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.

Mojo back, pacing needs a little work...

Well after a couple of weeks where I've missed my target and struggled with motivation I feel that at last I've nailed a solid week's training, managing to run on 5 days and throwing in a bit of speed work and some weights and yoga too. 

I was forced onto the dreaded dreadmill on Wednesday but, determined to make use of it I did a 6x3min session with 2mins recovery; the efforts were at 7:53 pace which is in the vicinity of my parkrun PB pace. I'm not going to lie - it was hard work but it was "easy" in the sense that I didn't have to think much and unlike a steady or tempo run on the treadmill the time flew by. I was listening to Marathon Talk and happened to have 3 coins about my person so I moved them all one-by-one from one side of the treadmill dashboard to the other (and back) so that I didn't even have my mad mid-run moment (is this number 3 or number 4?) where I can't manage even the basic maths of subtracting the time that my warm-up took and dividing the remainder by the effort plus recovery to work out where I am. I call this "running maths" and it results in some bizarre circumstances where very simple sums become all but impossible mid-effort. Anyone else struggle with this?

A friend and fellow runner has kindly offered to put together a plan for the next 6 weeks which will focus on my 5k times but allow for the Ljubljana Half Marathon too. I was therefore targeted with having a bit of a go at parkrun on Saturday to give us a baseline measure of my fitness (especially since I've not always been giving it my best effort recently). I had a spa day planned with a friend and have missed Cannon Hill (which is my home parkrun) over recent weeks so found myself back there on a morning which was just beautiful - the bright sunshine and autumn leaves along with the time of day being the only things separating this from those "too hot; too hard" summer runs. I warmed up and joined a couple of runners I knew at the start. Unfortunately I got the pace completely wrong from the off - seeing Jude speed into the distance I thought if I could just see her it would get me off to a good start and I'm typically a conservative runner in the early stages, I also thought I would avoid looking at my watch - it might be limiting me to what I thought I could do rather than what I am capable of. Well, now I realise that conservative is not a bad strategy. Looking now at the splits a first mile of 7:36 was clearly a crazy starting pace (according to Strava - which doesn't hold all of my records, just those since January, but is nevertheless a useful guide - I broke my km, half mile, mile and 2 mile records). Then the wheels came off! An agonising last mile and a half, wheezing, people passing me and looking concerned and an unbelievable desire to just stop and lie down. I finally understood the expression to "blow-up". I've had some tough second halves of half marathons and longer races, but I don't think there's ever been such a stark contrast in a 5k race. My last mile was nearly a minute slower than the first. Ouch! 

I managed to squeeze under 25 minutes (24:59) for my best time for a few months, but I feel that I could have shaved a bit more off that if I'd paced it more evenly. 

Nevertheless I've posted a time to aim at next week and learnt a valuable lesson. Next week it's the road relays and I will definitely go for a steady start and try to finish strong!

I've topped off my biggest running week in some time with a 14 mile run along the canal into town with a few pit stops to collect folks en route - it's another glorious day in south Brum and I collected a couple of owls too... Mojo back and up for the next 6 weeks of hard training!

Man in the background looks like he could use some mojo (or a good night's sleep!) #TheBigHoot2015

Another weekly target missed

Having set a 30 mile per week target for my Ljubljana Half Marathon prep with a minimum of one speed session or race per week I have, yet again, missed my target. My excuses; I've had a rubbish week; my windscreen cracked on the way home from a hen weekend in Bath; I got a speeding fine; I'm still tired from last week's work in the U.S. and work's been busy yet again. 

All that said I've enjoyed my running this week and even managed to squeeze in a weights session on Tuesday. Yesterday I finally took part in the JW Relay which is a 30-mile Ultra race or a Relay. I did the last leg of the relay (described by one of the Ultra runners as "the glory leg") as part of a team of Bournville Harriers, called "Canal we stop now?" in reference to the fact that the race is largely along the canal towpath between Stratford and Kings Norton, Birmingham. The race is run in memory of John Ward, a coach and Bournville Harrier (although well before my time), so there were plenty of other harriers there, taking part in the full distance or the relay (some doing two legs as part of their Autumn marathon preparations). 

Preparing for "the glory leg" at the Blue Bell Cider House

My leg was on a stretch of canal that I'm very familiar with, but even so I really enjoyed being part of the whole event. I was reasonably pleased with my time (although I think I should have gone out harder - my leg only ended up being 8.5 miles and I was off my 10-mile pace by quite some way). The goody bag alone was well worth the entry fee - a lovely kit bag, bobble hat and sunglasses as well as some chocolate and a granola bar.

Modelling the JW goodies - bobble-hat, bag and sunnies!

I finished the week with a 7-mile run averaging 9mm - I'm trying to get to a point where that feels like a comfortable pace and tonight it really did. I need to really start to focus on my half-marathon training now, with 6 weeks to go it really is time to get serious if I've any chance of a PB in Ljubljana! 

Out of order... & Running My Life, Sebastian Coe

When I first started this blog it was always intended to be about my three favourite pastimes; running, reading and eating. I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't been making the time to read for pleasure over the last 12 months. I have bought books but never seemed to get going with them. And, whilst having a bit of business travel to do in the U.S. this week proved to be limiting for my running it did give me the opportunity to finally read Seb Coe's autobiography (up until the end of the 2012 Olympics anyway) on the flights.

Hotel treadmill in Syracuse, NY. Fortunately there was another one, but I only managed 5k

The book was really in four parts - the early years and family history, his running career, his political career and finally the bid and delivery of the Olympics. It was actually incredible to think of his three careers, which, apart from the political one perhaps, have been extraordinary. With the recent news of his appointment to the top job in the IAAF the story doesn't quite come up to date but it was at least a topical read.

I have to say I was surprised a bit by his background, but I felt that he was, throughout the book, trying to present himself as more of a down-to-earth adopted Yorkshireman. I can see it must have been frustrating to have been portrayed as something other than his working class roots (East end of London, via Warwickshire to Sheffield) but I did sometimes think that the point was rather laboured. Still I enjoyed reading about his family background and his early life especially once we were on familiar territory in Sheffield, where I went to University.

Reading back over his running feats was really amazing. I think the first time I really paid attention to athletics was the Seoul Olympics (I would have been 9 years old then), so although I do remember being aware of Coe and Ovett, I really can't recall watching a specific race of his and I hadn't realised quite how much of a legend he'd been, not only in winning medals but also setting world records. 

