Running Elvis

His Royal Highness Hal Higdon ordered me to do 6 miles on Saturday.

And I said NO Hal Higdon – I respect your ability to train millions of runners throughout the world – but today I feel like doing more!

So off I went determined to push up the mileage. All fine at six miles – and seven – and eight – and nine and I eventually arrived back home after completing 10.17 miles!

So really pleased with that at this stage – needed a bit of a confidence boost. I like Hals program but it does ramp up the mileage quickly in the final weeks and with New York under 4 months away I wanted to get into double figures again.

It was a slow old plod in 1:52:44 avg pace 11.04 but the route was cross country with quite a few gates to climb over so not too bad.

All well in the Lee camp – enjoyed the tennis at the weekend but glad it’s over now – spent too much time glued to the telly!

Last Friday we were at a works jolly – Champagne Tea at Claridges – very nice too! A glass of Champagne to start then sandwiches (no crusts dahlings!!) scones and cakes and more cups of tea than I’ve ever drank in one afternoon!! Highly recommend it though – just don’t have a drink in the bar before. We ordered 2 bottles of Champagne for ten of us – £200!!

Luckily we weren’t paying.

Have a great week.

Tez.

I’m not complaining but boy is it hot out there!

Did Tuesdays run and it was 84 degrees mid afternoon (sorry I still work in old language) and yesterday it was 86!

Decided to head out at 7am today but the sun was still really hot.

Anyway midweek update:

Tuesday – 3 miles – 30.40 – avg pace 10:12

Wednesday – 3 miles – 29.24 – avg pace 9.47 – with running partner

Today – 3 miles – 29.22 – avg pace 9:46

Now off to take Toby to spend two hours at his new BIG school!

Have a great day.

Tez.

I now have running competition in the family following an impressive performance by four-year-old Toby at his pre-school sports day on Friday.

Despite being distracted by the cake stall right next to the start line he managed an impressive second place. He was denied first place by his girlfriend Elise who he has since announced he wants to marry!!

All well in the Lee camp – slow but consistant. I’m a bit embarrassed to state my pace on here with the likes of Vicki and Keith “Clark Kent” Luxon posting 7 and 8-minute miles!

But here’s last weeks efforts:

Tues – 3 miles – 29.19 – 9.45 pace

Wed – 3 miles – 30.52 – 10.16 pace

Thursday – 3 miles – 30.20 – 10.06 pace

Saturday – 7.33 miles – 1:18:35 – 10.43 pace

This week is three 3-milers and 6 on Saturday – but I’m planning on stretching this a bit and have 8 miles planned.

Anyone know how you get the per mile splits on a Garmin?

All the best,

T.

Why does work always get in the way – need that lottery win badly.

All is well in the Lee camp – way too busy working when I should be out in the sunshine. Did manage to have a lovely Fathers Day and took the VW to Blenheim Palace along with my Cobb oven http://cobb-bbq.co.uk/  (everyone should have one of these!!)

Chilled out in the sun with Tracey and Toby whilst cooking a joint of pork which we enjoyed with a greek salad and some wine. So many people took an interest in the camper and the smell of the pork I should have started selling food!

Still managing to keep up with the Hal program with no runs missed yet!

Had three 3-milers in a row last week with another 3-miler on Saturday all completed in around 29 mins. This week it’s three 3-milers and 6 miles on Saturday.

Finally JUF the magic wagon is in primer and is looking much much better – pictured here with another VW awaiting paint.

Have a great week folks….

Spent last night visiting Toby’s “BIG” school where he starts in September – cannot believe where the last four years have gone.

It seems like yesterday he was like this

And now he is the incredibly bright and intelligent oik you see below!!

Tracey spent much of the evening crying at the prospect of her “little” boy going to school and I started crying when I was handed the school uniform price list!!!

We were also given a list of what they expect all pupils to be able to do for themselves before September. I think our house will become boot camp for the next few months.

Anyway, easy Hal week this week – 3 miles yesterday in 30:34 and the same today in 29:13 so all going to plan.

Also going well is progress on my other little baby – JUF the Magic Wagon – who is about to go into primer before being painted.

Happy Days!

Well hardly surfing as I spent most of the holiday hauling Toby back onto his bodyboard!

Anyway back from a fab break in Cornwall despite a bad start to the week when the VW camper nearly burst into flames and had to be recovered and brought home!

A faulty fuel pump decided to pump fuel over the manifold resulting in huge clouds of smoke but luckily (and amazingly) no flames!!

So our journey continued in two cars – but the sun shone, the waves were good, plenty of food and wine was consumed and we met Jamie Oliver on the beach at Watergate Bay.

He was there for the graduation of the current crop of Fifteen students. Also had some cracking fish and chips at Rick Steins washed down with a few pints of Chalky’s Bite – carb loading you understand! 

