The mud has won :-)
Monday, 24 February 2014
Countdown! 7 weeks!
Weeks training:
Monday 17th Feb: walk 2 miles, run 8 miles
Tuesday 18th Feb: walk 3 miles, run 3 miles, gym (35 min cycle, core exercises), run 3 miles
Wednesday 19th Feb: walk 3 miles, run 7 miles
Thursday 20th Feb: rest day
Friday 21st Feb: run 7.5 miles
Saturday 22nd Feb: rest day
Sunday 23rd Feb: walk 15 miles
Total: 51.5 miles
Only 7 weeks to go! The evenings are getting lighter, my last two runs were absent of any rain, my new trainers are still mud free after a whole week, and there are snowdrops. In 5 days it will be March and spring will be here! Good times are coming!
Did a 15 mile walk with my Mum and Dad yesterday. A good practice, in case I need to walk at the end part of the race. They walk very fast and very far. 15 miles in 4 and 3/4 hours! My legs are sore today. Argh.
Muddy boots...
...but happy walkers!
Have also got a new core workout thing from runners world so have been doing that at the gym. That hurts too. Moan moan moan.......
Feeling focused now though! Can't believe how close it is already! Nothing like a bit of fear to get you out training....so I'm off for a run....
Monday 17th Feb: walk 2 miles, run 8 miles
Tuesday 18th Feb: walk 3 miles, run 3 miles, gym (35 min cycle, core exercises), run 3 miles
Wednesday 19th Feb: walk 3 miles, run 7 miles
Thursday 20th Feb: rest day
Friday 21st Feb: run 7.5 miles
Saturday 22nd Feb: rest day
Sunday 23rd Feb: walk 15 miles
Total: 51.5 miles
Only 7 weeks to go! The evenings are getting lighter, my last two runs were absent of any rain, my new trainers are still mud free after a whole week, and there are snowdrops. In 5 days it will be March and spring will be here! Good times are coming!
Did a 15 mile walk with my Mum and Dad yesterday. A good practice, in case I need to walk at the end part of the race. They walk very fast and very far. 15 miles in 4 and 3/4 hours! My legs are sore today. Argh.
Muddy boots...
...but happy walkers!
Have also got a new core workout thing from runners world so have been doing that at the gym. That hurts too. Moan moan moan.......
Feeling focused now though! Can't believe how close it is already! Nothing like a bit of fear to get you out training....so I'm off for a run....
Monday, 17 February 2014
Wind, rain, mud, rain, wind....and repeat...and repeat...and repeat...
Monday 10th Feb: walk 3 miles, spin 45 min, core work
Tuesday 11th Feb: run 3 miles, circuit training 1 hour, run 3 miles
Wednesday 12th Feb: run 7.5 miles, walk 3 miles
Thursday 13th Feb: rest
Friday 14th Feb: run 21 miles
Saturday 15th Feb: rest
Sunday 16th Feb: rest
Total: 40.5 miles
Reduced the miles a bit this week, because all of the programs I've seen say you should take it a bit easier every few weeks to give your body a chance to recover. Didn't really feel like I needed a rest, but thought it would be best to follow the advice of what's gone before. Don't want an injury at this point, thank you very much.
Actually, I think my default is setting is set at lazy. Totally enjoyed a weekend off running. Even at Andrew's house which is by the Regents Canal, with hundreds of people are walking/ cycling past every minute, I couldn't be stirred into a single feeling of guilt about sitting around eating tonnes of lovely food and drinking wine, whilst not joining the people running past.
Then felt ashamed of myself this morning, so got back on the training plan, pronto. Also had a minor panic attack that the race is only 54 days away. DAYYYYS!!!! Oh my days.
This week was a sad week. My Nike watch is no more. It has ceased to be. Popped it's clogs. A goner. I think the weather was too much for it. It got a leak, got all wet inside the screen, and switched itself off, forevermore. Sad times, we've been a long way together, that watch and I :-( But, Nike are going to replace it! Hurrah! Although I will miss my original, first ever, GPS birthday gift :-(
Also this week my parents bought me new trainers! In time to wear them in before the race. Look. The're so white they could almost blind you.
Which brings me on to my next point. The Weather. How long do you reckon they're gonna stay looking like this?
0.0000025 seconds after leaving the house, in the current (boringly prolonged) weather conditions.