From a runner's perspective the insight into some of what it took to achieve that was fascinating, especially to see some of the application of sports science (getting under the bonnet as he described it) and the strength work that he did too. Pre-race build up and controlling the variables all featured strongly and if I was to take anything from that into my running it would be that even an elite runner can have a bad day if they don't get a decent meal and a good night's sleep before a big race. It seems pretty obvious I guess, but some things bear repeating! 

The Coe/Ovett rivalry is interesting viewed through the lens of history. This type of rivalry is part of sport and our enjoyment of sport. Much as we may have all got carried away with the "good vs evil" story that built up around Bolt and Gatlin going head to head in the recent world championships, it adds a frisson to watching a sporting event when there is a true competition and the characters become more of a caricature, often fuelled by the media's representation of them as much as anything else.

I was less aware of Coe's political career, knowing no more than that he had been a Tory MP. I hadn't realised how closely he had worked with William Hague, a rare example of a politician who garners respect across the political spectrum and who I personally have a lot of time for. The seeds of his future success in the Olympic bid were sowed here, but, in spite of usually finding politics fascinating I found this section a little bit dull in places (perhaps because I was waiting for a connecting flight reading that part and just struggling to stay awake).

Reading back over some of the highlights of the Olympic bid and the games themselves was a joy. To imagine the sheer amount of work and dedication too - just phenomenal. I genuinely believe there is no one else that could have done what he did - his background, personality and interests coming together at a perfect moment in time. To hear it from his perspective though also gave a sense of the others involved and he was generous in his praise, particularly giving credit where it was due to those whose political affiliation didn't match his own, such as Tessa Jowell and Tony Blair. 

I still feel that I am left with an uncertainty about what kind of leader he will be at the IAAF. He has recently been very quick to defend the federation against the accusations that they have not tackled doping in the sport as well as they might. He was disparaging in his remarks regarding the scientists and journalists involved, seeking to dismiss them quickly rather than examining their allegations. I therefore read his comments on doping with great interest in the book, but even more so, given the recent FIFA scandal, I found his regard for a certain Mr Blatter curious too. I'm left with many questions about whether he will genuinely seek to deal with problems such as doping or corruption. One thing is for certain I'll look forward to seeing what happens next and reading his side of it in any future chapters or a sequel.

I really hope that I will also now start to read a bit more, especially autobiographies of runners and other sporting figures. Among my favourites have been Charlie Spedding, Chrissie Wellington and Paula Radcliffe. I'd love to hear some other recommendations too!

Selecting my tune-up races...

One of my favourite parts of running is racing, even though I rarely actually race a race, by which I mean I'm never racing against other people and I'm very often not going all out myself. I like the atmosphere, the build up of anticipation and the chat and fun afterwards with my club-mates. I like adding to my medal collection and Facebook album of race numbers, and running somewhere different. 

Starting out on another training cycle I have a couple of races planned in before Ljubljana Half. The first is a leg of the JW Ultra, which I've wanted to race for a few years and eventually would like to complete the full ultra. I've also recently won a place at the Thoresby 10, which is the week before the Ljubljana Half and I have the choice of 10k or 10mile - heart says 10 miles but head says 10k is better just seven days before my target race. There's also the Midlands Road Relays and I'm looking out for another 10k somewhere in the mix.

One race that has been on the calendar for the last couple of years is the Bournville Leafy 10k, our club race. It's a great race and perfectly timed as a tune-up race for the Great Birmingham Run, with a couple of similar climbs. This year I'll be helping to marshal the event, and I'm looking forward to taking part in a different way. 

How do you use tune-up races in your training? What do you learn from them and when are they a good idea (and not so good?)

Starting again

I haven't written a blog post for two months. At first I thought it was just a blip; life got a bit scary and hairy - family illnesses, lots of travel, work was busy, but as with any habit, a period of time without it made it seem harder and harder to start again. I didn't know (still don't) whether to fill in the blanks or just leave it and hope that my readership (ha ha - it's probably just me and my Mom!) would understand/not care. 

It's too long now to fill in the blanks; to write about the running, reading and eating I've done in the intervening period; so I won't. I've had some fun and good food, probably too much of the latter. I've been running more for fun and socialising and haven't been running well. I'm a few pounds heavier, about 20 seconds per mile slower, and struggling with a "sensitive" stomach. 

Last week I somehow managed to win a prize at a little race in Nottingham - it was a very small field and frankly I'd have been more pleased with a PB or at least to have run as fast (I always feel a bit strange using that F-word in relation to my own running!) as my previous 5k there a month before. It got me thinking though; how far could I take this running thing? If I put the effort in - could I get faster? What's stopping me from trying?

I needed a plan and a goal to shake it off and shake it up and it has appeared in the form of the Ljubljana Half Marathon. Some running buddies are heading over for the weekend either to take part in the full or half and I've decided that with just under 10 weeks to go it is the perfect goal and will get me back to blogging too. I've had a good start so far this week; I tackled a reps session yesterday and although tonight's 5 miler was a struggle (stomach upset again!) I got through it and am feeling like it's a start... Little baby steps!

Chase Challenge 10k

A while ago I was chatting to a friend in Wolverhampton and she told me about this race. It fell on an otherwise race-free weekend and sounded like a bit of a change from the usual road races I've been doing recently. I'd normally look for races with a UKA licence as I'm trying to improve my runbritain handicap but I thought it would be good to just enjoy the scenery for a change with the added bonus of a medal at the end.

Rachel Partridge soon signed up (both of our husbands being in the Isle of Man for TT races leaving us at a somewhat looser end than usual). Before long there was talk of a picnic and our numbers swelled with the promise of a June Saturday afternoon in the lovely surrounds of Cannock Chase.

I'd only managed one run all week leading up to the race; trying to shake off a mild summer cold, or at least prevent it from turning into something worse, so I wasn't feeling well-prepared for the day. I felt considerably better though on Saturday morning and the weather looked tantalisingly bright from behind the bedroom curtains so any thoughts of a rain-check were pushed to one side and I packed up the picnic. My mum came with me so I was able to bring Jess, my dog along too.

We parked up not far from the start area and collected numbers and some free caffeine and beetroot shots (I've saved them for another day though!) The weather was starting to look a bit worrying - it was overcast and when the wind picked up it was really quite cold. I could see it becoming more of a typical British picnic later with us all shivering around the sandwiches.

We gathered at the start line for a couple of pictures and soon we were off...

