tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89670968848160392462024-03-13T18:51:53.592-07:00Running CommentaryDr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-8746357254086503192012-04-24T04:45:00.001-07:002012-04-24T04:45:29.572-07:00Go the extra mile, your legs will forgive you<div style="font: 14.0px Georgia; line-height: 20.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Running the marathon was almost the way I dreamed it would be. Some parts surpassed my every expectation. The cloudless blue ‘Auckland’ sky in Greenwich Park at the start felt like a gift. The atmosphere in the starting pens: pure carnival, helped perhaps by being just one pen in front of fancy dress costumes including two people running as a Bactrican camel, a man encircled by the Blackpool Tower and a runaway bride. It's true too that I felt a little less celebratory at mile 17, when they had all overtaken me, but being beaten by a Bactrican aside, this was a day of dreams and achievement. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The moment I decided to run the marathon was 11 months ago. I had a three day old baby and could barely walk. After hobbling into my local park, I decided that it was time to follow that long cherished aspiration. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And yes, I’m glad that I did. I’ve learned so much about friendship, about being flexible without getting too far off course, about the small steps that close the distance between where we stand and where we want to be. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Aside from the buzz in Greenwich Park, other highlights were: crossing Tower Bridge, passing the Cutty Sark, the first glimpse of Big Ben, and going over the finish line without blisters. Getting my medal was an amazing moment: one I can neither describe nor forget.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Many, many people went ‘the extra mile’ so I could run 26.2 miles. I won’t do a ‘Gwinnie”, you know who you are, and I would like to say thank you to everyone who sponsored me, sent encouraging texts, phoned with the latest nutrition advice, cared enough to worry, looked after me, gave me somewhere to stay when the tube lines were offline, and cheered me on. A special thank you also to my family, whose love, encouragement and practical support are simply incredible. The kind lady in Narrow Street, who gave me a banana when I was suddenly starving was like a longed-for angel. Never before has a banana been so luscious and alluring. Bless you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My post-run celebrations were a little clouded by collapsing on the underground, and spending the evening in A and E at St Thomas’ Hospital, but even there, I felt I couldn’t have been among nicer, more interesting colleagues. A huge thank you to the team who sorted my sodium. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I did this run for the Merlin doctors who are more altruistic and brave than I could hope to be. Their work inspired me throughout my training. Their brave example, and the courage of so many helped by Merlin, got me through the tough moments in the race. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As I write this, three parakeets of the same vibrant green feather that I spotted on my first long run around Richmond Park back in December, are trilling in the tree outside my window. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Seeing them reminds me of how far I’ve travelled on this journey. Of the many thoughts I had during my training, along the marathon course and in the days since, three have been loudest and most persistent. I’d like to close this blog with that trio: Don’t limit yourself. Go as far as your mind takes you. Your legs will forgive you. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-38991616981706948692012-04-20T11:16:00.002-07:002012-04-20T11:16:34.253-07:00Virgins and veterans or lights, camera, podiatrist<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This week has had three high points: lights, a camera and a podiatrist. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Firstly, the 'lights'. I've been to register at the Marathon Expo in Excel. What I thought would be a tedious day of queuing and waiting, was in fact a well organised, slick event; not just painless, but rather party like. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After registering, I had a meander around diverse stalls and met several other 'first timers'. This Expo seemed a celebration of many types of people running a marathon, from virgins to veterans. It really was much better than any registration event has the right to be. Over a bowl of pasta, I was privileged to listen to <span style="font-size: 12pt;">former boxer Michael Watson. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Watson completes the London Marathon</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Watson completed the London Marathon </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">in 2003 just 12 years after he’d
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">recovered from a 40-day coma and been told he would never walk again.</span> He spoke about feeling focussed, staying in the moment and always being a fighter. When I saw him on the stage, I didn't see the fighter, I saw a man full of light, despite being faced with so much darkness; I was inspired.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My journey home was marked by forked lightening blazing across Dockland skies. Although I've been back in London for a while, I am still mostly in denial about the weather, and had been ignoring the possibility of rain this Sunday. The lightening brought an epiphany, a flash of practicality: I have now prepared for a downpour, although I'd still prefer to run in my Merlin 'white van man' singlet if I can. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-HvWS01Z5MCBiQhKWGqK9G0cxy3yl728U_MfAfRM0U_ilQI4Jp0jtwd__yzTiGBZXDaDP-7iyxxE0zjkcmJsZ-yuKbIOKbVu5yMhkoVoMdaAfbWjUnIG-AJCT8Ru7VZ3w1qvSd7a/s1600/lightening.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-HvWS01Z5MCBiQhKWGqK9G0cxy3yl728U_MfAfRM0U_ilQI4Jp0jtwd__yzTiGBZXDaDP-7iyxxE0zjkcmJsZ-yuKbIOKbVu5yMhkoVoMdaAfbWjUnIG-AJCT8Ru7VZ3w1qvSd7a/s400/lightening.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun always shines on TV</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Speaking of attire brings me to the camera, as I shall be wearing one on my head. BBC Panorama are making a programme about the science behind marathon preparation, and I've agreed to help out by providing some views from the track. I've broken my own rule of not trying anything for the first time on race day, but it's 'only' from mile 23 to the finish line. It's a fantastic opportunity, and I'm grateful to them for allowing me to take part in this way. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From head to toes: earlier in the week, I saw a podiatrist for the first time, on the advice of a good friend, and was pleased to be told my feet are more than up to the task ahead. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I won't write again before the race, but will be carb loading and aiming to get two good nights' sleep. </span>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-8925878958853834202012-04-16T00:34:00.003-07:002012-04-16T00:34:40.961-07:00Baby love: be a 'lave save'<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Two things happened this morning.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I didn't run, in fact I'm not running again until the marathon. This meant I was home when the post arrived. A letter that stood out was from Dr Samson Agbo, Merlin's Head of Health.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He writes:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"If the people we've helped in Afghanistan, Haiti and Sudan knew your name, they wouldn't call you Dr Dosani. They'd call you a 'lavi save'. In English, quite simply, a lifesaver."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfd0dDUf3c7p2ldfYJ2xFGHGtKtoTPMeTucOhYwn_G9VrmAcCevPMU6qPAIYEZRHoKRwro8opdqvUw3flNQsMv9OizCewcUFb2QkGr8BDkbj2-xPljkjvMFyTicnVXiNpr0xlAQhH/s1600/004574106efb14385928723cef7c12ad.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfd0dDUf3c7p2ldfYJ2xFGHGtKtoTPMeTucOhYwn_G9VrmAcCevPMU6qPAIYEZRHoKRwro8opdqvUw3flNQsMv9OizCewcUFb2QkGr8BDkbj2-xPljkjvMFyTicnVXiNpr0xlAQhH/s400/004574106efb14385928723cef7c12ad.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A Merlin Baby</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Immediately I wanted to send that thought out to all those who have sponsored me, and to all those who are still thinking about whether to.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This time last year I was regularly cancelling social engagements. It was hot, much hotter than this Easter, and I was heavily pregnant. 'I just can't walk that far today,' friends became used to me saying, and many kindly came to me, where we sought shade and chatted. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dr Agbo's letter also tells me that in Afghanistan, expectant mothers can walk up to 20 days to see a qualified midwife. More women die in childbirth there than in many other countries worldwide. Merlin's birthing teams travel by any means necessary, including on horseback to reach remote areas, to reach these women.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So please support me in running, so that they don't have to walk and risk not only their own lives, but that of their unborn child as well.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">£20 provides Merlin mobile birth attendants with two delivery kits to give these mothers and their babies the best and safest start.</span><br />