Now, I am fully aware that I have absolutely NOTHING to complain about weather-wise, or much else wise for that matter. In fact, the only effect that this latest weather palaver has had on my life really was when I got the train to London last week, and they had cancelled the service down to one train an hour, but I ended up getting to London actually earlier than I was supposed to. So I feel a bit bad complaining about it, bearing in mind all of the people who have lost an awful lot.
But, I'm just going to have a tiny rant, which do please feel free to ignore. I AM SICK OF THE WEATHER!!! WHEN IS IT GOING TO STOP RAINING?!?! ENOUGH ALREADY OKAY!!!
OK. Breath. Over. Feeling better after all the capital letters and excessive punctuation.
Really though, Wednesday night running club run was absolutely the worst weather that I have ever run in, I think actually in my whole entire life. Absolute shocker. Left uni about 5.30 and it was raining and windy, but pretty standard really, nothing unusual there. By the time I got there I had narrowly avoided being hit by a large branch, I was soaked through to the skin, and there was a full blown storm going on with wheely bins and pizza boxes flying round (the glamour). I was all up for going home (lazy-o-meter alert), but running club is on the way home, so I compromised, and decided to go in on the way, to assure myself no one else was mad enough to be out for running, so I could go home guilt free. I underestimated my running friends. They were there, trainered-up, ready to go. So, off we went. 7.5 miles of, um, I'm not sure exactly how hard the wind was blowing in all that technical 'miles per hour/ gale force x stuff', so I'll just go for a more descriptive description - we got blown off the pavements, blown backwards, pushed forwards, hell yeah l I'm sure we were even flying at some points! Rain hitting our faces so hard it was like pieces of glass being thrown at us. Entire clothes soaked through to the skin in ice-cold water. Oh yeah! Oh, I also actually got hit by a branch this time. But just a small one. Got back to the club and I was so cold I couldn't move my hands enough to get changed for a whole 10 minutes. Just sat there in wet clothes. But wow, what a night! OK, if I'm honest it was pretty uncomfortable running in it, but it felt like we were a real team battling against the true rage of nature! Ha. If we can run in that, we can do anything! 42 miles is a breeze! Well hopefully not too strong a breeze. But anyway, let us hope for only a whisper of a breeze, and no rain (absolutely no rain, thank you) on 12th and 13th April.
Tuesday 11th Feb: run 3 miles, circuit training 1 hour, run 3 miles
Wednesday 12th Feb: run 7.5 miles, walk 3 miles
Thursday 13th Feb: rest
Friday 14th Feb: run 21 miles
Saturday 15th Feb: rest
Sunday 16th Feb: rest
Total: 40.5 miles
Reduced the miles a bit this week, because all of the programs I've seen say you should take it a bit easier every few weeks to give your body a chance to recover. Didn't really feel like I needed a rest, but thought it would be best to follow the advice of what's gone before. Don't want an injury at this point, thank you very much.
Actually, I think my default is setting is set at lazy. Totally enjoyed a weekend off running. Even at Andrew's house which is by the Regents Canal, with hundreds of people are walking/ cycling past every minute, I couldn't be stirred into a single feeling of guilt about sitting around eating tonnes of lovely food and drinking wine, whilst not joining the people running past.
Then felt ashamed of myself this morning, so got back on the training plan, pronto. Also had a minor panic attack that the race is only 54 days away. DAYYYYS!!!! Oh my days.
This week was a sad week. My Nike watch is no more. It has ceased to be. Popped it's clogs. A goner. I think the weather was too much for it. It got a leak, got all wet inside the screen, and switched itself off, forevermore. Sad times, we've been a long way together, that watch and I :-( But, Nike are going to replace it! Hurrah! Although I will miss my original, first ever, GPS birthday gift :-(
Also this week my parents bought me new trainers! In time to wear them in before the race. Look. The're so white they could almost blind you.
Which brings me on to my next point. The Weather. How long do you reckon they're gonna stay looking like this?
0.0000025 seconds after leaving the house, in the current (boringly prolonged) weather conditions.
Now, I am fully aware that I have absolutely NOTHING to complain about weather-wise, or much else wise for that matter. In fact, the only effect that this latest weather palaver has had on my life really was when I got the train to London last week, and they had cancelled the service down to one train an hour, but I ended up getting to London actually earlier than I was supposed to. So I feel a bit bad complaining about it, bearing in mind all of the people who have lost an awful lot.
But, I'm just going to have a tiny rant, which do please feel free to ignore. I AM SICK OF THE WEATHER!!! WHEN IS IT GOING TO STOP RAINING?!?! ENOUGH ALREADY OKAY!!!