Photo by Josh Hopkins. From left: Steve Doswell, Kathryn Forsyth-Doudican, Emma Hopkins, Rachel Partridge, Helen Lawrence, Jude Glynn, Lesley Byrne, Stacey Marston, Random Stranger doing the Timewarp

The race promised multi-terrain, undulating and hilly sections and it delivered. We set off along a gravelly track passing the occasional horse! I regretted not putting my trail shoes on (doing the usual thing of going with the majority rather than my gut instinct!) as there was a downhill section that was quite precarious. Nevertheless I took a few places here having started towards the back of the field. What goes down must come back up and the first of the climbs gave us a flavour of what was to come. I could see Steve ahead of me and for a little while we were all running along in single-file, through a wooded area, alongside a stream with the sun breaking through the trees. It was really enjoyable and I thought it would be nice to come back for a training run one day. Both Steve and I later commented that it was quite good to have the pace dictated and to save energy for the hilly sections, where I was able to take a few places as others walked. 

On the longest climb I walked a little way, but I was pleased to keep going for much of the time. At one point I passed Steve and caught a glimpse of Jude ahead. Always hard to judge by pace in these races but I thought I must be running well to have Jude in my sights. It gave me a lift and I picked the pace up a little bit. As I passed two men after about 7k they cautioned me that there were more hills to come but I am trying to "run the mile I am in" and simply thanked them but pointed out my speedy team mate ahead!

I had only looked at my watch a couple of times but judged that it would be close to the hour which felt like a reasonable target on such a course. The course had opened out and without the cover of the trees it was very windy, but it was a mixed blessing keeping us from getting too warm. Steve came back past me with about a mile to go and I tried to hang on in there. The course was a little bit long and it was a relief to see the finish line in sight, with good support considering the size of the race! I checked my watch to see I'd finished just under the hour as I'd hoped. We all finished in a similar time and picked up lovely square medals and a goody bag containing a bottle of water, cereal bar, a chocolate bar and a sample of sports rub too, which would come in handy later when my calves started complaining about the hills I'd subjected them to. Kathryn had enjoyed her "comeback" after some time out from racing - celebrating by getting attacked by a wild animal (actually a nasty scratch from a big stick but the bear story sounded better).

Although it wasn't classic picnic weather we took over a picnic table and had rather over-catered, with sandwiches, quiches, samosas, loads of crisps and even a box of posh chocs from Steve. The occasional gust of wind and flying biscuit tin lid doing nothing to dampen our spirits. A great day out!

Full results here.

Two weeks, two races

I've found myself a bit busy over the last two weeks, both with work and outside of work so I haven't had chance to blog as I would have liked to, especially as I raced twice so would usually have written a couple of race reports. I'll try to remember enough of the last couple of weeks though to update on how the training is going.

I flew to New York on Monday 18th May for a few days in the office on Long Island. By the time I arrived and got to the hotel I was tired so had an early night and got up early (although it was 10 o'clock UK time) on Tuesday for a run on the treadmill in the hotel's gym. I managed half an hour or so, alternating pace and incline. I still don't enjoy running on a treadmill so I try to keep it interesting by varying the pace. I seem to sweat even more than usual running indoors so I find it quite off-putting. Does anyone else have that problem? I was listening to a great podcast though, one that I've been enjoying on and off for a while; the Freakonomics podcast. It's given me an idea to write a blog soon on the podcasts I enjoy.

I really wanted to run outside whilst I was in the U.S. and I'd heard there was a trail about a mile away from the hotel. I headed out in the direction I'd been given but couldn't find the trail and ended up having a rather unsatisfying run along the highway with the smell of petrol fumes and the noise of traffic for company (along with Martin & Tom of Marathon Talk, continuing the podcast theme!) 

I got back to the UK on Friday morning and tried to get a full day's work done, catch up on stuff at home and then we had plans for dinner so no time for running. I figured it wouldn't matter having two days off; I was looking forward to parkrun on Saturday though...

The alarm went off on parkrunday and I felt like I'd been run over. We'd had a few drinks on Friday night but I've got up and done parkrun after more than that. I put it down to jet lag, but I really wasn't expecting to feel so tired. I started to panic as we were going to visit family for the weekend and I knew I wouldn't be able to run for the rest of the day or on Sunday because we had plans. Non-runners find it strange when you describe the worrying feeling when you can't run for a few days for whatever reason, but it really gets to me - I know other runners understand! 

I couldn't properly shake the tiredness all weekend but I enjoyed the catch up with family and we saw a show; The Commitments, in London on Sunday night which was great fun. My niece, Sarah and I were running in the Bupa London 10,000 on Bank Holiday Monday and both looking forward to it.

The weather on Monday was perfect for a picnic, unexpectedly warm and sunny. The race is huge and well-organised with a great atmosphere and I was excited to be running. I reckoned a PB was probably not on the cards but wanted to improve on my Great Birmingham 10k time. Unfortunately I nearly missed the start, needing a last minute loo visit and still standing in the queue with two minutes to go before the start. I made it though to my wave and got chatting to a lady from West Bromwich Harriers. We set off along the Mall but the first mile or so was quite congested, so I didn't get the start I was after. Things didn't quite click but I just focussed on keeping going as best I could, enjoying the occasional respite of a bit of breeze. I enjoyed the course and in most areas the support was superb, although there was a stretch from 8-9miles where it was really quiet. I completed the race in 52:01, which was the same as my PB for ages back in 2012 and 13 - funny how it now seems a bit disappointing, and as expected it didn't give a boost to my runbritain handicap either. Never mind, it was a fun day and I got a lovely medal and t-shirt as well as a day out with my niece and some of the other BvHers who'd made their way down.

On Tuesday I managed a surprisingly good pace on my 6 mile Kings Heath loop, and I really, really enjoyed the run; feeling like a different person to the one who went out as I often do. 

I missed club on Thursday to go to dinner with Guy instead - a "No Rules" night with Nomad, Birmingham which turned out to be at the Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath. We had a great night though, probably (definitely) too much to drink and eat. It was good to relax and spend time together having had a few stressful, full-on weeks.

Friday night was race night for a change. We'd got four teams entered in the Whale Ale Relay at Stratford Recreation Ground; a Tempo Event. I was in a team with a very speedy and improving couple; Monica & Mat, and also Clare who you may recall was my running buddy at Manchester Marathon. Our team was "Four Pints of Ale and a Packet of Blister Plasters". It was all a bit of fun really, four legs of two miles each with our three other teams and the addition of celebrating Suz's 40th Birthday (we'd all worn Jack Daniels t-shirts in honour of her favourite tipple) with a few beers afterwards on a sunny evening. I found the two miles tough, having not had chance to warm up properly, but I basically just wanted to run under 8 minute miles and managed to achieve that. A great race though and one I would recommend!

