Track FEAR

On February 19, 2015February 19, 2015 By Girl Running CrazyIn General5 Comments

Every week Tuesday rolls around and it’s time. With sweaty palms and a sickening feeling deep in my stomach, it’s time to check the Chasers website and see what track session is lined up for the evening. Peaking through my fingers I slowly scroll down to find the right date and what’s in store…

THE HORROR

I hate track. No matter what the session involves, track is the one thing that always makes me giddy with nerves long before I even get to Battersea…and then the nightmare unfolds.

As soon as I wake up on Tuesday I’m trying to find excuses to skip it. Maybe I’m ill, am I ill? I’m not ill… Is that a twinge in my leg? Maybe I’ll have to work late? Maybe, just maybe I’ll have something better to do? But it’s a Tuesday and, sadly, I really don’t have anything better to do. I’m scared.

When I first started going to track 2 years ago I was always last. I wasn’t last a little bit, I was last by a LOT. Everyone was just faster than me so I would have to beast myself on every rep, come in last, and then get killed on the recovery, which would obviously be shorter than everyone elses.

Basically I spent the whole session running like this desperately trying to hang off the back of someone else.

My problem was I always, always ran off too fast, I would literally run as fast as I could until I realised pretty quickly I couldn’t keep it up for longer than 100m. I ran off too fast because I was trying to keep up, but it was a strategy doomed for failure. Track Fear was born.

During one session that left me gasping and almost in tears Bryn told me that it was much better to skip a lap, or walk the last 100m, to get the recovery I needed for the next rep than to slow down. If you can’t do the full session at goal pace, cut the session, don’t drop the pace. Since then I’ve stuck to that principle.

This week was a 10 x 800m Yasso session (yep that’s 5 miles in total). The goal was to run each 800m in your target marathon time, so if you’re aiming for a 3 hour 45 marathon you should be aiming for a 3 min 45 sec 800m – whatever your goal, that’s actually a pretty achievable pace for track.

I had a good session this week, each rep came in just under target (although some were a tad fast) but I felt strong throughout so I was happy!

I learned the hard way that track isn’t about running as fast as you possibly can, that will only leave you knackered and open to injury – I’m a long distance runner, not a sprinter.

Track is one session in my training week, an important session, but one session and the reason I go is to build upon and improve my speed. Yes, it should be hard, it should be uncomfortable and it should leave you out of breath but it shouldn’t leave you in absolute bits.

I don’t hate track, not really, but I am scared of it and I do get so nervous my legs turn to jelly as soon as I step on that orange bouncy stuff. But, every Tuesday around 8pm, I walk out into Battersea Park with a sense of achievement and relief. It’s only a lil’ 400m loop after all, it’s not so bad is it?

Until Tuesday rolls around again…

Taking the Plunge: An Ultramarathon

On January 25, 2015January 26, 2015 By Girl Running CrazyIn General2 Comments

One cold November night in the pub my friend Frankie casually announced she wanted to up her game and run an ultra. The ultra in question is the UKanTrail St Begas Ultra (SBU35) a 36 mile off-road run round the Lake District, selected on the basis they gave you beer at the end…

Feeling slightly fuzzy a few pints of cider later I, of course, thought it would be an absolutely awesome idea to spend a weekend up in the Lake District running the furthest distance ever in my life…off-road…and piped up that I would love to do it too! So, after putting off the commitment for a couple of months, this week I finally took the plunge and signed up. Yes, I have signed up to run an ultra.

The SBU35 was apparently designed with new ultra runners in mind and they say it’s ‘as tough as you want it’. Following the route of a legendary Irish princess between 2 chapels, it starts at Bass Lake and finishes (36 little miles later) in the West Coast village of St Bees. Stunning views have been promised!

I’ve got several friends who frequently participate in ultras and they’ve often tried to convince me that it’s actually easier than running a marathon…and the more marathons I run, the more this seems plausible. Constantly chasing a marathon PB is a physical and mental battle that leaves you frustrated, disappointed and a little bit broken. With an ultra there’s no expectation – what’s a good time for a 36 mile off road race? Does anyone know? Just getting to the finish line would be a pretty awesome achievement, right?!

