Sisters With Blisters

5 Weird Ways to Run the Marathon

(Unashamedly borrowed from the The Shortlist)

1. Japan's monks of Mount Hiei run two marathons a day for three months to be pure. (Ness and I ran one because we're pure already)

2. Greg Bilingham ran the 2007 London Marathon in slo-mo, finishing after eight hours (Ness and I didn't but it felt like eight years!)

3. The record for marathon running backwards is held by Xu Zhenjun for 3:43:39 in 2004 (We ran backwards when we spotted a friend with a pint of lager, we downed half of it and a couple of Neurofen. Sod the energy gels, it's pints and pain killers all the way)

4. Racers drink booze during the Beer in Five Boroughs race, within the NYC marathon (that's where we're heading next year!)

5. The ET full Moon Midnight Marathon takes place on an August night in Nevada (I love that film)

So how did we do? Well we had a good time and we got round together, holding hands at the finish in 5:07. Jordan came in two hours after us and I didn't even have to trip her up.

For me it's onwards and longwards. I'll never be fast but at the end I really felt I could run 10 miles more, so I'm in training to run from London to Brighton - My home to my spiritual home!

Ness is planning a triathlon, so we're going to support each other.

Sister Sal

(Please hum the theme tune to Rocky as you read this!)

Having polled at No.9 in the Telegraph's Top Ten Stars on the London Marathon I now have a reason to move my bloomin' arse. There's face to be saved and it's time to step up to the plate.... because there's absolutely NO WAY Katie Price is going to make it across the line before me!

It's not that I have anything against her, in fact the old man forces me to watch 'Katie & Peter' because he has more than just a soft spot for her; but in the spirit of friendly competition I can't let a glamour model beat me. The rhinos can run past, as can the the wombles and the oldest man, but I will rugby tackle her is she looks to be overtaking.

So if pictures of a flattened Katie appear in Heat magazine next Monday you'll know why! Oh, but I'll deny everything.

S x

The last long training run under our belts and the taper begins.

Unfortunately for Sister Ness it begins with double achilles bursitis and the prospect of new trainers. Apparently I've been running in the wrong shoes for the last few months and it took 20 miles of relentless tarmac and suburban sea front to show itself.

Actually it was mile 13 that it began to hurt and I slowed down dramatically - previous to that Sal and I had been pretty good at keeping to our target 10 minute mile pace. My run turned in to a painful plod and I had to keep 'pulling myself together'.

As I passed the finish line for the 3rd time - did I mention it was 4 circuits of 5 miles? - I really had to dig deep (as the woman who ran past me urged) and continue with my lollop around the pavements of Worthing.

I could not hold back the tears any longer as I finally crossed the line, crying not with joy but with utter pain and frustration.

Perversely I am relieved that I have an actual injury and that it's not a sign of being ill-prepared for the Big Day. And relieved that it is an injury that, provided I follow the physio's advice, will mean that I should actually be able to run on the day itself. Apparently at this time of year his office is full of teary runners begging him to make them better.

Keep your fingers crossed that I won't be one of them.

xx

p.s. Today is a great day - we've passed our minimum sponsorship target!!
But don't let that stop you from getting your wedge out and boosting our balance :-)
http://www.justgiving.co.uk/nessandsallyrunamuck

Oh lord, not another long run? And I've barely recovered from the last one we did not even 7 days ago (16 long miles..).

Having done some serious altitude training the night before (champagne, wine, sake, kimchi..) I was not feeling confident at all that 18 miles was going to be walk in the park. 2 miles in and I realised that my ankles were swelling alarmingly and my feet were about to drop off.

Would that be anything to do with the compression socks I was wearing, my runnning pals asked?? What, these sparkling white miracle tights that were supposed to make running a breeze and my marathon costume complete?

Luckily Linda offered to swap socks with me (her legs being half the size of mine) and the run continued, as did Linda. Having run no further than 6 miles in her life before, she carried on through all 17 of our run, because she just couldn't bear to turn round. What a woman!!

17??? What happened to that final mile I hear you cry!

Hmmm, a slight mileage miscalculation on my part but Sal and I were still on our feet for over 3 hours which is exactly what we needed to have done at this stage in our training AND we could have carried on for longer if needed so nothing to be worried about. So there to all you cynics out there.

We still have the Worthing 20 miler on Sunday and can always squeeze in another long run if we have to before the big day.

Beer bottle legs Ness xx

How can a blister be so HUGE on a such a tiny little toe??