Saturday's parkrun was looking like being a steady plod until I found myself running alongside Pauline who had also been at the previous evening's festivities. I figured that if Pauline was going for it then I could too! We had a good natured battle with Pauline leading initially and then me coming back towards the end and a close finish. I was pleased to go under 25 minutes yet again; all things considered it gives me confidence that with a few weeks of consistent training I could have a go at a PB soon.

Sunday's long run was a 10.5 mile yomp around the hills of South Birmingham from the Peacock out to Alvechurch. It was a drizzly start to the day but great company as ever and rounded off my first 30 mile week since marathon week!

Close but no cigar!

A quick write up then for the last week or so of training. Monday's run was the Cannon Hill route from club. It's nice getting back to the summer routes but I'm having to remember to spray the insect repellent before the run... I'm really not designed for warmer weather, I burn easily, get hayfever and react badly to insect bites; in spite of this I like the summer months, the lighter evenings and the opportunity to run in parks and along the canals of Birmingham with club.

I made it to my Iyengar yoga class on Tuesday for the first time in months. I'm enjoying my new job but I am struggling to fit my ideal workout schedule in around the job and the amount of travelling. I really enjoyed the yoga class but felt quite sad that I'd let my yoga slip so much - it always feels like a long struggle to get back the strength and flexibility. My arms, that I'd been pleased with a few weeks ago, have started to look less toned; from baby-guns to bingo-wings in no time!

I entered the Notts Summer Series Race 1 on Wednesday and blogged about the race here. This was the first of two occasions this week (and the second of three if you count last week's parkrun) where I've felt close to my best but not quite getting there!

I made it back in time for club on Thursday and one of my favourite sessions; Kenyan Hills in Cotteridge Park. It's a great session with a sufficiently long and steep hill to feel like a good workout but without being so hard as to seem ridiculous. I really like the park (although I've heard that it can be a bit dodgy - I've never seen that side of it). Most of us were holding a bit in reserve for the Masters Road Relays but I ran with some faster runners and felt like I'd had a reasonably good session after Wednesday's race.

I took a complete rest day on Friday although my original intention had been to do some weights or Yoga. I just ran out of time with quite a bit of work to do. The foam roller is also staring at me accusingly and the odd bit of tightness in my legs is a reminder that I'm once again making the mistake of fitting in the running but not a lot else.

Saturday was British Masters Road Relays day and a relatively early start as they'd put the ladies and the "very mature" men on at 10:30am to spread the numbers out. I was glad of this as I was going to the Foodies Festival in the afternoon so was happy to go first leg and get away on time. For one reason or another I'd been bumped up from the W35 C team to the B team; this puts a bit of pressure on - knowing I'd be the slowest of my team but wanting to justify my promotion with a result at least as good as my colleagues in the C team. I knew the course would be short of 5k but there or thereabouts so relatively easy to pace. Going off first added extra pressure but also gave me an advantage in being with Jude and Rachel in our W45 and W35 C teams respectively. I've never caught Jude in a race but she's been within sight of me in the past and I thought it would be good to keep her there again if I could. Rachel is a similar pace runner to me and we've pushed each other to achieve good results before. I found myself in a Jude and Rachel sandwich which spurred me on to a time of 24:05. I was quite pleased with it at first and I'd worked hard, but again I didn't quite catch Jude and would have dearly liked the result to begin with a 23... Unfortunately in spite of two pretty good performances this week my runbritain handicap continues to travel in the wrong direction and I'm back at 16 having been at 15 at the start of the year. I'm clearly going to have to find a new gear to improve it.

Me feeling pleased with my t-shirt; a bargain at 2 for £6.

Sunday's run was a lovely 8.5 miles from the Peacock with three friends from club while a lot of others were enjoying a day off or racing. We took a fairly hilly route (no other option from the Peacock), but it was steady, in beautiful sunshine for most of the run and with plenty of stops for photos and just to enjoy the scenery! A great way to finish a reasonably good week of running and a reminder that it's not all about the times.

Nottingham Summer 5k Series, Race 1, 13th May 2015

For the last couple of months I've been working away from home in Nottinghamshire a few days each week so when I saw this race advertised I thought it would be a good way to pass one of the evenings and test myself over 5k ahead of some more focussed speed-work. I seem to have done reasonably well at evening races in the past and after getting within 15 seconds of a PB at Saturday's parkrun I thought there might be a chance of sneaking one here, especially as the profile seemed to be fairly flat being around the main lake at Colwick Park.

It was only £8 to enter online and there was the promise of a medal too. I arrived in plenty of time for a warm-up around the park before the 7pm start time. Having entered relatively late but being given number 24 I figured it would be a small field, even with a few people signing up on the night. The weather was really lovely; sunny and warm but not too warm and just a bit of a breeze. It was just as well because the organisers were set up outdoors; this was a pretty basic race with no changing facilities, cloakroom etc. but I quite like that, it's a bit like the early parkrun days - just turn up and run!

Looking around there was a nice mix of club runners and families and friends and I got chatting to a few other people, some of whom had raced in the series before. We headed to the start and the race organiser announced that the start of the series was also the official start of summer; it certainly felt like a summer's evening. I was glad I'd thought to take the insect repellent as otherwise I'd have been dinner for the midges. 

We set off clockwise around the lake, following the interior road to begin with before turning onto the path around the lake, through the trees. Predominately tarmac paths, with the odd bit of trail but no mud; and, as promised, the profile was pretty flat, with just one short incline. 

I set off at a decent pace, which I hoped to maintain, but with a small field the runners soon spread out. After the first half a mile or so there was a lady a few feet ahead and I tried to keep the distance consistent as we ran the first of two laps. The park was a great setting, similar to Arrow Valley in Redditch for a more local comparison, but also running alongside the River Trent.

My first lap was good and I was on target for a PB. Two men passed me towards the end of the lap but my target lady hadn't increased the gap and I pressed on. When I reached the end of mile two though I was 20 seconds down on the first mile and I couldn't understand what had happened. I tried to pick the pace back up but I was tiring and target lady started to stretch the gap out. The last kilometre seemed to take an age and I was hanging on, willing the finish line to come into view. I glanced at my watch and was relieved to see I'd be clearly under 25 minutes, but my legs and my maths told me the possible PB was gone.

