Signing Off

One week on and the weather today is perfect marathon running weather!  Its warm but not hot, overcast and a bit of a breeze.  Hey ho, one day I may get to run a marathon in good running conditions.

Passing Big Ben - almost there!

This week has been about recovery, although I didn't follow the recommended advice about a maximum of 10 minutes walking each day.  We stopped in Cambridge on our way back from London on Monday and walked around there for an hour or so.  By the time we got home, it was only walking downstairs which made my legs ache.  On Wednesday, my son asked if we could go for a bike ride and having neglected the family for 4 months, it was hard to say no.  We went out on a fairly flat route but came back over the dreaded Scotch Hills! Not ideal gentle recovery but it didn't make me feel worse!  I was also coaching on Wednesday night, being back coach on the 2 mile.  Although we had some beginners in the group, the pace was definitely not slow!
Yesterday we went out for a lovely 6 mile cross country.  Here's our effort at a Runners World "Rave Run" shot! 

Would I use this training schedule again?  Yes, definitely.  I enjoyed the variety of the sessions and having target times for all the different "levels" of runs.  Fitting in 5 runs a week wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be (thanks to the support of my family) and I didn't often have to run alone.  I found the Sunday morning recovery runs very helpful and think I enjoyed those best.  The training would have been much harder if it wasn't for running with friends.  It wasn't only for their company but also for motivating me to keep pushing forward, and for making me believe it was possible.  
Now I've hopefully got a good fitness base on which to build for this summer's performances.  I've got a half marathon in June, which is a fun one rather than going for time, then a 14 mile cross country in August and another half marathon in September.  Between those there are a few 10k and shorter races in our local league summer series.  Aside from the running, I'm entered for 2 open water swim events and quite fancy another triathlon too.  And of course, I'll be entering the ballot for next year's London Marathon!
I'll post again at the end of the summer to let you know what impact the training has had on my post-marathon performance but for now, thanks for reading this and I hope you've got something useful out of it.

I did it!

As you can see from the previous post, I was successful in my new personal best attempt!  As threatened, the day was a hot one with a completely cloudless sky, so I immediately put any thoughts of a 4:23 marathon out of my head and just focussed on doing better than last time.

The Red Start

I slept badly on the Friday night and had very little sleep on Saturday night.  Next time I do a marathon, I'm going to train using sleeping aids, as having under 4 hours sleep must affect my performance.  I enjoyed the atmosphere at the Red Start and looking at some of the costumes people were running in.  I would like to do a marathon in fancy dress one year but would have to think out the costume very carefully.
For the first three miles I tried to keep my speed constant and not to weave in and out too much to get round other runners.  As I started in pen 7, it wasn't too bad as many around me were also running at the pace I wanted to be at.  The splits for the first three were: 10:10; 9:48; 9:46.  I knew I was speeding up (its very hard as all the music and cheering gets you fired up!) so when the starts merged, I tried to get closer to 10minute/miles, which I managed.  I found mile 8 difficult and started to feel a bit sick.  I'd eaten the same breakfast I had before all my training runs and had a nice pasta meal the night before, so I put it down to the heat.  I'd been drinking a little and often, taking on more in the first few miles, but it was very hot.  Many more people were already walking than I would have expected.  I tried to focus on the fact that Tower Bridge was coming up, my favourite part!  The support was also brilliant and the fact that I had a massive lime green feather on my head also helped!  As well as people calling "Sian!", and mispronouncing it as "Cyan!", I got cheers of "Go Feather Lady!", "Green Feather!" and "Nice Feather!" with the most original shout going to the Cancer Research UK lady - "Sian! Sian! Sian! Do you know you've got a feather in your hair?"!

Approaching Tower Bridge

Just after the 12 mile marker, I saw Karen ahead of me so caught up with her and we ran over Tower Bridge together.  We managed to catch sight of our second band of supporters on the bridge, which again gave us a big boost.  I then said goodbye to Karen and went on, reaching half way at 2:12. 
The next bit was the toughest part as the sun was now high in the sky without any cloud to be seen.   The route narrows considerably at this point and I kept getting blocked in by slower runners, so had to weave a bit more. The number of walkers was also increasing. I kept to around 10min/miles, getting a much needed boost at mile 15 from seeing our support band 1 for the first time since just before mile 6.  The tunnel was very hot but at least it was out of the sun.  The rest of the route round the Isle of Dogs was in full sun and I started to feel the effects.  I'd been using my Garmin for pace but it had started to lose signal so I just tried to keep at what I felt was steady, checking at mile markers that I was on track.  By doing that, I knew I was slowing down but couldn't make myself speed up.  By now I was pouring water down my neck, also carrying the water bottle so it would splash on me as I ran.  There were showers on the course which were icy cold and fantastic, as well as a few house holders with their hoses out for us.  My stomach didn't feel normal and it was hard work to keep going, knowing I had a long way to go.  I kept thinking of the money I'd raised and that kept me going.  By the time I saw my supporters again at Canary Wharf, the crowd had lifted me and I was happier, although annoyed that my pace had dropped.
Mile 15 had been on track at 9:59, then it dropped off to mile 16 - 10:27; 17 - 10:35; 18 - 10:05; 19 - 10:11.
Having said I was happier, mile 20 was actually my slowest mile at 11:15.  When I got to the mile marker, my total elapsed time was 3hours 20minutes, so 4 minutes longer than I took to run Ashby.  That spurred me on and I realised I could still potentially get a sub 4:30 time.  So I pulled myself together and went for it.
Mile 21 was 10:21; 22 was 10:22 and 23 was 10:20.  I managed to see the Tower of London this time too, having missed it last time!  My right calf was starting to feel tight so I did start to panic a bit about that causing a problem.
On one of the bridges crossing the road, Lucozade had put a banner saying something like "You are 2.5 miles for your new pb" which again spurred me on.  My Garmin went a bit funny again with the tall buildings but my average for the next two miles was 10:04.  I could see Big Ben, which was the last spot our supporters would be at.  I turned the corner and dug in for the final stretch.  Having said the support wasn't good round here, it was this year!  The road was narrowed again as ambulances had to get to runners who'd collapsed, but I kept going at 9:52m/m to cross the finish line at 4:27:49.
You may have heard about the inspirational music they play at the marathon finish line - usually stuff like "Proud" by M People.  It was just my luck at someone dressed as Sponge Bob Squarepants had crossed the line just before me so they were playing the theme tune to Sponge Bob Squarepants as I finished!
The minute I crossed the line, I felt really ill and started retching (sorry for the details!) but I didn't have anything in my stomach to bring up.  Once over that, I was very good and remembered to stretch before joining the others in Horseguards Parade.
A nice massage along with a walk to a lovely restaurant for dinner and my legs didn't feel too bad when I got out of bed this morning. Having sat in the car on the way home, they are a bit stiff walking downstairs but not terrible.  I'm now off for a nice bath as part of my recovery programme!

