Last long run - 36 miles

Well it's been a while since my last post. Have been suffering a little from writers block really. Everything running wise just seemed same old, same old stuff, trying to get miles in around life. I suppose I lost the love a bit, I tried several times to write something interesting, but couldn't do it, nothing much seemed worth writing about.

This week has been different though. The running zing has returned. This week I have covered 61 miles on foot in training. And 6 on a bike, which is my new commute to work, which I initially hated, but now love it (a thousand times better than the Northern Line!), and good for the bum muscles. Hurrah!

This renewed enthusiasm I think is partly driven by fear. I'm scared. I am running The Lyke Wake 42 mile race in less than 2 weeks time, and I am running as part of a team (Chapel Allerton Runners). I have never run a distance race as part of a team before, and it gives a different perspective for sure, if I have a bad day I won't let only myself down, but my team too, so I can't let that happen! Nothing like a bit of pressure to get you off the starting block and into the distance.

Today I ran 36 miles in 5 hours and 54 minutes. I ran the same route that I did a couple of times while training for The Woldsman, but today I was about 30 minutes faster! I put this down to my new playlist and new drink. Went to a concert of Friday night of the Philharmonia Orchestra playing hits from the movies. Awesome music, so, inspired I downloaded their Bond album. I listened to this for 6 hours. I think I know it pretty well now. Goldeneye? Tick. Die Another Day? I got you. Moonraker? Easy! I also drank 1L of eleyctrolye drink and 1.5L of water, which I think helped with the body, while the music helped the mind.

I also have a new accessory. To say it has changed my life is an exaggeration, but it has improved the running experience massively for something so simple, and it's brilliant! All it is a elasticy piece of material that goes around your arm, I wear it on my wrist above my watch, and it has a pocket inside, that is big enough to hold a small bag of sweets/ phone! It is so much easier than holding them in a hand! £5.99 from Runners Need. Recommend it!

Running around Richmond Park, a man cycled towards me, pointed right at me, and shouted "GOING THE WRONG WAY!" At least, in my little Bond immersed, slightly low-sugary world at 22 miles into my run, that is what I heard. I thought it was a little odd. He didn't know where I was going. How could he know I was going the wrong way? Oh! I thought, of course, he must have said, "you're going a LONG way". No wait, that doesn't make sense either. How does he know how far I'm going? Oh.

I pondered for a few more steps. Then I remembered what I was wearing - he had pointed at my Chapel Allerton Runners vest and he must have shouted "NO WAY?!". By the time this had registered, and I turned round to acknowledge the fellow Chapel Alltertoner, he'd already cycled off., probably thinking I was very rude. Oops. I wish I wasn't so slow.

The Orpington Marafun 2014

The last few weeks have been emotionally undulating! (running speak, undulating = hilly)

Lots of life stuff going on....leaving Leeds, moving house (twice), deadlines (the worst part), practical exams (oh no wait, they were the worst) etc etc...and so the furthest I managed to run in the 5 weeks since the ultra was 8.5 miles...

....oh...

...this was not looking good for the Orpington Marafun!

I entered this only a few weeks ago, whilst in a particularly deep depth of despair about uni work. I wanted something else to think about, so chose this, as I did it last year and really enjoyed it. I decided on entering that I would just go to enjoy it, and use it as a training run, and not go out to do a good time.

Of course, this was all theory, and I forgot it all as I stood at the start line and saw 26.2 miles ahead which needed to be conquered.

This was all very well, if I paid no attention to the fact my recent training had been dreadful, lacking structure and mileage. The last two days before the marathon I successfully ticked all the boxes for what not to do to prepare for a marathon....about 8 hours sleep in the 48 hours before the race, no stretching, eating all the wrong things, lugged my life around in a suitcase from Chorley to Leeds to London the day before (but this is a great whole body workout at any other time!), G&T the night before (but this was technically Andrew's fault, so I can't take responsibility for that) and no proper breakfast (as there were no oats left and the bread was moudly, and I hadn't caught up with what was happening and managed to do anything about it).

Well, I ignored all of that and set off, after a jam pastry and cup of tea I found at the start (I mean, I bought it, not that I just found a random pastry lying around somewhere). The route had changed for one thing and there now was a definite increase in hills. Embrace the hills! I thought, as I enthusiastically set off, destroying my leg muscles withing the first 2 minutes. Smart.