I crossed the line and took happy hold of my medal; another one for the collection! I caught my breath and got talking to a couple from a local running club over the fig rolls and Jaffa cakes (yes, really!) and we watched as the other runners came in. The results were soon processed and presentations made to the first three ladies and gents and in the age categories, including a junior prize ("running socks for you and a bottle of wine for your Mum!") The lady I had been chatting to won her category and commented that the odds of winning something were certainly better than in most races.

The results revealed that "target lady" had a much better second half than I did and finished 30 seconds ahead of my 24:41 time (10 seconds off my PB). She was also awarded the F V35 prize (the first F V35 was in the top three). Must try harder if I want a bottle of wine next time (no finer incentive surely?)

Overall I enjoyed the race and will definitely try to get to at least one of the others in the series and seek that elusive PB. The organisers also run the Leicester series so I may even venture there if it works in with a drive home.

Cannon Hill parkrun in memory of John Enright, 9th May 2015

I didn't know John Enright well; when he died too young and suddenly this time last year I had been a member of Bournville for only a year or so and as he was a faster runner we didn't run together much, but we'd chat before club and in the bar. He was one of those people who everyone liked and he always made a special effort to get to club early so that there would be someone there to say "hi" to any newcomers.

The last time I spoke to John I was walking back to my car after Cannon Hill parkrun on a Saturday morning. We had a chat by the tearoom - the usual stuff about running; "how did you get on today?" etc. and John once again recommended cross country for the improvement it would bring to my running. Not long afterwards I heard that he had passed away at 43; a heart attack - and disbelief followed - it must be someone else, he's too young... I heard he left a young family behind. The club, and those that knew him well, mourned his passing.

To honour John's memory with a special parkrun at Cannon Hill a year after his passing was a bold and wonderful decision. His closest running friend and training partner, Suz West ran her 100th parkrun on Saturday, just a couple of weeks after raising money for the British Heart Foundation in his memory at the London Marathon (Suz's JustGiving page). Suz was instrumental, along with the team at CHP and our friends in Kings Heath Running Club in organising a mob match and bake-off, which took place at parkrun on 9th May.

The two clubs went head-to-head and ended up creating the largest attendance at Cannon Hill (by some way), an attendance record which puts CHP fourth in the list of the largest parkruns. We also had more cakes than I have ever seen as the two clubs were "competing" on that front - vying for the most donations from the parkrun crowd.

The atmosphere was special - when I first arrived with my table there were a few of us getting organised and the band of volunteers setting up; I went back to the car to get something and as I approached the bandstand for the second time I realised how big it was going to be... The balloons, bunting, cakes and sea of teal vests was a sight that brought a tear to my eye. So many BvHers there, more than I've ever seen and a lovely bustling sense of anticipation. John's wife, Rachel, and his daughters were there too, and the round of applause for them, taking part and clearly enjoying the morning was both humbling and uplifting. They had brought along a lovely picture of John too - so even those who had never met him could see who this was for. I can only imagine how it might have seemed to a newcomer to parkrun.

I thought I would run as hard as I could and on reflection a PB may have been on the cards if I'd warmed up and got myself a better starting position, but this was a day to think about John (although it brought about some fantastic PBs - the inspiration and friendly rivalry spurring people to achieve something more than they might usually do). The shouts of "go Bournville", "good running Kings Heath" could be heard all around. Everywhere around the course I saw people I knew and we waved and called out each other's names. 

My first mile was at PB pace, and I passed a couple of Kings Heath runners, but was also passed by some Bournvillians - I didn't mind too much! On the out and back section I tried to count vests - I thought that Bournville had more in the leading groups, and it looked like our stronger runners were all pushing hard. 

Each time I passed the tea-room I thought about the last time John and I spoke. I didn't fade too much but struggled to maintain the pace I'd set out at, getting a bit caught up in places.

Coming to the hill at the end and I was pleased to see so many of the faster runners had come over to cheer and encourage us for the final push. I set my sights on passing one more person and edged towards and then past him finishing in 24:46, just 10 seconds off a Cannon Hill parkrun PB. Judging by the pictures afterwards everyone had really gone for it on that last stretch. 

The volunteer team did an amazing job managing the finish funnel, which has been tricky before with less runners to manage! 755 runners crossed that line in total, with around 150 coming from the two clubs; 64 from BvH, and we won the mob match with a score of 33716 to Kings Heath's 28732. John would have loved the result but I'm sure he would also have recognised the tremendous effort of everyone from both clubs in making the day so special.

Runners stayed for a long time afterwards, queuing up for the amazing cakes and raising well over £1000 for British Heart Foundation. We had a great team photo afterwards and it was wonderful to be a part of it.

It was simply one of the most moving running experiences I have ever had and a great tribute to a lovely guy and to the running family he was a part of.

Mob match results

Great Birmingham 10k, 3rd May 2015

In the two weeks since marathon day I've run a grand total of 14 miles. I haven't got my diet back on track at all and have either been sleeping really heavily or had strange broken sleep. My ITBS hasn't been good (in spite of not giving me any problems for 26.2 miles) and I've added a tight left hamstring into the mix. I've also felt emotional at the best of times and then had some difficult family news this week which has left me reeling. Somehow though, after a decent last mile at Cannon Hill parkrun on Saturday I woke up feeling that there might be a possibility of doing something approaching my 10k PB (50:00) at the inaugural Morrisons Great Birmingham 10k.

I had found myself in the "fast paced club runners" section, which was really strange as actually I would have preferred to be in one of the music waves... I don't really know why I had put myself in there. As it was though, it was quite nice to be in the pen with some fellow Bournville Harriers and I met up with my Mom and Aunty (who was running in the Pink wave) before the start, which was over near Millennium Point.

I'd woken up to pouring rain but it wasn't cold at all and by the time we got to the start we had just the odd bit of drizzle. It was looking like perfect running conditions. The route has a familiar profile to the Birmingham Half Marathon, with a downhill start running out of town, then out along the Pershore Road to Edgbaston; but instead of carrying on to Bournville the route takes you round the Cricket Ground then back along the Pershore Road (great for looking out for fellow runners) and back into town following the same route as the half, including the tough hills and finishing on Broad Street.

I went off too quickly, wanting to maximise the downhill start and immediately regretted it as I started the second mile with stitch and feeling really hot. The sun came out and I couldn't decide whether to take off my cap and throw it away or leave it on (recent races have seen me lose various items of clothing... A trip to the charity shop might be in order if I continue to view my running wardrobe as disposable!) 