OK. Breath. Over. Feeling better after all the capital letters and excessive punctuation.
Really though, Wednesday night running club run was absolutely the worst weather that I have ever run in, I think actually in my whole entire life. Absolute shocker. Left uni about 5.30 and it was raining and windy, but pretty standard really, nothing unusual there. By the time I got there I had narrowly avoided being hit by a large branch, I was soaked through to the skin, and there was a full blown storm going on with wheely bins and pizza boxes flying round (the glamour). I was all up for going home (lazy-o-meter alert), but running club is on the way home, so I compromised, and decided to go in on the way, to assure myself no one else was mad enough to be out for running, so I could go home guilt free. I underestimated my running friends. They were there, trainered-up, ready to go. So, off we went. 7.5 miles of, um, I'm not sure exactly how hard the wind was blowing in all that technical 'miles per hour/ gale force x stuff', so I'll just go for a more descriptive description - we got blown off the pavements, blown backwards, pushed forwards, hell yeah l I'm sure we were even flying at some points! Rain hitting our faces so hard it was like pieces of glass being thrown at us. Entire clothes soaked through to the skin in ice-cold water. Oh yeah! Oh, I also actually got hit by a branch this time. But just a small one. Got back to the club and I was so cold I couldn't move my hands enough to get changed for a whole 10 minutes. Just sat there in wet clothes. But wow, what a night! OK, if I'm honest it was pretty uncomfortable running in it, but it felt like we were a real team battling against the true rage of nature! Ha. If we can run in that, we can do anything! 42 miles is a breeze! Well hopefully not too strong a breeze. But anyway, let us hope for only a whisper of a breeze, and no rain (absolutely no rain, thank you) on 12th and 13th April.
Sunday, 9 February 2014
Mud
Monday 3rd Feb: rest day
Tuesday 4th Feb: walk 3.2 miles, run 10 miles
Wednesday 5th Feb: walk 3.2 miles, run 7.1 miles
Thursday 6th Feb: 45 min spinning class
Friday 7th Feb: run 21 miles (to train station, and around Malham Cove)
Saturday 8th Feb: walk 6 miles (around Bakewell)
Sunday 9th Feb: run 7 miles
Total: 57.5 miles
This week has been mostly spent cleaning my trainers after every run because everywhere is so muddy.
I have been feeling a bit deflated this week. I think partly because the weather is getting a bit depressing, and also because after having a good week last week, I think I maybe am getting withdrawal symptoms. Oh god, I'm going to turn into one of those obsessive people who runs five times a day and never goes out.
Anyway, I have started doing this thing where you get a jam jar and every day you write something positive on a piece of paper, maybe something nice someone said to you, or did, or something that made you smile, and you fold it up and put it in the jar, and then at the end of the year you tip them out and read them, and it reminds you of all the good things that happen. So, maintaining my positive line of thought, some good running things that have happened this week:
1) I'm doing way more miles than I was a few weeks back and feeling good so I think I'm getting used to it
2) Even back at uni am still managing to fit it in. And by walking there in the morning (unless it's raining, which is most days, to be honest) that avoids weird people on the bus and endless traffic jams
3) Have seen some really nice new places - Malham Cove and Bakewell on runs/ walks this week
4) Am back at running club
5) My Mum and Dad have bought me new trainers! :-D Big thanks!!!
6) Only 9 weeks till The Woldsman!!!!
7) Not quite sure how this happened, but have been persuaded by my running club to do another ultra marathon in July. Bring on The Lyke Wake Challenge!!! Argh!!!
Pictures from Malham Cove Run - 21 miles (of mud)
Pictures from Bakewell Walk - 6 miles (of mud)
Tuesday 4th Feb: walk 3.2 miles, run 10 miles
Wednesday 5th Feb: walk 3.2 miles, run 7.1 miles
Thursday 6th Feb: 45 min spinning class
Friday 7th Feb: run 21 miles (to train station, and around Malham Cove)
Saturday 8th Feb: walk 6 miles (around Bakewell)
Sunday 9th Feb: run 7 miles
Total: 57.5 miles
This week has been mostly spent cleaning my trainers after every run because everywhere is so muddy.
I have been feeling a bit deflated this week. I think partly because the weather is getting a bit depressing, and also because after having a good week last week, I think I maybe am getting withdrawal symptoms. Oh god, I'm going to turn into one of those obsessive people who runs five times a day and never goes out.