I’m aware 36 miles is a long way and will require some hefty training but, assuming all is well, I will come out of Spring marathon-fit after doing the double in Brighton and London and I aim to keep that fitness through the summer. Cat tells me the best thing about ultras (apart from the cake) is that it’s totally acceptable to walk sections of it, so I don’t need to be able to run 36 miles non-stop, I just need to be able to keep moving forwards.

I have no idea what’s in store for this one, has my head finally agreed to something my body just won’t do? Looks like I’ll find out soon. Errrr, cheers Frankie!

This Girl Can

On January 16, 2015January 26, 2015 By Girl Running CrazyIn General1 Comment

I absolutely love love LOVE the new This Girl Can campaign, it’s sweaty, raw, bold and a little bit sassy. It only launched earlier this week and has already drawn attention from the likes of Missy Elliot, Susanna Reid, Martina Navratilova and Elle Magazine as well as a whole host of influential journalists.

Developed by Sport England, the campaign is designed to inspire and encourage women to get active and get involved no matter what shape or size they are (this even kicked off with a 90 sec TV ad in Corrie, that’s kinda a big deal in my world).

Research showed that it is fear of judgement and body image issues that stop many women taking up sport or exercise. They worry that they’re the wrong size, or will be perceived as not fit enough or skilled enough to go for a jog or attend a Zumba class. What will people think?

This Girl Can

Last year Beth Tweddle wanted to bring women’s sport into the spotlight and took part in a live Q&A with session with Sky Sports. Sadly, what followed was an overwhelming barrage of offensive, sexist, disrespectful and downright foul abuse on Twitter.

Beth Tweddle is a 2012 London Olympic Bronze medalist. She has 3 Gold and 2 Bronze medals at the World Championships and a whole host of other medals and achievements across her career. She is a successful and brilliant sportswoman and it’s a travesty the spotlight was cast for all the wrong reasons.

Unfortunately, it’s this kind of idiotic and cowardly behaviour that make people, and women in particular, feel judged and shy away from trying something new.

This Girl Can celebrates active women of all shapes, sizes and abilities who proudly wear their Lycra, sweat until it comes out of their eyeballs and just get on with it, no matter what they look like and what anyone else may think.

It’s a really refreshing approach to a topic that usually focuses on exercise to lose weight and get skinny. Too often body shaming is a tactic to make women feel like they aren’t good enough if they don’t look like the models in the ads and articles.

This is real women doing real things without the airbrushing and stylists, it’s ordinary people giving it a go, getting fit and sticking two fingers up at anyone with something negative to say. And the best bit? They’re having a lot of fun doing it. It’s pretty damn empowering.

I for one think it’s bloody ace! #ThisGirlCan. Enjoy

10 Things I wish I knew before I ran my first Marathon…

On January 13, 2015March 11, 2015 By Girl Running CrazyIn General, Marathon Chat21 Comments

1. It will hurt

Obvious? Maybe. But what I didn’t know was how much it was going to hurt long before race day.

Running more miles than you ever have before hurts. Speed sessions hurt, long runs hurt, short runs hurt, even rest days hurt…when you go to bed, when you wake up, when your alarm goes off at 7am at the weekend. It all hurts.

But trumping them all is when your friends stay in the pub for a late one on the jagerbombs, and you trundle off home with your tail between your legs because you need to knock out 9 miles in the morning. Nothing hurts quite like that.

It’s gonna hurt. Get used to it.

2. You will have bad days

There will probably be quite a few, marathon training is never plain sailing. When I was training for Paris I attempted a 15 mile run after work on a Friday night. I was under prepared, mentally and physically, I was in a rush and I underestimated the distance. I couldn’t do it.

That night I ran 12 miles. I came home in tears wailing ‘I had to cut my run short by 3 MILES and I’ve only run 12, whhaaaaa’. I thought it was the end of the world, my housemate thought I was mental. I probably was…I probably am…

If you have a bad day, or even a bad week, move on, don’t worry about it and definitely don’t give up.