All of a sudden we were approaching the Cricket Ground where I could see (and hear) the Bournville supporters (many of whom were recovering from excellent runs in London the previous week). We were nearly halfway and I hadn't found a rhythm - I was struggling, but seeing them made me smile and I looked forward to looping back around. There was a water station and I had a quick sip and poured some water over my head. It was around this point that more and more people started passing me, including a number of my club mates. My spirits were lifted by the cheering squad again, but my pace was way off my intended 8 minute miles and we still had the tough climbs to come. 

I kind of just wanted it to end then but enjoyed looking out for other Harriers and exchanged a few words with other runners to pass the time. I reckoned I'd still come in under 55 minutes and thought about how pleased I would have been with that time a couple of years ago. I'm not sure how much the marathon was still in my legs but I found myself walking on the hills and felt really disappointed in myself. As we approached the underpass coming back towards Broad Street I began to feel a bit upset and focussed on my Mom who would be waiting for me. The support was good, but didn't seem to be as loud as for the Half Marathon, and I think the distance to the barrier on one side created too much space between supporters and runners (although presumably this had been done to enable the medical staff to get onto the course easily). With less than 200m to go I saw a lady on the ground, she looked to be in a lot of pain but she was conscious and was being attended to. It shook me a bit and it turned out to be the reason I missed my Mom - who was shouting from here but who I missed completely.

I crossed the line in 52:39 and took a goodie bag over to where a couple of my club mates were. Having given myself the excuse that there was no chance of a PB on that course two weeks after a marathon I heard that a fellow Manchester marathoner had indeed done just that, so I filed my excuses and just reflected that I hadn't really got the goods on the day. Maybe next time!

I had a hard time finding my Mom, who had my bag, my phone and my warm clothes. I'd begun wishing I'd put my bag on the baggage bus but there was a huge queue for that too and a bit of disorganisation. In the end I managed to find Mom in time to watch my Aunty finish in her usual gleeful style. We rounded off the day with a couple of drinks and photos with our medals.

Greater Manchester Marathon, 19/04/2015

Race day mornings are strange. I'd not had the best night's sleep, confused by the blackout curtains in the Altrincham Travelodge, I kept waking up and looking at my watch. I woke up properly just before my 5:45 alarm and my eyes felt tired but otherwise I was okay. 

I was nervous getting ready, and pleased I'd laid everything out and attached my race number the night before. I met the rest of the Harriers in reception at 7am where a mini-bus had been arranged to collect us after the news the previous evening that there had been an overhead line failure on the tram line. It was back up and running but we decided to stick with plan B anyway.

We arrived at the race village in plenty of time for loos, baggage etc. although it was really quite cold, especially compared to Saturday's weather, and we were all shivering whilst waiting around, we were glad it was overcast at least for the start. The starting area was a bit confusing, and I expect a lot of people lined up well ahead of their expected times, perhaps aware from previous encounters that the first couple of miles are a bit narrow for the volume of runners (especially in the "peak" zone of runners expecting to finish between 4 and 4.5 hours, where I found myself). I'd made a decision to run with my friend Clare Mullin and we'd agreed on 9:30minute mile pace with a plan to push it if we felt up to it later.

There was a little group of us to begin with but within a mile or so Clare and I were settled in just behind the 4hr 15 pacer, feeling pretty comfortable and enjoying the opportunity to look out for teal vests on the switchback sections. It was much more congested than I expected and a few times I wasted energy trying to get past slower runners or finding myself in an early mêlée for the water station, or the loos that seemed to be required far too early by some runners! I was enjoying it though and it felt familiar - almost like the first few miles of the Birmingham Half.

At around about the 8 mile marker I voiced the concern that the blister that hadn't properly recovered from the Ashby 20 was feeling a bit sore. Clare's advice? "You won't be able to feel your feet after 20 miles so don't worry!" She was about right and apart from the awareness of it I barely thought about it until removing my shoe later.

Apart from the first mile (which was just over 10 minutes) we stuck pretty close to 9:30mm. I really enjoyed running with Clare; it was her home territory and I think her fifth marathon so she was a reassuring presence in more ways than one. The route wasn't the most scenic but it was varied with the race village at Old Trafford and passing through Salford Quays and the studios there, before heading out through Stretford, Sale and Timperley towards Altrincham. The out and back sections were enough to give the opportunity to see both the fastest runners at the head of the field on the way out, and the less speedy runners on the way back, but without too much repetition. There were areas where the course felt too narrow for the volume of runners and we saw more than one runner come a cropper on a poorly positioned traffic cone!

The support along the course was excellent, with each area competing for the best entertainment; bands, school children and a gospel choir kept us going. There were also some great motivational signs - my favourite being the guy with a "Touch here for power!" sign giving out high-fives! The water stations came round quickly, with small bottles (easier to drink than cups but not as wasteful as the large bottles) and energy gels too. 

We saw Simon Newman on his way back as we passed through Timperley the first time, he seemed to be doing well and was in a pack with the 3:30 pacer - bang on target. As we reached Altrincham and the half-way point it was nice to be in the familiar area where we'd spent the previous evening, and the support was fantastic too! We still felt okay and I wondered whether to push the pace on, but decided to stick with it as we headed out on the loop that took in some nice villages and even a bit of countryside. 

We'd lost the 4:15 pacer - he'd gone off into the distance at about 16 miles and we thought we'd give ourselves a couple of miles to catch him. Somewhere between here and 18 miles Clare and I were separated - I was so focussed on the flag ahead that I didn't notice until too late. I pressed on with the pace and noticed that I was actually enjoying myself. I felt comfortable (too comfortable?) and began to realise that I was going to finish in a reasonable time.

I had a plan to take my gels at 5, 10 and 15 miles and then see how I felt. I took the other two at 19 and 22.5 miles and I think that worked really well for managing my energy levels, which were pretty consistent. Any slowing in the final few miles was as much to do with the slight incline and head-wind as anything I think. I was tired, of course, but I didn't feel like stopping at any point.

When things felt tough I thought about my family and friends - this was both deliberate - a tribute to the people who mean most to me, to think of them and take heart from their presence with me; but was also triggered by things I saw and heard along the course. My mind was drifting around but I kept coming back to the feeling of something that is best described as gratitude; just to be there, to be part of something big and to finally be achieving something that had at times seemed beyond reach.

