Getting serious about training

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to make a change, and get some help. I felt I'd lost my love for running and could quite happily never train again...despite the fact that I still loved races and earning my bling. However, running marathons when you haven't done enough training starts to get less and less fun and with such big races coming up in 2015, my training needs to become the core of my running, not the add-on!

So...I've signed up for coaching through Centurion Running, with Robbie Britton. I imagine most people reading my blog will know who Robbie is, but if you don't, here's his blurb from the Centurion website and below that a list of some of his incredible race performances:

Robbie Britton

Robbie's ascent to the top of the UK ultrarunning scene was a fast one. He began running 100s in 2010 recording some solid performances, learning quickly how to refine his training to maximise success, taking his first win in 2011. He has expanded on his multiple 100 mile podium places, earning his plance in Team GB's 24hr team for 2013 where he went on to a 17th place finish covering a total of 239km. Shortly afterwards he went on to win the Petzl South Downs Way 100.

Ultra experience (major races):

• 24hr World Championships 2013: 239km (17th)
• Spartathlon
• South Downs Way 100: 15:42 (1st & CR)
• North Downs Way 100: 19:47 (1st)
• Thames Path 100: 16:02 (2nd)
• Cotswold 100: 20:26 (2nd)
• Caesars Camp 100 - 21:30 (3rd)
• Barcelona 24hr: 231km (4th)
• GUCR: 31:26 (7th)
• Pilgrims Way Ultra 2014: Winner and Course Record
• Canterbury 10: 55 mins (1st)

Getting coached by Robbie is a real honour, and it's great to work with someone who has achieved so much in some of the races that are important to me. So far, I've had a week's worth of training. Robbie is confident that he can help me enjoy training (nearly) as much as I love racing, and that with the right amount of commitment I can really improve on what I've achieved so far. My big goals are to go sub 22hrs at TP100 and to finish GUCR. The Ironman is still going to happen in July too, but that is a B race for this year - GUCR is the real A race for me now.

Robbie's suggested cutting down on some of my races to really maximise the benefits of my training plan, so I withdrew from yesterday's Phoenix Marathon, and also from Country to Capital. I did so with a very heavy heart, but it would be great to see what I can achieve under Robbie's guidance, and I'm only going to do that if I follow the advice and do what he thinks is best. The races will be there next year and I'll be in a better position to run them well and enjoy them more then.

So, following my new training plan, I ran 35 miles last week across 5 runs, mixing up easy miles with some intervals and actually really enjoyed getting back to some structured training. It all seems to be focused around running for an amount of time rather than miles and really looks at getting a bit more speed in for some of that time, instead of just my usual plodding, for instance yesterday's run was 2hrs easy, with the last 20 minutes at marathon pace.

I had my traditional Christmas Day run included in my plan last week - we were staying with Franc's family in Southwold and so my run was along the sea and it was beautiful. I took the puppy with me though, so it was definitely challenging and a bit slow as we had to keep stopping for him to have a sniff or to say hello to the many other dogs that were also out for their Christmas walks.

This week I have the Flitch Way marathon on Wednesday - the last race of the year - which I'm really looking forward to, and so my training plan from Robbie seems pretty relaxed. I have a feeling that after the marathon, training will start ramping up and getting more intense and challenging - and hopefully I will feel that it becomes more rewarding and fun. We will see!

Cycling through the winter

As it gets colder and more unpleasant outside, I worry about cycling through the winter. I've always loved going for a ride when it's beautifully sunny and warm, with just a slight breeze, stopping at a pub for lunch - the very definition of a fair weather cyclist. But getting out there in plummeting temperatures and driving rain is not my idea of fun on a bike! When you're riding through an arctic wind, it's so much more unpleasant than running, and the prospect of icy roads certainly doesn't fill me with confidence about staying upright.

So, a couple of weeks ago, Francis set up the trainer in the living room so I could try biking in the comfort of the house. It worked pretty well, and I've done it a few times...but cycling in front of the TV really isn't the same as getting out on the roads and although it'll be a great substitute for those days when the snow is a foot deep, the fact remains that I need to just prepare properly so riding outside over the next few months doesn't seem so scary.

I was approached recently about doing a blog post for the insurers LV to share some of the advice they've put together about winter cycling, and it seemed like a great idea - I need that sort of help more than most! There's all sorts of information on their website but I love the below infographic that they've put together which includes a Winter Checklist, and "Wise Up", "Light Up" and "Wrap Up" sections.

I think my biggest concern is cycling on icy roads and LV Q&A section on winter cycling has this to say:

• LV=: What’s the best way to handle wet and icy roads?

