It's more important than a race

I had a fantastic day at the Reading Half on Sunday and it was an amazing race which I was lucky enough to share with awesome friends, some of whom ran (Vicky and Becca with me here in our "proud medal" photo) and some of whom supported us (the excellent cheer-leading team of Steph, Keith, John and Mark). I've got to say that having friends there made the race much more special for me than most of my others, added to which I also ran a PB of 1:48:08 which I'm over the moon about!

However, when trying to write a race report full of the joys of Reading, I can't fail to feel that it's inappropriate, following the tragic death of Ged Clarke who suffered a cardiac arrest shortly after he crossed the finish line. Ged leaves behind his wife and children and of course it is them who are suffering the most after this, as I know only too well after suddenly losing my dad. However, it's become clear that Ged's death has deeply touched many other people - he was well known (although anonymously) on Twitter as @12pmCLUB where he encouraged people to go out training at lunchtime and to aspire to a healthy lifestyle, and it is clear from the tributes that have been left online that he truely inspired a whole community of runners.

Ged's death comes during the same weekend that the running world heard about the equally tragic loss of Micah True (aka Caballo Blanco) the legendary ultra-marathoner and organiser of the 50miler Copper Canyon race with the Tarahumara people in New Mexico - the star of the Born to Run book - who was found dead after not coming back from a run earlier in the week.

I have tried to write tributes to them both but keep deleting what I've put down - I don't feel qualified really as I didn't know either of them personally. I've also realised that I'm not going to be able to write a proper report about the race, so will instead end my post with a few photos from the finish in Reading's Madejski stadium: a reminder of just how lucky I am to still be running, and just how much I have to be grateful for.

Successful recovery for my broken body

This time last week, I was considering whether I would be able to run the Reading Half...my body felt absolutely broken, as you will see from my last post!  But in all honestly, pulling out wasn't a viable option for me - I had to do all I could to help me recover in time. So:

• I took three days off in a row - no running at all.  Not entirely through choice - I could barely walk - but I think this was the most important aspect of feeling better, my body just needed some time to heal! I then ran 6 miles on Wednesday and 6 again on Thursday, with another two rest days before Sunday's race.
• I headed to Boots and bought a load of tablets (although have now been given lots of recommendations for where I could have bought them at half the price!).  I'm now taking a decent dose of Glucosamine Sulphate, Chrondroitin Sulphate and Cod Liver Oil, every day to try and help my joints cope with the rigours of running.
• I bought some 2XU compression 3/4 length tights. I've seen lots of other people wearing them and thought they looked cool, but the price has always put me off, although I've long been a convert to the idea of compression clothing.  I'm now a convert to 2XU too - in my opinion they are better than any other compression stuff I've bought in the past, and well worth the price. They are incredibly comfortable, but also seem like a miracle for my legs and I think wearing them has made a difference for me. 
• I got a sports massage - this is something I love to do, but again the price puts me off going that regularly which is a shame as it's so worthwhile.  My main problem areas on this trip were around my hips, my hamstrings and my glutes (lots of problems with my glutes!) and so I had to really ignore all my embarrassment and let the massage therapist go to work on my bum!! It did work though, I did feel better, and I'll definitely be going back too.

All of this came together and brought me to the point where I got up at 6am yesterday morning, feeling entirely confident, really looking forward to the race and absolutely raring to go - no pain, no tiredness, no longer broken...and you know what, I absolutely smashed it :) I had a great day, and a race report will follow....

Just too much running for my knees to take

Last week was due to be my most intense week of training...50 miles were on the schedule including a long run of 24 miles...before starting a three week taper for the Brighton Marathon.

However, as with so many things, it didn't quite turn out as I'd hoped for.  50 miles became 36 miles, and my previously working legs seem to have broken down - it was clearly a weeks more heavy training than they could cope with!

I knew I wasn't feeling right, and my knees were starting to complain, so I took an unscheduled rest day on Friday, before going out for my long run on Saturday, although in the end I cut it short from 24 miles to 21 miles.  It was a beautiful sunny day but it wasn't a great run.  Whereas last week I decided to run along a flat (easy) route along our closest canal, this week I decided that I needed to work harder and so ran out from my house. I didn't really plan where I was going to go - I found a few nice country routes, a never-ending housing estate, oh and lots of steep, endless hills! The first three miles were horrendous - for some reason my feet were killing me...then my shins, then my feet again. I kept stopping to readjust shoes, to stretch, just to stop.  However, after about five miles I got into my stride and started feeling much better.  It was only when I got to about eight miles that I realised the route I was taken was much more hilly than my usual runs around where I live, and this wasn't going to be pretty!

Luckily I had money so I was able to buy food and drinks on the way, but I was running slow...which I guess is the point on a long run, but I had really hoped to be able to get closer to marathon pace for the duration.

By the time I got to about 17/18 miles, I was pretty sure I should stop running as my knees were becoming more and more painful, but I kept going, because that's just what you do (as stupid as it may be) - resulting in running the last three miles all over 10min/mile.

By the time I dragged myself through the front door at just over 21 miles, I couldn't really walk. I did lots of icing (my hamstrings, my quads, my calves, my ankles, and most of all knees!) but for the rest of the evening, I had problems standing up, sitting down, and yep still couldn't really walk.  Yesterday was worse...pain not only in my knees but my glutes and hips and generally my legs were really heavy.