A New PB!

Just a quick update from yesterday before a full report later. I got a new PB - 4:27:49 and I'm very pleased with that!

1 Day to Go - The Final Countdown

Here we are, 16 weeks further down the line.  In a little more than 24 hours I'll be lining up to run my second London marathon and chase a new PB.
Today we have to focus on getting down to London, get to the Expo to pick up our numbers and then try to rest.  We've had a few last minute logistical panics but now the bags are packed and we're ready to go.
All those weeks of training, the "farting", the speedwork and the threshold runs - tomorrow we'll find out what the result is.  
We started training on Boxing Day with the snow on the ground, risked the ice in January, got soaked by February's rain; braved March's gales and haven't really had enough of April's sunshine as yet to practise properly in that!  


The hard work is done, all I have to do now is run.


Good luck to everyone running the Virgin London Marathon 2011 tomorrow x

2 Days to Go - Last Training Run

I can hardly believe it's here already but this morning we did our last training run. The session was over in 15 minutes!  It is getting warmer and the sun came out during that time, although it's clouded over again since.
I think it's going to be a warm one on Sunday.  Hopefully not as warm as Paris was last weekend and there is still a promise of some cloud cover but it won't be the dull cold day we wanted.  All that changes is that we make sure we take on enough fluid in small regular quantities and go with how we feel on pace.
The packing is underway.  When travelling to races, I have a fear of forgetting vital things so have been putting everything I need in the spare bedroom as I remember it. 

I've packed my bumbag for Sunday already! On the way round I'll have with me: 3 gels; a hankie, lip salve and my phone.  Unless we find out about a tracking service at the Expo, I'll try to text my husband as I cross the start line.  That way he'll know when I've set off (I'm off the Red Start which is usually the slowest one to get going) and can work out what time he needs to be at the agreed spots to see me.  We runners will get a briefing from Karen's husband on Saturday evening as to where our supporters will be (which mile, which side of the road etc) so we can try to look out for them too.  A veteran spectator of Karen's 8 previous marathons, he plans their route with military precision!

3 Days to Go - Carb-Loading

Last night's two mile run had me worrying about all kinds of twinges in my heel, my hip, my knee.  And my knee ached this morning when I got up.  I know its all in my mind and its just "taperitis" but ...  I put titanium plasters or "dots" onto any bits that may cause problems on the day.  At this rate I'll be covered in them!
With three days to go before race day, its time to think about the energy stores in my body.  Some people no longer believe that increasing your carbohydrate intake helps, and believe it just makes you sluggish on the day.  I wouldn't do it for a shorter distance race but I have upped the proportion of carbohydrate in my diet today.  I won't go overboard but I eat more than I usually would and include a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack too, which I wouldn't usually eat.  I've made some flapjacks (which I've had to hide as they kept disappearing!) and other snacks would be things like rice cakes or a slice of malt loaf.  I'm making sure I'm drinking water regularly, to help ensure I'm properly (but not over!) hydrated for Sunday.
The other thing I read recently, and which Sarah swears works for her, is to drink 500ml of beetroot juice for 3 days before the race.  I've not tried it on any training runs so I'm not going to try it this time.  Also, drinking that much beetroot would really confuse my hydration test of checking that my wee is clear or straw coloured! 
Its a Washlands tradition that we go out for a meal on the Thursday night before the London Marathon.  As a first timer, I found this really useful to get those hints and tips that you can only get from those who've experienced it.  During last night's run, I was trying to tell Sam all the bits she should put in her bag for the end of the race.  Some club members may have gone down today to pick up their numbers, so will be able to tell us what to look out for at the Expo this year. 

4 Days to Go - Managing the Mind

Facing the whole 26.2 miles of a marathon as one chunk can be a quite daunting.  Most runners will cover a bit more than 26.2 miles.  There is a blue line painted onto the road which shows the exact measured course.  In theory if you followed this, you'd run exactly 26.2 miles, which is what the elite runners do.  For us in "the masses" though, you can weave about trying to get past other runners and get to your pace, and at the later stage overtaking those who've stopped to walk.  That's why my Garmin won't be showing me the mileage (although it will record it so I'll know what I've done).  I'll know where I am from the balloon arches over the road.  Having said that, I remember getting excited thinking I was coming up to a mile marker sooner than I thought, and then being so disappointed when it turned out to be the 35km marker!
Rather than think of it as one big long run, I try to break it down into sections in my mind.  This time, I'll be looking for London landmarks to signal the end of that section.  So it'll be something like this:
Start - Cutty Sark (try to get on tv) - Tower Bridge (my favourite part) - Canary Wharf (where the noise from the crowd is amazing) - Tower of London (I missed this last time!) - Big Ben - Buckingham Palace - Finish line
On the weather front, its gone cold again after a few gorgeous days but the forecasts for Sunday are all over the place.  Two say 18degrees, bit of cloud and no rain; one says 11degrees, rain and cloud.  I'd be happy if this cold weather stays till Monday at least.

5 Days to Go - Keep on Going!

We had a nice 4 mile run this afternoon.  There was some debate about whether going at 1pm was a good idea as it's still warm today, but we decided to do it as training for a warmer day on Sunday.  I was impressed that we managed to keep the marathon pace bits quite steady.  If only the miles would feel that comfortable on Sunday!
Today I've been thinking about the things that I'll hold in my mind when the going gets tough during the race.  My latest sponsorship income is over £1,600, so over £60 per mile.  That will be a big incentive to keep going, knowing every step will make a difference to the lives of those children. 
The other thing I think about is my family and how much they've put up with in the last few months.  I always think of them waiting for me in the finish area and how pleased I'll be to see them again.  When I got my 10k personal best, I couldn't understand why my son was so pleased for me, until my husband explained he'd been "betting" with the other kids which of us mums would finish first!
If a race is going really badly, I think that each step is taking me closer to the finish.  I think about the food I've got to eat in my post race bag - in fact I try to think about everything but what I'm actually doing!  Hopefully I won't need any distraction other than the crowd this weekend.

6 Days to Go - How to Fix Your Feather!

I'm writing this whilst listening to a programme about the possibility of a sub-2 hour marathon.  No, training hasn't got that well, I'm just listening out for some extra tips.  Its all been way above my level so far - all I've found out is that I'm doing the wrong marathon.  Berlin is faster than London, according to this programme, by at least a minute on elite athelete times.  But Paula Radcliffe has just said the support in London carried her through to the 2:15 women's record, so maybe London isn't such a bad idea after all!
It was another rest day today so I've been trying to keep off my feet as much as possible.  I also went back to the doctor's as my ear isn't better.  I now have some different drops so am really hoping that they cure it. 
My legs were treated to a last pre-race massage.  Apparently they are okay considering the miles I've made them cover recently.  I'll need to book another to sort them out after the marathon.  The warm weather caused another problem today - what to wear on my feet?  I don't want to get my sandals out and risk blisters at this stage!  I'm the nutter with socks and boots on when it's 20degrees outside!
With all those aspects sorted or almost sorted, I'm now turning my attention to the really important things.  Such as - how will I fix my 50cm long ostrich feather to my head?  When I wore one in 2009, I had long hair which I tied back in a high ponytail.  The feather was pinned into the ponytail.  I cut my hair last summer so that isn't an option this time.  Also my hair is very fine, so things tend to fall out of it, especially when bobbing up and down for 26.2 miles!  I've bought some new clips which will hopefully keep things in place!
All this is of course just keeping me from thinking about what I really need to be thinking about....