Passing the 20 mile mark I smiled at the thought that the rest of the race was all uncharted waters for me. Every step was further than I had run before. So often you hear that the race really begins at this point, but psychologically I just felt stronger, knowing that I was going to finish in another hour or so. Around me people were flagging. Some started to walk, or slump. I focussed on my form, trying to stay "tall and light". I counted Cocker Spaniels number 7 and 8 - a record for me in a race (I like to count dogs while I'm out running - that's normal, right?)

The mile markers weren't accurate and as I wasn't paying attention to anything much, for ages I knew I was over 21 miles but not quite 24, vaguely aware that I had about "a parkrun" left. I saw Fergal from Cannon Hill parkrun and he told me I had two miles to go. The next mile was a blur, people kept stopping suddenly in front of me. Then someone said there was a mile to go. 

The 4:15 pacer reappeared at the side of the road, grinning at me. The wind picked up and I felt like I was going backwards. The sun came out and I wondered if I was hallucinating! I could see Old Trafford one minute and the next it was gone. Then, suddenly we turned a corner and the finish line was there and the noise was incredible. The clock said 4:16-something. Could I get under 4:17 on the clock and therefore under 4:10? I pushed. My legs sprang to life... I reached the chip mat and crossed it smiling (at least my brain was smiling but my facial muscles might not have got the message). 

Space blanket, thank you. Medal? Huge, Thank You! Goody bag, small t-shirt? Yes please! Chocolate protein shake? Yes, don't mind if I do. Chilled beer (non-alcoholic) - that's the best beer I've ever had - THANK YOU!! 

Almost immediately I found my running club buddies, those that had already come through had all had good races, PBs or the times they were after. Our fellow Bournville Harriers had been tracking us online and I had the good news that my chip time was 4:09:36. I called Guy, my eyes full of tears. I called my Mom "yes, I did it. I love you!" The others came in - Clare, my comrade, with a huge hug, having bagged a big PB. We shared our stories and posed for the post-race pictures.

The Travelodge had been kind enough to allow us to use a room beyond the usual checkout time. It was nice to change into fresh clothes for the journey, but the true horror of my blistered foot was quite a shock! It didn't hurt much but it looked hideous. I felt surprisingly good though and enjoyed the post-race glow in the company of really good friends.

Postscript:

Two days later I feel okay, but my legs still feel disconnected from my body. My foot isn't painful but I doubt I will be wearing sandals any time soon!

I've questioned whether I could have put myself on the line more; got closer to 4 hours, and concluded that I could, but I'm glad I didn't. I wouldn't swap that feeling of finishing strong and happy just to be running for anything (but I have started to look for an Autumn marathon...)

The build up to the big one!

I'm not going to lie - I really should have written this before Sunday instead of at 2:30am on Monday morning; the past week is a blur (if it weren't for Strava I doubt I could tell you which days I ran on, let alone how far) and I only really want to write about the marathon. Since I'm lying here in bed, shattered but with such achy legs that I can't sleep, I thought I'd write a bit about the week leading up to it and then tomorrow I'll write about the Greater Manchester Marathon.

It was BvH club run on Monday and as there were a few of us with Manchester looming or with tired legs after a combo of Road Relays and Sunday's 10k, a group of us trotted round the 5k route, which is two laps around Rowheath. I ended up running a bit faster than I'd intended but as it was short and I still had six days to go I wasn't too troubled. 

Work was busy and I was glad of a rest day on Tuesday and some time in the evening to do a bit of ironing and catch up at home. Plus it was an early start to drive up to Notts on Wednesday so an early night was in store.

I consciously increased my carbs with the aim of keeping the overall calories about the same but having less protein and fat. It's really hard though as that's against my usual eating plans and I start getting hungry really quickly after a carb-laden meal. Malt loaf lunch-box snacks were a bit of a saviour this week.

I had a little run on the treadmill on Wednesday - the weather in the West Mids was lovely apparently but it was cold and wet a bit further north and I didn't fancy a run outside. I just did three gentle miles, with a wry look at the clock at 2.62 miles!

I was back too late for club on Thursday so I just chilled out and watched a bit of TV, I didn't think it would hurt to miss one run, although I had intended to run on the days I usually would, just doing shorter distances with nothing intense. I was working from home on Friday, and it was nice to not have to drive anywhere so when I finished work I used the time to catch up on paperwork and bills at home. Whilst I was beginning to get a bit anxious I decided not to do anything drastically different to a normal week so when Guy said he just fancied a takeaway curry on Friday night I went along with it. I substituted my usual pea pilau rice and veg stuffed paratha for the plain versions to reduce the fibre content, and ditched the tarka dhal and onion bhaji which can sometimes trigger an upset tummy. Plus it was non-alcoholic beer for me. 

On Saturday I ran a slow parkrun at Cannon Hill. I got a few raised eyebrows from people who knew I was running Manchester but quite honestly I find it helps to loosen the legs the day before a race (and I know this was going to be my longest race, but so was 10k and half-marathon once upon a time!) I really did take it steady and felt better for it. I think that being confident about your decisions and not letting "helpful advice" take you off course is an important lesson (in life as well as running!) Whilst it is good to take on board the experience of others, we are all different and what works for us mentally is often more important than the physical side. The benefit I derive from a few steady miles in the company of friends outweighs any tiredness I might experience physically (in fact it probably helps to deal with some of the nervous energy!)

I ran a few errands and then it was up to Manchester with the Teal Massive! We got to our hotel in Altrincham which is on the marathon course in good time and popped out for a coffee and cake. It was a lovely day and warm in the sunshine, but the forecast for Sunday was cooler and overcast so the conditions were looking favourable. I was starting to feel really hyper but so glad to be there with friends and we sometimes kept our minds off it or shared our thoughts. We had booked dinner at a local Italian restaurant in the evening which was lovely, very busy but the food was good and they had Becks Blue so I was happy to feel quite normal with my pizza and "beer" on a Saturday night. 

Back to the Travelodge at about 9:40 with just time to catch up with the good luck messages and lay out my kit for the next day and the 5:45 alarm. I struggled to switch my brain off and get some decent sleep but probably ended up switching the light off at about 11pm and just waking 2-3 times in the night. 

As I lay in bed I thought about how pleased I was after my previous disappointments, to finally be there, just waiting to begin. I planned what I would think about when it got tough (a mile in honour of my loved ones, some no longer with us. Time to think about what they mean to me and how I want to do them proud). And then, all of a sudden it was time to get up and take on the adventure...

