2011
Run 80 A Difficult One!
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Run 79 - A 'build up' run
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Run 78 - Beautiful!
Saturday, 12 November 2011
Run 77 - Up and Out Early
Friday, 11 November 2011
Run 76: Beautiful morning!
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Run 75 - Before it gets even windier and it rains!
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Run 74 - Start of Marathon Training
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Run 73 - Managed to get back up to 10km at last!
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Run 72 - Up the hill instead of into the wind!
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Run 71 - If I can remember it from this morning.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Run 70 - Without Garmin - How will I cope???!!!
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Run 69 - Uphill and Headwinds
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Run 68 - With my trainer
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Run 67 And 67km this month
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Scientists uncover Alzheimer's enzyme clue
20/10/2011
Scientists in Leeds have discovered levels of a specific enzyme are raised in the brains and blood of people with Alzheimer's disease. It's hoped their findings could be used to help clinical trials for new treatments for the disease.
A team at the University of Leeds, part-funded by Alzheimer's Research UK and the Medical Research Council (MRC), studied an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase. It's thought the enzyme could be linked to the build-up of tau, a hallmark toxic protein in Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers, led by Prof Nigel Hooper, studied blood plasma samples and post-mortem brain tissue, provided by the MRC London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain Bank, from people with Alzheimer’s and from healthy people. They found that people with the disease had more of the enzyme in the hippocampus – one of the first regions of the brain to be damaged in Alzheimer's – than healthy people when they died.
People with the disease also had greater levels of the enzyme in their blood. Further analysis showed that higher levels of alkaline phosphatase were associated with a greater loss of cognitive function.
Although levels of the enzyme in blood samples were higher in Alzheimer's, the measurements were still within the normal range, meaning they would not be useful for diagnosing the disease. However, the findings could give researchers a new tool for clinical trials, helping them to monitor how people are responding to treatments.
The findings are published today in the journal Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Prof Hooper, a Scientific Adviser to Alzheimer's Research UK, said:
“We were surprised to find that levels of this enzyme in people's blood correlated with cognitive decline, and we think this could be significant for helping to monitor people with Alzheimer's over a period of time. We hope that with more research, our results could be useful to people who are testing new drugs, giving us a better chance of finding an effective treatment to fight Alzheimer's.
“Dementia is not a normal part of ageing, and with research it can be beaten, but we need to know much more about its causes in order to develop effective treatments. I hope our research can help bring us a step closer to that goal.”
Dr Simon Ridley, Head of Research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said:
“These important findings could give researchers a vital tool to aid the development of new drugs for Alzheimer's disease. It will also be important to find out what causes alkaline phosphatase to increase as the disease develops.
“Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, which currently affects 820,000 people in the UK and more than 7,500 people in Leeds alone. If we are to find new treatments that could really benefit people in the future, it's crucial that we invest in research now.”
Professor James Ironside, Director of the MRC-led UK Brain Banks Network, said:
“What's so fascinating about this study is that the researchers were able to directly compare healthy tissue with samples from Alzheimer's sufferers to demonstrate the importance of alkaline phosphatase levels in the brain.
“This cutting-edge research would not be possible without access to a reliable supply of high-quality brain tissue samples, which is why the UK Brain Banks network is so important as a national resource to support neuroscience research.”
The study received funding from Alzheimer's Research UK, the Health Foundation and the Medical Research Council.
Run 66 - That was hard!
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Run 65 - It's hard work running after an evening out!
Monday, 17 October 2011
Run 64 - On the treadmill!
What a windy day! It is s-s-o-o-o windy today! Dust is being blown up from the gravel roads, so I absolutely refused to go out and run in that! I would end up choking and spluttering from all the dust I would swallow (as happened to me once in a relay race in Cyprus - but that is another story!)
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Run 63 - Going well
Friday, 14 October 2011
Run 62 - Didn't notice this one
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Charity News
Run 61 with a metronome!
Monday, 10 October 2011
Run 60 Start of Pre-Marathon Plan
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Run 59 - Hooray! Got back to 5km!
Friday, 7 October 2011
Run 58 - Early one before it got too warm
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Run 57 - Ran past a (dead) puff adder!
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Run 56 - Very windy
Friday, 30 September 2011
Run 55 - Or was it a Cycle Ride?
Another "Well..." Today was my longest run since July! All 15 minutes of it. I ended up doing more walking than I did running because I got my distances slightly out - obviously because I thought I was cycling (lol)!
So, it was a warm up and cool down and 15 minutes of constant jogging. Hopefully, one more week of my 'return from injury' programme and I can start my 'pre-marathon' plan!