1 Week to Go - Weather

Our first non-running Sunday in months and how did we spend it?  Why trying to watch the Paris Marathon of course!  Technology let us down and we failed to track Sarah, so had to resort to text and telephone instead.  Well done to Katie and Sarah, you are fabulous!
It was so hot for their run in Paris today and I've been studying the forecast very carefully in the last week.  The latest forecast for next Sunday in London is partially cloudly, 14degrees and a 15mph wind.  However, in 2009 they were forecasting 16degrees until the morning of the race, when we ran in 21degree heat.  There's absolutely nothing I can do about the weather, except make sure I can adapt my race plan if it does turn into a scorcher.  I also need to ensure I pack my suntan lotion.  After just 6 miles yesterday my freckles have come out.

The schedule is week is:
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 10min ER, 2 x 1mile at marathon pace, 10min ER
Wednesday - 20min ER
Thursday - REST
Friday - 5min ER, 3 x 100meters steady run with 60second recoveries, 5min ER
Saturday - REST
Sunday - 26.2 miles

Even Shorter Long Run

This morning's run was a leisurely six miler, which even meant I got back in time to attend my son's football match - the first I've made this year.  Cue lots of remarks from other parents about how its okay to come along on sunny days but its those times spent standing there in the sleet and freezing temperatures that really count!
I played with the settings on my Garmin so tested those this morning.  I usually have it set to "Auto Pause" which means the clock stops when I do.  I've switched this setting off as the Garmin may lose signal and auto-pause around Canary Wharf.  I don't want to think I'm doing better than I actually am.  I've set it up so I only see the time I've been running and the current pace so the display is clearer than usual.  I won't need to know the distance as the miles are clearly marked in London.
We are all suffering from "taperitis" - imaginary or non-imaginary twinges and aches.  We also commented on how hungry we've felt this week.  Despite a weekly mileage of only 19 miles, I've been constantly feeling famished.  Its a bit early to start carb-loading so I've been trying to fill up with fruit and yoghurt, but it's not working.
I've still not been sleeping well.  I get to sleep fine but keep waking up at about 5.30 -6.00 am and not being able to go back to sleep.  I actually went to bed this afternoon and slept for an hour.  I'll start getting the practical aspects of the trip together now, such as kit (once its been through the wash!) so I'm hoping getting those things sorted will stop my mind racing.
Time now to start thinking about race plans and those motivational thoughts needed to carry me on.  Someone sent me a link to this video last time and (although it makes me cry) it does sum up the day nicely.

Support

The general advice during taper is to ensure you eat healthily and try to get a couple more hours sleep each night.  Hmmm, well I'm managing the first but a few early mornings and late nights have definitely put pay to the second.  I will try to do better over the weekend.  
As we're not running on Sunday morning, there is the option of a lie-in then.  I'll probably still wake up at 6:30, so I may as well get up to track Sarah and Katie's progress in the Paris Marathon.  There is talk of us getting together to sit around the computer, tracking them via satellite - very high tech!  

Sarah didn't have much opportunity for rest and relaxation last night as she found herself cooking dinner for us after the club run.  We tucked into some lovely jacket spuds and I think she should offer this service every Wednesday night!
We toasted her 'good luck' with our water and fruit juices.  Hopefully we'll be toasting her success with something stronger in a few weeks.
Both Katie and Sarah are taking a crew of supporters with them to Paris.  We really do appreciate our supporters.  As my husband keeps telling me, its as tiring to support as it is to run (I don't necessarily agree with him!).  It can give you a real boost to know you will see a familiar face at a certain point.  The support in these big races is fantastic.  There seemed to be a larger than usual contingent of Welsh people in the crowd supporting London 2009.  That's the only way I can explain why everyone kept cheering for me, and not Karen who was right beside me.  We both had our names on our vests but by mile 20 Karen was convinced that I was a celebrity of some sort!  One lady at mile 16 shouted "Come on Sian, you're looking good" which gave me such a lift at that point.  Thats why I found the last mile quite hard as it suddenly goes much quieter (there are barriers to stop the crowd getting too close and everyone wants to be as close as possible to the finish line).  So if you are in London on the 17th, hang around Birdcage Walk - this is one runner who'll appreciate it!
I also received a lovely email this morning from the Chairman of MACS, thanking those who are fundraising via the marathon for the charity and letting us know what a difference our money can make.  I'm hoping to make a big part of my fundraising income tomorrow, so it was very timely for me.  
This morning's session was our last threshold one of the schedule.  Its getting even harder to find new or variations on local routes after all these weeks, but we managed to add some different bits in.  Running is a great way to get to know your local area.  Although I only moved to the area less than 3 years ago, I know some paths and tracks that long term locals haven't discovered yet!

A Running Dolphin

Whilst catching up with colleagues around the office this morning, I came across a rather strange looking dolphin!  I work for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and this year we've got the television presenter Monty Halls running the London Marathon to raise funds for our work.  Not only that, but he will be wearing a dolphin suit!

WDCS CEO, Chris Butler-Stroud, modelling the dolphin suit

The dolphin is beautifully made and looks very robust.  Its made around a rucksack frame, so as long as Monty has been practising his runs carrying a rucksack it shouldn't be too different for him.  However, if the wind picks up, there isn't a vent in that middle section so that might be a problem!
Hopefully our dolphin will be spotted and featured on tv.  Who knows, one day it could be as famous as the Save the Rhino costumes and we'll have a whole pod of dolphins running!
Monty will have to be running pretty quickly to beat the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon in an animal costume (a man dressed as a tiger finished in 3:30:01 last year).  And there's me worrying about how having a feather in my hair would affect me running!

Ear problems

I think I tempted fate yesterday by talking about trying to avoid colds and bugs.  I woke up this morning to feel a pressure in my left ear, as if the inside bits had grown overnight.  Rather than wait to see if anything developed, I was on the phone to the doctors surgery immediately and was seen this morning.  I'm now on antibiotic drops, in the hope that they will clear this up without me having to take oral antibiotics. 
At least it's happened this week and my GP (who also runs) understood why I wanted to treat it immediately!