Most importantly – Hal would have been proud as I stuck to my running schedule throughout the week:

Tuesday – 2 miles – 20.32

Wednesday – 3 miles – 29.37

Thursday – 2.5 miles – 25.20

Saturday – 6.35 miles – 1.07.02

Finding it hard to get motivated for work today – but an easier running week ahead with just four 3-milers to do.

Take care,

Tez. 

One more day until our hols in Rock and I cannot wait!!

Bertie the camper is through his MOT and ready to go. We’re cheating a bit as we are driving in the VW but staying at our friends holiday home – so by day we’ll look like hardened surfers but by night we will be curled up in the comfort of a stunning new cottage www.rockhavencottage.co.uk

As well as cooking local fish dishes myself we’ll be sampling what Rick Stein has to offer and are also planning a trip to Jamie’s Fifteen at Watergate Bay for breakfast.

Training has been great this week and I’ve just completed Hals three-in-row runs:

Tuesday 2 miles – 19:19 – 9.38 pace

Wednesday 3 miles – 31:12 – 10.23 pace

Thursday 2.5 miles – 24.14 – 9.40 pace

Next run is a scheduled 3 miler somewhere in Cornwall.

Also entered the ASICS British 10k on July 12th – debating whether to give the Elvis outfit its first outing!!!!

Take care,

Tez.

What a great weekend we’ve had – I was hot, the hot tub was hot and the barbecue was even hotter!

My dream hemi-powered barbecue!!!

Saturday was my five miler with Richard – my New York partner – he was nursing a hangover and we didn’t set off until 11am. Stupidly I ran in my long leggings and long sleeved top so needless to say I was hotter than a jalopeno in a heatwave!

Don’t know why but I was nervous about the run – pacing around the house and just couldn’t wait to get it done. Richard has run New York before and I think I was just concerned about keeping up with him. Anyone else get nervous before a run??

In dog terms he’s a whippet and I’m a St Bernard so I was pleased that he stuck with me at my pace!

Anyway all went well – 5.1 overheated miles in 53.41

Saturday evening we were out at a friends party which was great fun and yesterday Toby was at a friends 4th birthday party so I sneaked to the gym for an excellent upper body workout.

This week is Hals dropback week so nothing too taxing – I’m just back from today’s 2 miler – done in 19:19.

Three miles tomorrow and 2.5 Thursday and just a 3 miler at the weekend.

Take care,

Tez.

Fresh back from a lovely holiday in Jersey – just the three of us taking Grandma to her favourite place for her 90th birthday!!

She has more energy than all of us – I think I might make her run New York instead of me.

Training is going well but it will soon be time to put on the pressure and start pushing the mileage.

Gym was excellent yesterday as I didn’t think I could fit it in to my day but my job yesterday was at Kate Winslets house – photographing her new swimming pool for a brochure!! She wasn’t there and the staff gave me minutes rather than the afternoon I had imagined sipping cocktails with Kate!!

Anyway I made Bannatynes and had an excellent upper body workout before picking Toby up from Nursery.

Good run this morning with Frans – just a cheeky 2.5 miles in 25 minutes but good fun in the sun.

Gym again in the morning and then off to work.

JUF is in the workshop and his transformation is underway!

Plan is for him to be two-tone red and cream and signwritten with a retro version of my company logo!!

Watch this space……

Take care,

T.

Sorry to say that running has taken a bit of a back seat this week due to a manic diary.

I’ve been working in the Houses of Parliament which has been fun but I don’t know how people do the London commute on a regular basis. I found it draining and was good for nothing by the time I settled into the armchair at home with a cold beer!

Got a 10k planned this weekend which I will probably do early Sunday morning before the coverage of the London Marathon starts which I intend to be glued to!

Good luck to Daza and all my Realbuzz pals.

Well little Guido departed the fleet this week and is as we speak, driving (I hope) all the way to Moray in Scotland to start a new life – hopefully Charlie his new owner will finish him off to be one of the best Fiat X1/9’s around.

I’d also like to introduce JUF – my new project – he’s a 1967 VW Split Screen Single Cab. Called JUF because of his number plate, he will affectionately be known as Juf the Magic Wagon!!

However there wasn’t much affection when his gear linkage broke in the first few yards of ownership and I had to call the AA. The joys of classic car ownership!!

Here he is alongside Tracey’s Bay Window bus – the artistic editing is to try and disguise the rust that currently holds JUF together!!

Will keep you updated on his restoration. Hopefully one day he will look like this……….

Or maybe this!!!!!

Off to the Big Bang VW show tomorrow at Santa Pod to get some inspiration and will report on my run on Sunday.

Cheers,

Terry.