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<br />Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-88327752623743992292012-04-11T10:17:00.001-07:002012-04-11T10:17:39.212-07:00Final countdownI've got to admit, running hasn't been much of a muse recently.<br />
Same runs, same tunes: what to write?<br />
I'm feeling glad the marathon is just days away, as I'm excited about taking part, and giving it my all.<br />
This week I'll do a couple of 'shorts' but no more 'longs', and then rest up until the big day.<br />
My plan for the week before is to make a big playlist, clean my kit, go to the Expo to pick up race number and chip and - on the advice of a friend who has 'been there, done that', go and see a podiatrist.<br />
On your marks...<br />
<br />Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-69796011446511555352012-03-21T03:46:00.002-07:002012-03-21T03:46:44.800-07:00Got the t-shirt<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Most of my runs recently have been short, fast bursts, and this blog entry is in that same staccato rhythm. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My official t-shirt from <a href="http://www.merlin.org.uk/" target="_blank">Merlin</a> arrived a couple of days ago. It's a bit 'white-van-man': a loose fitting singlet with lots of green writing. Nevertheless, it's exciting, and marks a final countdown to the 22nd April. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmVKDGDGJA2U9umcCt7rYtskw8tWDG-lisFpWkz7WjTvoDx7YOxd5ZD7USTnz7R23mCE9iq_DULarfSb6h7cYvuLd9_S8J8GR6V1tVd3XWCWkEI1XDxDUsfrclqvwQTTi9fd2A_hh/s1600/StPauliMarathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmVKDGDGJA2U9umcCt7rYtskw8tWDG-lisFpWkz7WjTvoDx7YOxd5ZD7USTnz7R23mCE9iq_DULarfSb6h7cYvuLd9_S8J8GR6V1tVd3XWCWkEI1XDxDUsfrclqvwQTTi9fd2A_hh/s400/StPauliMarathon.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Not my Merlin singlet</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My motivation has been dwindling a little. A minor health niggle put me back for a few days, and although I'm back on track, in every sense, it has been more difficult than I'd expected. I'm managing this by focusing on each small step, and am now also resting for at least three days a week.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm enjoying running by the Thames, which always feels like the heart and soul of London. One of my 'weekly favourites' at the moment is running from the<a href="http://www.londoneye.com/" target="_blank"> London Eye</a> to <a href="http://www.putneysw15.com/" target="_blank">Putney</a>. The London Eye is a great place to start a Thames path run. It's easy to walk there from <a href="http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/959.aspx" target="_blank">Waterloo</a>, and the post card vista of Parliament is a fantastic motivator. The prospect of leaving the crowds behind also means the run is destined to start well.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">detail from a painting by Samuel Scott, mid 18th Century</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just before Lambeth bridge, there is <a href="http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/pages/the-history-of-lambeth-palace.html" target="_blank">Lambeth Palace</a>, the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for the past eight hundred years. It's worth spinning around for a moment here, and looking back on the route to the Eye, Parliament and the Thames. In these recent blue-skied Spring mornings, it's been easy to think this is the best river view in London. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Next up are the spooks in their cream anti-palace that houses MI6. It's said to be an incredibly ugly building, but for my money there are worse offenders.Beautiful Vauxhall Bridge more than compensates. You need to cross up and over the bridge itself, but stay on the Thames South Side.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigCaYinbCoZ6lNAb1t5LUKP6a1EIePEHyJWQ_iuVicuhDaopc-8l1gHnVNUXMfNmz4VTf2TYpVRM0jlV_YYKPL5R3iXmEVJzy2QdETBsLoMiP3frfGK8rhpqXgTimlBE2Pzx_O_QS/s1600/Casino_Royale_venedig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigCaYinbCoZ6lNAb1t5LUKP6a1EIePEHyJWQ_iuVicuhDaopc-8l1gHnVNUXMfNmz4VTf2TYpVRM0jlV_YYKPL5R3iXmEVJzy2QdETBsLoMiP3frfGK8rhpqXgTimlBE2Pzx_O_QS/s320/Casino_Royale_venedig.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Best view in London?</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The old towers of<a href="http://www.batterseapowerstation.org.uk/hist1.html" target="_blank"> Battersea's Power station</a> are visible from some distance and are brilliant to head towards, as they appear closer than they are. After Battersea, there is a lot of riverside visual treats. Chelsea Bridge is as elegant and gracious as the Albert Bridge is sweeping and majestic. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34p1GM0Kn7UzSBFn689ZMliae-79Q7a6fa4dp3x5GNTOQM1UwwikP6M_bax5RYZIvF571L9HpsIzs_GgZnUyKVcK8Un3sb7MkUvx7L2EQjnVZuPsu5rxzB_nOIDR3puKieBIp8Of2/s1600/004689_bfb93997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34p1GM0Kn7UzSBFn689ZMliae-79Q7a6fa4dp3x5GNTOQM1UwwikP6M_bax5RYZIvF571L9HpsIzs_GgZnUyKVcK8Un3sb7MkUvx7L2EQjnVZuPsu5rxzB_nOIDR3puKieBIp8Of2/s320/004689_bfb93997.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Battersea Power Station</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Between these two, you will pass the <a href="http://www.batterseapark.org/html/pagoda.html" target="_blank">Peace Pagoda</a>, which was a gift to London from a Japanese Buddhist Order. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGoWJYu9lUYKJSsyAQFaU2WuyuR8A3Iy1LWIf48fZHA0gUPxGaAV7MhZ8cDh5zQoJ7gEgEtpoTlGsX9nJ0GlKwurhm57cvynGMM7uuIZ3lEXKeGq1kvgy1nD0QTOtD2tINmCkGE_m/s1600/battersea_park_pagoda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGoWJYu9lUYKJSsyAQFaU2WuyuR8A3Iy1LWIf48fZHA0gUPxGaAV7MhZ8cDh5zQoJ7gEgEtpoTlGsX9nJ0GlKwurhm57cvynGMM7uuIZ3lEXKeGq1kvgy1nD0QTOtD2tINmCkGE_m/s400/battersea_park_pagoda.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Peace Pagoda</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are several statues along this stretch of Thames, which instead of enthusing about, I will encourage you to discover. The plain blue and white bridge is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandsworth_Bridge" target="_blank">Wandsworth Bridge</a>. There has been a bridge here, ever since 1873, when a toll bridge was built in anticipation of a railway line that ended up not being built. From here, it's a short run through the park, and then into Putney where there are trains, buses, tubes and many lovely cafes. </span><br />
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<br />Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-17643840935047836412012-03-13T08:55:00.004-07:002012-03-13T08:55:43.985-07:00Excitement and trepidationI haven't run for a little while. Couple of health issues, nothing major.<br />
Am hoping to be back on the pavements at the end of this week, and can't believe there are just six weeks to go. Excitement and trepidation.Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-77009812612572501582012-03-02T04:34:00.004-08:002012-03-02T04:34:37.958-08:00Pride comes before it all<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I had the worst run of my life, and it’s taken me over a week to write about it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Previously, the ‘worst run of my life’ was a 16km <a href="http://www.endurancesport.co.nz/forum/topic.cfm?t=231&f=5" target="_blank">Leppin Auckland Off Road </a>series run, that I did on a whim. I say on a whim, but actually I was signed up to the whole series in 2007. Egged on by a friend, I completed a succession of short distance bush runs, through the most beautiful countryside I had ever seen, and learned to love mud, but not hills.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfZqIC6Ox9jQQ_q25DshAW4s94h7D06z1aBnUvVCl7rQ8abs-AB16TDVr3kNd3CxRanIOl-TEvtJSXRcc9hNakc7MviCzh1tEZWH8bpO3tSz845q3pSchkz7tFam0BMm69VeGV-23/s1600/main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfZqIC6Ox9jQQ_q25DshAW4s94h7D06z1aBnUvVCl7rQ8abs-AB16TDVr3kNd3CxRanIOl-TEvtJSXRcc9hNakc7MviCzh1tEZWH8bpO3tSz845q3pSchkz7tFam0BMm69VeGV-23/s400/main.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's the finish line?</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The Leppin series was set up with three distances, short which was a 4-6km run, mid wich was 12-16km and long, which from memory was marathon distance. After a few short distance events, my chickismo got the better of me. Suddenly I was doing ‘mid distance’. On all these runs there was a ‘tail-end-Charlie’, whose job it was to make sure that all the runners completed the course, and that he was the last in. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoB6g4ITAdlFJt-X8AEtcKDtoy1XhjhP3RpcNvjzAEJefymh-C7aCjxN-YynXLfqVKyFzB-7kNhxbfU56dSxk2qkbEDm5LTusrjsKaDH5RE7GP_vnErDjCWumxE1n2NKOKOVMEVA6M/s1600/10NZXC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoB6g4ITAdlFJt-X8AEtcKDtoy1XhjhP3RpcNvjzAEJefymh-C7aCjxN-YynXLfqVKyFzB-7kNhxbfU56dSxk2qkbEDm5LTusrjsKaDH5RE7GP_vnErDjCWumxE1n2NKOKOVMEVA6M/s400/10NZXC.