Things that happen when you start to run more and how to make it easier!

It's January and so I'm currently completing 2 challenges - #REDJanuary or "run every day" January by Mind - although you just have to be active to experience the positive physical and mental benefits of activity on health and I'm also doing #64millionartists which is to do something creative every day.  The art challenge today is "Pen to Paper"

The second week of 2019 is coming to an end. How did your week go? What are you thinking about, and who do you want to tell? Today we challenge you to reach out to someone, and tell them something you’d like to share…whatever that might be!
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Put pen to paper, and write a letter. Write something down that you’ve been meaning to say to someone.

I decided to write a letter to myself about all the things that I wish I'd known before starting running in the hope that it helps others who are on a similar journey.

I was 24 when I decided to start running and I was obese (and had very poor mental health).  I'd always been fairly active, so I didn't really consider the two elements together.  All I knew was that I wanted something to work towards and to do something positive so I signed up for my first Race for life and knew that I'd need to train towards it.

I didn't have any friends who ran, and my partner at the time wasn't a runner so we would go to the gym and I'd spend some time on the treadmill.  At first 10 minutes seemed forever!  I couldn't understand how it was possible for me to run any longer, but over a period of around 3 - 4 months I continued to go to the gym and run on the treadmill.  

I remember at one point my ankles were really sore - would I have to stop?  Was running a 5K just too far for me?  Fortunately I rested for a few days, kept training and they stopped hurting.  I started to learn that when you start moving your body more or in a different way to before, some adjustments and niggles are to be expected and more importantly are normal!  
To give myself the confidence that I'd be able to run a 5K "race" (it wasn't even timed!) one evening I stepped on the treadmill and told myself I couldn't stop for 30 minutes and so I managed to "run" my first 5K although I'm pretty sure there were regular pauses of the treadmill to adjust my hair, re-lace my shoes, change the channel on the telly, take a drink etc.  This did give me confidence that even as an obese and previous non-runner I'd be able to get around the 5K for my Aunty Mary who was in remission from breast cancer at that point.  

Race day was fun, it was an evening in the summer after work, it was at Roundhay Park and it now makes me feel a bit sick, but Jimmy Saville was there cheering all the women on.  I ran the 5K and was caught by the hills as this wasn't something treadmill training prepares you for (I had to walk up them all) and was astonished that there was one woman who had finished ages before me and was cheering all the finishers through (how could she run that fast?!).  I think it was around 25.30 when I finished and I was delighted and hooked on running.

From my first 5K in 2004 I went to my first 10K in 2007 (an hour and 20 that took me) and then ran the Great North Run in 2008 and then as a reaction to turning 30 ran Edinburgh marathon in 2010.  I've now been running for over 14 years and I think sometimes I forget some of the things I discovered about my body as I've run more, trained more and learned a bit more about the psychology of diet and exercise (this was actually a module when I studied a bit of psychology in my first year of Uni!).  So here are some things that I have learned as I've run more as someone who has never as an adult been of a BMI stipulated healthy weight.

Chafing
Men seem to talk about this more than women which is interesting as it seems to generally occur for them in their more intimate areas!  Basically up to 5K you'll probably not have to worry about this too much, but there is a chance that if bits of your body are moving more, then more friction will be created in areas that usually don't have to deal with it and this extra rubbing and extra heat leads to chafing.  This is basically a small friction "burn" on your body and can develop during or after a run and you don't always realise until you get in the shower and the hot water hits it.  

The areas that as a lady you're likely to experience chafing are not necessarily obvious and of course it will differ from person to person, but could include:

• Arms - underneath the top part of your arms which people unkindly refer to as "bingo wings" will likely rub more than usual, even if you don't have "wings".  This happened to me even when running on the gym and the chafing became scabs that then fell of when I was running again!  
• How to solve/prevent - there are lots of expensive products you can buy, but my top tip is simply a dab of vaseline or coconut oil (about £5 from Aldi) where you anticipate rubbing might happen and also wearing a "technical" t-shirt rather than a cotton one decreases the friction.  T'shirts rather than vests will help avoid this too so that bare skin isn't rubbing against fabric.  
• The good news - as you run more, this gets better!  I've even run a whole marathon in a vest with no ill affects!  Even having time off with injury I generally find when I up the miles again that this hasn't really returned, although in prep for particularly long runs I'll always pay attention to lubricating this area before setting off
• Boobs (part 1) - Some women have apparently said that they can't run because their boobs are too big.  That it hurts when they run and they feel sore after a run.
• How to Solve/prevent - I've always been top heavy (ranging from 38DD to a 34G) and it's true that if you don't have the right support it's much more uncomfortable to run and it could be enough to put a new runner off.
• The good news - Fortunately after trial and error I have found there are some great bras out there that are in specific sizes and not just S/M/L etc (I sometimes have to stop myself recommending them to strangers who I can see don't have the right support!) I first of all found that Triumph do some great and competitively priced bras and so this was my go to for years and I still have some that I use regularly.  They reduce the motion and are comfortable to put on.  I have found however that the smoother a bra (or indeed any running clothing) that you can wear, the less chafing will be an issue, so I recently on a trip to New York discovered this amazing bra from Under Armour.  At c£50 it's not cheap, but it will last you well and importantly look after your boobs.  It might be tempting to buy something generically sized from a supermarket for £15, but it's likely to not support you well and won't last as long.  And also going for something that allows you to cross over the straps will make you feel more "secure" as there is nothing more irritating than a bra strap slipping off your shoulder when you are trying to run!  Look after your boobs!
• Boobs (part 2) - as I alluded to above, chafing can happen around your boobs, mostly because we have an extra layer of fabric closer to our skin.  
• How to solve/prevent - As odd as it might feel if you are heading out for a longer run, get the lube out and make sure any bits of your body that are pinched particularly by your bra have a good amount applied - also don't forget your nipples! 
• Thighs - Thigh gaps are very rare and are down to the position of our hips, regardless of what weight I've been the tops of my thighs have always rubbed together.  It's important not to get hung up on your body and how it stores fat, mine I think loves to store it on my thighs!  
• How to solve/prevent - I've sometimes headed out for a run in shorter shorts, but the chafing has been painful!  I have learned through trial and error that these lovely double shorts with a cycle short element under a baggy "over" short work best for me in keeping me cool, but also beneficially have *loads* of pockets!  These are my favourites from Ron Hill Of course lube will help avoid the chafe!
• Lower Back - This one surprised me, I hadn't realised that just putting something in the back pocket of my shorts, or wearing a running band with stuff in would have an impact, but if you do this, there is a good chance that you'll get a nice patch of chafing on your lower back - so again an area not to forget to lubricate before a long run.

