Not Being Able to Run Sucks!

One week ago I went to London and had a mole removed from under my nose and just above my upper lip. I, of course, asked 'when can I run again?' and was told 'after 2 weeks'.

So I am now one week down and one week to go! It is so depressing...

We have had great weather over here this week and Copenhagen Marathon was last Sunday. It seems that everyone in Copenhagen is out running except me :-(

I think I'm feeling the withdrawal really bad as I have just had a week recovery at the end of April after Madrid Marathon so what do I need another one for?

In London I did buy a great running book though. I mean, if I can't run then I'll read about running! It's called 'Keep on Running - The Highs and Lows of a Marathon Addict' by Phil Hewitt. As I think I'm also becoming a marathon addict I can really relate to this book.
I've also just bought 'Worlds Ultimate Running Races - 500 Races, 101 Countries'. I'm waiting for it to arrive from Amazon UK. This is another book which I think will be great for me (some say it will be dangerous). It will give me ideas for many more marathons and if I'm not careful I'll soon have all my marathons sorted for the next 10 years!

My plan, once I'm allowed to start running again, will be to really knuckle down for my Berlin training as I'm hoping to finish somewhere between 4 hours and 4 hours 15 minutes :-)

Copenhagen Marathon - One Year Ago...!

First a big congratulations to everyone that finished Copenhagen Marathon 2012 in this heat!! I know how tough it is to run with the sun beaming down on you for such a long distance!

Copenhagen Marathon 2011

This time one year ago I had just completed my first ever marathon after only 10 months of training. I went from not running at all to running Copenhagen Marathon 2011 in 4 hours and 43 minutes. I was one of those rare people that crossed over the finish line saying 'I want to run another one!'

Valencia Marathon 2011

I just had to run another one soon and chose to run Valencia in November 2011. I was thinking of running Berlin or Venice but both of these had no more places and in the end Valencia turned out to be a great choice as it was there that my love of everything Spanish began!

Before I had even run in Valencia I was looking for another marathon for spring 2012. This was between Barcelona and Madrid. Barcelona because I'd already visited but still had some places I wanted to see and Madrid because the American Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series was organising it.

Madrid Marathon 2012

In the end I chose Madrid because of the Rock 'n' Roll theme which once again was a great choice of marathon. I loved the route and again loved all the spectators. Before I ran in Madrid I had signed up and got a place in Berlin marathon 2012. It's just over 4 months until Berlin marathon and I have already signed up for Gran Canaria 2013 and have a place in Copenhagen marathon 2013.

I can't seem to help myself and must have another marathon on the horizon while I'm running the one before :-)

I SIMPLY LOVE RUNNING MARATHONS :-)

It's Funny How Quickly Plans Can Change!

Maybe I could get a medal like this :-)

I was just re-reading my old blog post from 2nd December 2011 50 marathons, 50 cities, before I'm 50 and looking at my planned marathons from that time. This is how they looked 6 months ago:-

May 2011 - Copenhagen Marathon
Nov 2011 - Valencia Marathon
Spring 2012 - Madrid or Barcelona Marathon
Autumn 2012 - Berlin Marathon
Spring 2013 - Barcelona or Madrid Marathon
Autumn 2013 - Nice-Cannes Marathon
Spring 2014 - Seville Marathon
Autumn 2014 - Venice Marathon

This is how they look right now:-

May 2011 - Copenhagen Marathon (04:43:33)

Nov 2011 - Valencia Marathon (04:31:55)

April 2012 - Madrid Marathon (04:35:41)

Sept 2012 - Berlin Marathon (signed up)

Oct 2012 - South Coast Marathon Denmark

Jan 2013 - Gran Canaria Marathon (signed up)

March 2013 - Rome or Barcelona Marathon

April 2013 - London Marathon (if I get a lottery place)

May 2013 - Copenhagen Marathon (free entry. signed up)

Aug 2013 - Brisbane Marathon 

Allowing for an autumn marathon as well, (and getting a place in London) I will have run 11 marathons by the end of 2013! Taking out Copenhagen which I will have run twice, I will then have 10 marathons in 10 different places towards my 50 marathons goal. 

When I made the goal it seemed like I would maybe just about make it before 50. At the rate I'm going I'll have it done by 40!!

Free Entry to Copenhagen Marathon!

I have just received an email where it says 'Tillykke – du har vundet en fribillet til Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon'
(congratulations - you have won a free ticket to Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon)

This is just so cool!!

Unfortunately, because I'm having a mole removed from under my nose on Thursday, I can't exercise for at least 2 weeks. This, of course, means that I CAN'T RUN!! The marathon is this Sunday!

No problem! The people at Sparta (Copenhagen Marathon organisers) said that I can transfer it to next year!!

