Ljubljana Half Marathon

It has been said that you can either have your excuses or you can have results and I lined up yesterday with plenty of the former but felt pretty determined I was going to aim for the latter. Although I'd missed a few long runs I was hoping that my steadily improving 5k times would bode well and the flat profile of the course plus the crowd support (with about 20,000 runners this is no small event!) would get me round to a PB (1:52:15) or better still, the dreamed of sub 1:50. 

It was really warm on Saturday when we arrived in Ljubljana but the forecast looked pretty good for the race - nice and cool but warming up to around 13 degrees at lunchtime. With a 10:30 start and the clocks having changed to give extra time in bed it felt like a very leisurely start, especially as our hotel was just 10 minutes from the start line and bag drop. I had a bit of a sore throat on Saturday but it was worse on waking up on Sunday morning and I felt awful. I took some cold and flu tablets and headed to breakfast. 

In order of the things I did wrong the biggest was definitely something that has been building over weeks rather than days. I've been busy; for me, stupidly busy. My left eye started twitching three weeks ago because I'm tired and had so much to do. I've not prioritised sleep and frankly, I've not prioritised myself; having busy weekends on top of busy weeks and just trying to keep everyone happy. At about mile 6 yesterday the biggest feeling I had was one of just being tired, and honestly not physically.

Having a cold come on at the start of a holiday is a pretty common thing; "as soon as you relax" but I have also seen so many people with colds recently that there was a sort of inevitability to this one. Immediately after the race though I felt a bit of a fraud because I didn't even have a cough. I feel sufficiently ill this morning (Monday) to know that it was undoubtedly a factor. My breathing going all over the place was the first sign things were going wrong and although I tried to get everything back under control it was too late to make a dent. 

Just more a note for myself for future reference - I don't think I fuelled properly for this either. I didn't factor in the amount of time on the start line so the fact that it was more like 11am when we started and therefore I'd be running at my usual lunchtime - I definitely needed a bit more for breakfast and did I mention I lost the only gel I had with me (not a big believer in needing gels for a half but it would have been handy!)

Knowing things weren't right I should have just had a steady run and enjoyed it, I perhaps would have ended up with a similar result but enjoyed the process much more. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...

The positives though - this is a great race with a brilliant atmosphere. The support was great around most of the route, and although the half-marathon (polmaraton) doesn't go through the pretty old town so it wasn't as picturesque as I had anticipated, it was still a really nice route and great fun to be running overseas. With six from Bournville and about 130 Brits in total it was a different thing altogether and I sort of missed the camaraderie of running and looking out for club vests. I got chatting to one of the 30-strong group of Werrington Joggers just around the point when the wheels were coming off and was passed by Pete (on his way to an awesome time of around 3:31 in the full marathon) and later Rachel (as I desperately tried to get some energy drink from an overwhelmed drink station). There were bands all the way around the course, a brilliant drumming group at the start, and Colin Jackson starting the race. 

The race was very good value for money - lots of reasonably priced merchandise to buy, plus a long-sleeved technical t-shirt, decent bag (to use for the bag drop and keep for afterwards) and medal. 

 

Our six from Bournville all performed well on the day and although I was disappointed with my time, coming in just under 1:56, it was far from a disastrous race and some lessons were learned. Now, to enjoy the rest of my holiday and sample some beers!

Inching steadily towards my goal

A busy week at work yet again and a poorly doggy have given me plenty other than running to worry about but I've somehow managed to still nail a reasonable week's training the week before my Ljubljana Half taper. My new Asics arrived to give me a bit of retail therapy; they're nice and bright for the dark nights of the winter.

Monday was a recovery run at club and the committee meeting. On Tuesday I wasn't able to get out or on the treadmill to run so I did one of my old faves, a Davina DVD with some good plyometrics thrown in; all of which I could feel in my glutes on Wednesday when I met up with the group that do reps at Cannon Hill park. I'm normally away on Wednesdays or Guy is late so I like to be home for the dog, but owing to Jess being at the vets I was at home and as Guy was home too I had the chance to go to a different session. It was a good workout on Park Hill near Cannon Hill park and in spite of the aches in my legs I enjoyed the session taken by Suz. We did some exercises after the session too; designed to get the glutes firing. 

I decided to do reps at club on Thursday as well since it was designed for those taking on the Great Birmingham Run on Sunday so I knew I'd be able to take it steady if needed. There was also a focus on posture and some useful tips and reminders. My posture and arms need a lot of work but I'm trying to take it a step at a time and not give myself too hard a time when I see the photographic evidence of my poor form!

I had a rest on Friday and a sports massage; my legs felt really fatigued afterwards and I was glad to get an early night. I'd not planned to go all out on Saturday at parkrun but I felt alright in the morning and it was a bit cold so I took the time to have a warm-up and lined up reasonably near to the front (not ridiculously so - I'm not crazy!) Once again though I went out at a pace that was ahead of PB pace (not as bad as my disaster of a few weeks previous), and couldn't hold it. Still it was another 5 seconds off last week and edging closer to my Cannon Hill PB (13 seconds off that and another 5 on top would be a "proper" PB). 

Today's run was an 8-mile easy run, taking advantage of the roads around Bournville being closed for the Great Birmingham Run. A few of us set out early so we could be back in time to watch the race from Bournville Lane. It was the first time I'd been a spectator having run it for the last three years. I really enjoyed looking out for my club mates and other runners from local clubs as well as cheering along those running for charity and in the usual mix of costumes and charity vests. It was a great reminder of the joy in running and the amazing camaraderie. I'm so excited now for next week's trip to Ljubljana - hoping for a good race, but mainly looking forward to the trip away with Guy and my running friends. 

Warming up to spectate at the Great Birmingham Run. Loved the closed roads and perfect running weather.