Sweat 

"Horses sweat, men perspire and ladies only glow" - what rubbish!  I do think that getting sweaty puts some women off running and this sort of gender rubbish holds us back from our own health and fitness, as there isn't much you can do to stop sweating when running it's all about acceptance.  I don't really wear make up generally which is a good thing as I sweat so much it would be sliding off my face in the first minute!  Nonetheless some women I run with manage to look immaculate, so it can be done...only why not take advantage of the one time people don't care what you look like and go "naked" when you go for your runs?  Your skin will get a great chance to breathe and fresh air is a great facial treatment.  Sweat gets in my eyes and if I'm wearing contacts I struggle to see properly...that means that rain or shine I can be found in a buff which is a headband that covers your ears.  Even in winter I'll be wringing out the sweat (especially from my buff) and it also keeps my ears from getting cold!  Sweat can also be a good thing because it's literally fat melting, if you see camels they don't have water in their humps it's fat cells and when fat cells break down they metabolise into water that becomes sweat.  So if you are trying to reduce fat cells - sweat is a sign that your run is working.

Feet - the one thing that always takes a bit of getting used to when you start to run and up the miles is the impact it can have on your feet.  So here are some suggestions:

• Toenails - Everyone knows about marathon runners losing toenails, it sounds really painful, but the reality is usually not as bad as you fear - it basically is just a bit sore and squishing, then the nail kinda lifts off.  It does grow back don't worry and at my biggest mileage I probably ran around with only 6 complete toenails and not much impact to daily life.  If you have a sore toe end, you can buy a rubber toe cap and that will allow you to keep running and always make sure that you keep your toenails cut short!
• Blisters - The good news...genuinely the more you run, the less you blister!  It's very likely you'll pick up some blisters when you start running as your feet get used to extra friction in shoes that will likely be new to you.  Some people say don't pop, but I have generally done it carefully and used sterile equipment and popped a compeed (fake rubber skin) over the top to protect it.
• Compeed top tips - Compeed is amazing!  When I first started marathon training I ended up with sometimes 3 on each foot, I'd put them on places I knew used to always rub, and even now with my feet of sterner stuff, I run with some spare compeed (top tip the green boxes you can pop in a £20, an antihistamine and anything else small and it's also waterproof).  Compeed does take a few days to fall off again as it's strong stuff, so don't do what I did on a few occasions, stick it over a "live" blister in full swing, then pull it off the next day as layers of skin will come off with it - ouch!  You can also use them to cover up painful underboob chafing areas!
• How to prevent blisters - Good socks - for me it's all about thick walking socks, but for some it's specific running socks or wearing two pairs - this is a bit of trial and error and keep going until you find what works for you.  And again...pop a load of lube on - for me I cover both feet entirely in coconut oil or vaseline (NB. if you are using compeed put them on before you oil up!)

Water

This is not limited to ladies, but when I first started running I was convinced that I always needed to run with loads of water.  There's nothing wrong with this, but carrying an extra 1 litre of water is an extra 1 kg of weight and is something you'll hold in your hand which can throw off your running gait.  

• How to solve/prevent - I encourage as soon as you can to try and see if you can get around a short distance without water - be brave - I wish I had been sooner as I can now more or less do a 10 mile run without needing to lug extra liquid around with me.  The joy of contactless on your phone now also means that you can grab a quick drink if you really need to at lots of shops.  Obviously for an off road run or a longer distance, or indeed a hotter day, bring all the fluid you need (and a bit more!
• The good news - You will very naturally find that the more you run the more you understand your body and how much fluid you need, test out different drinks if you feel like you need energy you can try energy drinks (don't leave it to a race to see what Gatorade does to you!)

Nutrition

Again not limited to ladies, but getting your nutrition right is going to help you as you run more.  The cost of not getting your nutrition right can be tough whether it's stomach cramps, lack of energy, or even just an ill timed toilet break.