So, not only did I not come close to my 50 miles,  I'm pretty sure I've also ruined my chances of a PB at the Reading Half Marathon this weekend...my knees seem ok today as long as my lower leg only moves forward and backward and I don't sit still for anything more than 30 minutes. If there's any twisting motion, I get shooting pain.  Going up and down stairs isn't great, but manageable.  If I stay still for too long, I seem to seize up. This isn't really the state you need to be in to run a best time at a race in 6 days!

Oh well - looks like my taper is going to start with a few days off, and I'll get a massage (might even see a physio if my knees don't get much better) and see how I feel but either way, I'll still be running Reading - just might be a bit slower than planned!

Is it too much too soon?

I've just updated the list of my upcoming races (on this blog, see the tab above)...it seems I've got a bit carried away with booking them, and over the six months, I've now got 9 races scheduled including a 90 mile ultra!  Is it really possible that I can be ready for this?  Any sensible person would surely tell me that I've not been running long enough or far enough to take on so much! But then I'm not sure sensible really comes into it when you start talking about running ultra marathons ;)

As well as a memorial 5km run that I'm taking part in, for Andrew Corbett (the runner who tragically died after completing last years' Brentwood Half Marathon), I've also signed up for Reading Half Marathon which I'm running a week this Sunday, four full marathons, and then my ultras: the Enigma 30 mile race, the Challenge Hub 50 mile race, and The Toad Challenge which is the big one - a staggering 90 miles in 3 days...and that just takes me to September!  

Wow.  Just reading about them all makes me feel worn out ;)

Uuuum, yep, I think so!

It's weird as half of me is very excited at the prospect of taking on so many challenges, while my other half is berating myself...why put myself through all of this?  It's going to be so much training, it's going to completely take over my life, it's unfair on Francis and my family and is going to put my body under incredible strain, and all for what....

Well - the half of me that is excited is winning out, and I can't help but look forward to the races, and to seeing what my body (and mind) can achieve.  

When I think that two years ago I ran the London Marathon, totally unprepared and unfit, in what was an agonising 5hrs 41, the prospect of now being fit enough to run so many races (and hopefully get my first sub 4hr marathon at Brighton next month) is astonishing - although whether my body agrees that I'm fit enough to cope with the training, we'll see over the next few months!

Marathon training: my big mile weeks

My training for the Brighton Marathon is just about to reach it's peak...last week I ran 45 miles, and this coming week I have 50 miles on the schedule - that's more miles that I've ever covered in a week, and to be honest I'm not entirely looking forward to it!  But I am very pleased with how my long runs have been going over the last month, and I know when I've finished my 50 miles by this time next week, I'll be proud of the achievement.

Anyway, as for last week...I enjoyed my midweek training, with a day at the gym, a day with a double run, and some decent miles, and then on Saturday I headed out to run the 22 miles for my long run that my training plan called for.  I really felt I needed a bit of a change of scenery to my regular runs though, and so drove the half an hour to Waltham Abbey to pick up our closest canal, the Lee Valley Navigational.

I felt like I was cheating a bit running along the canal as it's so incredibly flat (and all my usual routes have hills) but to be honest I felt like I needed an easier route.  It's a lovely run too...there are a number of nature reserves along the canal and the countryside around those areas is pretty, with loads of ducks, swans and geese to keep my company too ;)  Must admit though that when the swans and geese are on the path I have to really steel myself to run past them as I'm terrified they're going to attack me...but of course, they never do!

As we're getting so close to the big Spring marathons, there are an incredible number of runners out at the moment - never see them the rest of the year, but this month they're everywhere ;) It was the same along the canal...hundreds of them!  However (and this is where I start to moan) only about 40% of my fellow runners acknowledged me! I tried to say hi (or nod, or wave or something) to every single runner I passed, and was astonished at the number of people who quite clearly ignored me.  It's not that they were too tired or pushing on a sprint run...they were just ignoring me.  I don't understand it, and it really does spoil things - it's so much nicer when someone returns my grimace ;)

I feel I need to share the excellent vlog from Julia Buckley that she posted a few weeks ago

Anyway, my apparent invisibility aside, I got my 22 miles done at an average of 8:59min/miles with a negative split and an "as fast as I can go on dead legs" final mile too which I was really pleased with.  I remembered how I felt when I last ran a 20+ mile along the canal (in the final stages of my training for the marathon last September) and it's great to realise how much better I felt this time! What a difference six months makes ;)  We went bowling on Saturday night too and I still felt pretty good so it's all a real confidence boost for the marathon.
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Yesterday, I got up at 6am for the Grand Prix (well done Jenson!) and by 8.30am the weather was amazing - bright, warm sunshine and perfect blue skies.  I thought I was still feeling pretty good, so I went out for a 6 mile recovery run before we took my mum out for lunch.  It was very hard, much more difficult than I expected and my legs were so heavy - although it did get easier after the first few miles.  I'm pleased I finished the distance I planned on though: if I'm going to start running all these ultras I definitely need to start getting used to running when my legs hurt!

This morning I'm still really achy but it's a rest day so after sitting down all day at work, I think I'm going to go home and sit on the sofa!