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the English Girl</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">10km into the ‘mid distance’, the tail-end-Charlie overtook me. I spent an hour stumbling around in the bush, going over repeatedly on my ankle, feeling sick from the too-strong Powerade in my Camelbak, and having an anti-epiphany. There’d be some elegance in this story if I could write about crossing the finish line, but it, and the last 3km markers and directional arrows, had been taken down before I made it back, and I was collected a few hundred metres from the finish line by concerned friends. So I stumbled over what was once the finish line, a line in the sand, on what I still consider one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. My friends had drunk all the beer. My ankle recovered faster than my pride, and the event became known as ‘the day you thought you could run in the bush’.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next left, or right</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So that’s my gold standard of a ‘bad run’. And last week I bested it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A good friend works in the House of Lords. Wouldn’t it be magnificent, I thought, to run along the river, passing London’s glorious landmarks, and meet her at the Lord’s for some light post-run refreshment. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6kjMDSO-2v3lvPzdldVvwsFzP8SMMrETCzhJrY5qM1ge3-kRvnCeYcXMfckjpGT5jQtWD_TeWg00bfa75cAk5g0fMczc-I3QwysuvesXitgkMUqFTekTeTugX6ubyqwGbLUsP7F8/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6kjMDSO-2v3lvPzdldVvwsFzP8SMMrETCzhJrY5qM1ge3-kRvnCeYcXMfckjpGT5jQtWD_TeWg00bfa75cAk5g0fMczc-I3QwysuvesXitgkMUqFTekTeTugX6ubyqwGbLUsP7F8/s400/images.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of Spring</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Despite seemingly perpetual ‘first day of Spring’ weather of late, my planned run coincided with the greyest, wettest day last week. I made the error of crossing the river to Southside too early, and then discovered that the Thames path along great screeds of South West London is being repaired, in patches, with abysmal sign posting. There can be few things more demoralising than running in drizzle with a buggy, only to find sudden blockades, and arrows pointing me back to non-river backing suburbia. Had I ever wanted to intimately know the backstreets of Putney, Barnes, Fulham and Hammersmith, this would have been my moment in time. Snug in the buggy, under blankets and secured by a raincover, Baby B slept soundly. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now you see it...now you don't</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I was wet, cold, lost, miserable and chaffed. The vistas I’d hoped for were elusive. Everything was hazy and blurred and there were several times I ran in such big pointless loops, I wondered if it would be better to get the bus home and admit defeat.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In the end, we did make it to parliament. Quite how a drenched running woman with a sleeping baby can look like a security risk is beyond me, but after being scrutinised, scanned and snapped, I changed into a dress and heels (nappy bags are fabulous for so much more than nappies). Was it worth it? Probably not, but I’ve learned a few lessons:</span></span></div>
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<li style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Don’t cross bridges on a whim, follow the map</span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Getting cold and wet is horrible, but foreseeable. Take a change of clothes other than an evening dress and heels. </span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">If you’re going a long way along the Thames in the rain, the best place to be is in a buggy with a raincover.</span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Turning up at our awe inspiring Houses of Parliament chaffed, wet and in running gear is every bit as embarrassing as the finish line being dismantled before getting there.</span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Nothing ventured...</span></span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Over these past few days, I’ve rediscovered the short, fast dash. Necessity more than anything, but I tell myself it is all miles on my cliched clock. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-26912141653586005212012-02-21T05:00:00.002-08:002012-02-21T05:00:30.579-08:00Dignity in de feet?<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In this past week of running I have experienced every emotion, from joy at completing 16km , to misery and shame when I couldn’t manage even 7km and skulked home after 5km, with two new blisters. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Blisters are a common, and hopefully minor annoyance. As a doctor, I really ought to know exactly what to do with blisters. In truth, I wasn't really sure. Most of what I know about blisters I learned in the New Zealand bush, where the standard advice was to pop them and then apply a chemical “second skin”, like Compeed. This seems to have worked well, but these recent blisters, and the plethora of contradictory and confusing advice I’ve had from runners, doctors and other concerned supporters caused me to pause and look for some scientific answers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It turns out that there isn’t much consensus on blisters. What I was hoping for, a systematic review of the evidence base of friction blister treatment, either isn’t out there or is hiding itself well. I did find this superb review article in the <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/38/4/498.full.pdf" target="_blank">British Journal of Sports Medicine</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The authors advise lancing painful blisters with something sharp and sterile. Popping blisters with unsterile or blunt objects risks introducing infection, sepsis and cellulitis. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The old adage “prevention is better than cure” is probably one I was foolish to ignore. So as well as stocking up on compeed and investing in some anti-blister socks, which are just the most comfortable socks ever, I bought some new running shoes.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"No ma'am"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It probably says quite a lot that I’ve always chosen running shoes by colour in the past. Hovering round the imposing wall of running shoes at NikeTown a couple of days ago, a beaming teenage sales-boy approached me with, “huh, you ok there ma’am?”. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“Yes,” I replied confidently, trying not to exude the un-coolness that NikeTown somehow draws out of me, “I’d like some new running shoes and am trying to decide between these pink and those purpley mauve ones.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“What are you training for?” the beautiful youth wanted to know.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“The marathon, the London marathon,” I said, feeling my coolness counter rising by the second.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“Have you just started training?” he asked.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Coolness back in the zero stakes. Why would he ask that? </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“You wouldn’t want to run in those pink shoes ma’am. No, those are more dance shoes.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“But they are on the running shoes wall,” I was indignant.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he shrugged, “But you wouldn’t want to run in them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Here, try these on.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And he handed me a pair of chunky looking bright white shoes, with fluorescent peach and intense eye-watering blue trim, that have been designed by someone either profoundly and totally colour blind or with a wry sense of humour. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. Each foot felt pampered in its own four poster bed of a running shoe. But fluorescent peach? </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The future's bright</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Needless to say, the shoes didn’t come in any other colour. I haven’t seen such a glow since I got my highlighter pen out for final exams. All this preoccupation with fluorescent trimmed footwear and sore feet made me think again of <a href="http://www.merlin.org.uk/" target="_blank">Merlin</a>, and of literally being “in their shoes”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A good friend from university, who is currently in Cairo, wrote me a very touching email this week, “most of the hotels here are full of people from Libya and Syria seeking treatment from gunshot wounds. I am glad you are running for Merlin.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Again, I asked myself, could you put yourself in their shoes? </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I’d like to give all readers a chance to do that, by sharing <a href="http://www.merlin.org.uk/wrong/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Merlin&utm_campaign=1126690_190112+Frontline&utm_content=Map&dm_i=5IV,O5CY,4TB17H,1Y6YI,1#" target="_blank">five impossible choices Merlin workers face</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">If that exercise has prompted you to sponsor me, you can do so easily <a href="ttp://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/runningcommentary" target="_blank">here</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What happens to your money?