I was going on pretty well for the first 8 miles to be honest. The only problem I encountered was that I'd tied my shoelaces too tight and my right foot went numb. That was a bit disconcerting. Soon after that came the flaw in my plan, that I hadn't run more than that in quite a long time. Things went downhill fairly swiftly, stomach cramps, headache, hadn't brought any food/drink with me and it was HOT!  Then, at 22 miles I got a stitch! I stitch! I've never had a stitch before! I thought I was having appendicitis it was so painful. I now have COMPLETE sympathy for anyone who gets these, I had never appreciated how much it hurts before, like a knife! It hurt so much I then felt sick so spent the last few miles trying not the throw up, while trying not to land too heavily on my right leg, as every time I did the Stitch Monster  twisted the knife more deeply and aggressively.

I hopped over the finish line in 3:51:39 and I think I came first in the ladies as several people shouted that at me on the way round. So, pleased with all that! Definitely not my peak physical performance though!.

I have now recovered from the experience physically, although mentally it still hurts to think about.

I am much encouraged by the idea that you must make mistakes to become better.....

....so, by making a lot of mistakes...you can learn a lot of things.....and next time, you will know how to do them better :-)

Shaken. And stirred.

I could use one of these. Or perhaps three.

Experimenting with the training. 

Hic.

Ooops.

Thank you for all your encouraging words about Blue! I'd like to say I have taken them all on board, and am now in a purple patch, but this week has been a bit too much of an emotional wrestling match to take any sensible advice on board. Although, I would say I am now a lighter shade of blue. Like sky blue, rather than stormy blue. Maybe, something like that. 

But still a bit shaken.

So, most of you know I guess that I moved up to Leeds last September to pursue my dream of becoming a dietitian. I didn't want to move from London, but frankly didn't have any other option, and decided I had to take a chance. It was definitely worth it - I have made some brilliant friends here and I love my course (really I do, really, just not right at this exact moment after my exam yesterday - but I've been told this feeling passes, how quickly I'm unsure), but I've always found it difficult being away from my loved ones from before, and with all the travelling around to make things work, I've never really felt settled here or like it's really become my home. So, having spent Easter in London, I spent last weekend distressed about coming back to Leeds to do all of our assessments. Then, as always I suppose, you have to realise that something is about to end, before you realise that you did actually like more than you thought you did. So now I am equally distressed about leaving Leeds, because we're almost done with uni this year, and next year will be all different as we will all be scattered around on placement - I will miss my course, and my coursemates, and my friends, and running club! Oh! Sometimes I wish that my boyfriend, my family, my friends weren't all over the place, but.....

"My home is not a place, it is people." - Lois McMaster Bujold

...pretty much sums it up.

So on Wednesday I went to my last running club for a while. Sob :-( Wednesday wasn't a great day (it was before my exam, and I realised how uneasy I felt), and I hate saying goodbye to people so wasn't looking forward to running really. But, I left uni and put on trainers to go. Walking past the arena - they were giving out free Galaxy bars. The sun came out. This, I thought, surely this is a sign of good times coming! And, running was amaaaazing! We drove up to the Harewood Estate and did an 8 mile loop around the estate and Eccup reservoir.     

Absolutely beautiful, by far and away the best run I have done in Leeds - gorgeous scenery, good company, evening sunshine. And, to top it off, as we got back to the cars and shut the doors, there was a flash of lightening, a crack of thunder, and the heavens opened.....boom! 

Then it was back to the pub for a planning meeting for the Lyke Wake race in July, and a few farewell drinks with CAR - by far the best running club in Leeds! I will take my vest to London - come on the GREENS!!! 

And I am feeling excited again now about a new challenge - new maps, new route, new plan -this is what I need :-D

Focus
          Believe 
                        Work
                                  Achieve
                       Repeat
            Repeat
Repeat

Blue

I thought you were supposed to feel invincible and unstoppable after achieving a goal.

I can't explain it, but since the race I have been feeling right out of sorts. Lethergic, unmotivated, uninterested, feeling down.......

....I thought that I should probably do some research to get to the bottom of it, but then I didn't have the energy, and couldn't see the point.

I did half-read something about opoid-like things in your brain and running, and I think I might have got addicted to running a long way, and now I'm going through some kind of withdrawal, because I've been for plenty of runs since the race, and enjoyed them at the time, but I'm missing the buzz afterwards, it's like I can't do enough. 

So, as a true addict, I have arranged for some future fixes:

• 17.05.14: The Marafun, Orpington
• 12.07.14: The Lyke Wake 42 miles
• 23.08.14: The Thames Meander Marathon
• Next year: The LDWA annual 100 mile event, in Lancashire next year

But I wish the Woldsman race wasn't over! Perhaps that's the problem. Maybe I am thinking of the past and wishing for it to still be happening too much, and so am missing the good that could be/ actually is happening right now.. 