RW: Cyclists should always be aware that braking distances are increased in wet conditions. In icy conditions it’s a good idea to reduce tyre pressure a little, as this gives you a bigger contact area with the ground.

I suppose the key thing to remember is to be careful and to be aware of any suspicious looking puddles or shimmers in the road.

The other advice my husband always gives me is to be particularly careful riding over drain covers - they can be particularly slippery even in the rain. In fact, it's best to cycle further out from the pavement so you miss them entirely. If you position yourself at least a meter from the curb, not only do you also avoid all of the ddetritus that gathers in the gutter of the road waiting to puncture your tyre, it makes a big difference to your relationship with other car users if you control your space. They are forced to wait until there's a gap in the traffic on the other side so they can overtake safely, as per the highway code, instead of squeezing by.

If you're a relative newbie to winter cycling, like me, take a look, be prepared, and hopefully cycling through the winter needn't be too scary...we just need to make sure we're all safe!

The first day of a new me...preparing for GUCR

Life is slowly getting back to some sort of normality after Roger's funeral at the end of October, and we're working out what that looks like now, without our weekly visits to his house for Friday fish and chips or Sunday roast dinner.  As part of the getting back to normal, my training has restarted and I've been booking up races for my 24in12 challenge, that I'm completing in Roger's memory, to raise money for the Saint Francis Hospice. Having completed the first event of my 24 at the Chelmsford Marathon, I've signed up for another 19 events so far between now and August next year...and the biggest of the lot was confirmed yesterday when I heard I had a place in the iconic Grand Union Canal Race!! It's 145 miles (although more like 148), non-stop, in under 45 hours, from Birmingham to London, and I'll be running as an unsupported runner (bar the incredible support at the aid stations from the race organisers and volunteers). It's absolutely epic.

To be honest, it was a bit of a surprise to get a place and I'm a little overwhelmed with the reality of it - I'd put in my application for the ballot without much expectation of getting picked. However, the draw took place on Monday night, and I realised I was on absolute tenterhooks waiting to find out the result...I knew then how ready I was for this to happen and I really wanted a place!

Then, at twenty past ten last night, the email I'd been waiting for finally arrived to say, yes, I was in! I know quite a few incredible runners who have got a place too, and I feel very lucky to have the privilege of running with them, and it just feels like it's going to be an incredible event to be a part of. I am very excited, although obviously terrified too!

So, along with my various marathons and other events for 2015, I now have Thames Path 100, GUCR, and the Ironman within 12 weeks of each other next year

This is an absolutely ridiculous challenge to have set myself. I know that. But, as Cat said to me this morning on Twitter:

Cat @imoutrunning · 11h11 hours ago

@naominf no what's the point in doing things that aren't a challenge. Trying something that scares you is what it is all about

So, here I am, and this time, I don't think I can wing it. I've never really done enough training for my events, nor do I feel that I've ever given myself the chance of completing them to the best of my ability...that's why I was so injured after the 10in10, and why I collapsed at the end of last year's TP100. Overweight, undertrained, just turning up and trying my best- I think I've been lucky to have enough natural ability to get me round in the times I've posted.

I don't want that to happen this time, and I don't want to look at the photos afterwards and be the lardy one in the lycra. I want to look, and feel, like I belong in the ultra running world, I want to be proud of the effort and commitment that took me to the start lines, and I certainly can't end up injured - I don't have time for that!

This means I have to pull my finger out - stop lazing around on the sofa watching TV and stuffing my face with crisps and chocolate after taking the dog for a walk, before going on a cursory 6 mile run and thinking I've done my best for the day. I have to focus on my nutrition, on losing the extra weight I'm carrying, and actually doing the training that I plan, on the bike, in the pool, on the trail and on the road.

Today, is the first day of a new me. A me who is focused on the end goal, and who is willing to make the sacrifices I need to, to make a success of my races. To be the best I can be!

Right, I'm off for a run....

The only useful thing I can think of

My wonderful father-in-law, Roger, very sadly passed away on Wednesday, 15th October, just two months after falling ill, and just a month after receiving his cancer diagnosis. It's been an incredibly difficult and painful time, particularly for his sons, Francis and Stephen, but the support of the Saint Francis Hospice was invaluable to us, and made it possible for Roger to stay at home until the end. They provided phone support, visited in person, provided equipment, chased up the District Nursing team and our GP, and arranged for a Marie Curie nurse to be with Roger overnight. I don't know how we would have coped without them, at a time when we really didn't know where to turn or what to do.

Roger, with Francis's lovely aunt Jenny, cheering me on!