</span></span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">£15 could buy enough chlorine tablets to give clean water to over 1,000 people</span></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">£50 could buy health kits for five community midwives, including basic drugs and supplies</span></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">£100 could help buy a summer health kit, with the essential drugs to treat waterborne diseases. Each health kit treats 200 people</span></span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Thank you to everyone who has been so generous, either with sponsorship, blister advice, or just by not laughing at the fluorescent peach trimmed runners. It all means a lot. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-17178771171154710122012-02-14T11:54:00.000-08:002012-02-14T11:54:27.320-08:00The path less pedalled<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">My training schedule recently has morphed into a 10km run a few times a week and a longer run once a week. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">When I started out, I had plans to get fancy with things like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek" target="_blank">Fartlek</a> (no sniggering, it's a type of interval training), but it seems I have one pace. Slow but steady. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A good friend who ran the Berlin marathon a few years ago suggested I might like to try cross training: a break from running and instead either cycling or swimming for one training session a week. There are lots of good reasons for doing this, not least injury prevention, but it appealed to me for two reasons.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Firstly, cross training can make a runner more efficient. Secondly, it makes us stronger, which means faster. And although this is an endurance race, a little additional speed would be a wonderful thing. </span></div>
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Today I hopped on my bike and went for a scenic ride along the Thames path. My ride is an Amsterdam style affair, complete with fat tyres and basket. A few years ago I decided that stylish and elegant was better than bent double over the handlebars, flying along. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cross training by cycling today had an unexpected bonus. Discovering a new route to revisit on this week's long run. If Thursday goes to plan, I will write about it here.</span></span></div>
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I'd like to say a very big thank you to everyone who has sponsored me recently. It's so encouraging seeing the total going up, especially on cold mornings when it would otherwise be tough getting out to train. Many thanks to you all, you are starry.<br />
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If you haven't yet sponsored me, but would like to help me raise funds for Merlin, you can do so by clicking <a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/runningcommentary" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lots of people reading this blog have already heard why I'm supporting Merlin. In short, their doctors and health workers work in some of the most difficult environments and some of their health clinics are massively under equipped (and this is one of the things money donated will go to). <span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Merlin works in war zones where medical staff face untold risks. <span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Money raised will be used to support some of the world’s most vulnerable people in Haiti, Kenya, Sudan (north and south), Mynamar, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Somali and the Central African Republic.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">
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</span></span>The main reason I chose Merlin above other medical charities is that they use a big fat 96p in every <a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/runningcommentary" target="_blank">pound donated</a> directly in the field. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">
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</span>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-21651274359083240292012-02-09T04:10:00.000-08:002012-02-09T04:10:46.675-08:00Marathon running tips from Lisa Kent, Personal Fitness trainer<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444e3f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kimberly, who is also running for Merlin, went along to the recent 'Meet the trainer’ get together last Sunday (run by the Virgin 2012 London Marathon). Bless her, she took some notes, and has very kindly passed these on to Merlin. When I got them by email, they were so good I just had to put them on here for everyone else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Lisa Kent, Personal Fitness trainer notes<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: #7030a0;">Excel Centre Expo<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>If you can go to the Expo before Saturday 21<sup>st</sup> April, do. It can be extremely busy on the day before, and will mean you will be on your feet for longer than you would like to be before race day<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>The Expo will be open from Wednesday 18 April<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>You MUST go to the Expo to get your race number, timing chip and kit bag<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Make sure you choose the right starting pen – don’t go for one which will be too fast for you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Enjoy the day and the atmosphere even if you want to get a good race time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Don’t forget your timing chip. You won’t get an official time without it<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Remember that you will be running the same course as the Olympic champions –this is a great thought to spur you on!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Don’t get ultra competitive and don’t worry about someone in a costume over taking you. Run your own race!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>If you are worried that you are running too slowly, you are probably running too fast, hold some energy back for the last few miles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Tell your friends and family to cheer you on at a set point along the way –this way you don’t have to worry about not seeing them. Merlin will have a cheer point, so tell them to come and cheer with us!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>The toilets won’t be nice, if you can find a pub to go to with toilets, use them if you can<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>If you have completed a 10 mile run by this stage, you are on track. If you have run further then this is just a bonus!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Don’t peak too soon. You should look to have a 10% increase in either your total mileage or your longer weekly run<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Be careful if you choose to run over 18 – 20 miles before the run. You don’t really need to go over this prior to the marathon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Last long run should be planned for 3-4 weeks before the marathon. Taper your runs from the end of March<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Stick to short 2- 3 mile runs the week before the run (only do this a couple of times)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>When you are tapering, slowly reduce your runs down to 10 miles, 7, miles, 5 miles, 2-3 miles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Sports massages are nice to have and can soothe aching muscles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: #7030a0;">Cross training<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Keeps you mentally involved if you try something new<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Go swimming, cycle, play tennis...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: #7030a0;">Injury<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Treat injuries with care<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Remember: RICE. Rest. Ice. Compress. Elevate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Don’t run on an injury it will only get worse<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Hold each stretch for 45 seconds to a minute<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Better to stretch after a run than before<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: #7030a0;">Hitting the Wall<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>If you are feeling out of energy, and your legs feel heavy, you have hit ‘the wall’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>The ‘wall’ happens when your muscles run out of glycogen, and your body starts to try and burn fat. You will need mental strength to get through this<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Remember that pain is only temporary and you will push through<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>If you feel bad, walk, don’t run. Never stop unless you really need to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Do not run in anything which you haven’t worn before<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Wear everything ahead of time and do a few trial runs before the big day<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Put your name on your running vest ( I will send a new vest in March and