...so enough! It's been two weeks. I have to keep my amazing memories that  I have collected from the experience, and use them to direct my future!

The Woldsman - my first ultra marathon!

6am 12.04.14....that would be time for The Woldsman!

Arrived at Driffield Showground at 7am and checked in in a big shed. I am number 28. That's my age. Almost. Anyway....

Cup of tea time, and a motivational note from my Mum to carry on the way :-)

'Nothing is impossible. Even the word itself says "I'm possible".' How many times I have said something is impossible, and how have I managed never to notice that before??

The shed is filling up with fast looking people, lots in walking gear, but lots in running outfits too. They all look really good. I'm looking forward to today, but am pretty nervous about the furthest I've run before being 35 miles, which is quite a lot less than this, and these people all look like 35 is a warm up for them. Ohh err. 

8am and we're off! I like these LDWA events. There's no fanfare or anything at the start, everyone just suddenly starts moving off in a big wave of eagerness to start the task ahead.....

You get a little card when you register which has all the eight checkpoints listed, and once you arrive at each one someone stamps it for you to prove you made it. There are also five self checkpoints where you have to stamp them yourself (these are on parts of the route to check you didn't take a short cut). There is also a 'bucket drop', which sounds exciting, and which turns out to be dropping a small wooden disc with your number on into a bucket. This was after only a couple of miles, and I couldn't find my disc. Panicked rooting in pockets ensued. How have I lost it already! Found it. Phew. The bucket has been dropped.

The first few miles it was interesting to consider those around me. Trying to figure out how fast I should be going, so pretty much following everyone else around me. There is a lot more walking than I've been doing in my training. Feeling like I could go faster than this, but it's still early on, and I'm also feeling really cautious. These guys obviously know what they're doing, and I really don't have a clue. And I'm worried about the last 15 miles! So I decide to go with their pace.

I got chatting to a girl called Tanya quite early on, and we ran together, or around about each other for all of the route. She had done this run several times before and some 100 milers, and she was a really calming and encouraging influence, and I was really lucky to meet her. Her Dad was also there, having run this several times himself also, this year was driving around supporting Tanya as he waited for a hip replacement. Andrew was also driving around to some of the checkpoints, so even in the middle of the countryside we had support, and I would just like to say "Thank you!" to both, because it made a big difference! At the end when I thanked Tanya's Dad, he said, "well don't thank me, I didn't say anything helpful!" which isn't true, he said many hugely helpful things, but another runner chipped in with "it doesn't matter what you say, it's just having someone say something to you that helps!" which is true! It's not always what someone says, but the fact that they were there and noticed that you needed some help :-) 

Andrew ran some of it with me too at a couple of checkpoints which really helped. New legs, and of course, his amazing sense of humour. Haha! Gave me a boost :-) 

Also, the event was so well organised! There were eight checkpoints, all around the countryside, some in really remote spots, all manned by cheerful volunteers, who had probably been there for hours, and gave up their own time. All stocked with tables heaving under piles of sandwiches, cakes, fruit, puddings, and a full meal at the middle one (including bananas and custard!) tea, coffee and water. So, massive thank you to the East Yorkshire LDWA for putting this on! Great achievement. I recommend The Woldsman unreservedly. To give an idea of the amazing amount of food on offer (and how much of a pig I am) this is what I ate during the run:

CP1: flapjack
CP2: 2 x ham sandwich, 1/2 scone
CP3: shortbread
CP4: bananas and custard
CP5: bourbon biscuit, flapjack
CP6: jaffa cake,
CP7: cheese scone
CP8: sweets

Plus a kit-kat and a handful of mini egg/jelly baby/ nut mix from my own stocks, and about 2 litres of water/ juice. My Mum joked this is the only walk she has done where she might put weight on. I think I might have just achieved this. Oops.

Off after CP2. Fueled by sandwiches and scones:

Had troubles with feet! Wasn't sure what to do! Ran through a field early in the run which was really dry and dusty and some dust/ stones got down the back of my socks and started rubbing my heels. I got a blister two days before the run by walking into town in shoes that are normally really comfortable but for some reason gave me a blister. I was furious, I never get blisters, why get one two days before I really don't need one! But, everything happens for a reason! Because of this, my Mum had given me some blister plasters, so I had some on me when I normally wouldn't, which saved my heels from further pain. Phew.

After CP3 - shortbread eaten, heels better and downhill coming up, good times!