• How to solve / prevent - Again we are all individuals so trial and error will help.  It can be a morning routine to make sure you get your "pre race poo" out of the way i.e drink a strong coffee at the right time!  After 14 years I've discovered that if I have porridge with nut butter and syrup I can run for 10 miles and need no additional gels or fuel!  Also be sensible the night before a race - a very spicy or unusual meal will likely make you a bit gassy the morning after and you don't want to be trying to hold in a fart and running at the same time!
• Racing nutrition - Try lots of different things when you run, I used gels for years, but I'd have to carry around 8 for a marathon and they made a mess on my hands and get in my hair.  They are easy to digest and work well for people, however I now love shot bloks as they are easy to consume on the go and don't make a mess.  Some people find that they don't need anything unless it's a really long race, but it's all about trial and error.  I remember nearly having a melt down when I forgot my pre race banana at London Marathon 2015, fortunately I swapped it on the train with a lady for my Nakd bar!
• The good news - the more you run, the more you understand your body and what it needs when you run.  

Clothing

Sports clothes are big business and as running has got more and more popular, so has the choice become bamboozling.  The key things to consider are cost and comfort.

If you are just starting out, a lot of supermarkets have great quality running kit at affordable prices.  Try and buy clothing that is "technical" i.e. wicks sweat away rather than cotton that will get heavy and be less comfortable to run in - lots of races now give away technical t'shirts so if you are planning on running a few, don't spend lots of cash on buying them as you'll soon have more than you'll ever need.

Make sure if you are ever running in darker or more remote roads that you have something "hi vis" you'll hopefully never "need" it, but it's always better to be seen quicker to allow a car to slow down if it needs to.

The good news - you get braver, I used to have a vest, t-shirt and cagoule to run in the inclement cold weather, I'd be aghast at crazy people in shorts and vests running off like whippets.  As you get more comfortable running you'll find you need less clothes!  I now have to remind myself to wear slightly less than I think I need as I always get too warm!

Music and headphones

As I ran more I started to enter races where listening to music was banned - how would I manage 10K with nothing to listen to?!?!  As I started running with more friends I'd made from running club and parkrun I realised that you don't always need music, because actually engaging with your surroundings, your breathing and the people around you is better.  I've now run marathons without listening to anything except the crowd!  Now that I'm a qualified LIRF (Leader in Running Fitness) I also realise that people who have run with us and worn headphones are much harder to give instruction to and keep safe!

If you *have* to listen to music, I recommend either just having one headphone in or investing in some headphones like these that conduct through the bones in your head rather than having all the sounds blocked out.

And finally 

You don't have to run to be fast, you don't have to race, you don't have to run a marathon to be a worthwhile person, do what is right for you as running is so personal to everyone... but if you do get the bug and are interested in improving performance, here are some of the learns that got me from a first marathon time of 4 hours 54 down to 3 hours 47 in 6 years.

How to get faster - So these are some things I have learned.

• Run more  - sounds obvious, but it's like anything to improve takes practice so if you want to run further, build up your distance steadily and if you want to run faster try sessions like intervals to see how your body responds to being pushed harder.  You'll learn what works best for you by practicing and trying new things.
• Join a club or parkrun - I spent so many years running alone (I even used the fact that vests would make my arms chafe as an excuse not to join!) I was nervous - why would a club want someone like me?!?  Thanks to parkrun it's so much easier for runners of all abilities to join running clubs and / or run with others, clubs are much better set up to welcome runners regardless of experience and ability and by running with others, you'll accidentally push yourself harder and find that your running improves naturally.
• Lose weight - As I mentioned earlier I've always been an overweight runner and it's simple physics that if you weigh more it's more effort to move your body over a distance.  I had a diabetes scare in 2014.  My doctor told me I was pre-diabetic and when I asked what I could do to stop this developing he said "Your body makes insulin fine, but you have too many fat cells to absorb it properly, if you lose weight, this will improve" and so I did.  I remember running Snake Lane 10 for in 2015 and realising that I was going far faster than I'd run before in a longer distance and wondering why and then realising it was because I was lighter.  You don't to have a crash diet, or aim to be the bottom of your BMI range, just a little weight loss will make the pressure and impact on your joints easier and make it less like for you to be injured, genuinely you'll feel a benefit with only a couple of pounds.
• Self belief - I've written before about my low self esteem and how being competitive in running both satisfies and feeds this issue, but the one thing that held me back from improving for a long time was that I just didn't believe I could get better.   It was only when I got together with Alan and he helped me with marathon training that I was able to push myself to knock 22 minutes off my marathon time in the 2016 Yorkshire marathon which was over an hour and 7 minutes faster than my first attempt 6 years earlier.  Anyone can get better with the right training, nutrition and most importantly attitude.

Running is such a big part of my life that I love to share things that I've learned and I hope that it helps anyone who is a bit newer.  What are your top tips for newer runners?

Yorkshire Marathon 2017

Today was tough, and running a marathon is tough, so it should be tough.  

Over the last few weeks my training has been reasonable - 22 - 23 mile sightseeing run in New York (ok not at pace, but lots of time on the legs) walking the National 3 Peaks last weekend and generally working hard to stay injury free.  I managed a half marathon pb in September, so hoping for a pb today wasn't unrealistic.

This morning the prep had been decent - volunteered at parkrun yesterday to save my legs, good night of sleep, loads of carbs and my ultimate running fuel breakfast of porridge with cashew nut butter and golden syrup.  I did have a cold lingering, but this morning that seemed much better and so I ambitiously plugged a target time of 3 hours 40 to push me to knock off 7 minutes from last year and allow me to achieve Good for Age (3 hours 45) for the future.