Anyway, I have started doing this thing where you get a jam jar and every day you write something positive on a piece of paper, maybe something nice someone said to you, or did, or something that made you smile, and you fold it up and put it in the jar, and then at the end of the year you tip them out and read them, and it reminds you of all the good things that happen. So, maintaining my positive line of thought, some good running things that have happened this week:
1) I'm doing way more miles than I was a few weeks back and feeling good so I think I'm getting used to it
2) Even back at uni am still managing to fit it in. And by walking there in the morning (unless it's raining, which is most days, to be honest) that avoids weird people on the bus and endless traffic jams
3) Have seen some really nice new places - Malham Cove and Bakewell on runs/ walks this week
4) Am back at running club
5) My Mum and Dad have bought me new trainers! :-D Big thanks!!!
6) Only 9 weeks till The Woldsman!!!!
7) Not quite sure how this happened, but have been persuaded by my running club to do another ultra marathon in July. Bring on The Lyke Wake Challenge!!! Argh!!!
Pictures from Malham Cove Run - 21 miles (of mud)
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Today I did my longest ever run!
Weeks running.......
Monday 27th Jan: 13.12 miles, 1115 kcal, 9:29 mins/mile, time 2:04:33, location: London - Regent's Canal and Limehouse Basin, Victoria Park
Tuesday 28th Jan: 20.01 miles, 1700 kcal, 10:13 mins/mile, time 3:24:07, location: London Town! Saw the changing of the guard and all my old haunts - good times!
Wednesday 29th Jan: 10 miles, location: London - Regent's Canal and Limehouse Basin, Victoria Park
Thursday 30th Jan: walk 2.7 miles, location: Andrew's house to Kings Cross (note: Do NOT wear healed boots to walk this far, I am weeks into training with no blisters, and now I have TWO!!!)
Friday 31st Jan: 6.21 miles, 528 kcal, 9.02 mins/mile, time 56.10, location: Leeds, Roundhay Park
Saturday 1st Feb: rest day
Sunday 2nd Feb: 30.02 miles, 2551kcal, 11.12 mins/ mile, time 5:36:09, location: Yorkshire Dales, Ilkley
Total miles: 82.06 miles
So this week I ran my most ever miles per week and also did my longest run ever - 30 miles!
Hurrah!!!!
So I guess that's what I can achieve with a week off from uni :-)
Am still buzzing from the run today! It wasn't all easy, so I will carefully record the run here, as it feels quite significant to me, and I must not forget how it felt to run that far for the first time.
I decided to get the train to Ilkley to do the run, mostly because it's nice there and I thought the scenery might distract me from thinking about the distance, and also I didn't fancy running 30 miles around Leeds. I did feel a bit worried about running somewhere I wasn't too familiar, and worried I would get lost in the Yorkshire Dales and the weather would be bad and I might get stranded and lost because I'd be tired, and I'd get hypothermia and no one would know where I was, and that would be it. I guess that's a little dramatic, but to feel more confident I purposefully planned the route along roads so that I would never be anywhere too remote. This is my route:
The weather was beautiful this morning. I was glad because last night there was a gale and rain hitting against my window and I didn't much fancy being out running in that, what with all the becoming lost/ hypothermia fears. But no worries. I packed a picnic, water, a waterproof and fleece in case of bad weather, and set off......
The Yorkshire Dales are full of cyclists! And they are all friendly! The first part of my run was along the valley beside the River Wharfe from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey along a quiet lane and hundreds of cyclists must have passed me all shouting out "MORNING"! The sun was shining, the scenery was stunning. If scenery could get you drunk, this place is like my Dad's gin and tonics. Potent. For some reason I thought of Postman Pat, seeing all the stone walls and fields and little lanes snaking between the stone houses. Unfortunately, I then had the Postman Pat theme song in my head for 5 miles. It wasn't so charming by then.
On reaching Bolton Abbey my mood reached even higher! How can somewhere be so beautiful?! The way had been good going up till here, on paths or if on roads they were quiet. But that all changed on leaving the Abbey, I was running along a B road, but it was fast and busy....why are all these people DRIVING around the Dales?! They should be in them! And with cyclists going past at the same time it was all a bit hairy. The sun also went in and it started to rain, and there were several miles steadily up hill to Barden. All of a sudden things weren't quite so rosy anymore.