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Run 54 - Hard work today but enjoyable
Monday, 26 September 2011
Run 53 A lovely morning for a run
Friday, 23 September 2011
Run 52 - Today instead of tomorrow
So I went out and did 5 min warm up/cool down and walk 5 min/jog 10mins x 2 times.
Felt much more like running today and it got quite hard but good to feel that I am doing more.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Run 51 - Nice run
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Run 50 - Cold, Wet and Windy
Monday, 19 September 2011
Not a Run day today
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Run 49 - Very windy this time
Friday, 16 September 2011
Run 48 - Bright and Early with Whales, Dolphins and baby Francolins!
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Run 47 After the Hairdressers
Still, it was a lovely day for it, and it wasn't a long run! I did a similar run to my last one, and no aches and pains at all. All in all, a successful run of about 30 minutes.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Run 46 - Hooray!
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Run 45 - Nice Run
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Run 44 - with lightning (not 'like lightning'!)
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Run 43 - A little bit longer
Monday, 5 September 2011
Run 42 - Jogging in the sunshine
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Run 41 (Walk) Very windy
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Run 40 (walk)
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Getting over it...
Run 39 (walk)
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Virgin London Marathon - booked!
Aagghh! Injury!
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Run 38 - In the warm sunshine
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Run 37 - McKenna Scott Pinelands 10km Race
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Run 36 - Jog
Monday, 25 July 2011
Run 35 - So as not to feel so guilty!
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Run 34 - Treadmill, shower and massage!
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Run 33 - The promise of lunch helps
Did a 6km around Pearly Beach (around Rotunda - the hilly bit) at an average sort of pace. Actually, it felt ok considering I hadn't wanted to go out!
Weather is still ok at the moment, but I am sure it will turn very soon!
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Run 32 - Get it done!
Friday, 15 July 2011
Run 31 - That was hard!
Glad it's over though for today!
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Run 30 - Enjoyable run in the sunshine
I did a slower run with a fast km in the middle and slightly slower at the end around my normal route.
I am looking forward to my massage later this afternoon in town!
Monday, 11 July 2011
Run 29 - Another beautiful day...
Saturday, 9 July 2011
Run 28 - What a beautiful winter's day...
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Run 27: Sunny day so why not...
Monday, 4 July 2011
Run 26 - So much rain!
Friday, 1 July 2011
Run 25 - Just for the fun of it!
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Run 24 - Intervals (I know I'm not going to enjoy this!)
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Run 23 - A nice run
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Run 22 - Me, not Alfie, not Chilli
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Run 21 - A beautiful day for it!
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Run 20 - Turnaround
I can't say I was looking forward to this run because it gets "lonely" out there sometimes and it is much nicer to have someone to run with (even if they are on a bike!) Where are you, Steve? You're supposed to be my personal trainer, not puppy-sitting!
So, I listened to music on my mp3 player, which helps sometimes when I am out for a long time.
I ran for 1hr 35 min and covered 13km.
It was a better run than my run last weekend, but there is still room for improvement!
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Run 19 - Not good weather for a public holiday!
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Run 18 - Intervals - Phooaarr!
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Run 17 - 1st long run for a long time!
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Run 16 - Hard work
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Run 15 - Back at Last!
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Run 14 - Treadmill today
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Run 13 - Nice, gentle run
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Run 12 - Intervals
Did intervals this morning - 4 x 400m with 200m recovery in between.
Dogs and OH came along too as I ran along a road that sees no vehicles for 99% of the time! Ideal for them (the dogs I mean!)
So we all had a good workout!
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Run 11 - Not been a great week!
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Run 10 - Amazed legs still work!
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Run 9 - Time Trials with running club
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Run 8 - Outside again
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Run 7 - Also put Mango and Alfie on the treadie
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Run 6 - 10km up the B'bos Road
Friday, 29 April 2011
Run 5 and a trip to the vet
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Run 4
My birthday and the Ballot opens
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Run 3
Happy Easter everyone. Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. The weather was beautiful yesterday - today it has been rainy and cold! I was going to go out for a long run, probably up the B'bos Road, but changed my mind this afternoon, and ran on the treadmill.
Friday, 22 April 2011
Run 2
I escaped today - from the "mad house"! I was both dreading and quite glad to get out and have a run! I am really tired - I've never had such an energetic little puppy before. He is real hard work - but I went out for a run anyway.
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Run 1
I am starting a new training plan this week as I want to improve my half marathon time. There is a half I would like to run in August, so now is the time to do it. I have decided to try out the FIRST running plan, which consists of 3 runs a week but incorporates a steady intensity and speed build up based on my current 5km time.