2 Weeks to Go - Mothers Day

What better way to start Mothers Day than with a nice 3 mile gentle cross country run?  I got back just as the rest of the family were waking up, ready to give me my presents!
I've not been drinking alcohol and my husband has been making the most of having a designated driver on hand.  Each time we go out, we seem to venture further and further from home.  We're going out for dinner tonight, so I get a day off catering duties, which means I'm driving home again. Two years ago when I did London, he took me out for a Mothers Day lunch, ordered a bottle of Chablis and drank it all to himself!
Only 28 miles this week.
The schedule for next week has been altered slightly as I have a day of meetings in the office on Tuesday.  I usually look forward to seeing my colleagues again during my quarterly visits but having heard about all the coughs and illness circulating the office in the last few weeks, I'm hoping I can avoid catching anything whilst I'm there!


Monday - 10min ER, 20min marathon pace, 1min IR with 1min walking recovery (repeated 6 times) 10min ER
Tuesday - REST
Wednesday -30min ER (if I can swap my scheduled 6 mile coaching)
Thursday - 10min ER, 3min threshold with 2min recovery (repeated 4 times), 10min ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 1 hour ER
Sunday - REST

Short Long Run

The reduction in mileage this week is having the effect of allowing me to feel more tired!  I'm even more wary of twinges and aches and trying to make sure I'm still completing the sessions, but not pushing myself too much.  After over 3 months of effort, I don't want to be injured now!
Today's 'long' run was a short one compared to recent weeks.  We ran for 2 hours, which gave us 11.5miles.  Once again, Karen managed to find a couple of new sections to the route so we had a bit of variety.  The weather was great running weather, overcast, right temperature and even a bit of rain.
The schedule included two marathon pace sections of 15 minutes - one at the start and one at the end.  I wanted to see how I did here as my pacing has been a bit erratic.  I didn't do that badly - with the first one at 9:55m/m and the last (mainly downhill) at 9:45m/m.  I did find myself going too fast and then having to slow down, which isn't good.  Still, there are a few more marathon pace training in the schedule yet, so I may still get it right.
The rest of the run was at steady pace and the splits were: 10:18; 10:15; 10:23; 10:18; 10:27; 11:34; 11:01 (long steady hill); 10:51; 10:23.  Everyone felt that pace was comfortable so hopefully on the day, with our race-heads on, we'll be able to manage 10min/mile pace.  With so much energy left, we went to play in the park!


I've been thinking about my race plan this week, and reviewing how things have gone in training so far.  My primary goal is to finish and enjoy it. I loved the last marathon I did and want to feel the same way at the end of this one - tired but happy and proud of what I've achieved.  I'd like to stick to my original goal of a 4:23:00 finish.  The training has gone well so that doesn't look unrealistic.  However if the weather is warm, I will try to go slower at the start so will be changing the goal to a 4:30:00 target.  I am a bit wary about setting targets as I don't want to feel disappointed, especially if I realise at mile 20 or 22 that the target isn't achievable.  On the other hand, I've work hard in training so want to give it a good shot.  

3 Weeks to Go - Taper Time

Winter seemed to be back this morning.  It was very cold as we set out for our 30 minute cross country run.  I would rather it be like this on marathon day than the warm weather we had last time I did 26 miles!
Total mileage for last week was just under 45 miles.
For the next three weeks we start to reduce our mileage.  This may seem strange but it allows you to recoup and you don't lose fitness in that time, so in theory we'll be fighting fit for the 17th of April.
I didn't enjoy taper last time.  I had been looking forward to stepping off the gas a bit but found it frustrating not to be running as much.  I was also worried about eating too much or too little, or the wrong kind of foods.  The enormity of what you've actually taken on also starts to dawn on you (okay, I may be a bit slower than most!).  


The schedule for week 14 of training is:


Monday - REST
Tuesday - 15min ER, 30min TR, 15min ER
Wednesday - 45min steady
Thursday - 30min ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 2hrs with the first and final 15mins at marathon pace
Sunday - 30min ER

The Big 22 - Part Two

After the glorious sunshine of the last week, I'd put the suntan lotion out with the rest of my kit last night.  This morning however was great running weather - if a bit on the chilly side to be wearing just a vest!  It was overcast with a bit of a breeze and the temperature was much lower than it has been. 
Sarah had planned another 22mile route so we wouldn't have to repeat the one we did a few weeks ago.  Of course, we could have run the same route the otherway round, which does make quite a difference.  Sarah's route avoided town, taking us through lovely villages on lanes with daffodils on the verges, so was much nicer.
We all started off together at a steady pace.  Sarah and I found ourselves out at the front after about 3 miles but the others were within shouting distance at that point.  Then at about mile 7, we realised we'd lost them.  After a phone call, we found they'd taken a wrong turn but weren't too far off track luckily!  Our intrepid back up team (Sarah's dad) found them and ensured they were on the correct route before coming to pick up Sarah at mile 10 (Sarah's marathon is one week before London).
At that point I was at least a mile in front of the others, which would have meant waiting for about 10 minutes to run with them.  You got cold quite quickly when you stopped, so I decided to carry on by myself.  It was good training for London as I'll have to pace myself then anyway.  Sarah was by now driving the route to check we were all okay, so I could contact her if there were any problems.  I tried to keep my pace steady until I got to 16 miles, when I upped it to marathon pace.
Well, I say I upped it to marathon pace (10m/m).  My splits for the final six miles were: 9:33; 9:40; 9:54; 9:49; 9:57; 9:27.  So I think I may be slightly improving on the pacing.  If you ignore the last one as a mad dash for the finish line, then it only took me 2 miles to get into fairly near target.  I'm taking that as an improvement anyway!
The total distance was 22.44 miles and it took me 3hours and 48minutes. 
I took 3 gels this week - one at mile 6, mile 12 and mile 18.  Not sure about the third one as my stomach has been churning all afternoon!  My legs are okay (I have done the dog walk and bath routine).  One toe on my right foot is tender but there are no blisters.  The vest was fine and didn't rub, neither did my massive bum bag.  I did forget to put the red laces (the British Heart Foundation receives a donation for each runner who crosses the line with red laces in their trainers) in but I can test those next week.
That's the last long run done and the hardest part of the physical training out of the way.  Now comes the mental stuff!

Bad Run :-(

There's a superstition in our group that everyone has one bad run in training, which means you've got it out of the way and that race day will be fine.  All rubbish of course but mentally it can help you recover from a bad session.  Well, today I had my bad run.
On paper the session didn't look too bad, especially after last week's tough one.  After warm up, we had 8 repetitions of 4 minutes at interval pace with one minute recoveries.  The problem started with the weather.  It was a gorgeous day - the warmest we've had so far.  Unfortunately the only time we could manage to get to the track was 11.30 in the morning.  In other words we were running at the hottest time of day.
The first 2 repetitions were fine but on the third, it felt as if I was dragging myself round.  When I slowed down for the recovery, I felt faint so took on some more water and slowed right down for the next repetition.  I felt like giving up on that one but somehow kept myself going.  Taking on the extra water just meant I could feel it swishing around in my stomach - yuck.  I also had a stitch in my right side.  Doing a couple of reps at a slowed down pace helped and by the 7th and 8th I was back up at a pace that felt reasonable (although not as fast as my first 2 reps).
Looking at my actual times when I'd finished, my slowest pace was on the 4th rep and was still 8:29 m/m.  The 5th was also slower at 8:24m/m but the rest were between 7:17 m/m and 8:14 m/m.  I had been aiming for 7:50m/m.  So aside from the heat, the other problem was going off too quickly at the start - hmmm, that old pacing problem again.
We had taken recovery drinks with us but it was only later, after a text from Karen, that I realised we hadn't stretched after the session!  Shows we weren't thinking straight afterwards.
The positives to take from it are that I finished it; the pace wasn't actually that slow; and if London is hot, we'll have had some warm weather training.