Also, and this is really disgusting! I crossed a bridge over a little brook and suddenly there was a really bad smell. For some reason at that moment I looked to my right on crossing the bridge, and I'm not kidding, on the wall there was a huge pile of dead animals. I don't know what they were, maybe water voles or something. I was nearly sick and fell over. EWWWWWWWWWW! Why would someone do that??? Now I can't stop thinking about it :-(
So, I was feeling pretty low at that point! But, if there's one things I've learnt from running, it's that moods are fleeting. As quickly as you feel in the depths of despair, just as quickly you will be on top of the world, so you must never give up. I have scientifically plotted my moods during the run on this graph:
Eventually, after another 500 miles (actual distance - 14) I saw Burnsall in the valley below, which is where I knew I had to cross over the river and start running on the other side of the valley. This cheered me up as I thought the road over there would be quieter and I had scheduled in a sandwich stop by the bridge. Hurrah!
I was looking forward to the peanut butter sandwich on a cinnamon and raisin bagel. I'd had a couple of snacks, but was feeling hungry by now. Alas! No cinnamon and raisin bagel...but an ONION one! Bleugh! There also wasn't enough peanut butter and the bread was dry. It would have been more pleasant to eat raw flour. Sandwich skills are not up to scratch. Must remember to read packets properly.
So, across the river and up Hartlington Raikes. I don't know what a raike is. But this one was very steep. Although the road was quieter. Probably because it's so desolate up here no one would ever come. It started to rain again. It's very windy. It's going dark. I am going to die up here of hypothermia. I told you so.
I reached the top of the raike. The little road joined another B road. This was worse! Do NOT run along the B6265, ever, not even if you really have to, unless you wish to be hit by one of a zillion speeding cars and ending up like what must be at least half of Yorkshire's small wildlife which are squashed into the tarmac. And it was all freaking uphill. How high am I by now??? And it's still flipping raining, and the flipping wind is now roaring up here. How much further??? Please, it must soon be over!
In time (a long time) I reached the turn off from this Godforsaken road. I was headed back down to Barden. Things perked up a bit. The sun came out, it was downhill, I was over half way. Really pretty again.
The downhill was loooooong and my legs got a bit shaky after a bit. Without explanation, the tune of Steps 'Tragedy' came into my head, but with the following (much improved) words. Please sing (with actions):
The Gravity Song took me back to Barden and from there I ran along the opposite side of the valley to before, along a lovely quiet road and then a footpath next to the River Wharfe, which was about to burst it's banks, back to Bolton Abby.
This sign pointed back to the way I had come. I thought it was a bit melodramatic perhaps, but then it did describe some parts spot on.
From Bolton Abbey back the same way to Ilkley, some nice cyclists passed me running up a hill and all shouted out nice things like well done, keep going! I suppose I must have looked quite tired for them to say that, but it was very nice of them anyway and gave me a boost.
Got back to Ilkley with 1.5 miles still left to go. Ran along the river a bit further to make up the miles, reached 30 miles running back across the big bridge up into town! Done!
Started walking and heard someone running up behind me. "Where is the train station?" she asked, so I pointed her in the right direction, and then her friend ran past too. What's the rush I thought? Then I looked at my watch and realized that there was only 4 minutes until the next Leeds train, and after that there wasn't one for a whole another hour! Arggggggggghhhh! So set off running, faster this time, UP the hill to the station. This is a cruel blow.
I made it! And then I got off the train and straight on a bus home which NEVER happens. I guess someone was on my side today :-) Certainly there were some less enjoyable, sure, even utterly unpleasant parts. But I never felt like giving up, and I always felt like I could do it. I was a bit tired at the end, but I felt like I could have carried on. So, a good day!
Also a big CONGRATULATIONS to my Mum and Dad who were also out training for the Woldsman today and did 22.6 miles. Brilliant!
Monday 27th Jan: 13.12 miles, 1115 kcal, 9:29 mins/mile, time 2:04:33, location: London - Regent's Canal and Limehouse Basin, Victoria Park
Tuesday 28th Jan: 20.01 miles, 1700 kcal, 10:13 mins/mile, time 3:24:07, location: London Town! Saw the changing of the guard and all my old haunts - good times!
Wednesday 29th Jan: 10 miles, location: London - Regent's Canal and Limehouse Basin, Victoria Park
Thursday 30th Jan: walk 2.7 miles, location: Andrew's house to Kings Cross (note: Do NOT wear healed boots to walk this far, I am weeks into training with no blisters, and now I have TWO!!!)