We drove to the park and run (well park, ride and run!) and got to the race village in great time.  I had my first toilet stop, left my stuff at baggage drop and walked up to the start area with Alan in our ready to dispose tshirts.  The conditions were great - cool, overcast and not raining!  We made another toilet break about 40 minutes before the start gun and got in our pen - this was my first error.  I always need less time between my last toilet break the start gun and I ended up rushing to the vacant toilet I spotted at mile 5 which cost me about a minute.

Alan and I had discussed what times we would be aiming for and I was going to try for 5 minute 13 second KM average, with faster at the start - around 5 minute KMs and he was going to start off at 5 minute KMs and get faster.  My second error in this race was the temptation to run with the 3 hour 30 pacer who was also a bit fast setting off - I hung on for around 5KM and then both Alan and the pacer disappeared into the horizon.  At this point I felt fine, but I could see my heart rate was a bit high (Alan has had his lactate threshold determined at 157 BPM and we're guessing mine is similar and at this point I was 159, so decided to slow down) I slowed down and comfortably knocked out the miles appreciating the support including pompoms from Tobias (nothing like peer pressure to purchase pompoms!) and the loud HPH collection at mile 5.  My garmin tantalising kept telling me a predicted finish time of 3 hours 23 and I went through 5k at 24 minutes, 10K at 49, 10 miles at 1.22 and half marathon at 1.52.

I made my dash for the toilet when I spotted a green vacant slot on a portaloo and it was about 9 miles into the "harder" bit of the course when it's just country lanes with more sparse support when my right knee started to throb.  My knee has been fine throughout training after my earlier hamstring injury and periformis niggles on my right hand side it was a surprise pain.  I slowed and stretched out, but it continued to hurt.  I then noticed the arch on my right foot was starting to blister so I asked to borrow a marshall's chair and put on a compeed, which didn't really help, because it only stopped half of the arch blistering!

I'm used to marathon's hurting, but usually at meltdown mile 19 - at mile 9 I knew I still had 17 miles to get through and seriously considered pulling out.  I have an unblemished record of always finishing races though and pride/stubborness forced me on.   I limped on (my garmin verifies the limping with my left right balance at a pretty unbalanced 51.5% - 48.5%) and hit the mentally challenging 15 - 19 mile out and back section.  It's great to run past fellow runners and cheer them on, but this only lasts for a few seconds.  I was grateful that Ann and Noel had set up camp in the same motivational spot and cheered me on twice and helped me smile enough for a decent photo at least.  Scott was also a bit further up with a smile and jelly babies that kept me going.  I also spotted Alan and counted the time between us and figured he was on for a good time of at least 20 minutes in front of me.  By the time I got to mile 19 I figured I could walk it to the end if necessary, even if poor Alan would be waiting for me!

The last 7 miles seem a bit of a blur...my garmin estimated a finish time of 4 hours 7 - the Lucy of last year would have been delighted with this time, but knowing the course and what I achieved last year I couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.   A few similar looking villages with lovely support and more and more country lanes and the sun coming out.  I walk-ran it with my km times flashing up on my garmin at 6.43 and even 8.21 at one point.  Julia caught up to me at one point and said she was aiming for under 4 hours, my garmin had me on track for 4.04 and I knew I'd started in front of her so wished her good luck and she disappeared into the distance. I loved seeing a huge gaggle of HPHs at mile 21 (in fact I definitely heard them all before I saw them!) and grabbed some jelly babies off Caroline after much fumbling and declaring "it's ok I'm not in a hurry!"  People were encouraging each other along with a mix of runners, limpers and walkers and my garmin told me I had less than 2km to go - I could do this!

I then spotted the hill right at the end, it seemed like a mountain, but I made it up - Dan told me I wasn't allowed to walk past him, so I just about started to manage running again.

As the finish line came into sight I started to feel quite emotional - Sam took these photos of me when I wasn't noticing and it sums up my emotions quite well - holding back tears and in a fair bit of pain.

I could see the finish though so I smiled for the cameras and picked up the pace knowing it would soon be over!  Hannah Marshall got a few pics of me looking a bit more triumphant.

As I crossed the finish line my emotions got the better of me, but holding back tears made me start shallow breathing and I had to grab my asthma inhaler and make an effort to calm myself down.  I bumped into Julia who had made it under 4 hours with 7 seconds to spare - I was delighted for her!  I found Alan who had also had a hard run with his hip going seconds after I passed him looking strong at mile 19 (bloody mile 19!) and had finished in 3 hours 52.  We then saw Tilly who had completed her first marathon in an amazing 4 hours 4 - I have a feeling it won't be her last marathon!

I'm now sitting with a Qubit sat on my feet and an ice pack on my knee (thanks for the recommendation Nicola) and about to go to bed (I'm never in bed before 10pm!) and if you asked me would I sign up for another marathon...I might have said no, but somehow I've already answered my own question and I'm doing Liverpool Rock & Roll Marathon in May - the day after my birthday!  I think I'll make a note of these lessons for next time and try and pay attention to my pace earlier on and definitely definitely build in more leg strength training.  

Thanks and well done to everyone today - running just has an amazing way of bringing out the best in us all.

What a difference 5 years makes....and how "not" to train for a marathon...