3. You may never have a good hair day ever again

I’m afraid this one is serious. Morning runs will leave little time for a perfect blow dry and, by the time you’ve finished your run of an evening, you’re likely to be more concerned with filling the void in your tummy than sorting your hair out.

Unless you have a personal stylist on tap it’s gonna be a rough few months for your locks. Sorry

4. You will become really boring to your non-running friends

I mean, really boring. There you are, living, breathing, even dreaming about running and it’s all you can do to stop talking about all the miles you’ve run, the ache in your calf, the new gel flavour you’ve discovered, your new Sweaty Betty top…but the harsh truth is, the only people that will be vaguely interested are other runners.

Whilst your friends and family will be endlessly supportive…they really don’t care. They don’t care that you knocked 53 seconds off your Parkrun PB or that you ran your longest run ever, or that your toenail just fell off…

WHAT! You went for another run? Really?! Guess what…

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5. You need to have a little faith in you

There will be many times over the 16 odd weeks you’re training when you will think you just can’t do it. I still think that all the time! My friend Mike is always telling me I need to trust my training and he’s right, you need to trust all the hard work you’ve put in during the build up, it will pay off and it will see you through.

When I was struggling in the run up to Amsterdam Keith told me look back and write down my top 5 runs. What was good about them? Remember the positives (all negatives are banned…)

Most importantly, you need to have a little faith in yourself

6. You’ll talk about poo more than is socially acceptable

When you start running long distances you get to know your body very well and you’ll soon have a mental map of all the accessible toilets within a 20 mile radius. Tennis courts, pubs, coffee shops, churches, bushes-where-dogs-can’t-find-you, you’ll know them all.

Whilst it’s fine to talk stomach cramps and Imodium with other runners, your friends won’t understand and your work colleagues just won’t get it, so when you bust out the poo strategy chat on a Tuesday afternoon after a conference call…well…don’t.

To be clear: Poo talk is fine with other runners, but at work? NO

7. Respect the rest day

Would you disrespect the long run? No. So don’t disrespect the rest day! Rest days are when the magic happens, it’s when the body adapts and improves and gets stronger. Don’t try and make up for missed sessions by compromising rest days, just let it go.

Your days off are hard earned, put your feet up, put the kettle on and chill out. Enjoy it!

8. It’s Emotional

Nothing can quite prepare you for the immense euphoria, relief and triumphant joy you feel when you cross the marathon finish line. Weeks and weeks of blood, sweat, and tears all comes down to this very this moment and you’ve done it! Add to that the sheer exhaustion, more pain and raging thirst and you may very well just cry. But that’s OK…just don’t ruin your brand new shiny medal!

9. You’ll get the blues

What goes up must come down and after the high of finishing your first marathon there’s a fair ol way to come back down. When the celebrations are over and you’ve caught up on life it’s normal to feel like there’s a bit of a hole in your life. You spent so much time, energy and focus preparing for one day it feels a bit like when Christmas is over when you’re a kid.

I’m afraid the post-marathon blues are very real

There’s only one way I’ve found of picking myself back up again, and that leads us on nicely to…

10. It’s an addiction

Sure, you might not believe me now and you sure as hell won’t believe me just after you’ve crossed that finish line, but give it a week…maybe less…and you’ll be carefully dusting off your trainers secretly plotting when your next marathon will be. All of a sudden it’s not so secret and you’re lining up marathons like you used to line up sambuka on a Friday night.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Before you know it people will be all like…

And it is a problem. It’s a really big frigging problem…so good luck with that 🙂

So this is Christmas…what have you done?

On December 24, 2014February 21, 2015 By Girl Running CrazyIn General2 Comments

I’ve been mostly unimpressed with my running performance this year. 2014 was not the year of PB’s that I was hoping for and it’s been frustrating, challenging and exhausting trying to make it so. But, hey, life is full of ups and downs and you just have to roll with it right?

The one thing I’ve learned is that the Chasers won’t let me give up on myself even if I do and if it wasn’t for them I probably would have hung up my trainers by now, succumbing to a life of excessive chocolate and cheese, drowning my sorrows and wondering how I got so fat…

With that in mind, one of my New Years Resolutions is to offer the strength people have given me this year to others, because that’s what being a Chaser is all about.