There's a lot of discussion on how to handle blisters. Some say leave well alone but to a persistent picker like Sister Ness a blister is like a red rag to a bull. Out came the needle (well, safety pin - closest thing I could find at such short notice), surgical spirit, lighter and cotton wool. Cleanliness first, a blister is one thing but an infected pustule is quite another.

Sterilised sharp thing in hand, smile on my face, Mike looking on in disgust....

I won't go on but suffice to say that my blister now REALLY hurts and I might well be sitting in the leave well alone camp now, especially as walking is so difficult at the moment.

Bring on the Compeed.....

Sister with Blister Ness xx

5 weeks to go and I'm feeling the pressure, especially now I've received my marathon number and final instructions. My number?? 51415...doesn't exactly make me feel special!

Our long runs are increasing as the day gets ever nearer. Yesterday we managed 16.38 miles in 2 hours and 50 - not bad considering we weren't exactly feeling fit and raring to go. Quite encouraging really as it always concerns me how some days are sooo good and others can feel soooo bad for apparently no reason.

So, 18 miles planned for next weekend, 20 miles for the following and then the taper begins as we conserve our energy for the big day.

Also very encouraging is seeing our sponsorship tally rise on an almost daily basis, thanks to you lovely generous people out there! We promise you we really will look gorgeous, if a little puce, as we round good ole Buck Pal. The Queen will be proud.

Sister Ness xx

...will be the death of me!

Picture the scene - 8 over togged weekend walkers decked out in gaiters with walking sticks, woolly hat (yes on 'that' warm weekend), rucksacks - probably filled with Kendal mint cake and an emergency bivvy bag, a man on a bicycle, my sister running beside me, me in my knee length compression socks (of course), and Burt tethered to my waist dutifully scutterling around enjoying the freedom of our iminent 7 mile run.

But bring all of us together on a narrow towpath at Pitsford Reservior and what do you get?

SPLAT! Burt gets freaked heads straight for the apparent safety of his 'mummy's' legs and that's it - Sister Sal hits concrete. I think I managed to travel a good few feet across the gravel pathway before coming to a halt in a tangle of arms, socks and bloody knees.

I haven't fallen over since I was a kid and I sat there thinking "should I get up, laugh heartily and carry on as if nothing had happened even though the severed artery in my knee is pumping out blood like oil from the back of James Bond's car? OR, should I lie here, quiet, holding my injury in the hope that someone, anyone would come up and ask me if I needed an amblulance." Well that decision was taken out of my hands.

Meet my sister, Samantha. She boxes. She's hard as nails. She's standing in front of me obviously embarrassed by the scene that I've created. "Come on then? Are we going or what?" she shouts unsympathetically. Oh right... er.. yeah ok!

Off we go again, half a pint left on the pavement, gravel tattooed into my palms. New socks - ruined!

AND I BLAME THAT BLOODY DOG!

But I still love him though, he is gorgeous. We made it round, in fact I got round twice, so that's another 14 miler in the bag. Now Clint is magnetically drawn to my knee wound and insists on touching it, bashing it and accidently scrapping the enormous scab every time we're within touching distance, but hey, it's only a minor scrape after all. It could have been worse, it could have been amputated!

Almost one-legged Sister Sal x

  Exhibit A

Oh gawd help me! Drastic measures are needed, and action has to be taken.

Lately I haven't been able to motivate myself out of the front door. My excuse is a run-in with a fish finger and mashed potato sandwich. I over-carbed, if that's possible and the cod digit attacked me when I was at my most vulnerable....3 o'clock on a Monday afternoon.

Nauseous and bloated I didn't make it to my Monday night Little Feet session and it's Wednesday now and I still haven't run.

The legs are willing but the brain is holding me back. I should be happy though, I got two pairs of knee length compression socks for my birthday at the weekend. What more can a runner want?

It serves me right really, I mean lets be honest as soon as I posted my last blog heartily proclaiming how easy all this running was I was bound to fall flat on my face and struggle again. It's entirely my own fault.

Off to flagulate!

Sister Sal x

Ness if off galavanting so I was out with some Straggler bods today for a rather easy going half. It's all starting to feel remarkabley 'comfortable' on the long runs now. Tomorrow will be a little geriatric but other than that the old brain is beginning to find this plodding lark isn't as horrendous as it used to be!
Here's where we went.

http://mapmyrun.co.uk/view_my_run_109662

Sorry this isn't that interesting but I'm blaming it on the lack of protein... off to chumble on a bit of meat! Yum.

Sister Sal