Friday 31st Jan: 6.21 miles, 528 kcal, 9.02 mins/mile, time 56.10, location: Leeds, Roundhay Park
Saturday 1st Feb: rest day
Sunday 2nd Feb: 30.02 miles, 2551kcal, 11.12 mins/ mile, time 5:36:09, location: Yorkshire Dales, Ilkley
Total miles: 82.06 miles
So this week I ran my most ever miles per week and also did my longest run ever - 30 miles!
Hurrah!!!!
So I guess that's what I can achieve with a week off from uni :-)
Am still buzzing from the run today! It wasn't all easy, so I will carefully record the run here, as it feels quite significant to me, and I must not forget how it felt to run that far for the first time.
I decided to get the train to Ilkley to do the run, mostly because it's nice there and I thought the scenery might distract me from thinking about the distance, and also I didn't fancy running 30 miles around Leeds. I did feel a bit worried about running somewhere I wasn't too familiar, and worried I would get lost in the Yorkshire Dales and the weather would be bad and I might get stranded and lost because I'd be tired, and I'd get hypothermia and no one would know where I was, and that would be it. I guess that's a little dramatic, but to feel more confident I purposefully planned the route along roads so that I would never be anywhere too remote. This is my route:
The weather was beautiful this morning. I was glad because last night there was a gale and rain hitting against my window and I didn't much fancy being out running in that, what with all the becoming lost/ hypothermia fears. But no worries. I packed a picnic, water, a waterproof and fleece in case of bad weather, and set off......
The Yorkshire Dales are full of cyclists! And they are all friendly! The first part of my run was along the valley beside the River Wharfe from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey along a quiet lane and hundreds of cyclists must have passed me all shouting out "MORNING"! The sun was shining, the scenery was stunning. If scenery could get you drunk, this place is like my Dad's gin and tonics. Potent. For some reason I thought of Postman Pat, seeing all the stone walls and fields and little lanes snaking between the stone houses. Unfortunately, I then had the Postman Pat theme song in my head for 5 miles. It wasn't so charming by then.
On reaching Bolton Abbey my mood reached even higher! How can somewhere be so beautiful?! The way had been good going up till here, on paths or if on roads they were quiet. But that all changed on leaving the Abbey, I was running along a B road, but it was fast and busy....why are all these people DRIVING around the Dales?! They should be in them! And with cyclists going past at the same time it was all a bit hairy. The sun also went in and it started to rain, and there were several miles steadily up hill to Barden. All of a sudden things weren't quite so rosy anymore.
Also, and this is really disgusting! I crossed a bridge over a little brook and suddenly there was a really bad smell. For some reason at that moment I looked to my right on crossing the bridge, and I'm not kidding, on the wall there was a huge pile of dead animals. I don't know what they were, maybe water voles or something. I was nearly sick and fell over. EWWWWWWWWWW! Why would someone do that??? Now I can't stop thinking about it :-(
So, I was feeling pretty low at that point! But, if there's one things I've learnt from running, it's that moods are fleeting. As quickly as you feel in the depths of despair, just as quickly you will be on top of the world, so you must never give up. I have scientifically plotted my moods during the run on this graph:
Eventually, after another 500 miles (actual distance - 14) I saw Burnsall in the valley below, which is where I knew I had to cross over the river and start running on the other side of the valley. This cheered me up as I thought the road over there would be quieter and I had scheduled in a sandwich stop by the bridge. Hurrah!
I was looking forward to the peanut butter sandwich on a cinnamon and raisin bagel. I'd had a couple of snacks, but was feeling hungry by now. Alas! No cinnamon and raisin bagel...but an ONION one! Bleugh! There also wasn't enough peanut butter and the bread was dry. It would have been more pleasant to eat raw flour. Sandwich skills are not up to scratch. Must remember to read packets properly.
So, across the river and up Hartlington Raikes. I don't know what a raike is. But this one was very steep. Although the road was quieter. Probably because it's so desolate up here no one would ever come. It started to rain again. It's very windy. It's going dark. I am going to die up here of hypothermia. I told you so.
I reached the top of the raike. The little road joined another B road. This was worse! Do NOT run along the B6265, ever, not even if you really have to, unless you wish to be hit by one of a zillion speeding cars and ending up like what must be at least half of Yorkshire's small wildlife which are squashed into the tarmac. And it was all freaking uphill. How high am I by now??? And it's still flipping raining, and the flipping wind is now roaring up here. How much further??? Please, it must soon be over!