But…2014 hasn’t been all bad and there have definitely been some highlights!

1. Representing at the South of England Road Relay Championships

That’s right, me, the girl who came last in cross country at school represented her club in the SEAA Road Relay Championships…and I did not come last!

2. Rome Marathon

OK, so the Romans couldn’t organise a p**s up in a brewery (literally, when Ruth and I asked for a ‘nice glass of red’ they brought us some kind of shot, then when we asked for a glass of wine they simply poured said shot into a wine glass…) but they sure as hell can build a City.

Rome is quite simply stunning and possibly the most beautiful city I’ve ever been to and I got to soak up two and a half thousands of years worth of history in the best way possible – by running round it.

3. A Running First

Flying high on post marathon endorphins and frustrated with my Rome performance I immediately entered the Manchester Marathon and ran it 2 weeks later. I still didn’t get the time I was after but I did run it 10 minutes quicker and realised that I was capable of more than I ever thought possible.

I swore I’d never run 2 marathons in 2 weeks ever again but I’m already gearing up for another double this Spring…

4. Green Belt Relay

Most people actively avoid the M25 at the best of times but some of my favourite memories this year are from one sunny weekend where 33 of us spent a solid 2 days driving/running around it.

Teams of 11 running 220 miles over 22 stages, navigational challenges, burning sun, a night in Essex still in sweaty running gear and a broken minibus (somewhat) affectionately named Phoenix. Yep, Green Belt was bloody brilliant!

5. Amsterdam Marathon

This was the most difficult and challenging run of my life but I crossed that finish line. Amsterdam was my 4th marathon in a 12 month period and I think I finally understood that running 26.2 miles is quite hard work and a pretty big achievement. Yes, it was my slowest marathon by a long way but that does not make me a bad runner, a bad runner is one who gives up when the going gets tough.

6. Trail running in Gower

Thanks to Cat I finally had the courage to enter my first event in the Coastal Trail Series. Gower saw me scramble my way round 13/14 tough, hilly and beautiful offroad miles in the Welsh countryside and I (think) I loved it.

Trail running is quite new to me but it’s definitely something I plan to do more of next year, especially if it involves a weekend away with the Chasers (and wine…there’ll be wine right?!)

2014 has challenged me in new ways and I’ve pushed boundaries that I wouldn’t have even considered before. I hope you have as many awesome running memories as me!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight x

My Lazy Bum

On September 20, 2014 By Girl Running CrazyIn GeneralLeave a comment

I’ve learnt a lot about running in the last couple of weeks, which surprised me because I thought after all these years I already knew quite a lot. But the most important thing I’ve learnt is that I have a lazy arse. Literally.

Whilst my legs have been doing all the hard work for miles and miles and miles (particularly the poor right one), my bum has simply been coming along for the ride, shirking its responsibilities and enjoying a permanent rest.

A few weeks ago I started to get tight muscles around my knee after running, and it got to the point where I couldn’t really run 2 days in a row without feeling like I was doing some damage, not ideal. The pain started to get worse and I realised that I couldn’t really walk, let alone run, without a limp.

A trip to the physio and a running coach revealed that my glutes aren’t firing when I run, apparently a common problem. A video analysis (which I would rather have not seen!) shows that I overstride, lean forwards, don’t lift my heels enough, cross my feet, twist too much and don’t use my arms efficiently. Doesn’t sound like I’m the best runner I can be…

My physiotherapist, Amy, is a running specialist, I don’t really trust phyios who aren’t runners themselves because they just tell you not to run and we all know you can’t say that to a runner! She completely understands my frustration and how long I’ve got left until Amsterdam and is supportive of that. I’ve even managed to get her permission to do the Richmond half marathon tomorrow, at a gentle pace, if I rest today (although Amy is also running the Richmond half so I know I’ll be in trouble if she sees me running too fast!)

She’s spent some time loosening up the muscles in my leg and knee and I have a series of exercise to do on a daily basis. Glute activations twice a day, clam shells and a lot of leg rolling. It’s boring and painful, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get me to the start line in Amsterdam in just 4 weeks.