lettering)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Replace shoes every 400 – 500 miles (don’t get new shoes just before the race)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Carbohydrates are good and will help to get you through<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Experiment with energy gels before the day – they may not agree with you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Eat jacket potatoes, porridge, slow release foods<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Don’t eat much (or anything) during the run<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Drink regularly but remember you can run for at least 3 miles without needing a drink<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Have a proper dress rehearsal the week before the run –eat what you will on the day for breakfast, and for dinner the night before<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: #7030a0;">Cramp and chafing<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span>·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>If you get a stitch, slow to a walk, and stretch it out. Pushing the area where the stitch is can sometimes relieve pain<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Rub Vaseline onto any areas you think will rub (under arm pits, on nipples and thighs)</span></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-849901816602368702012-02-08T04:29:00.000-08:002012-02-08T04:29:07.533-08:00Everything hurts...sometimes<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">To paraphrase <a href="http://remhq.com/index.php" target="_blank">REM</a>, everything hurts. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Every wrung out cliche about muscles one didn’t know one had are my own today. Every minor niggle on today’s run was rendered several orders of magnitude bigger by the cold. It started off small. I’d set up an hour of music, slow first, then picking up a pace before winding down, with some motivational bits in the right places. But my ipod got stuck somehow and I had the first track stuck on an irritating loop. The touchscreen declined to respond to gloved fingers, then my earphones kept falling out, and to ice the proverbial, my ipod holder split. My left shoe - despite having been shaken out several times - is still leaking sand, while my right was letting in melted snow. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmUGu-fediVtsXINqK95TH0QErwZr2HP5SIskUp04xlZp24G0wn-Miof4k8B1feqvI8mkHnQ6SBUz0xatSuiVft__2MgT9gCi6YtIgr6P4tw3dLhL6XsYjYuTkB59XcQ0WsTzKcBG/s1600/IMG_0402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmUGu-fediVtsXINqK95TH0QErwZr2HP5SIskUp04xlZp24G0wn-Miof4k8B1feqvI8mkHnQ6SBUz0xatSuiVft__2MgT9gCi6YtIgr6P4tw3dLhL6XsYjYuTkB59XcQ0WsTzKcBG/s400/IMG_0402.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laces broken? 'fraid so.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">To add insult to hurt pride, today both shoelaces broke. A side effect of running in blazing run and snow flurries in the same week. Then the dog lead got tangled in the baby buggy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Still, I thought, when we came home, if even a bad run is another 5 miles on the counter, it can’t be all bad. Onwards...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-37480465541318868932012-02-07T01:32:00.000-08:002012-02-07T01:32:33.792-08:00Let it snow<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A few years ago I almost completed the swim section of a triathlon in Eton's Olympic Rowing Venue, <a href="http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/fundraising-events/triathlons/shock-absorber-womenonly-triathlon" target="_blank">Dorney Lake</a> , in my bikini. At the 11th hour, a good friend gave me a hefty nudge towards a wetsuit, and I wore it for the first time on event day. It sounds ridiculous looking back, but at the time I had the fact it was (UK) Summer in my mind, and having only swum in the Med before, wearing the aforementioned bikini, I hadn’t given details like water temperature that much thought. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">There are some people who just don’t seem bothered by the prospect of getting cold feet. On Sunday morning, after I had shaken last week’s sand out of my running shoes and prepared to make new tracks in freshly fallen snow, it was the images of those swimmers who brave the Serpentine that got me out there.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLfk1Xmat2r-NXylzXaF7PdArhs4LPLApr4ra8rG9EJhnCJQEDiLf9Ce-o801ha-sL1YJo-3AT3TADUvU9mypTZzIWP_i4wwaMXMvl-BkgpT4LDPo1TXMAnjiWwOmW1uhHG76JzBq/s1600/Swimmers-brave-the-Serpen-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLfk1Xmat2r-NXylzXaF7PdArhs4LPLApr4ra8rG9EJhnCJQEDiLf9Ce-o801ha-sL1YJo-3AT3TADUvU9mypTZzIWP_i4wwaMXMvl-BkgpT4LDPo1TXMAnjiWwOmW1uhHG76JzBq/s400/Swimmers-brave-the-Serpen-007.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Swimmers brace themselves , Hyde Park Serpentine, 2012 (Guardian)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But it was to be another Dorney Lake moment. Unlike the <a href="ttp://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2411" target="_blank">Icelanders</a> with their fashionable hundred, we might only have one word for it, but it certainly wasn’t a synonym for yoga pants. Which presented me with a spot of bother. I have only ever run in yoga pants before. I chose them years ago in Nike in San Francisco. They’re blue, calf length, with a chi chi lace panel at the back of each calf. I chose them because I liked the idea of being a runner, and had read somewhere that it’s good to start with kit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I’ve run in them extensively, and have since bought several more identical pairs. Which is how I came to discover they are yoga pants, and not really meant for running at all. They’ve always served their purpose beautifully, in every sense. Until the snow.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It was one of those Sunday mornings that separated the real runners from the yoga pant clad amateurs. Armed with my Dorney Lake hindsight, I defended myself against the cold with fleece beanie hat, tramping socks, ski gloves and hot chocolate. I looked ridiculous, but hey, I did my run, and as I ran, thought about the <a href="http://www.merlin.org.uk/" target="_blank">Merlin</a> doctors, and how improvisation based on past experience must be a huge part of their job. Often working in extreme conditions, such as in war zones, they supply medications and face to face care, they rebuild hospitals, they operate mobile clinics, they train health workers and midwives, they reach remote parts of countries which many other aid agencies don’t access, they educate people about disease and family planning. So I will carry on training for my fundraising marathon in all weathers. And yes, I’m going to upgrade my kit. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-16903095522785582212012-01-27T03:51:00.000-08:002012-01-27T03:51:07.150-08:00Bye bye parakeets, hola Canaries<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Both my readers will have noticed I’ve been away. Away from the internet that is, but not away from running. And as any Eastenders scriptwriter knows, there’s nothing like a bit of suspense to crank up your followers, and hopefully also my sponsorship total. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So while I have been away from scribbling, I’ve still been notching up the miles. In fact I’ve been finishing most runs exhilarated, as if I’ve achieving something.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My cousin’s stepfather is a veteran marathoner. He lives in Finland, a land hardly known for it’s temperate weather. yet he’s never done the London marathon. Why? He doesn’t want to train in the winter. Granted, the London winter has nothing on a Finnish one, but the dark, dank February days recently threatened to cramp my style.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Loving running in London in rainy February is a bit like loving your partner after they’ve put on four stone (no, I don’t mean you). Ought to be doable but must try harder. So much as I love our great city, I’ve went for Plan B and am running for a week in <a href="http://www.grancanaria.com/patronato_turismo/" target="_blank">Gran Canaria</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What’s not to like? Four hour Easy Jet flight. No time difference. Sun, sea and some great potential training runs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It seems I’m in good company and have met some others training for the 2012 London Marathon on the stunning coastal route that runs from San</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> Augustin to Playa del Ingis. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This morning as on every other morning since arriving, I joined the other joggers and runners. We’re a disparate group, mostly (I’m guessing) late 40s and up, lots of Germans and Brits breaking a sweat, and trying out broken Spanish. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">As quite a few of my support crew are here with me, I’ve been able to train without buggy or dog for the first time. Which means I have been able to use my arms. What a difference an arm or two make. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Those visualisation experiments have paid off. I’ve stopped stopping, which is great. Still slow, but keep telling myself it isn’t about speed, it’s about stamina.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">One thing that has helped my stamina enormously have been the excellent <a href="http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/b8964bfbb5fe0820797b59fe7a547903?pa=7348984497"><span style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Verdana; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">AudioFuel Long Run training programmes</span></a>. If you’re not yet familiar with audiofuel, check out their new range of training programmes, <a href="http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/701507039dfb166ec9bec0f838ad6878?pa=7348984497"><span style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Verdana; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Run Faster</span></a>, coached by 4 times world Ironman champion Chrissie Wellington. She runs a 2:44 marathon. After a 3.8k swim & 180k ride. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-86541481591323111092012-01-15T09:30:00.000-08:002012-01-15T09:30:32.052-08:00Birth of the coolLong run this morning. Sixty minutes, no stopping. Actually that's a lie. Three stops, two were traffic lights, one was picking up dog poo. There you have it. I'm a good citizen, and a runner.<br />