Feet!

I had a bit of a treat on Monday with a visit to the chiropodist.  Ah, the exciting life I lead!
My feet, or more correctly my toes, are not good anyway and running 30-40miles a week doesn't help.  Three toes on each foot curl over so I'm walking/running on the nail.  This gets thick to protect my toes and eventually becomes painful.  I've been quite lucky during this training as they were only just getting to the stage when I needed to get them sorted.  Anyway, one session with the chiropodist and they'll do me another few months.  I wear socks with a padded toe section which also helps protect them.
Its been glorious weather this week and our run last night was lovely.  The daffodils were out, birds singing - we were 9 min/m up hills because we felt so positive! 
The forecast for the weekend is for it to remain dry but become colder.  I shall be wearing my MACS vest regardless as I need to test it on a decent long run, and this will be our last training one!

4 Weeks to Go

Today was perfect running weather - overcast, not too warm but not cold and even a hint of drizzle early on.  Please can we put in an order for weather like that on the 17th?
The run today was an easy 30 minutes so we went cross country.  We were talking about how we haven't been that good at treating the easy runs as easy - we tend to go too quickly in them.  We'll have plenty of easy runs during taper so we'll have to make sure we watch the speed during those.  Going cross country helps but we came across a freshly ploughed field today.  That panicked us a bit as the last thing we need at this stage is go over and hurt ourselves.


Total miles this week was 39.


Next week's plan is:


Monday - REST
Tuesday - 10mins ER, 20mins threshold repeated 3 times with 1min recoveries, 10mins ER
Wednesday - 50mins ER
Thursday - 10mins ER, 4mins at interval pace with 1min recovery repeated 8 times (very similar to 8 Yassos), 10mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 22 miles with the final 60 minutes at marathon pace
Sunday - 30mins steady

Sunshine at last!

As we've already done the usual 18 mile route this year during training, we decided to try to find another.  Karen plotted a gorgeous route along country lanes, with daffodils in bloom to cheer us up along the way.  The sun even came out - yippee!  I still didn't risk running in my vest, as I looked out before I got dressed and saw frost on the cars, so pulled on a tshirt instead.  Maybe next week.  I caught the sun a bit this week as my freckles have started to come out.  We may even need suntan lotion soon!
The plan was to run 5 miles at marathon pace, then 8 steady and the final 5 at marathon pace. I'm still rubbish at pacing myself, despite trying really hard this year. My plan was to try to keep to 10min/miles for the first 5 miles - I managed 10:05; 10:08, 10:00 then came a long downhill so I was up to 9:29, then 9:49.  Not too bad but I want to try to keep it steadier.  If you're changing the pace constantly it makes you use more energy, which isn't good.  For my last 5 miles, I was aiming for 9:50min/miles and this section was even worse for uneven pace - 9:40; 9:45; 9:32; 9:34 and the final mile at 9:31.  All of which were good speeds at the end of a long run but on the day I'll still have 8 more miles to go and need to be able to finish.  We've got a few more marathon pace training sessions right into taper so hopefully I can work out what the right pace feels like by then.
The lovely Linda joined us again on her bike.  This was extra useful today, not only to chat to us but  she could also check everyone was okay, as we got a bit spread out.
I took a recovery drink at the end, although I'm not sure that they're helping how my muscles feel the next day.  As long as they don't make me feel worse I'll take them.  I plan to enjoy the sunshine this afternoon and tidy up the garden a bit!

Hardest Session

This morning, we completed what I think was the hardest session of this training schedule.  And I feel very glad that it's over!  I wasn't looking forward to it at all. After the warm up we had four repetitions of 8 minutes at interval pace, with one minute recoveries.  Speedwork sessions are always hard but doing over a mile (just!) at speed with very little recovery wasn't appealing at all.   Give me long steady runs any day over speedwork.   However, we did it and nothing beats the feeling of finishing a tough session like that.
We were reminded this week as to how varied and interesting this schedule has been, when Sarah joined us for Tuesday's threshold run.  Sarah didn't like that session at all and would much prefer the Yasso's, whereas I'm the other way round.  She was pleasantly surprised though when we told her we'd covered seven miles.
My replacement charity vest arrived this morning and is a much better fit.  As the weather has been warming up, I'm hoping I'll be able to wear it for next week's 22-miler.  I might even be okay in just a tshirt this weekend if the forecast is correct!

The other bit of "kit" which arrived was a lime green (think Orville the Duck) ostrich feather.  Last time I ran London, I wore a red feather pinned to my hair to make it easier for my supporters to see me.  I "featured" in the final minute of the BBC marathon coverage programme, with first my red feather appearing above the bobbing heads in front of Buckingham Palace, and then my red face appearing beneath!  The feather was light and didn't both me whilst running, except when the wind caught it coming up the Embankment.  So if you are watching the marathon on tv, watch out for a lime green feather (without a lime green face under it hopefully!).

5 Weeks to go - Running Number!

There was much excitement this morning as the postman delivered my running number!  Well, not the actual number but the bit of paper which allows me to collect my number (upon providing 2 pieces of i.d. and my signature).

I'm off the Red Start, as it's a charity place, which is also quite exciting as I started from the Blue last time.  Now I just need to become a celebrity and I'll be able to start from the Green next time!


I feel good after yesterday's race.  It was such a lovely sunny day I took the dog out for a walk as soon as I got home, then had a nice soak in the bath.  No aches this morning so it's a shame I won't be able to replicate that after the marathon, as I won't have either the dog or a bath to hand.


We covered 34 miles last week.


The schedule for this week is:


Monday - REST
Tuesday - 10mins ER, 15mins threshold with one min recovery repeated 3 times, 10mins ER
Wednesday - 40mins steady run
Thursday - 10mins ER, 8mins interval run with one min recovery repeated 4 times, 10mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 18 miles, first 5 and last 5 at marathon pace, middle 8 slower
Sunday - 30mins ER

Ashby 20 Mile Race

This was a perfect opportunity to test out everything before London.  The race situation meant the nerves and butterflies were real, as well as not sleeping properly the night before (did I pack everything?  will the alarm go off?).  
We got to Ashby in good time, which allowed us the three loo visits we needed before the start.  I ate an energy bar an hour before the off rather than my usual banana.  It tasted foul but no ill effects and I didn't feel hungry all race, so I will use one for London.  