Because we've all felt so helpless, and I feel the need to "do" something, I've decided to start fundraising. It's the only useful thing I can think of, and it's a way of saying thank-you to the Hospice. I want to help them continue to do such brilliant work for other families, and they were also a charity that Roger donated to before he was ill, so it seems fitting that I support them in his memory. 

Roger was always so interested in my events, and every week we'd talk about what I had coming up next. He was a very keen walker, and had completed the St Peter's Way which is the route of an ultra race that I've done a couple of times, so we shared some common ground and he was very supportive. Roger even came to the Lake District during the 10in10 to cheer me on during my final marathons and got a sign made up for me. He was such a truly lovely, genuine man.

Over the next year, I've decided that I will be taking part in 24 events, so it's going to be VERY busy, without much time for recovery, including the Ironman in July (the most ridiculously difficult thing I've ever done) and the Thames Path 100 again, when I will be trying to beat last year's time. The Cyprus marathon is also on my radar, although I've not signed up for it just yet. Roger had a holiday house out in Cyprus, and as we've been going through his papers, we've come across a newspaper article that he cut out, about the marathon. I wonder if he was going to suggest it for next year and so I'd now love to run it.

I will be fundraising for the Saint Francis Hospice, and hope to raise £5,000 for them. The next year is going to be tough - really tough - as I attempt to complete so many events across different sports, but hopefully so tough that it will warrant donations from everyone!

I ran the Chelmsford Marathon on Sunday, and although it wasn't a particularly enjoyable course, I thought of Roger every step of the way, and am very glad I did it. He went to school in Chelmsford, and so feel it was a fitting place for the first event of my 24.

My fundraising page is here if you'd like to support the Hospice:
https://www.justgiving.com/supportingsfh

Our wedding day.
Roger in the middle with Francis and my brother-in-law, Stephen.

Real life, taking control & the importance of family

In the last few weeks, life has really turned upside down. The plan had been that the Stour Valley 100km would be my last race until the new year, as I had left my job, Francis was taking a sabbatical from work, and we were embarking on a 10 week backpacking trip around South America at the beginning of September, which we've been planning for the last 9 months.

Tragically though, in the week before we were due to fly to Ecuador, my father-in-law was taken unwell, admitted to hospital, and very suddenly we were hearing a consultant telling us that he has cancer, which has spread through his body. We cancelled our trip, and were visiting the hospital every day.

Running dropped right down to the very bottom of my priority list.

My father in law has been discharged now, after the hospital were able to alleviate some of the worst symptoms he was experiencing, and is at home awaiting some further treatment, but the cancer is incurable and advanced. He has become frail and we can do little to help other than continue to visit, while my brother in law has moved in. Francis goes to see them and help out every day, and I go every couple of days. It is a terribly sad time for everyone.

To try and bring something positive into all of our lives at this time, we brought forward a plan that we had for when we returned from travelling at the end of the year - our plan to get a puppy.

So, we have now welcomed a new addition into our family. Chewie (short for Chewbacca) is 9 weeks old, a Brittany and Springer Spaniel cross, and he's absolutely lovely. He's a lot of work, what with getting through the night, house training, trying to avoid separation issues, training him and keeping him stimulated, but he's worth it. One day, when he's old enough, I hope he will become my running partner.

What with looking after Chewie (and the resulting lack of sleep), dealing with the sadness around what's happening to my father in law, trying to support Francis as best I can, and visiting, I find that I'm struggling to find the time to run, especially as it has continued to be low on the list of priorities. To add to the current stress levels, this week we've also had a water leak at home, and a significant repair job is now underway to replace pipework and damaged flooring.

I'm eating huge amounts of comfort food, doing little exercise, putting on weight, and feeling my fitness drain away. I seem to have excluded myself from my relationships online, on Facebook and Twitter, where I have always found so much support, and everything just feels like it's such a challenge for me at the moment, although obviously it's nothing compared to what my father-in-law and Francis are going through.

I think I took my life for granted a few months ago - I moaned about not liking my job, and losing motivation to run, but actually everything was nigh on perfect. I just didn't realise it. It's only now that life's particularly tough, I can really see what a good thing I had going on.

My running has always been important to my mental health and I feel much less stressed, able to cope with difficulties, and generally happier when I'm clocking up the miles. It also defines me to a certain extent - "I call myself a runner" - but now unemployed and not planning to return to work until the new year, not going on our long-planned backpacking trip, and without any races on the horizon or proper training being done, I feel that I've totally lost sight of who I am. This isn't helping me cope with everything, so to try and keep myself strong enough to help the rest of the family, I have to find the time and energy to get back to running. It's the only thing I can really control.