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I wasn't always a runner, and on some days it's debatable whether or not I am, but today I surely was. I know this because other runners gave me that nod. It's a very specific nod, the brief twitch of acknowledgement from a passing jogger, but once you've had it, you never miss it again.<br />
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It was getting that nod from fellow runners a few years ago that helped me know I'd made it into the club. More than completing my first 5km race (women's breakfast run around central London, took me nearly an hour, I had yet to discover hydration or training plans), more than getting my medal for the ADRA half marathon in Auckland, yes a brief flick of the head from a runner coming the other way across the Millennium Bridge at the Tate Modern end in 2008, that's when I knew I was on my way to being cool.<br />
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There have always been teenagers who start smoking because they want to be cool. They splutter and practice and cough and it seems unlikely they will ever manage to speak and smoke, but somehow - sadly - they pull it off. We have something in common, me and the teenage wannabes. Like them, I longed to join oh-so-cool ranks that seemed closed to me. I wanted to be one of those people who bounded out onto the pavements in the mornings, moved fast and fluid through new and familiar neighbourhood, took part in races, glowed with life and energy. And in my quest, I've done more than my share of spluttering, gasping for breath, lungs burning, wondering how on earth people can do this and talk, and now, I'm in the "hello other runner" nonchalant nodding brigade. Hooray.<br />
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I've yet to master lithe and fluid movement, but am very happy at keeping going for sixty minutes today.<br />
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There were several tricks that helped me, all of which I recommend:<br />
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1. Know the route.<br />
I don't know why this matters, but it does. Something about passing familiar streets and knowing how far I was from my destination carried me forward.<br />
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2. 160 bpm<br />
All the music I ran to today was 160 bpm. Some Latin, some electronica, some stuff I'm not cool enough to know the name of. Letting my feet literally move to the beat kept me moving at a slow enough pace to last the hour.<br />
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3. Slow down<br />
A seasoned marathoner told me last week that elite athletes avoid injury by building breaks into their long training runs. It makes sense, and every fifteen minutes today, I slowed right down, to almost, but not quite walking pace.<br />
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4. Take the dog<br />
If you don't have a dog, borrow a fit one.<br />
Dogs are great motivators, and cheaper than personal trainers.<br />
Although they know a lot less about recovery, they seem to have hydration nailed.<br />
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5.Run where there are other runners<br />
This gives you a chance to feel part of the club, and can motivate you to keep going.<br />
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My plan is to increase the weekly long run by ten minutes every week. Long runs, we're told, are for stamina, endurance, efficiency and confidence, and maybe, just maybe, they help build a bit of cool.<br />
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<br />Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-66672810911342594172012-01-08T13:05:00.000-08:002012-01-08T13:05:37.323-08:00Running interruptus<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">There’s a disconnect between how I would like to run and what happens when I go out to train. Take today. Was out for an hour. Ought to be pleased with that. But I’m not. Here’s why. When I ran I kept stopping. This isn’t unusual, I do it all the time. Occasionally for good reason, usually picking up doggie doo, but more often than not for no good reason at all. It’s annoying me. My legs don’t hurt, nor has my breath run out. There’s just a sudden loss of oomph, and I’ve stopped. But why does it happen? And what can be done about it?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">On the rare occasions I’ve run with someone else, I don’t usually stop unless they are fitter than me and I can’t keep up. And in the handful of short distance races I’ve taken part in to date, I haven’t stopped either. Slowed down, yes. Trundled along, yes. Shuffled uphill, yes. But all out stopping seems to be something saved for solo training runs. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So I’m thinking of doing a little experiment. I suspect my random stopping has something to do with stamina, so am going to run more slowly, and why I get to the point I feel like stopping, I just won’t stop. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The second part of my plan is to start some visualisation exercises. Before all the purists jump in, yes, I ought to control for variables, but time is running out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Wikipedia tells me that in one of the most well-known studies on Creative Visualization in sports, Russian scientists compared four groups of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> athletes competing in the Olympics in terms of their training schedules:</span></span></div>
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<li style="font: 13.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Group 1 did 100% physical training;</span></span></li>
<li style="font: 13.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Group 2 undertook 75% physical training with 25% mental training;</span></span></li>
<li style="font: 13.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Group 3 had a schedule comprising 50% physical training with 50% mental training;</span></span></li>
<li style="font: 13.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Group 4 combined 25% physical training with 75% mental training.</span></span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My instinct says two things. Firstly that if I was a betting girl, my money would be on the Group 2 performers, and secondly if I had to pick a Group to be in, it would be Group 4 every time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Luckily I am not a betting girl, as Group 4, with 75% of their time devoted to mental training, came up trumps and performed the best. The Soviets claimed to have discovered that mental images can act as a prelude to muscular impulses. As far as I can ascertain, and I’d love to be corrected, nobody since has replicated the results, but hey, I’m game. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My best hope is that committing to training and visualising myself running without stopping, and crossing the finish line knowing I’ve done my best run, is not only going to fix my running interruptus, but also kick things up a notch. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Watch this pace.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In my mind’s eye, I will be crossing the finish line while doing training runs. Imagining the excitement, relief and sense of achievement I will feel as I cross that line.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How will it feel to complete the Virgin 2012 London Marathon?</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">These are the questions I’ll be using to help me visualise:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What does it feel like to cross the finishing line?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What can I hear?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What smells am I aware of?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What can I see?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What does my skin feel like?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">How does my mouth feel?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Who can I see at the finish line?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Who will be texting to congratulate me?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What sorts of emotions will be going through me as I cross the finish line?