It had been tipping it down with rain when we left home but by the start the rain was a mere drizzle.  This compounded our wardrobe dilemmas but luckily we had support on the course to accept the jackets, sweatshirts etc which were thrown at them (thank you Rhys!).  I wore everything I plan to wear for London except for my charity vest (still no news on that).
I tried hard to keep to my plan and kept the first 3 miles at over 10min/miles.  The fourth mile was a long downhill, so I did speed up at that point and kept the pace at between 9:07 and 9:59 until mile 15.  The big variation was down to the undulating course, where the hills appeared to have grown in the second lap too!  I had a bit of a down moment at mile 14 when I felt shattered and thought I wouldn't be able to keep this pace up in London.  But then, I don't have to and it will be a lot flatter.  The support was very good, especially from our team of supporters, some of whom made the 30 mile round trip to Ashby by cycle-power.

At mile 15 the plan was to slow down.  Part of me just wanted to keep going and finish, but another part of me could hear Sarah telling me to slow down, so I did.  I did mile 16 in 10:10; 17 in 10:05 and 18 in 10:09.  At that point, we turned back towards Ashby for the final stretch and my race instinct took over.  Mile 19 took me 9:53 minutes and then we hit what in my view was the hardest hill of the race.  I still managed to speed up and did the final mile in 9:15, finishing in 3:16:03 by my watch.
The kit all seemed to work with no rubbing or sore bits.  Lets hope the charity vest arrives in time to try it on the next 22 miler.
What a fantastic goodie bag we received at the end too!  None of the usual rubbish but it had a cheese and tomato cob, crisps, chocolate and a biscuit.  Just what you need!
The whole Washlands team did really well - fab performance all round!

What Not To Wear - Clothing Dilemma

Its been a consolidation week so time to enjoy taking it easier.  I even had time to fit in a leg massage and get my knees checked out.  All is well, thank goodness, and we think the soreness and stiffness I felt 2 weeks ago was down to doing the runs first thing. Usually I've been out for a dog walk or at least wandering about the house a bit, allowing my muscles to wake up.
Tuesday's track session was good and went quickly.  Luckily for us we timed it just right and finished as the sun went down.  The temperature plummeted at that point.  It was also Shrove Tuesday so there was the added incentive of pancakes afterwards - yummy.
Although Wednesday night's run was supposed to be at an easy pace, none of us kept to that. At least Sylvia and I had the excuse that we were coaching the speed session but the others decided to make the end of their run into a sprint too!
This morning we went cross country for just over 30 minutes and enjoyed the sunshine.  We're carefully studying the weather forecast to try to decide what to wear for the race on Sunday.  As we entered as club runners, we'll be wearing our  Washlands vests but its still a bit cold to just wear that.  I was planning a long sleeved tshirt underneath but it was actually quite warm today, so now I'm not certain.  It'll be one of those where I take a bag load of kit to the race and still won't be sure if I've chosen correctly as we set off.

Marathon Vest on left, Training Vest on right

The other clothing dilemma of the week came about when I received my MACS vest, which is the one I'll run in for London.  It's HUGE!  I received a training vest earlier on, which the accompanying letter acknowledged was a size larger than I'd asked for, but reassured me that the actual vest would be the correct size.  I've been sent a Small but it's bigger than the training vest.  I won't be able to wear it on the day as it will rub against my arms and be really sore.  I've contacted them to see if they have an XS size (or even an XXS).  If it comes to it, I'll run in the training vest on the day.  Ideally if the weather allows, I'd like to wear what I'm planning to wear on the day for the 22mile run in two weeks, just to check where things rub.  As I found out last week, everything can be absolutely fine at 18 miles but after 20 miles, kit can start to chafe.

6 Weeks to Go - Consolidation

We had a nice 4 miles cross country this morning and the muscles felt very good.  The only problem I felt from yesterday was where some of my kit had rubbed slightly, so I'll apply vaseline next week.  Hopefully that will sort it out.


The total mileage for last week was 46.


Next Sunday, we're running the Ashby 20 as our long run.  It'll be a good opportunity to fully test our pre-race breakfast, kit, and preparation.  I'm going to try to run 5 miles steady, 10 miles at marathon pace and the last 5 miles steady.  The route is quite hilly so it'll be interesting to see how I get on.  I'm not really sure about setting myself targets for it as, although it is a race, it's also just a training run.  London is the ultimate target.  Also my confidence is high after yesterdays run and I don't want that to take too much of a knock.  


The schedule for this coming week is another consolidation week, so the mileage drops back down to the low 30s.  This is quite handy to give us a bit of a taper before Ashby.


Monday - REST
Tuesday - 15mins ER, 90seconds IR with 90seconds recovery repeated 10 times, 15mins ER
Wednesday - 40mins ER (but I'm coaching a speed session)
Thursday - 30mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 10mins ER
Sunday - 20 miles

The Big 22 - Part One

In a variation from the published schedule, we pushed out this week for the first of two 22 mile runs.  
There's something about those extra-long runs, apart from the fact that they are blinking long obviously.  When they're finished, you start to think "yes, I can do this".  Even though this isn't my first marathon, I'm still doubting whether this time I'll be able to finish, how much has changed since the last time, am I as fit?  When the 22-milers are in the bag, you do start to feel more confident that its a possibility that you will cross that finish line!
This morning was very cold, with a ground frost.  The schedule suggested trying to run in the kit you will use on the day so you're used to it.  Great idea but there's no way I'm running in a vest when its this cold!  

We set off at a steady pace, with Sarah by my side to keep me on target.  I need a recording of Sarah asking what our speed is so I don't go off to quickly in London.  I am getting better at recognising the pace - I think!  We had bike support from Linda for the first half today and Sarah's Dad kindly provided a water stop too.  Not only did he give up his Saturday morning to sit in a car and wait for us, but he also left a bottle of water for us further on, so we had a second water stop.  What a star!
It was a slower pace than last week by about 1 minute per mile but I did speed up from mile 19 onwards.  I wanted to test whether I could increase the pace at that point.  Although I have been running faster than I thought I would during training runs, I'm still sticking to my original marathon pace plan.  If I do feel okay after 20-odd miles, I can think about increasing the pace at that point.  Last marathon, I unconsciously increased the pace for the last 3 miles anyway - I think I just wanted to get to the end!  We finished in 3hours 53minutes, which averages out at 10:36min/mile pace.  My splits for the last bit were:

The Intrepid Back Up Team

Mile 19 -10:01
Mile 20 - 9:50
Mile 21 - 9:28
Mile 22 - 9:18
I've got less aches than last week, which is down to the pace we were doing, although hopefully a bit of training impact too.  I skipped the cold bath this week but tried the recovery drink.  It was actually okay so I might give that a go again.  I did try to dish out some strawberry flan when we got home. Sarah and Sam were too good, unlike Karen and I who did scoff a slice each!  Don't think its what they had in mind when advising you to eat within 20 minutes of finishing a run but still, very nice :-)