Was nice to have my parents doing the walk too, and to text each other updates along the way. My parents did amazing, walking all day and into the night and finishing in just less than 17 hours - fantastic!

I was really surprised to have no low points really on the way round. I put his down to:

• I think it makes a difference running with other people around, lifts your spirits and gives you something else to think/talk about compared to when running alone. Met some really nice people on the run - a guy who was doing the race for a similar 'reason' - doing 50 miles for his 50th birthday. He was also really optimistic and a good navigator and saved me from running off the wrong way up a hill - so big thanks! There are some others running 50 for the first time, and lots who have done the distance many times before. There was a group of us running at about the same pace for quite a lot of the race, nice to feel part of a group and help each other out.
• Also, having all the different checkpoints to break it up makes it seem like not one big run, but 8 smaller ones, and the checkpoints got closer together towards the end, which helped too psychologically. 
• And, having to navigate yourself really gives you something to focus on! In a road race all there is to focus on really is the next mile marker, and if you've having a rough patch, a mile is a loooong way! But if you have navigate and you're looking out for "the next stile over the hedge on the right after the fallen tree and the abandoned hut", then how far you're going doesn't stay in your mind so much, just looking out for things all the time. And good camaraderie to figure the route out with other participants.

So the miles seemed to go by really quickly. The scenery is beautiful in the Yorkshire Wolds. Really open rolling countryside, you can see for miles and it feels like you're on top of the world. Weather was pretty good too, mostly, well apart from the rain at the start and the rain near the end!

After the 7th checkpoint at Wetwang (great name) I ate a cheese scone and I following this felt really good and was also getting cold, so pushed on for the last 8 miles and finished feeling good. The finish: 

My finishing time was 11 hours 12 min and I was in 14th place:

I am so happy! I felt really strong at the end and it was a fantastic day and experience, and I feel like I have so many great memories of the day, and thanks to everyone for helping me! Definitely will be back!

The Woldsman 50 miles.....1 days to go!

Thanks to everyone who has been so nice since my anxious post. You have made me feel better! Can't believe the race is tomorrow! So, still feeling nervous, but excited now too. And today is beautiful weather!

Packed.

Have remembered map. And have been studying it. My Dad has transferred the written route to the actual map, and my Mum has made me copies to carry on the run :-) First time this year I'm taking sunglasses. Get in! On second thoughts, this is sure to make it rain.

OK: maps, compass, head-torch (in case I'm not finished by dark, eek), whistle, clothes, trainers, socks, spare socks, waterproofs, bag, watch (and Andrew's for when the battery runs out), sunglasses, food.....whoever said running was easy because you don't need anything to do it- errm, clearly that's not true!

Also, quite excited about my first 30th birthday present! A fold-able water bottle, from Catherine - thank you! I just washed it out. It has a slight lemony taste now, from the washing up liquid. But at least my insides will be clean too. It's cool, it's squishy and easy to carry. 

Right, off to compile a motivational play list for my i-pod, for any low moments I might encounter on the way around . Then off the Driffield this afternoon.....

Thanks again everyone for all your support :-) Will let you know how it goes! 

x

The Woldsman 50 miles...3 days to go!

Been tapering for the Woldsman race for a week now. In my grouchy, bored, carb-loaded anxiety I found this article about tapering. I think it was written as a joke, but everything is true for me:

http://running.about.com/od/distancerunningtips/a/You-Know-You-Are-Marathon-Tapering-When.htm 

But it's true! And I hate tapering! And I think I'm overdoing it because I'm anxious because I've never done an ultra before and I don't want to mess it up now. 

But on the plus side my leg is better after the Heptonstall Fell Race! Haven't done much since then:
Sunday 30th: rest (unable to move)
Monday 31st: rest (unable to move far)
Tuesday 1st: run 6 miles (hurt)
Wednesday 2nd: gym (30 min bike, 15 min cross trainer)
Thursday 3rd: 45 min spinning
Friday 4th: run 4 miles
Saturday 5th: rest (I went to a wedding. It was a good excuse to take complete rest.....)
Sunday 6th: rest (.....but all night dancing in 4 inch heels must count for something?)
Monday 7th: rest (feet hurt from dancing)
Tuesday 8th: 4 mile run

Last night I dreamed I was at the start line, but had forgotten my maps. Everyone laughed and I got disqualified before even starting. 

I also read something I wish I hadn't. The Woldsman has more climbing in it (4500 ft)than the Heptonstall Fell Race did (3170 ft). I am alternating between 1) ignoring this, 2) it must be a typo? 3) the fell race wasn't THAT bad right? 4) uncontrollable weeping. 

Feeling anxious.