Had a pretty relaxed weeks running this last week, busy with work etc, only managed 2 runs, but had a great time on both.... running in the sun!
Had a break after the marathon from Sunday until Thursday. This marathon hurt more than usual. Even though my finishing time was pretty much the same as Blackpool, I felt fine straight after Blackpool, but this week there was a good couple of days straight after the race where my legs were really sore and I felt quite tired. I think this could be 1) getting the pace wrong at the start maybe hurts your muscles more than if you hit the right pace to begin with and keep it up the whole distance, i.e. not faster running/ mixed with dodging around people/ slower running 2) not having enough nutrition during the race I think seems to delay my recovery afterwards.
So, Thursday I ran for an hour around Cambridge after working there in the day time. I was running in the fields, and it smelt of grass and trees, and the sun was shining....I felt totally at peace with the world.
Then another break until Sunday, and then ran along the river west from Putney for 4 miles, and back again, with Andrew to work up an appetite before DINNER!!! Which was delicious, thanks Norma!
Now back on track for a good week of training this week, before an easier week next week before the next marathon.....
Monday 29 April 2013
Sunday 28 April 2013
Marathon #4: London Marathon 2013
Better late than never! This isn't exactly breaking news anymore... hectic week... but this is what I meant to upload at the beginning of the week about the London Marathon Experience......
I spent all week of hte week beofre ironing transfers onto my top (top #2, top #1 didn't make it through the customizing process). Really not easy like it looks on the packet. Finally, I succeeding in ironing them all on the right way up, and they all stuck. Until I put on top 20 mins before leaving my flat to go to the race. Note #1: transfers don't stretch, be careful when putting them on and don't leave thing to the last minute and rush things and try to put your head through the arm hole. Note #2: Try everything out before race day!!!
I spent all week of hte week beofre ironing transfers onto my top (top #2, top #1 didn't make it through the customizing process). Really not easy like it looks on the packet. Finally, I succeeding in ironing them all on the right way up, and they all stuck. Until I put on top 20 mins before leaving my flat to go to the race. Note #1: transfers don't stretch, be careful when putting them on and don't leave thing to the last minute and rush things and try to put your head through the arm hole. Note #2: Try everything out before race day!!!
Patched top up. No one will notice I'll be running so fast. Hahaha.
Well, after that little excitement off to the start line. Really not feeling great this morning. It kind of feels like nerves, but I don't normally get nervous before running, so don't know what to do. But I didn't eat much breakfast and still not hungry now. Not a great start :-(
I like to get there early to soak up the atmosphere and watch the start of the elite races. Today didn't disappoint, music and crowds and some truly insane fancy dress. Then a silence to remember our friends in Boston, and then a cheer to celebrate them, and the running community of which they are part, whose spirit will not be broken by the cowardice of a small few.
Started too quickly. Difficult in a race so big to run your own race at the start, there are so many people around you it is almost impossible not to get carried along at the pace of everyone else. Still, feeling OK, but after a few miles at a quicker pace, coupled with the lack of food I've had, I begin to worry about the end, and at what point 'the wall' is going to appear....
Crowds AWAZING though! So loud and enthusiastic and full of energy! So grateful to everyone who came out to support. Saw my Mum and Dad and sister and Andrew just after 8 miles and then again at 11 miles, with my own banner! Really makes a difference seeing faces you know cheering you on, gives you a big boost :-)
Celebrity spotting went well also: Ed Ball, Michel Roux Jr (who thinks I'm an idiot as I had no idea what to say to him after, hi), Iwan Thomas and Richard Branson.
Felt OK until about 18 miles then things went downhill....so close to stopping and walking, but somehow didn’t, and made it to 24 miles, where I knew I could run the whole thing - the crowds and the atmosphere for those last miles completely overwhelming. Past Big Ben, through Parliament Square and down Birdcage walk....right past Buckingham Palace and finally the famous finish line comes into view!
3.50.59! :-)
Friday 19 April 2013
London time!
Just been to pick up my running number from the London Marathon Expo!
28821
Excited!
All good since the Blackpool Marathon, feel like I've recovered pretty well, but have been taking the running easy as a little worried about how it will be to run only two weeks apart:
Mon 8th: 20 min ER
Tues 9th: rest
Wed 10th: rest
Thurs 11th: 45 min ER
Fri 12th: 1 hour ER
Sat 13th: 45 min ER.
Sun 14th: rest for BIRTHDAY!!!!!! NEW WATCH WITH GPS AND FANCY STUFF!!! THANKS ANDREW :-)
Mon 15th: 4.5 miles, 36:19 mins, 513 Kcal, av pace 8:01 min/mile
Tues 16th: 3.3 miles, 29.32 mins, 380 Kcal, av pace 8:48 min/mile
Wed 17th: rest
Thurs 18th: rest
Fri 19th: about to do run......