Taper, taper, taper!

It's strange looking back over my training since the start of the year; apart from the occasional week where through illness I've not been able to train, 30+ miles, often 40+ has been the norm compared to my usual training where I would typically hit 25 miles on a good week. As I'm now tapering I've been reducing the mileage but maintaining the frequency; five runs this week but a total of "just" 22 miles, less than the amount I will run in one day next Sunday in Manchester.

I started the week with a pretty typical Monday night club run; nothing spectacular but a nice Bank Holiday evening following some lovely weather and a bit of retail therapy. On Tuesday I drove up north for work and decided to do a short run on the treadmill - I'm warming to the treadmill and the opportunity to manage my speed, so I did a bit of a progression run, but my stomach was playing it's tricks again so after half an hour I gave up (probably just as well, given the tapering!)

On Thursday night I wasn't intending to do the club reps but I got swept along and actually had quite a lot of fun - we were doing shuttle runs with strength exercises (squats, lunges, planks etc.) between each set. I didn't push it on the runs but I did enjoy doing something a bit different and we had a laugh. Overall it was only about 3 miles of running and that was quite enough. 

I'd foolishly put myself forward for B team duties at the National Road Relays on Saturday, and was regretting the decision but we had a full team so I decided that I would run but definitely NOT RACE! There was a strong field as you would expect but it seemed small and not many clubs had put out B teams. They'd introduced two long legs at the start (around 5 miles each), but with my marathon being close I was down to do one of the shorter ones, which was the same as the recent Midlands relays at just under 5k. We were already in last place when I began my leg, and with no chance of making up any places it was quite easy to stick to a pace that was "easy" (can someone explain why it never feels easy to run easy though?) With last leg runners occasionally passing me (and people on their warm-downs too!) I did marvel at these super-human creatures who are able to get so much more from their mixture of skin, bones, muscle and organs than I can, but there was great camaraderie as always and I do think there's something to be said for representing even if you can't really compete.

A sunny yet windy day at Sutton Park for the National Road Relays.

On Sunday I had a pace to stick to at a local 10k, the Ronnie Bowker race at Cannon Hill park, which I've written about here. Having had a sports massage on Friday I'm pleased to say that the knee issue that seems to have plagued the last few weeks has abated, and apart from the odd twinge (probably psychological) and slightly worrying tummy troubles (probably stress-related) I'm feeling about as good as I have done for a few weeks now... The taper must be working on the physical side.

To the mental aspect; no matter which way I look at it 26.2 miles is a heck of a long way. I've tried chunking it down in my mind but still it looms large and intimidating. And yet, people do this all the time! If you look at my Facebook or Twitter feeds you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a normal activity, but perhaps the very fact that we all want to share in it, compare notes etc. is because it is just bloody huge and scary. 

It reminds me of exams at school - how much revision have you done? Have you tried this or that? If we don't know it now we never will etc. etc. There's a comfort in sharing it all but we can also freak each other out with all the talking. Even writing a blog, I'm conscious I'm contributing to the marathon chatter, but I'm consuming it all too. In an effort to remain calm ahead of next Sunday I'm focussing on the following thoughts:

1) It's just another race. Yes, it's the furthest I've ever run, but once upon a time that was true for 5k too!

2) I've trained well and consistently. Not perfectly, but whoever managed that?

3) There will be other opportunities to do this and do it faster. Nothing silly now. No heroics. Get round, stay sensible.

4) I'm going with my mates, we're in it together, we will support each other through it.

5) It's going to be fun!

This time next week it will be done - stay tuned...

Ronnie Bowker 10k

I missed this race last year as I was struggling with shin splints, and since it is local I decided to have a run at A-goal marathon pace (9mm) on the final Sunday before Manchester Marathon. A few other Harriers were running too, with the promise of a wooden medal and the usual Team Teal spirit to look forward to.

A small field of around 150 runners meant that parking was easy enough, and given the turnout I'm used to seeing at Cannon Hill parkrun it seemed oddly quiet. The registration was also very calm in the mac building, with great facilities and no queues for the loos! I was pleased to pick up a nice round race number whilst chatting to some fellow runners.

It was a dry and clear day but as we all realised on the start line, the wind was strong and that made it feel a bit chilly. We set off from the lodge near the gate and I looked around and was pleased to see Bournville well represented in amongst the runners. We headed off up the slight hill towards the tea room (where Taz was waiting with his trusty camera!) and clockwise past the bandstand. At this point it was feeling very much like parkrun although I was reminding myself that I needed to stick to my pace plan as I saw the others pull away ahead of me. 

We ran out to the triangle and then along past the football pitches and round the bollard, as we do in the Conductive Education 10k. It was great to see that Linda Howell and Sarah Rock were amongst the leading ladies and both looking strong. I loved this section, seeing my fellow team mates and having enough breath to give them a bit more vocal support than I would usually muster. Back into the park and out again onto the road and back in again at the Nature Centre I was really struggling with my instinct to pick up the pace and race it. Simon Newman and Antony Stewart were enjoying a run around the park in the opposite direction and giving plenty of encouragement and I also saw Helen Lawrence out enjoying her final Sunday run before next week's marathon. It was great to see so many people out and about. 

On the second lap the wind, which had already felt quite strong the first time around, seemed to intensify and the long straight out along the Rea Valley route was hard work. It would have been difficult to get a PB today, although the course is nice and flat. Fortunately it wasn't a worry for me as I focussed on sticking to my pace as best I could. I knew I had gone a bit quicker than intended in the second mile and was trying to slow it down without going over the planned pace. I kept forgetting that it wasn't a race, especially as I found myself to-ing and fro-ing with a chap from Kings Heath who I recognised from parkrun.

I decided that I would run the last kilometre a bit harder, for the feeling of finishing strong. I enjoyed the final push for home hearing the Teal Army shouting me from the finish line and I think I may have even managed a smile for the camera instead of my usual grimace! My splits show that apart from the second and last mile I stuck pretty closely to the planned pace, so I was really pleased with that. The wooden medal made a good change from the usual bling!

There were some great performances, in spite of the unfavourable conditions, with Linda as our leading runner, just missing out on the podium but bagging first in her age category. After the obligatory team photo (with an improved backdrop!) a few of us enjoyed a cup of tea and a chat at the mac before heading home. This was a great little race, good organisation, friendly marshals and with PB potential in the right weather it is one that I will definitely do again.

Full Results

Photo courtesy of Taz Memon Yousaf