These days I don't seem to blog about anything other than holidays or running...the craft has taken a bit of a backseat.  Even so I've not updated since last August, but then again this is the first time since then that I've had a proper good go at cracking my marathon PB time again.    My last marathon PB was at London last year where I managed to knock off a small matter of 42 minutes from the previous year!  I wasn't hoping for anything like that sort of reduction today!  I was aiming for at least 9 minutes off my previous 4hr 9 minute PB, secretly hoping to get somewhere near good for age of 3.45 if I felt really strong...but I knew my training and prep had been pretty limited to say the least!

I've probably been "running" for about 11-12 years now since I changed jobs, recognized how large I'd become at that point and decided to do weightwatchers and train for a 5K race for life to have a positive impact on my health.  It took me about 2 years to do my first 10K and then the next year I did The Great North Run under encouragement from a friend, and then as I turned 30 in 2010 I decided to do my first full marathon and since then I have run all manner of races including an ultra (30 miles) and I'm now up to a total of 7 marathons including today - Phil Hammond in our running club - Hyde Park Harriers has managed a total of 100 in exactly the same time...

This year I've definitely done too many events... Alan and I got together this time last year and encouraged each other (probably my obsession of entering races contributing the most!) to enter lots of really fun events and all very varied disciplines - we've ridden the Tour De Yorkshire, completed a sprint and Olympic distance triathlon, run the Yorkshire 3 Peaks 10 minutes quicker than I did last year and entered all manner of races and all manner of distances from 1 mile to the marathon today. 

The race today was particularly unfinished business for me.  In 2013 I was really excited to be participating in the first Yorkshire Marathon until 3 weeks beforehand I was mugged in my work car park and hit hard on the head twice, I didn't quite have concussion, but the shock of the event affected my immune system and I came down with tonsillitis a few days later and was left feeling extremely vulnerable and lost all my confidence in running outside.  My first attempt at the Yorkshire Marathon was a DNS (did not start).  If I'd not got into the London Marathon ballot a few days later I think there is a good chance I'd have just stopped entirely.  I had a year of very lonely and difficult training and running either on treadmills (including up to 20 mile training runs) or entering loads of races to feel "safe" running outside by myself.  Fortunately this all changed with a series of very positive events. 

My friend Gemma introduced me to parkrun for her birthday and gradually I'd recognize faces and started to feel a bit more part of the community.  I then spotted James Booth at a work conference and talked about running as I'd seen him at parkrun and he introduced me to Hyde Park Harriers who (I might be biased here) have been one of the friendliest and most inclusive clubs I've come across and made me feel very welcome and safe as well as helped me push myself and develop hugely as a runner and in 2015 I was delighted to pick up a good amount of PBs.  I made some really good friends and when out for a training run with Sam Scarlett in August 2015 she suggested that I might get on well with one of her friends Alan and so through the power of Facebook we became friends in virtual reality and offered to help me with my search for a running buddy in training for the White Rose Ultra and so after parkrun we met up and ran 12 miles around the beautiful Eccup Reservoir and Sam was right, we did get on very well :-) and it was the first of many runs and adventures together. 

Alan and I have been attempting to train for this marathon against a multitude of distractions including training for triathlons, entering too many events to go on "proper" long runs, the decision to move in together and the not insubstantial amount of work that needed doing on my house to get it on the market and then Alan had to go to the states for 2 weeks with work and ended up picking a cold/flu type illness which meant he decided yesterday running the marathon wasn't going to be a sensible decision.  We'd already decided to enter a further marathon along the canal in Leeds in December (which I've just realized has only 50 entrants!)  so Alan could spend the morning getting Glastonbury tickets and booking us onto Chevin Chase for Boxing day!   I'd only really got up to 20 miles in training with a lovely run with Caroline, Phil and Richard 2 weeks previous out to Addingham with the promise of pie and peas to keep me going!   I was nervous about the limited long runs I'd done. 

I carbo loaded on a very tasty meal of orzo pasta, courgette, tomato, chorizo, mossarella, basil and cheesecake.  Then I made a last minute decision to get the train last night and booked my ticket - I was a bit worried as to whether the 7.43am would get me to the start on time, but the next earliest was at 5.33am which seemed a bit too early.  I got an early night, but worrying about race logistics was playing on my mind and I kept waking up and remember vividly at 3.25am not being able to get back to sleep for about an hour - I even woke up poor Alan by mistake and said that I couldn't do it and even though he was half asleep he managed to reassure me I could and so when the alarm went off at 6.15 I was able to leap into the shower and get ready.

I'd bought some soreen for breakfast and demolished nearly an entire loaf and managed to drink a cup of coffee and felt totally exhausted - I could tell that I hadn't slept well.  Alan kindly dropped me off at the train station and I met up with a couple of Hyde Park Harriers - Catherine and Robin doing there first marathons and Paul doing the 10 mile route.  We wandered onto the platform which was busy, but not as bad as I'd imagined, but the train guard pointed out that the train arriving was very full and that we might not all get on - there were lots of groans!  We'd met up with a few more Harriers by this point (Ben, Claire, James, Tom, Rachel, Rodrigo) - fortunately a huge amount of drunken people who were coming back from their Saturday nights out got off and we managed to all squeeze onto the train and arrived into York at 8.10am giving us a good amount of time to get to the start for 9.30am. 

The shuttle bus queue moved quickly and we got to the University of York with time to spare, Catherine kindly let me be her "team" so I could use the Jane Tomlinson toilets and Phil Hammond kindly let me borrow some sun cream - necessary as the sun was strong for October!  I dropped my bag at the bag drop and kept my "spare" t-shirt on to keep me warm.  Phil got interviewed briefly before the race and then we all walked towards the start. 