In time (a long time) I reached the turn off from this Godforsaken road. I was headed back down to Barden. Things perked up a bit. The sun came out, it was downhill, I was over half way. Really pretty again.
The downhill was loooooong and my legs got a bit shaky after a bit. Without explanation, the tune of Steps 'Tragedy' came into my head, but with the following (much improved) words. Please sing (with actions):
Gravity...
When your legs have gone
And you can't go on, blame
Gravity.
When your muscles cry
And you're way up high
It's. Hard. To. Bear.
With no one to help you
You're going nowhere.
Gravity.
The Gravity Song took me back to Barden and from there I ran along the opposite side of the valley to before, along a lovely quiet road and then a footpath next to the River Wharfe, which was about to burst it's banks, back to Bolton Abby.
This sign pointed back to the way I had come. I thought it was a bit melodramatic perhaps, but then it did describe some parts spot on.
From Bolton Abbey back the same way to Ilkley, some nice cyclists passed me running up a hill and all shouted out nice things like well done, keep going! I suppose I must have looked quite tired for them to say that, but it was very nice of them anyway and gave me a boost.
Got back to Ilkley with 1.5 miles still left to go. Ran along the river a bit further to make up the miles, reached 30 miles running back across the big bridge up into town! Done!
Started walking and heard someone running up behind me. "Where is the train station?" she asked, so I pointed her in the right direction, and then her friend ran past too. What's the rush I thought? Then I looked at my watch and realized that there was only 4 minutes until the next Leeds train, and after that there wasn't one for a whole another hour! Arggggggggghhhh! So set off running, faster this time, UP the hill to the station. This is a cruel blow.
I made it! And then I got off the train and straight on a bus home which NEVER happens. I guess someone was on my side today :-) Certainly there were some less enjoyable, sure, even utterly unpleasant parts. But I never felt like giving up, and I always felt like I could do it. I was a bit tired at the end, but I felt like I could have carried on. So, a good day!
Also a big CONGRATULATIONS to my Mum and Dad who were also out training for the Woldsman today and did 22.6 miles. Brilliant!
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Snack attack!
Today it rained all day. I did a 10 mile run and was hypothermic on return, so spent the rest of the day devising snack ideas....
Hot bananas and cinnamon
Take one banana (a brown mushy one is best). Chop into thin slices. Put in bowl. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes. Sprinkle over some ground cinnamon. Mash with a fork. Serve with some yoghurt (plain/ Greek/ vanilla are nice).
Fruity Flapjacks (make 10 little ones)
125 g butter or marg
3 dessert spoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
175 g porridge oats
1 apple, chopped into small pieces
100 g raisins / dates / mixed dried fruits
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
50 g pecan nuts (or whatever you like best), chopped into small pieces
1. Heat oven to 180oC (fan assisted) and grease and line a loaf tin
2. Heat the butter, sugar and honey together in a pan until they melt
3. Add the oats to the melted butter mixture and mix until all are coated
4. In another pan, put the apple and raisins and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes until the fruit goes soft. Using a fork or a potato masher, mash the fruit up into a paste.
5. Assemble the flapjack: spread half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the loaf tin. Then layer on top of this the fruit mixture. Sprinkle the pecan nuts over this. Finally spread the second half of the oat mixture on top. Be careful when spreading the layers that you don't disturb the layer beneath.
6. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.
7. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes or so, then cut lengthways down the loaf tin, and into 5 across, so you have 10 flapjacks. Leave in the tin to cool properly, then turn the pieces out onto a plate.
8. Eat.
I made it with raisins because dates in Sainsbury's were the price of gold. Raisins were nice, but I think dates would be better.
Bread
Get one of the 500g ready to make bread packs you can get in supermarkets. You can get all sorts: white, brown, seeded, tomatoey - I got a seeded one. Follow instructions on packet, it's dead easy! Fresh bread in a couple of hours! Nice pre-run snack with some peanut butter and chopped banana. Also a nice post cold/ rainy/ miserable run treat served warm with butter and cheese to cheer you up. Happy days!