When I’ve recovered from the marathon I’m going to start Running School to address my sub-optimal form. Hopefully I’ll learn how to improve my efficiency, get faster and protect me from injury.

But for now it’s time my glutes got to work and gave my legs a helping hand because the clock is ticking!

When one bad run leads to another…

On August 29, 2014 By Girl Running CrazyIn General1 Comment

Ever since I decided it was a good idea to knock out 2 marathons in as many weeks I have not run well. Not in races, not in training, not at all. It’s been frustrating, tedious and boring, and that’s just for everyone who’s had to listen to me go on about it.

I signed up for the Amsterdam Marathon with high hopes of running sub 3.45 and securing a good for age in London, it’s only 2.5 minutes off my last autumn marathon time, surely it’s achievable? However, as time goes on, I’m becoming more and more certain it just won’t happen. Not this time.

A few of my friends have been following the ‘P&D’ Marathon plan from the book ‘Advanced Marathoning’ and have found it successful. So I bought the book and have been doing my best to follow the 18 week plan…

OK, so I haven’t actually read the book but don’t tell them that. I didn’t even read my assigned books in English Lit at Uni (have you ever tried to read Jane Eyre?!) I just watched the films and hoped for the best. I have tried to read it but I’m just soooo tired all the time and….zzzzzzz……

Anyway, I know people who have read the book and ‘Coach Keith’ regularly emails me with extracts from the book and tips and so I just pretty much do what he tells me!

There are 3 different levels of the plan, I’m doing the ‘easiest’ one and it’s exhausting. Apparently the key is the mid week long run, it’s based on the theory that one long run a week is not enough and there’s a 10-14 mile run mid week. After a day at work.

Obviously this requires a bit of forethought. A couple of weeks ago I didn’t have time for a proper lunch so grabbed a yoghurt and bag of crisps, turns out that’s not great fuel for a 14 mile run and I was forced to cut it short at 10.5. I now eat a proper lunch on mid-week-long-run-day!

What’s worrying is that all my runs have been slow, slower than I have ever run during marathon training. My weekly mileage isn’t that much higher but I just can’t seem to run very fast and hitting marathon pace during a long run is almost impossible. It’s just one slow run after another and I can’t really see how that will change in the next few weeks.

I had a brief increase in confidence last Sunday after a 10k race I entered on a whim. It wasn’t my fastest but it was definitely faster than I’ve raced in months and back within an acceptable range. I even felt pretty good throughout and finished strong (as Coach Keith instructed). But this week has been exhausting again and I skipped an 11 mile run yesterday. One step forwards, 2 steps back?

I don’t know what will happen in Amsterdam or whether the plan is working but I know I’m not ready to give up.

Prosecco, Cupcakes & Chrissie Wellington

On July 10, 2014August 7, 2017 By Girl Running CrazyIn General2 Comments

“I approached the race in good spirits…that said, I shat myself at the start. Literally. This is going to be a long day, I thought to myself. The race hasn’t even started and I’m shitting myself already…It’s all very well crapping into your swimskin when you’re in the water, but doing it on a bike is horrible. And trying to run a marathon with poo dribbling down your leg is not much more fun.”

Chrissie Wellington: A Life Without Limits

After I had such a good time last year, I was excited when Runners Need announced they would be running their exclusive Women’s Running Events again this summer. It’s an evening dedicated to offering expert advice specifically for female runners from training to physio to nutrition. They even give you a goody bag & a glass (or, ahem, 3) of bubbly. Perfect!

Cupcakes and prosecco on rest days…

Having signed up to the Covent Garden event with some running club buddies I was buzzing when I received an email saying Chrissie Wellington would be making an appearance!

Chrissie Wellington is a British 4 time Ironman World Champion and she is my sporting hero. She competed in 13 Ironman distance triathlons. She won them all.

However, none of this came easy, she suffered from an eating disorder in her early days, was bullied by her teammates who were jealous of her performance, had to sleep in a brothel the night before a big international competition, and regularly suffered falls off the bike which left her with fractures, bruising, and even 3rd degree burns in the form of road rash (which you can partly see in the picture above, ouch).