I was in zone 2 and at 9.20am I decided I needed a nervous wee!  Fortunately the queue moved well and a lady let me jump in front of her as she was doing the 10 miler which started at 10am.  I managed to splash that lovely blue stuff from the toilet down my legs - not the best start to a race!  By this point it was about 9.35am so I had to jump the barrier into zone 3, but a minute later we set off - I'd set a target on my Garmin for 3hrs 50 - part of me wanted to push for 3hrs 45 which would give me good for age, but that just felt too ambitious based on my poor training.  My last PB I still ran with a chunky 3 litre Camelbak so I figured I should be able to knock off around 10 mins without the extra weight.  I felt good for the first few miles and was well ahead of my pace and contemplated slowing down - but decided as I wasn't panting or out of breath to keep it going and see what happened. 

The support from Hyde Park Harriers was strong and extremely helpful and running through York past the Minster was lovely and by about 5 miles I'd managed to overtake the 4 hour pacer who I knew would have been in front of me on the start line - my PB felt safe and I relaxed into the pace.  I count down my runs in miles, kilometres and numbers of parkruns left...because you're always close to a milestone!  I was pacing today in KM as Alan runs in KM so it makes it easier when we run together and I ended up in the habit!  My Garmin gives an estimated finish time and up until the harsh out and back section around 18 miles I was on target for a very scary time of 3hrs 38!  I made sure to drink at all the water stations, cool down my hands (which always swell on long runs) and take on a couple of shot blocks as the stations were spaced out for every 3 miles and it turned out to be a decent strategy - I was never too thirsty or felt low on energy. 

I was delighted to see some of the Hyde Park Harriers next to the flag around 19 miles and the lovely Anne Akers who was cheering awfully loudly!  I enjoyed some of the out and back to be able to cheer fellow runners on, but at this point I started to slow down considerably, some of this was that the course seemed to be more challenging, there was a burst of rain, but more my knees and the soles of my feet started to ache!  I knew I'd finish, but the dream of good for age started to slip, so I returned to my 3hr 50 target and pushed on through.  It must have been around 22 miles that I saw a huge gang of Hyde Park Harriers - Kay, Clare, Teejay, Claire and then a few metres further up Tina, Jaz and of course the super enthusiastic Liam and Sam who kindly gave me a jelly baby!  It can't be underestimated how much these cheers and support help as you can't help but pick up your head and your pace when you are cheered on!   I remember seeing Emma who had cycled out to a small village and was a nice surprising boost.

The last 4 - 6 miles were tough, pretty country roads, but some patches of really quiet areas which felt a little lonely and so as we hit the suburban slog back to York I was pleased and kept telling myself that the quicker I ran the quicker I could stop!  Daniel offered some words of support with about 2 km to go and as I came into the finishing straight and I could hear music I punched the air and started to run (I have no idea why, but then marathons and music have always done odd things to me!) I ran the last 500m punching the air and sprinting and even jumped for joy nearly crashing into a photographer, I knew I'd done around 3hrs 50, but was delighted when my text came through at 3hrs 47 and 36 seconds - Time hop on Facebook had reminded me this morning that it was 5 years since another marathon PB at the Eden Project of 4 hrs 47 - what a difference 5 years makes - a whole 1 hour off my marathon time!

I bumped into the speedy Tom, Rachel and Farhad at the end and Farhad grabbed me a foil blanket which I was very grateful for.  I picked up my bag in a bit of a daze and drank a sports drink and Alan called to say that he was close to the drop off area, but there wasn't much opportunity to park so I walked or hobbled (Alan couldn't recognize me as I was doing an "old lady" walk) and he kindly drove me home.  I loved reading all the updates and photos on Facebook and felt really proud for everyone who had taken part.

So I'm of course delighted with today - It's the last of my distances to have been PBed this year (by a not insubstantial 22 minutes) - I've managed to improve all of my times on all of my distances in the last year.  I'm not sure today was to do with my training or nutrition particularly, but I think it's been mostly about a bit of self belief - Alan has pushed me a lot over the last year to challenge what I believe about my capability as a runner and helped and supported me to believe I can try harder and achieve more - this coupled with the support that you get from a running club like Hyde Park Harriers, or more importantly the individuals within it has really helped my confidence as a runner, but in lots of other areas of my life.  Thanks to everyone today who cheered me, ran with me and looked after me - My legs are sore, but my heart is happy!

London Marathon 2014

So I've been a bit rubbish at blogging - it's nearly a year since I last updated and I've got all of my Nepal entries to write (wrote them down to type up when I got home!), but I've reviewed lots of races in this blog and London Marathon is a pretty special one to blog about I feel!

This is the 4th full marathon that I've completed - I've run and blogged my experience of Edinburgh Marathon in 2010 which was my first full marathon and I then ran and reviewed 2 marathons in 2011 - Brathay Windermere Marathon and Eden Project Marathon.

My marathon times until yesterday read as follows:

Edinburgh - 4hrs 54 mins 32 secs
Brathay - 4 hrs 57 mins 9 secs
Eden Project - 4 hrs 47 mins 51 secs

I had been planning on running York Marathon last year in October after taking 2012 off from long distance running, but even though my training was going ok I was mugged in September and then got tonsillitis and so I had to withdraw.  Fortunately around this time I found out that after my 4th attempt I'd secured a ballot place for London and was really excited to be able to train for the most prestigious marathon.