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Hitting the wall/ bonking/ whatever you like to call it
Monday 20th Jan: 10:00 miles run, time 1.32.06, 850 kcal, 9:12 min/miles
2 x 3.3 mile walk, 560 kcal
Tuesday 21st Jan: 2 x 4 mile walk, 672 kcal
Wednesday 22nd Jan: 5 mile run, 425 kcal
2 x 3.3 mile walk, 560 kcal
Thursday 23rd Jan: 2 x 3.3 mile walk, 560 kcal
Friday 24th Jan: 2 miles walk, 168 kcal
Saturday 25th Jan: 3.12 miles run, time 25:01:30, 265 kcal, 7:59 min/miles
Sunday 26th Jan: Rest
Totals: 47.9 miles, 4060 kcal
Not much time to run last week with other things going on. Pleased to still nearly make 50 miles with the walking.
Feeling good for increasing my mileage, not really noticed being more tired and no injuries.
Now things are more back to normal in other parts of life, I’m planning to switch most of the walking miles to running. Am still going to try to keep doing some walking though, as I know I will have to walk a good portion of the race, and good to keep the walking muscles going too.
Have been feeling really weird on a few of my runs lately, it feels like I’ve got low sugar I think - I come over feeling really cold but sweaty (nice), I get a weird feeling about where I think my stomach is, kind of it actually feels empty, if that can happen, and I feel sick and like my legs are heavy and tired and I keep tripping up, and can think even less well than usual. Fair enough if I’ve run for a couple of hours and that happens, but it’s been happening after only 2 or 3 miles and on my walks too, but I noticed that it’s only ever been happening when I do training in the evening, not in the morning. So that’s kind of why I looked at my calories burned last week in the schedule above. I guess since my last marathon in November I’ve kept running regularly, but not very far so I was probably only doing about 30 miles a week, and now I’m doing 50. And I’ve only noticed feeling like this when I’m running during the last couple of weeks, so I guess that matches the increased miles. So I don’t get why it’s happening some times and not others, and why it would happen so early on in a run, especially if I’ve had a snack before going out, so I figured I should try to figure it out....
This is what I got distracted about before actually finding an answer to my question: Bonking seems to be a big deal for ultra marathoners. Yes. Of course, I was intrigued.......
It’s actually probably less exciting than it initially sounds, Bonking, apparently, seems to be another name for the ‘hitting the wall’ that everyone talks about in the marathon - when your glycogen stores in your liver and muscles get used up, so your body doesn't have any fuel left to get you round the last few miles. This article is really interesting, it talks about the different types of ‘bonk’ you may experience on your run, and how to de-bonk yourself:
Also really interesting (for me at least, I appreciate this is entering into geek territory, so permission to switch off now if biochemistry doesn't float your boat) is that I have been learning about how your body handles the different macronutrients at uni recently. Carbohydrates have attracted a lot of interest lately, especially sugar, and especially fructose sugar. Our bodies seem able to use glucose much more efficiently than they can use fructose – when fructose is eaten, it has to go to the liver for some processing before our bodies can use it for anything. In contrast, glucose can go directly to our muscles and be used for fuel straight away, so this is why most running nutrition products contain glucose as their carbohydrate, because it gets straight to where it’s needed. However, your brain needs glucose to work as well as your muscles needing it. When the glucose has got into your muscles, it can’t come back out again, so the brain can’t use that. Your liver can store at little glucose as glycogen, but by this point in your run you've used that up as well, and if you’re only eating glucose at this point, this isn't going to your liver, it’s going straight to your muscles once absorbed, so your liver glycogen is low and your brains glucose source is pretty much empty. So that’s when you get the mental problems in running (apart from doing it in the first place) and also your brain senses glucose is in short supply so starts to shut down other systems in your body too, so nothing is working properly. So, the recommended solution in the above article is to make sure you’re hydrated and glycogen stores replenished at breakfast before the run, then after running for several hours start including foods that contain sugars as well as glucose, so that they have to go to your liver first of all, and our liver is thinking of your brain, and will send supplies to it.
Science over. You may pay attention again.
Some other things I picked up:
· - Ultra marathonning is a deficit sport! Your body can only absorb about 240 kcal per hour, but you burn about 100 kcal/mile, so maybe 500 kcal/ hour if you do 5 miles per hour. So you cannot replace all you use during the run, so you will end up less than you were at the start! :-( I din't know you could only absorb that much.
· - When you’re running for long time at a low intensity, your body can pretty much use anything for fuel, which is different from what you read when doing a marathon when the focus is on carbohydrates. So, initially carbohydrates may be best, but after while you may like to start including some protein, and fat can be useful too. This article is really interesting: http://www.ultrarunning.com/features/the-last-article-youll-ever-need-to-read-about-what-to-eat-during-an-ultramarathon/
c So, till next time.....
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