28821
Excited!
All good since the Blackpool Marathon, feel like I've recovered pretty well, but have been taking the running easy as a little worried about how it will be to run only two weeks apart:
Mon 8th: 20 min ER
Tues 9th: rest
Wed 10th: rest
Thurs 11th: 45 min ER
Fri 12th: 1 hour ER
Sat 13th: 45 min ER.
Sun 14th: rest for BIRTHDAY!!!!!! NEW WATCH WITH GPS AND FANCY STUFF!!! THANKS ANDREW :-)
Mon 15th: 4.5 miles, 36:19 mins, 513 Kcal, av pace 8:01 min/mile
Tues 16th: 3.3 miles, 29.32 mins, 380 Kcal, av pace 8:48 min/mile
Wed 17th: rest
Thurs 18th: rest
Fri 19th: about to do run......
Saturday 13 April 2013
Final marathon list complete for 13 in 2013!
Well it took a bit of time, but finally my list of races I will be doing this year is complete! Check it out at:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=13in2013
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=13in2013
Monday 8 April 2013
Marathon #3: The Blackpool Marathon
6.30am: the day dawned bright and cold, but without a hint of snow, therefore making this tropical compared to the previous race days. Hurrah! Although difficult decisions to be made regarding outfit choices, the jackets I have been wearing all winter/spring are way too hot for today. Sigh, too early for decisions.
Team breakfast with my Mum and Dad and Andrew - porridge and honey and bananas, tea and toast to set us up for a hard days running / enthusiastic cheering.
The race starts at Blackpool FC stadium...great venue. We started in the tunnel, 900 people doing the marathon and 1400 doing the half, and Ron Hill was there to start the race!
The route went south down the coast a couple of miles, to just past the Pleasure Beach, turned back on itself to head north along the promenade back past the Golden Mile and Blackpool Tower, then down onto the sea wall for a few more miles until Cleveleys, then turned back south to the Tower, where the half-marathoners turned back to the stadium and the marathon did another whole lap.....fairly gutted at half way that could almost see the finish! Cruel.
The first couple of miles I worried as my chest was hurting again, and I thought I would have to pull up if it got any worse. Thankfully it just seemed to be the cold air, as after the first couple of miles it settled down and didn't give me any more bother. Was not sure at all what to expect from myself today after feeling so out of it for the last 10 days, so reduced my expectations to making it to the finish however/whenever I got there.
Parents there at mile 5 with jelly babies and smiles...THANK YOU!!!! Oh, and a camera, thanks Dad for only taking pictures while stuffing faces with sweets! NB: I do actually run on these races too....
My Mum has been at all 3 of my races so far this year - big cheer! :-)
Mile 8: huge news. So hot I took off winter top and ran in vest top for the first time this year, and I have got SUN BURNT!!!! That's it, see you later winter, time to move on.
I felt good, much better than I thought I would. Loved having someone to run with the whole way, made a massive difference, and was way more fun - thanks Andrew!!! Also, good if you're having a bad patch and the other person isn't, then you can sponge off their energy for while...then once you're back on form, they can have a bad patch and you can help them through. Team Work.
I began to feel vague and a bit woozy around 17 miles. Had been having some stomach aches at around 10 miles, so had stopped eating and not drunk much since then. The advantage of having made lots of mistakes previously, is that now I think I am starting to recognize the different feelings of different things going wrong, and this was definitely some dehydration and low sugar issues making themselves known. So forced myself to have some Mars bar and some sweets and drank a bottle of water at the next water stop, and magic. By 19 miles started to perk up and by 20 was back into it. Just in time for the 'hills' for the last few miles. My parents contest the name hills as really they are just a few gentle slopes, but after 21 miles of running I swear they were the size of mountains. I am not proud of what I said to the hills while we were going up them. So we got through the next few miles cursing the hill slopes..
Mile 24 and can see the Tower. Picked up the pace. Mile 25, almost there, back onto the prom and faster, feels so good to run this well at the end of a marathon. Left off the prom and back to the football club, and a sprint finish inside the stadium with hundreds of people cheering..... awesome feeling! 3.49.05, sooo happy!!! Fastest time this year. Congrats to Andrew who finished his FIRST MARATHON in exactly the same time! But who irritatingly has been placed above me in the results as his surname comes first in the alphabet ;-)
Why I love the Blackpool Marathon: 1) it's where I did my first marathon, 2) it's really friendly 3) it's a lovely route, the prom is closed so you have loads of space to run and a great view of the sea 4) it's Blackpool, it's always entertaining! 5) the crowds are brilliant 6) it's near home so I get to stay at home for the weekend. What's not to love!