I decided that I would start my training after Christmas which was a good thing as I had to fit in a trip to Nepal and then another few bouts of illness.

I downloaded the Lucozade Sport 14 week Marathon Training plan for 4 - 4.45 hours which is the best training plan that I've tried so far.  Previously I've had training plans that only have 3 runs per week and really the difference I've found shifting to 4 runs is huge.  The training wasn't without challenge as I missed out 4 of my long runs (one due to holiday and one down to realising that I'd trained for 9 days in a row and needed a rest and the others were illness - cold/flu.  In general I was tracking really well for a 4 hr 30 minute marathon - 20 miles I managed in 3 hours 36 minutes 2 weeks before the race.

The biggest challenge is that after being mugged I was quite scared of running outside so most of my training was on a treadmill other than a couple of Park Runs and also my final long run I forced myself outside for 17 of the 20 miles.

It was important that the charity I ran for really motivated me to overcome my fears and so I chose to run for Joseph Lillywhite an amazing cause to inspire me through my training and the race itself - my donation page is here if you want to add to my total.

This is an overview of how my preparation went!

I'm one of those people who always gets things done, but I'm not the best at planning in advance, so I actually managed to read through my marathon instructions to work out what I needed to do about a week before.  The organisation of the London Marathon is great right from the minute that you find out that you have a place and the magazine that they send you with your letter notifying you of your running number has really comprehensive information for both runners and spectators.

My original plan was to drive down to my parents who live 30 minutes away from Waterloo on Friday evening, but I was exhausted when I woke up on Friday morning with only 4 hours sleep so I decided to get up early on Saturday and head down on the 4.5 hour drive (I even managed to pick up a TV for my brother that he'd bought off Ebay and meant a detour to Nottingham)  I got back home around lunchtime and my brother dropped me off at Surbiton Station so I could get straight up to London to pick up my race number.  

I'm not 100% sure it's necessary to travel to pick up your number for a race, but the atmosphere was good and the exhibition was interesting, but I could have benefited from it being posted to me!  

As soon as I had my number I relaxed as I'd already worked out which trains I needed to get the morning of the race, although travel logistics always make me a bit nervous.  I packed up my kit the night before and even wrote my medical details on my running number that evening and pinned it onto my shirt ready - very organised!  I then stuck 6 medium compeed (3 on each foot arch) to my feet - sounds excessive, but I've run enough races to know what happens to my feet over distance - huge blisters!

I like to be self sufficient when I run and so have a Camel Bak that can hold 3 litres and I add some zero highs to the water to ensure I have a good balance of hydration and electrolytes.  I also use energy gels and this year had some from SIS and some from High 5 - not sure which I prefer - SIS are thicker, but High 5 are more pleasant to taste (even have mojito flavour!)  I got dressed after applying liberal amounts of petroleum jelly to any area of my body that I tend to get blisters/chafing.

 I got the 7.30 am train up to London from Surbiton which was busy and then an even busier train from Waterloo East to the start at Blackheath!  I arrived in good time with over an hour and a half to wander around the start area (I was blue start).  It was very easy to navigate where I had to go - I just followed all the runners with their red kit bags!  

Once I got into the start area it was so warm and sunny that I decided that I could get rid of my kit bag fairly quickly and not get cold!  So I put my jogging bottoms and hoody in my red kit bag which also had a change of knickers, flip flops and a mars bar in.  It was really well organised and I handed my bag over into the baggage truck which matched my race number.  

I made my first trip to the toilet - hardly any queues with an hour still to go until the race start and then soaked up the atmosphere and watched the big screen, I also stopped off at St John Ambulance as they had sun cream on offer which I was sure I would need!  I then decided to queue up again at about 9.20am for my second toilet break - spotted my friend Gemma in a parallel queue and then wandered down to starting pen number 8, which she was also in, but it filled up quickly and I couldn't see her.  

10am came and went and we started to walk down towards the start line and I started to really need the toilet again!  I agonised for a few minutes before deciding to sprint out of the pen and to the toilets before re-joining the queue with some of the slower runners.  I was really pleased that I did otherwise this would have been a major worry throughout the whole race.

I think it was around 14 minutes past that I actually crossed the start line and switched on my Nikeplus on my work phone to track my run.  Ideally I wanted to switch it on on my own phone to have the option to listen to music if I needed, but I got my headphones all tangled and so just ran on and hoped the atmosphere would mean I didn't need music.  

I wasn't disappointed the first 2 miles went in a flash - the crowds at the start were great and cheering everyone on - I made sure I had my name on my vest as at any point it's an amazing feeling to hear complete strangers cheering you on by name.  I also overtook a marching brass band which was pretty awesome.  I went under a bridge which had a drumming band combined with a cheering crowd - the roar and the noise was just amazing.

The first 6 - 7 miles were great, I was averaging my target of 10 minute miles perfectly and felt great.  The crowd and participants gave me lots to look at and I hardly noticed that I was running.  I ran past the crochet lady and a guy dressed as a Rhino and then when I ran past the Cutty Sark I saw a guy carrying a fridge on his back!  One of my work colleagues wanted me to take a selfie at the Cutty Sark, but I was running well - I didn't want to stop!  I even caught up to the Runnersworld pacemakers for 4 hours 15!