Fueling the Miles

Someone commented that my blog has more pictures of food than of running at the moment, and not very healthy food at that.  I promise I do eat things other than chocolate and Welsh cakes!  I think my diet is generally healthy and varied.  I do take extra iron supplements, as female runners supposedly suffer from lower iron levels.  Your body won't store iron so taking it even if it's not needed shouldn't be a problem.  Since I found out about my marathon place, I've also been taking glucosamine supplements for my joints.  There are two articles about those in this month's Runners World - one recommending them and one saying they aren't proved to be of any use! 
I did lose a bit of weight over the first half of this training programme, which doesn't usually happen when I'm training.  I seem to eat more to compensate for the mileage.  I was a bit stressed about non-running things so that may have affected my weight.  I am in the "normal" range for my height though. 
I have been looking up diets for marathon runners but the only ones I can find seem to have you eating every two hours.  I'd never find time to run if I had to fit all that in too!  Before my long run at the weekend I always have pasta for my evening meal.  In the morning I have muesli, a banana, yogurt and fruit juice, as well as a glass of water and a mug of coffee.  If I'm feeling hungry I may have some toast with honey too.  I use my gels on the run and try to eat (usually a crumpet or toast with honey) soon after I get back.  On Saturday I'm going to try taking a recovery drink when I get back, to see if that helps my muscles the next day.
This week's runs have been good.  The temperature has dropped again so its been very cold out there, with a biting wind, which I hope will have dropped by Saturday.  Luckily the speedwork has warmed us up.  I'm hoping to get another nice relaxing swim in tomorrow.

Happy St David's Day

It was the thought of these which kept me going throughout the interval session this evening!

7 Weeks to Go - Chocolate

The sun came out for my run this morning and my legs needed this short cross country to wake them up.  Yesterday afternoon my knees had been very stiff - walking downstairs and sitting down had been particularly painful.  I think the ache was from Thursday's run rather than the long run.  This appears to be the muscles I'm using for speedwork and is related to my knee issues.  I'll keep up my stretching to see if that helps.
The total mileage for this week was 45 miles.

Chocolate Tower Bridge

I've previously mentioned using cakes and treats as an incentive to myself to run.  I'm usually pretty good at staying off the sweet stuff but even I couldn't resist today with a visit to Cadbury World.  Even there though I was reminded of the marathon! 
The schedule for this coming week is:
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 15min ER, 5min IR with 60sec recovery x 6, 15min ER
Wednesday - 50min ER
Thursday - 15min ER, 10min TR x3, 10min Marathon Pace, 15min ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 22 miles
Sunday - 60min SR


The actual schedule only has a 20 mile run on Saturday but before starting this, I sent a copy to my uncle (an experienced marathon runner) for his advice.  He recommended adding another 2 miles this week, so we included at least two 20 + milers in our training.  Sunday's run might be shorter to compensate for this, although I am finding the Sunday runs good for easing the muscles back to life!

Running in the Rain

We've not had much luck with the weather on our long runs lately and today's started off wet again.  However it was a very different type of rain to last week's downpour.  Today's rain was just the right type for a run - not too cold either so the rain kept you nicely refreshed.
Three of us started out on the 18 mile route but only 2 of us finished it!  Tina, who is well known for her sense of direction, or rather lack of it, decided to do 3 laps rather than follow the route.  She actually did 18.7miles doing that so well done to her.
That left Sylvia and myself on the traditional route.  As per plan we started out with the intention of running 10 miles at marathon pace.  My splits for those miles were: 9:31, 9:48, 9:43, 9:43, 9:15, 9:29, 9:18, 9:48, 9:25 and 9:19.  It was quite an undulating route with a big hill at mile 7 to 8, which took me a while to get back to pace after getting up it.  I'd taken my gel at 6.5 miles, practising taking it on the move.
The rain started to ease off and my original plan had been to take the next 8 miles slower.  Running with Sylvia though we got into a comfortable pace so kept going at that.  I took my second gel at mile 14, which I was glad of 2 miles later.  The final splits were: 9:38, 9:26, 9:32, 9:48, 10:00, 9:59 and 10:11.  We finished the run in 2 hours 54 minutes.
I'd started to feel it in my legs before we finished running.  I walked home and could feel my muscles stiffening up.  After stretching, I ran a cold bath and tried to sit in that - not that I managed very long!  Coming downstairs after my shower, my legs were very stiff.  I have very stiff kneecaps which don't move as they should, meaning the muscles around it have to work harder.  And they let me know that this afternoon!  
By now it was a lovely sunny day, so after lunch I took the dog out for a walk.  Much as its tempting to stay on the sofa after a long run, a walk can help muscle recovery and gets muscles use to having to work when they're tired.  Also its hard to relax when the dog is nagging you for its walk!  Now that's done, I can put my feet up in front of the rugby.

Hectic Holidays

How come its even harder to fit in my runs during the school holidays?  We had friends staying for the first part of this week, so I got up early to ensure Tuesday's session could be done without impacting on our plans for the day.  As I didn't go to the track my interval times were slower than they have been, but were consistent at about 8m/m.  We then headed off for a walk which included a big hill climb.  The kids and dog scampered off leaving the adults to drag themselves up behind.  All good for for making tired legs work again!
I was coaching a 5 mile run on Wednesday night, which had a steady hill up and a nice long down.  My Garmin was playing up a bit but I don't think the pace could be classed as an easy one.  I had to get up early again to fit my Thursday run in before my husband left for his golf day.  Running back to back sessions at this stage is not good news!  Still, it was a gorgeous morning and I wasn't too slow - within the zone although slower than previous threshold sessions.  Apart from Wednesday's club run, I was running on my own.  I'm not sure if that impacted my speed - maybe I'm more competitive than I thought I was.
I had a few aches this week - mainly my left hip and knees.  My toes were also a bit sore after Thursday's run.  I do get sore toes and wear socks with thicker toe bits to protect them as much as possible.  I'll need to book a chiropodist appointment as soon as possible - that tends to sort them out for a while.  
The lovely weather inspired me to get out into the garden and tidy things up a bit.  When I got out of bed this morning, my lower thighs were really stiff - not sure if that's down to the running or the gardening!