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Whether it gets me into the top performing Group 4 or not remains to be seen, or until then, visualised. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">If all the talk about placing bets has got you jangling your change, you can sponsor me <a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/runningcommentary" target="_blank">here</a> if you haven't already.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-89496350531521784322012-01-07T13:12:00.000-08:002012-01-07T13:12:40.362-08:00Can't see the city for the trees<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Ran early today, enjoying the feeling of sneaking in some exercise before many people are up for the weekend. For the first time in a long time, I ran without music, audiobooks or podcasts.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What did I notice? I was anticipating and looking forward to writing about the colours of the sky, and how it changed from rusty brown to baby blue, or observing some slices of city life not usually seen. Perhaps shift workers going off duty, or watching cafes and stations slowly coming to life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But the sky started and stayed a silvery white, Instead of running past, and then penning any scenes that could have come straight from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Haunts-Journey-Through-London/dp/1844671623" target="_blank">Sukdev Sandu’s beautiful book Night Haunts</a>, I passed a lot of other joggers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">If you aren’t familiar with Sandu’s work, have a look at his book, or at least the accompanying <a href="http://www.nighthaunts.org.uk/" target="_blank">website</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Cleaners, sewers, urban foxes, they’re all there. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Sandu is a critic writer for the Telegraph. He writes sublimely. Sometimes you have to look hard for motivation on a wintry morning, and for me, this morning I was inspired by his stories and hoping to pass some sights not usually seen.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And then I saw them. Lying on pavements. Propped up by the recycling bins and tumbled into the gutter. In the quiet streets they looked desolate, abandoned. Some lay singly, others in groups, surrounded by needles like passed out addicts in a squat. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Discarded Christmas trees.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">An embarrassment on suburban pavements. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">How quickly this happens, and how sad. The magic, wonder and sparkle, ditched until another year clocks round. I didn’t feel very merry, running (ok, jogging slowly) past used and stripped trees.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The opening chords of January blues were almost audible. No wonder that </span>people have celebrated on Twelfth Night for centuries. Whether with pastries, or farcical cross-dressing plays or the start of Carnival. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">On the way home I had a small epiphany of my own. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Every time I come back after a run, I feel good.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I've never come back and had that gloomy after Christmas feeling.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">For a long time, I’ve felt reliant on music to keep me moving, something interesting to listen to, or some other form of entertainment that is also a distraction or motivation. But running in silence today meant engaging differently with the world around me, and with my own thoughts. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It's interesting what happens when the music stops.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Seasons pass. Christmas trees fall. But unlike the trees, endorphins are not just for Christmas. Bring ‘em on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-41687111311583343292012-01-02T13:39:00.000-08:002012-01-02T13:39:00.611-08:00Parakeets and the cure for procrastination<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">They say fortune favours the brave. It certainly favoured the woman who ventured out in the rain yesterday. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Today’s run had it all: brilliant blue sky, a bit rural, a bit Downton, and a parakeet. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Today I ran the <a href="http://www.richmondparklondon.co.uk/walks/tamsintrail.html" target="_blank">Tamsin Trail</a> in South West London’s <a href="http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/Richmond-Park.aspx" target="_blank">Richmond Park</a>. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">During King Edward's reign (1272-1307) the Richmond Park area was known as the Manor of Sheen, and the name changed to Richmond Park during Henry VIII's reign.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And it’s the park recently made famous by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GRSbr0EYYU" target="_blank">Fenton</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">f you don’t know it, the <a href="http://www.richmondparklondon.co.uk/walks/tamsintrail.html" target="_blank">Tamsin Trail</a> is a little circuit around this most beautiful of London’s Royal Parks. I say little circuit, but size always depends on your perspective. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The trail is 11km long with a couple of hills, so perfect for a beginner to do one lap for their long run, and there are some off-route bits that can be added on for the more seasoned marathoners. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It’s a traffic free route, although the trail is shared with cyclists, and connects park entrances at Richmond Gate, East Sheen Gate, Roehampton Gate, Robin Hood Gate, Kingston Gate and Ham Gate around Richmond Park, </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richmond Park was originally a deer hunting park<br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My run today was a typical multitasking session. Get some miles, or in my case kilometres, on the clock, exercise the dog and pushing Baby B past some fabulous sites in the buggy, while listening to something motivating. Today I ditched my tunes for a </span><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/43-folders/id83025342" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">podcast</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> by writer, speaker and broadcaster </span><a href="http://www.merlinmann.com/" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Merlin Mann</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Merlin is probably best described as a cool geek. Among other things he writes about life hacks, and I started his podcast wondering if it might be possible to hack a marathon. If I find out, I’ll write about it.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just when I was wondering about giving up on this running lark, and skiving off for a cappuccino and a bun, I was listening to Merlin talking about what he cleverly calls doing v 1.0. In essence, Merlin’s v1.0 is about getting something tangible out there. It’s surely the ultimate cure for procrastination. “</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Georgia; letter-spacing: 0px;">Just get through it the first time,” he says , “you can try that stuff you read about in magazines later.” </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Georgia; letter-spacing: 0px;">As a first time marathoner - I have run before, but mostly for buses - it really hit a nerve. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just how true this has been of my running. How many times do I avoid going out because my kit isn’t quite right for the weather, or because I’m feeling unfit, or tired because Baby B has been up all night, or unmotivated or just plain lazy. But without a v1.0 run, there’s nothing to improve on. It’s just talk and good intentions. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So because you can’t build on something you don’t have, I bypassed the tea shop (also the queue was prohibitive, but hey, that’s what happens on a blue sky Bank holiday), and decided to make this The Long Run v1.0. And at the end of today’s run, with Baby B in the bath and the formerly monochrome dog brown with mud, I can think of plenty to build on, but I’m also very happy to have a long run on the chart. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So go on, get out there, and do a v1.0 run of your own. We can always improve, refine and upgrade later. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And suddenly I’m thinking of other non-running things I’ve been procrastinating on, and am curious to see if the motivation for running has an overspill effect and gets me back on the proverbial road in other areas. Let’s see.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Now because this is v1.1 of blogging for me, I've been reading up on how to blog for beginners. There's almost as much daunting advice and jargon as there is for first time marathoners. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What I have been told is that it’s good to blog a top ten, so, these are my top ten reasons to run the Tamsin Trail. V1.0</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Downton moment</td></tr>