3 done, 10 to do......
Happy running xxx
Team breakfast with my Mum and Dad and Andrew - porridge and honey and bananas, tea and toast to set us up for a hard days running / enthusiastic cheering.
The race starts at Blackpool FC stadium...great venue. We started in the tunnel, 900 people doing the marathon and 1400 doing the half, and Ron Hill was there to start the race!
The route went south down the coast a couple of miles, to just past the Pleasure Beach, turned back on itself to head north along the promenade back past the Golden Mile and Blackpool Tower, then down onto the sea wall for a few more miles until Cleveleys, then turned back south to the Tower, where the half-marathoners turned back to the stadium and the marathon did another whole lap.....fairly gutted at half way that could almost see the finish! Cruel.
The first couple of miles I worried as my chest was hurting again, and I thought I would have to pull up if it got any worse. Thankfully it just seemed to be the cold air, as after the first couple of miles it settled down and didn't give me any more bother. Was not sure at all what to expect from myself today after feeling so out of it for the last 10 days, so reduced my expectations to making it to the finish however/whenever I got there.
Parents there at mile 5 with jelly babies and smiles...THANK YOU!!!! Oh, and a camera, thanks Dad for only taking pictures while stuffing faces with sweets! NB: I do actually run on these races too....
My Mum has been at all 3 of my races so far this year - big cheer! :-)
Mile 8: huge news. So hot I took off winter top and ran in vest top for the first time this year, and I have got SUN BURNT!!!! That's it, see you later winter, time to move on.
I felt good, much better than I thought I would. Loved having someone to run with the whole way, made a massive difference, and was way more fun - thanks Andrew!!! Also, good if you're having a bad patch and the other person isn't, then you can sponge off their energy for while...then once you're back on form, they can have a bad patch and you can help them through. Team Work.
I began to feel vague and a bit woozy around 17 miles. Had been having some stomach aches at around 10 miles, so had stopped eating and not drunk much since then. The advantage of having made lots of mistakes previously, is that now I think I am starting to recognize the different feelings of different things going wrong, and this was definitely some dehydration and low sugar issues making themselves known. So forced myself to have some Mars bar and some sweets and drank a bottle of water at the next water stop, and magic. By 19 miles started to perk up and by 20 was back into it. Just in time for the 'hills' for the last few miles. My parents contest the name hills as really they are just a few gentle slopes, but after 21 miles of running I swear they were the size of mountains. I am not proud of what I said to the hills while we were going up them. So we got through the next few miles cursing the hill slopes..
Mile 24 and can see the Tower. Picked up the pace. Mile 25, almost there, back onto the prom and faster, feels so good to run this well at the end of a marathon. Left off the prom and back to the football club, and a sprint finish inside the stadium with hundreds of people cheering..... awesome feeling! 3.49.05, sooo happy!!! Fastest time this year. Congrats to Andrew who finished his FIRST MARATHON in exactly the same time! But who irritatingly has been placed above me in the results as his surname comes first in the alphabet ;-)
Why I love the Blackpool Marathon: 1) it's where I did my first marathon, 2) it's really friendly 3) it's a lovely route, the prom is closed so you have loads of space to run and a great view of the sea 4) it's Blackpool, it's always entertaining! 5) the crowds are brilliant 6) it's near home so I get to stay at home for the weekend. What's not to love!
3 done, 10 to do......
Happy running xxx
Monday 1 April 2013
Easter Egghaustion
Running plan has been trashed by a cold :-( This last week I have managed one 1.15 hour run and one 30 minute run. Amazing training, I'm so proud. Then on Thursday I woke up with a sore throat, and on Friday went camping in the beautiful freezing Easter weather and then it got worse. Tried running on Saturday but chest hurt so much had to stop after 1 mile. I'm now feeling much better, but can't breath very well through my nose and I have a headache ATM. I think this is good though, my chest feels better, so it must be moving up out of my head now. Hurray hurray hurray!
I feel like nothing has gone right so far with my challenge! Snow, anitbiotics, injured knee (nothing much, I fell over and bashed it up), colds.....
But, these things are insignificant compared to what my Auntie had to put up with, and she never let things get her down. This challenge is as much about living in her spirit in all ways as well as doing something mad....
So on that note, bring on Sunday, Marathon #3 bring it ON!!!!!!! I. Will. Not. Stop!
I feel like nothing has gone right so far with my challenge! Snow, anitbiotics, injured knee (nothing much, I fell over and bashed it up), colds.....
But, these things are insignificant compared to what my Auntie had to put up with, and she never let things get her down. This challenge is as much about living in her spirit in all ways as well as doing something mad....
So on that note, bring on Sunday, Marathon #3 bring it ON!!!!!!! I. Will. Not. Stop!
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