8 Weeks to Go - Halfway There

Started the day with a very muddy 40 minute cross country run, with the dog for company. I think I actually tired her out!
It feels good to be half way through training but also a bit scary knowing what's to come. This last week's 41 miles will be the norm as we enter 'monster month'.
The plan for the coming week is:
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 15min ER,3min IR with 90sec recovery repeated 8 times, 15min ER
Wednesday - 40mins ER
Thursday - 15min ER, 15min TR with 2min recovery repeated 4 times, 15min ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 18 miles with first 10 at marathon pace
Sunday - 60min steady

Mental Toughness

It's hard to motivate yourself to get up early on a Saturday morning after a long working week.  It's even harder when that Saturday is the first day of the holiday and it's tipping it down with rain.  But get up we did and met at Sarah's parents house for a 16 miles run.
The schedule suggested running the first four miles at marathon pace.  Sylvia and I found ourselves running together, putting the world to rights and completed that section with splits of 9:58; 9:26: 9:34 and 9:33.  We stopped for a gather up just past 6 miles and took our gels at this point.  

Gel Stop

By now the rain was coming down even harder, but we were already soaked through so it didn't make a lot of difference.  We started talking about mental toughness, mainly disagreeing with a professional runner who had given a talk on the topic recently.  He had given up in a race when he realised that he wouldn't win it and therefore make money.  Obviously we're not in that league and are not likely to be, but consider ourselves to have some level of mental toughness.  We classed this as actually going out and running on a morning like this; running extra distance when your mates have stopped (Sarah did an extra mile); carrying on even if it takes you hours to finish a race.  Back runners everywhere - we salute your mental toughness!
We ran together until mile 12, when we stopped for another gel.  My plan at this point was to take my second gel at mile 14.  I usually take them in 7 mile stages so wanted to get into that routine.  Then it was time for our last four miles at marathon pace again.  The first mile counted the bit I walked whilst the others took gels so the time for that was 10:21.  I felt as if I had energy left and just ran, without really looking at my watch.  I was following road signs back so I knew when I'd reached 14 miles but felt okay, so didn't take my gel as I only had 2 miles to go.  The remaining splits were 9:00; 8:41 and 8:56.  I'm extra pleased with these as there were some decent hills in that section too.
The total run took me exactly 2hours 40minutes, which is an average pace of 10min/mile.  We felt very good climbing back in the car to come home, although I'll need to take the dog out for a decent walk later to prevent stiff muscles tomorrow!

Neglect

It's been quite a week so far and I'm so glad it's a rest day tomorrow! 
I had to be away from home for work reasons at the start of the week.  I got home just in time to pick my son up from school, say hello to my husband, then I was out of the door for Tuesday night's session.
We covered just over 10 miles that night and did a little more speed work than necessary as we had to get the car out of the car park before our time expired!  Perhaps we should try using that strategy at races as it did produce a fantasic sprint finish.
Yesterday was another night where I vaguely saw the family before disappearing off to the club.  We ran a nice four mile with a good hill so got to stretch the hamstrings again after Hell in the Middle.  There was a coaching meeting after the run last night and I got home at about 10:30.  As I had an early meeting this morning, I slept badly as I hadn't managed to fully prepare for it last night, so felt like death warmed up when we set off for today's speed session.
We decided not to go to the track but to do it on the local roads and we were impressed by the distance we covered in the session.  Another 7 miles done, making a total of 21 so far this week. 
I haven't had time to do any food shopping yet this week.  Luckily its amazing what lurks in my freezer which can be added to pasta/potatoes to make a meal!  As the family have been through this once, they know there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Things will be back to normal soon .... until the next race training starts!

9 Weeks to Go

Just a correction on yesterday's post - I've found out the Hell route was eleven miles not ten.  Don't my hamstrings know it!

The schedule for this week is:

Monday - REST
Tuesday - 15mins ER, 20mins TR with 2min recovery repeated 3 times, 15mins ER
Wednesday - 40mins ER
Thursday - 15mins ER, 5mins fast with 2 min recovery repeated 6 times, 15mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 16 miles - first 4 at Marathon Pace (MP), 8 slower 4 at MP
Sunday - 40mins ER

Extreme Sport 2: The Hills of Hell

A race isn't called Hellrunner if it's going to be a nice little trot through the forest and I knew we were under-trained for the terrain but even so - HOW HARD WAS THAT?!!
It started off quite well, although a rogue metal loop poking out of the mud almost took me out just past the start.  The first mile was undulating forest tracks but nothing too stretching.  Then we hit the first series of hills.  My strategy on hills is to keep going even if I'd be quicker walking (as my son shouts "that's not running Mum!").  If I have to stop, I've had it.  The nature of the tracks meant they weren't wide enough to overtake people.  Starting in the traditional Washlands position of at the back, we got stuck behind people walking up the hills.  This was not only frustrating but meant we got cold too, despite the mild conditions.
By approximately mile 4 (no mile markers) I was actually feeling quite fed up.  I'm usually a very positive runner who can motivate myself quite easily to get over down patches.  However I kept thinking all the walking was a waste of effort and I should have just been out on a 14 mile training run instead.  Going at a slower pace also tires you out as you can't get into your stride.  I knew I was only about 4 miles in yet felt shattered.  At that point I was doubting my ability to finish a marathon, let alone at an improved time.
Luckily, it was at that point we hit the first water obstacle, which really cheered me up.  It's strange how throwing yourself into freezing water actually makes you feel better but it does.  After all, it only feels cold for the first few seconds before you lose all sensation!  There's something very childish and rebellious about it - you know you shouldn't do it but it's fun!  Ruth had a bit of a bad patch here and we had the help of a valiant stranger (Runner 6161 - thank you!) to help her through.  

An easy hill towards the end

The long hills were very tiring but at least there was space now to go at your own pace.  The woodland boggy bits in the valley were lovely and I enjoyed running up the small stream, and clambering up the steep banks to get out.  The Bog of Doom was stinky but not too long, with some nice music there to keep us going and the Quarry challenge was a nice bit of variety at the end.  Karen had a sudden burst of energy about 1000m out.  We couldn't let her leave us behind so we ended up with a sprint finish over the muddiest finish line I've ever seen!
As you can probably guess, Hell in the Middle wont go down as one of my favourite races.  The main reason is that there was no support around the course.  We had got some spectators with us but there was no map of the course, so no-one ventured out onto it.  A bit of support would have made a lot of difference.
Also, from a race organiser viewpoint, I didn't feel there were sufficient marshals out on the course.  We passed one woman on the ground being tended to by another runner and asked her if she had help coming.  She replied that she thought so, and luckily we met a bike marshall at that point.  In the Bog of Doom, where tired runners could get into trouble, there was one marshall who stationed herself on the other side of the hillock to warn runners what was coming up.  There was no-one on the other side to check people got out safely. The same applied to the first water, where one marshall was stationed. 
It's one to tick off the list but not to repeat I think.

The Little Devils did amazingly well with Jamie leading the pack home - well done to all of you!
This morning my hamstrings were a bit sore after the hills.  The schedule set out a 10 minute run for this morning which we had a bit of debate about.  Some were up for trying to make up the miles 'lost' by doing Hell (10miles instead of the scheduled 14) but we decided time on your feet counted and we were out there for 2hours 50 minutes.  So it was a quick run round the block before breakfast and feet up for the rest of the day!