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<li style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Richmond Park is huge, 2360 acres, and incredibly varied, and this trail gives you a sweep of the <a href="http://www.royalparks.org.uk/docs/park_maps/RichmondPark_English_Map.pdf" target="_blank">best bits</a>. It’s the sort of run I can imagine wanting to add extra bits to in future, just to explore. Once my legs are less sore. </span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are cafes. The one I skipped was next to the bike hire place <a href="http://www.parkcycle.co.uk/"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Parkcycle</span></a>, near Roehampton Gate. That would be a good starting and finishing point. Or you can come over all <a href="http://www.itv.com/downtonabbey/" target="_blank">Downton</a> and have</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> tea in <a href="http://www.pembroke-lodge.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pembroke Lodge</a>. </span></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It’s easy to get to if you don’t have a car. Mortlake, Richmond and Sheen stations are all about a mile away. </span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Views. I hate hills but the views on the Tamsin make it worth every effort. You can see over to the South Downs and right across the City of London. There’s even a special bit cut out of a plinth close to Pembroke Lodge that gives the most incredible view of St Paul’s Cathedral. It’s like a secret window in a rural idyll, a reminder that you are actually still in London. </span></span></li>
<li style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It’s a truly family friendly circuit. Almost every runner that passed me today was with someone else. Children on scooters, partners on bikes that you can hire at <a href="http://www.parkcycle.co.uk/"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Parkcycle</span></a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, lots of babies in buggies and dogs. All well behaved and not a Fenton among them. </span></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There’s a shortcut if you get tired. If the full Tamsin gets too hard, not on you of course, but on any of the family who’ve come for support, there’s a shortcut through the park. If they get tired of walking, you can send the children exploring in the <a href="http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond_park/isabella_plantation.cfm" target="_blank">Isabella Plantation </a></span></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">No cars. The trails are a mix of gravel, paved, and mud.</span></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you’re feeling keen, you can do some hill training either before your run at Richmond Hill, or do some at the end.</span></span></li>
<li style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> It’s easy on the eye. There’s always something new ahead, and the varied landscape kept me going. Woodland follows grasslands and for much of the hills you’re under a canopy of trees.Several ponds add interest to the flat sections. </span></span></li>
<li style="font: 13.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While the official park brochure talks a lot about the deer and mentions 100 species of wild beetle, I wasn't expecting to see a mini flock of three green parakeet as I came past Sheen gate. The RSPCA estimates 20,000 wild parrots, including parakeets, are now living in England, with the largest concentration around South West London. There are lots of rumours about where they have come from, including an urban myth about Jimi Hendrix setting a pair free to an alleged mass escape from an import container at Heathrow. </span>Does anyone know the truth of their origin? Answers on a post comment please.</span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8967096884816039246.post-15118231604177683382011-12-31T11:44:00.000-08:002011-12-31T11:44:07.930-08:00Learning to dance in the rainLife isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. So it said on one of the Christmas cards I received recently.<div><br />
</div><div>Right now I'd settle for learning to run in the rain. Dancing will have to wait. Because I’m training for the London Marathon in 2012, and waiting for a dry day to pound pavements just isn’t going to cut it. <br />
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I’ve been waiting a while for that perfect moment to ramp up my training, and this quote on a Christmas card was an opportune reminder that the elusive “perfect moment” never comes unless we each seize the one we have and make it so. <br />
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So this morning I ran in the rain by the Thames, pulled by my dog on his lead. I ran on and off, for an hour listening to my power song, Pulp’s Common People four times. Why? It reminds me of being a medical student. It makes me remember the mixture of being daunted and excited about becoming a doctor, and I feel a similar mix of daunted and excited about running the London marathon for Merlin. </div><div><br />
</div><div>And while I ran I decided to write a commentary about training. Every day I run, I’ll write. Short run, short post; longer run, longer post. One word for every ten metres. Today, 750 words. </div><div> <br />
My plan is to share a little about different running routes, training and fund raising progress, and some stories of what happens to money that is donated to my charity, Merlin. <div><div><br />
</div><div>What I’m hoping to get from you is a little cheerleading, tips on great training routes in the capital and for you to dig deep into your plastic cards and click on my fundraising links. <br />
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I’ll make that bit really easy. </div><div>You can sponsor me at Just Giving <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/runningcommentary2012" target="_blank">here</a> and at Virgin Money Giving <a href="http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/runningcommentary" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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And why am I running for Merlin? <br />
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I first became aware of Merlin a few years ago when I was working as an editor at the British Medical Journal. Through doctors who had volunteered on various frontlines, I knew Merlin as an organisation specialising in disaster relief. But they also do much more than that. <br />
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Undaunted and determined, Merlin saves lives. They deliver medical expertise to some of the toughest places on earth. And then they stay to help build lasting health care. <br />
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Merlin is the UK's leading charity specialising in international health, sending medical experts to the frontline of global emergencies. When disaster strikes, it is their doctors and nurses work around the clock to save lives fast. Working together with tireless health workers on the ground, they take countries shattered by war, earthquake or floods from emergency to recovery – staying for as long as it takes. If you want to read more about their work, have a look on their <a href="http://www.merlin.org.uk/">website</a>. <br />
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So why a marathon in 2012? <br />
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Ten years ago I lived close to Tower Bridge and used to love watching the marathon runners as they came over the bridge. It became a dream of mine to run the London marathon one day. <br />
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I’ve lived in New Zealand for several years, and fell in love with Auckland while running along the waterfront. Now that I’m home again, I’m ready to explore this city with new eyes. Being part of the London marathon in the year the Olympic games are in my home city, together with the opportunity to raise money for Merlin seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.<br />
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If you’re reading this when I’m posting it, which is New Year’s Eve 2011, chances are you’re making a few New Year’s resolutions. Maybe your resolving to get fit, shift some excess weight, start your own business or maybe run a marathon yourself. I don’t know about you, but I have often made resolutions at midnight, champagne glass glass in hand, fireworks lighting up the sky, only to ditch them like shoes that pinch at the toe, before the January sales have finished. To be honest, my goal of running the marathon has gone that way in the past, but this year I was prompted to sign up for it while taking part in the <a href="http://4246ajq0xgs33r2vxgxfg2glzo.hop.clickbank.net/">MAGIC Hundred programme</a> <br />
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This is a goal achievement programme developed by one of the UK's leading personal trainers. What I have loved about Dax Moy’s <a href="http://4246ajq0xgs33r2vxgxfg2glzo.hop.clickbank.net/">MAGIC Hundred programme</a> is that it is all about getting resolutions and goals achieved and I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you download it using the links in this blog, Dax will give me money (yay, thanks Dax) which will go straight into my Merlin marathon fund. So you get to make your New Year’s resolutions amount to something you can be truly proud of, support me in the marathon and save lives by supporting Merlin. What could be a better start to 2012? </div></div></div></div>Dr Sabina Dosanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05718047182400567116noreply@blogger.com0