Miles 7 - 13 were a bit of a blur - lots of amazing support and great signs like "Chuck Norris never ran a marathon", "Mo Farah never ran a marathon" and my favourite which made me choke up "I don't know you, but I'm proud of you".  Running over Tower Bridge was amazing - I don't think I've even walked it before despite being born in "Greater London" and living here until I was 18!  Unfortunately this is where I saw the first collapsed person on the race, although the marshalls and first aid were doing a great job of looking after her.

I hit the halfway point reasonably on track at about 2 hours 12 and was well on track for my 4 hours 30, but then felt very much like I needed the toilet.  I spotted some, queued up and added about 5 minutes onto the time which was frustrating as I actually didn't need to go.  At this point I switched Nikeplus onto my other phone so I could have music if I wanted, but more importantly I could broadcast it on Facebook and my friends could virtually cheer me on - it helped!  I caught up with the Runnersworld 4 hours 30 pacemakers which was a bit of a boost.

The mile markers for London were great - huge, balloon arches so you can see them from a way off and have the elapsed time on the clock.  You also have markers every 5KM so you always know where you are.  

The water stations were really well manned, they weren't just grumpy folk handing over bottles, they were actually cheering everyone on.  All the instructions stated not to pour water over your head as it's a waste so I was conscious of not being wasteful, but I did need some water to cool down my swollen hands, some for a good glug and the rest I emptied on my head - I would only have thrown a half empty rather than an empty bottle away.

Lucozade is an interesting thing for marathons as I don't normally drink any of it in training, but to stop me rooting around in the back of my Camel Bak for a gel I do take the occasional bottle although I only ever drink about a quarter of the bottle - it's so sticky to run through these sections as everyone else generally does the same I think!

At about mile 15 I needed the toilet again - or so I thought - another queue and another 5 minutes added to the time for no reason - it felt a bit like cystitis it was really odd and not very comfortable to run.  This is when I started to slow down a bit and did bursts of running with some sections of power walking.  The sights were interesting and we went through the Canary Wharf business district which I've never been through before and the crowds continued to be amazing.  Before the race I had said to myself that this would be my last marathon and at this point I was convinced of my opinion.

At about mile 21 I think I had my final toilet stop and again it was pointless - I decided that really I needed to get on with it, I'd worked out that my 4 hr 30 goal was out of the way, but that sub 5 hours was still feasible.  I did my best to keep running, but at points it was really hard so I set myself little targets like running to the next mile markers, running whilst people were cheering me on.  I think that it's around mile 23 that I went through a huge long tunnel that Lucozade had put lots of balloons with inspirational messages on - like "You're awesome" and this you tube video gives you a feeling of what it is like to run and the support that you get.

I have to thank the guy though who at around 24 miles tapped me on the shoulder and said "come on it's only another couple of miles to go" and then at that point I pretty much managed to run the rest of the way.  I then ran shortly past one of the London Marathon Ever Presents  - (people who have run every single London Marathon since 1980) who I've now worked out was David Walker and that certainly spurred me on as well.

Seeing Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament close up was brilliant and distracted me a fair bit and then the last couple of miles were painful, but amazing, I knew I was going to finish and I spotted the 4 hours 45 pace makers (weirdly I'm sure that the 4 hours 58 pacers had overtaken them?!?!) and I knew if I kept running I would be close to my previous marathon times.

Running along the last 800m is pretty special, there are amazing crowds smiling and cheering you, and you are too embarrassed almost to stop and walk.  Turning the corner and seeing the finish line was such an incredible feeling, I really wanted to sprint, but I just didn't have it left so I keep running and crossed the finish line realising that I'd managed a sub 5 hour time, but no idea as to how much!

I'd been feeling a bit emotional at quite a few points and choking up when I saw an emotional sign or thought about what I was doing and why I was doing it and then when I crossed the finish line I nearly lost it and completely broke down.  All the different charities around the course was a great inspiration - so many different and worthy causes.  I'm proud to be raising money for a charity that I don't think had enough resources to have a cheer point.

I walked on and had my timing tag snipped off, received my amazing medal - definitely my favourite I think and was given my goody bag.  I ate the apple in the goody bag and drank some water and picked my kit bag effortlessly easy and no queuing.  I'd arranged to meet my parents at the South African War Memorial and my Dad spotted me through the fence after I'd put my flip flops on and the only queue I experienced really was to get round the corner into the park.

I sat down for a rest, changed into my jogging bottoms and put my marathon t shirt on and then we wandered back through St James Park and crossed the Marathon Route through the elaborate crossing where the marshalls tape off alternative sides of the road.  As we waited to cross I cheered on the runners that were heading past as I knew how much I'd appreciated it.  I also walked along the road to the Tube Station to cheer them on as well.

My friends helpfully texted me my finish times and congratulated me before my phone batteries died and I found out that I had managed 4 hours 51 minutes and 12 seconds - only 3 minutes and 21 seconds slower than my PB - if only I hadn't stopped for those loo breaks!

I think with all the weaving around slower runners at the start, detours to the toilets and not following the blue marker line the whole way I managed to do an extra bit of running - here is my route according to Nike Plus and my official running time.

So all in all, an amazing experience, ridiculous support at every step from the supporters and the runners and the crowd, Thank you Virgin Giving London Marathon I have a strong suspicion that you will see me again.

I've just found this on YouTube - even speeded up it feels like a long way - gives a good indication of the route and how far it is!  http://youtu.be/WmabgZ_0SbU