Pattingham Bells Run, 11th October 2015

Pattingham village near Wolverhampton played a small but important part in recent Marston family history; about 60 years ago, a young couple went to the Pigot Arms in Pattingham for their first date. They were Terry Marston and Rita Brown and were it not for that first date going well and leading to marriage, my own life might have been very different. Some years later, just down the road from Pattingham, I worked in the kitchen of a restaurant on the Bridgnorth Road; in those days it was called the Thornescroft (today it is the Inn at Shipley) and it was there that I met my future husband, Terry and Rita's second son, Guy.

Having first heard about the Pattingham Bells Race when I lived in nearby Perton, but never having raced there, it was for me, an obvious choice for the Bournville Harriers' championship series of Teal Targets. Since inheriting this great idea from Laura Leslie, I've tried to choose a mixture of distances and locations and on seeing this race featured in a recent ABC Midlands running guide, I thought it would be a great option in a busy month of races.

The race HQ is at the village hall in Pattingham (just a stone's throw from the Pigot), and we were blessed with a mild and sunny autumn day; the perfect time of year to enjoy an off-road race in the South Staffordshire countryside. The race celebrated its 25th year in 2014 and many runners return year after year.

We began in a field, with little preamble or announcement, just the blast of a horn which propelled us all forward over the very springy ground for the first few hundred yards. I found myself laughing at the adrenaline of the starting dash and the strangeness of the terrain; before reminding myself that I would need to be careful not to twist my ankle or trip over a random branch. This wasn't a goal race, so not a time to take any risks. 

We were soon through the first field and running along a track and a series of uphill stretches, occasionally opening out to a stunning view of the surrounding fields. In places the course narrowed giving everyone a chance for a breather between the hillier sections allowing us to take in the lovely scenery. I probably started out a little bit too ambitiously as I was then passed by Steve Doswell and John Cheel (who'd clearly paced themselves more sensibly) on one particularly long climb where I decided (or my legs decided) to walk. 

I imagine that it could get very muddy on this course after a bit of rain; it was soft in places, sandy in others and rugged and stony too and so required a fair amount of concentration as the terrain was changing frequently. The wind picked up around the halfway point as I battled with yet another hill up to halfway and the water station.

The marshals offered plenty of encouragement, acknowledging the local clubs and those of us from a bit further afield. I had managed to keep up to within sight of John and Steve and recognised a few other faces too, but my legs were tiring as we ran through a muddy section and up yet another hill, at the top of which the marshal said "you're over the worst bit, a nice downhill now". I enjoyed the lovely descent, thanking myself for wearing trail shoes which gave me the confidence to speed up and take a few places. 

Ticking off mile number six, we were getting close to the finish but it felt like hard work through the last of the fields. I was smiling because we were nearly there when I overheard a marshal who clearly thought I was out of earshot say "that's an agonised grin"! She was about 50 percent right and I could feel myself slowing right down. The sound of the church bells gave us all a lift with a few hundred metres to go, and I found a bit of extra speed to catch a Black Pear Jogger (according to the results he was a Black Pear anyway, perhaps I was hallucinating as I thought he was a Malvern runner) at the sight of a finish sign. Unfortunately I mis-timed my run for home as a cheeky little hill was between me and the actual finish line and he caught me well before the line. I was pleased to see and hear a group of familiar BvHers nearby, but disappointed to lose a place so close to the finish, crossing the line with a regretful smile.

We were sent through a maze-like funnel, given our water, having our race numbers scanned and being handed our commemorative horse brass and we finally emerged to be given hot tea or coffee and a lovely slice of fruit cake. Gathering in the sunshine we all seemed to have enjoyed the course and the atmosphere. 

The prize presentation took place near to the finish line and, whilst we didn't come away with any silverware on this occasion, we were definitely among the most well-represented clubs. Most importantly we had a great day out. I was disappointed to realise later that as an off-road race we could not get the runbritain scores to accurately contribute to the Teal Targets championship; something I should have checked before the race, but it was nevertheless a great race and one that I would definitely recommend.

Click here for results

Run and be happy

For the last couple of weeks I've been trying to keep to regular running ahead of the Ljubljana Half whilst introducing a bit more speed-work to start a 6-week build up to having a go at my 5k PB. I love parkrun, but one of the problems with running a timed 5k every week (there or thereabouts) is that I've become a bit lazy with it; there's always next week so I don't always give it my best. I think it is one of the issues with regular racing in general; you lose a bit of the hunger that saw PBs come tumbling in earlier years of running. I've been enjoying doing some more structured sessions but also struggling a bit with feeling tired from a busy few weeks at work and some full-on weekends too.

Occasionally, to give my mojo a boost I find a little running-related retail therapy goes a long way, and I spotted this Momentum jewellery bracelet a little while ago and decided to treat myself; it arrived this week. I've played around with running mantras in the past and decided that this one is definitely one for me to remember. Running isn't my job, it's my hobby and whatever happens it should always be fun! It also helped that it was in my favourite colour, teal.

On Thursday I was persuaded to go to my first ever track session, at Abbey Stadium in Redditch. The session was 8x200m efforts with jog recoveries and I really enjoyed the feeling of pushing myself. It's been a long time (over 20 years probably) since I ran such short distances but I think a few of those sessions will begin to make a difference to my 5k times. I noticed my quads felt fatigued on Friday and my hamstrings were a little stringy, so I did a bit of yoga at home which helped. That said, Saturday's visit to Cannon Hill parkrun was marked by a lethargic feeling in my legs towards the end, but it was a much better paced run (although only 5 seconds quicker it felt more controlled) than a fortnight ago and my best time at CHP since May! Perhaps a PB in 2015 isn't out of the question yet.