This is great :-)

At this rate I'll be running one marathon every month next year. If I actually get a place in London marathon then I'll have a marathon in January, March, April, and May 2013. All in different countries :-)

I never normally win anything but seem to be winning lots and lots of great stuff this year! Maybe I should start playing the lottery.....

Run Grumpy Girl Run!!

Today I have been really grumpy and simply couldn't snap out of it. I put 'Run Fat Boy Run' on and watched the whole film. It's a film about a man that decides to run a marathon to win back his ex. The only problem is the marathon is in 3 weeks time and he is very unfit and never run before! I love that film :-)

After watching it I thought about how the main character just kept on going even when the going was really tough. This gave me the idea that maybe if I go out for a run I might cheer up a little.....so I decided to run 10k.
I took some water and 3 gels with me just in case I changed my mind and wanted to run further.

I started running my usual route down by the harbour at Islands Brygge and then crossed over the footbridge to the other side. Then I carried on passed the bridge over to Christianshavn, carried on up to Nyhavn, and continued along the waterfront heading towards the Little Mermaid. I was feeling good so made up my mind to run a half marathon today!

After going past the Little Mermaid I headed all the way up Langelinje and, at the lighthouse thing at the end, turned around and ran home again.

I had a great half marathon run and certainly felt much happier afterwards :-)

My training for this week has gone really well and I'm not actually 'training' right now!

Monday - 40 minutes Hill Training
Tuesday - Fast 2k
Thursday - 6k
Sunday - Half Marathon

Hill Training Just Got Easier!

This is really what it looks like when the sun hits it right!

I have decided to continue hill training once a week as I find it makes a nice change!

Today when I went out of the door for a run I was very close to going for a half marathon but then, as I hadn't taken any water with me and couldn't be bothered to go home again, I changed my mind and thought I'd do the hill training as planned.

My Carpark!

It was so easy!! I went over to the multi-storey carpark as usual (don't worry, it's never busy in there as it costs so much to park) and ran up and down the slopes inside 10 times as usual (that's around 5k). I found that it required very little effort. This same training was killing me before Madrid marathon!

My training schedule for May and June is below, then the serious training for Berlin will begin.......

Mondays - Hill Training
Wednesdays - Somewhere between 10k and 15k (training my friend for her first half marathon)
Fridays - Whatever I feel like doing. Maybe interval, maybe hill, maybe run a half marathon....
Saturdays - 10k

Running in a Fairytale!

Yesterday I had a fantastic 11k run in the sunshine aroound Copenhagen :-)

The streets were quite empty and I enjoyed being almost alone in this fairytale city!

If I didn't have to go home I would have just run and run for much longer.....

I have fully recovered from Madrid marathon and feel (almost) like I can run another one.....which brings me to my crazy friend Ciry. She wanted to sign up for a half marathon yesterday but there wasn't any places left so she signed up for the full marathon instead. She is running it today!!

This will make her a 'Marathon Maniac'!! Good luck Ciry :-) I am so jealous!

Gran Canaria Marathon = Signed and Sealed!

I am now signed up to run Gran Canaria Marathon 2013 :-)

My flights are booked too! I'll be there from the Wednesday afternoon until the Monday morning.

Thank you Pancho for selling this marathon to me!! 

I am very much looking forward to running it :-)

New Personal Record in a 5k Race!

So there is a new personal record achieved yesterday in a 5k race that was held in Copenhagen!

It's not mine but my son Latimer :-) He ran the 5k in 26 minutes and 27 seconds! Not bad for an 8 year old!!

He loves running and likes to join me sometimes. I also think he enjoyed running much faster than me today but is too nice to say so! He was actually over a minute faster than my personal best in a 5k!

I finished in 28 minutes and 3 seconds. Hey I did run a marathon 10 days ago!!

Gran Canaria Marathon Wins!

Gran Canaria Marathon wins over Valencia and I will be running it if I can get cheap flights down there.

This is because I don't have any accommodation costs as one of the most WONDERFUL people I have met in a long time has invited me to stay with them :-)

The price of registration looks like it goes up at the end of June so I have given myself until then to decide.....

Also I signed up yesterday for the London Marathon 2013 lottery. This is the 2nd year running! I don't like lotterys but have to try to get a spot if I can.

So we've got Berlin Sept. 2012 as a definate, Gran Canaria Jan. 2013 as an 80% chance, Barcelona March 2013 as a 95% chance (just have to convince Ciry), London April 2013 as a 50/50, Brisbane August 2013 as a 80%. I bet you thought I'd forgotten Brisbane (ok I actually had). And that will probably be it for 2013.

If I keep going like this I'll be getting so much closer to my 50 marathons, in 50 cities, before I'm 50 goal :-)
I'm already at 3! Only 47 to go in ___ years......Well I'm not telling you how 'young' I am!!