Her journey to the top was an eventful one – it was sheer commitment and determination that allowed her to overcome the odds more than once.

Inspirational speaker

I was looking forward to hearing her speak again, what better person to give us advice than someone who has conquered what is arguably the toughest sport on the planet?

Chrissies’ top tips and advice:

Find your passion
Set a goal that scares you
Remember your motives and why you want it – this is what keeps you going

You need a plan – there are 4 key sessions you should incorporate in the plan

Steady sessions
Strength work – eg Hills
Race pace sessions
Intervals – and they should ‘hurt like hell’

Rest & recovery is vital
You need to train the mind and brain as well as the body so you can teach it to shut up in races
Learn to hurt in training
Break the race into smaller segments – a marathon is never 26.2 miles, it’s 4 x 10km with a little bit on the end
Remember racing is supposed to be uncomfortable – if it’s not you aren’t going hard enough
The measure of success isn’t always the time on the clock – it’s the feeling of giving it everything you’ve got
Finally, and one I live by myself, Never Give Up

Chrissie signing my book at an event last year and telling me not to be so hard on myself!

Thanks Runners Need – a fab event and an awesome swag bag once again! Not quite sure about the ‘drinking oats’ though?! Already looking forward to next year.

Tai Chi – Good health, longevity & a swift jab to the ribs

On July 4, 2014August 7, 2017 By Girl Running CrazyIn General3 Comments

Before I started obsessively(?!) running marathons I trained at a Boxing Gym in Shoreditch twice a week and worked my way through 3 levels before being awarded my red belt in kickboxing. However, when I increased my mileage for the London Marathon in 2011 I sadly realised I just didn’t have the time or energy to do both, it broke me. I miss kickboxing.

When I was invited to try another martial art, Tai Chi, on Primrose Hill with some other fitness and lifestyle bloggers, I jumped at the chance!

I wasn’t really sure what to expect, or what to wear, so I went for my planned 4 mile run round Regents Park and turned up in my sweaty running gear. Everyone else looked very clean and un-sweaty. Oops, sorry!

The class was sponsored by Legal & General, who are backing a #fitnessisfree campaign to encourage more people to get outside and exercise, and was run by experienced Tai Chi instructor, Shifu Liu Quanjun (no, I don’t know how to pronounce that).

Our instructor, in his baggy gold satin trousers, went about explaining that Tai Chi promotes health and longevity, rebalances the body, increases energy and decreases stress. It’s an art that uses natural, circular, movements where you draw strength from the ground, the air, and from within.

He likened it to impersonating a tree…which we were conveniently gathered around for inspiration.

After a demonstration, which started with being very still for a few minutes, followed by some slow left to right style movements, and finished with some quicker jumping & kicking movements, it was time for us to get involved.

We started with getting our posture right with bent knees and arms raised, before swaying back and forth with our arms moving around in circles (very much like a tree swaying in the wind in fact, I get it now!). I was struck by how much my arms ached from this continual movement, I really must work on that…

We progressed through the sequence and started moving forwards whilst swaying and stamping our feet and then did some sideways kicking – my favourite part!

The group broke off into pairs and we tried some Tai Chi movements on each other with one person throwing a punch whilst the other cracks your ribs or breaks your wrist. Don’t worry, we were gentle, no ambulances involved today!

Shifu Liu showing my partner how to break my wrist in one quick movement. Scared? Me?!

I would love to master a martial art but I’m really not sure I have the patience. I very much enjoyed the more explosive movements and partner work, but I struggle to channel my inner energy which takes a lot of practice and concentration.

Would I give Tai Chi another go? Yes, but I think you would need more than one session a week to get the most out of it which I couldn’t do without giving up (more) sleep!

I’m A Running Junkie!

On June 17, 2014 By Girl Running CrazyIn General2 Comments

This week I was excited to be published on Women’s Running Magazine website as a Running Junkie!

Running Junkie is a new regular column in their Inspiration section and features a different female runner each time to share their running life in tips, mantras and Instagrams

You can check it out here:

Women’s Running Magazine Running Junkie