Cheers to the Marshals!

On June 12, 2014August 7, 2017 By Girl Running CrazyIn General3 Comments

You’ve been running for hours,…it’s hot…you’re tired..there’s no shade and the sun is beating down on you…you’re desperate for a gentle breeze…you’re thirsty, so thirsty your mouth feels like sandpaper…

…then, like an oasis in the desert you see a water station up ahead. WATER!!!! The marshal hands you a cup of the best water you’ve ever tasted in your life, gives you a big smile and tells you how well you’re doing. What do you do? THANK THE MARSHAL!

On Saturday I marshaled an event called HellRider. It’s a non-stop 8 hour off road duathalon where participants complete as many laps as they can alternating between a 5k run and 7k cycle. – you can participate alone or as part of a team.

As a marshal, I had to be in Henley on Thames for 8.30am and wouldn’t finish until 7pm. I was paid a nominal fee, and I’m aware a lot of marshals aren’t, but, having left my house at 7 and got back at 9pm it was a very long and tiring day!

I arrived on site to heavy rain and lightning – it didn’t look like the best day to be outside with no shelter but I remembered the huge brolly I kept in the boot – knew I put it there for a reason!

Pre-race briefing and piles of goody bags

When the event was set off (still in very heavy rain) 5 people were taken to marshal different points on the course whilst a couple of us stayed at headquarters. I was stationed on the run/bike finish line to make sure people were OK, went over the correct chip mat and went through transition smoothly. Other marshals were out on the course on their own with people zooming past them so I was quite lucky.

As a marshal the events of the day included, but were not limited, to the following:

I got lost on the way there…yes, with a satnav
I helped pack over 200 goody bags
I wore a fetching neon yellow marshal jacket
I got wet
I got sunburnt
I got hungry
I ate too many Cliff bars and Drumstick Squashies to curb the hunger (plus came home with another 13 packets left over from the goody bags…)
I shouted over and over again at people that were coming towards me on the wrong side of the chip mat after ignoring the neon signs
I used portaloos all day
I clapped, cheered and shouted ‘good running’, ‘well done’, ‘awesome work’ etc to everyone coming over the run/bike finish line
I was thanked at least 337 times
I got jealous that I was’t participating
I danced to the same songs that were played round and round on a loop…
I took a mans wet/sweaty/muddy running shoes back to transition and swapped them for the equally wet/sweaty/muddy cycling shoes after he went over the chip mat and forgot to change them
I ran the buff (used as a baton in the teams) over to a guy’s team who could barely walk at the end of a run leg (shusshhhh)
I sort some first aid for a man with a chunk of skin missing off his arm after coming off the bike (he soldiered on)
I was told I was one of the real heroes of the day (I really wasn’t)
I reassured a woman in a pink top with a bad back and walked with her to the finish line
My feet hurt
I was offered jelly beans by a man that had spent 8 hours running & cycling…I thought he needed them more than me
I witnessed some true strength, grit and determination
I was a designated ‘Gate Angel’ who had to stop people starting another lap when the 8 hours on the clock reached zero
I didn’t get to use my Gate Angel powers
I helped clear up all the crap at the end
I have a car boot full of bottled water
I was given a pretty awesome purple Buff
I got a goody bag (yayyyyy!)
I got stuck in traffic on the way home because apparently no one has anything better to do on a Saturday night than drive around London
I went to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow

I know what it’s like to be out there racing, running as hard as you can, and when I was new to races I didn’t always thank the marshals because I didn’t quite appreciate the role they play. But marshals do a bloody brilliant job making sure the event runs smoothly, water is readily available, and people get the help they need.

So, next time you’re in a race, remember there wouldn’t be a race at all without the marshals and give them a smile or a nod, they really do appreciate it!

HellRider is organised by Trail Plus, the same company that organise HellRunner, and it looks like a lot of fun!

Nobody wants to come last…

On March 17, 2014August 10, 2015 By Girl Running CrazyIn General2 Comments

Yesterday I participated in the SEAA Road Relay Championships in Milton Keynes. Bryn had organised the day out for us and when I asked if he thought our ‘Ladies B’ team would come last he nodded his head and said ‘probably’. Oh dear!

Olympians in the Field…

The quality of the field was very very high – Olympians Scott Overall (who was part of the 2012 GB team and won the Reading Half a couple of weeks ago) and Chris Thompson (who won silver in the 10,000 metres in the 2010 European Championships behind Mo) were competing as well as Stephanie Twell (2008 Olympic finalist in the 1500 metres and part of 4 winning GB teams).

And then there was me. That sun better at least stay out!

In all honesty, on Saturday I wasn’t up for the trip at all. It would be a whole day in Milton Keynes and there was a very real possibility of coming last, what was the point? I was pretty sure it wouldn’t do my confidence any good a week before running a marathon. Nevertheless, it was a team event and I wouldn’t have dreamed of pulling out.

It was gloriously sunny, all day long, and that put everyone in a goodt mood. We had one boys team of 12 and two girls teams of 6 – most of us got the train up together. When we got there the boys seemed nervous, and that made me nervous because they are really, really fast.

Ladies B and Ladies A Teams

The boys set off an hour before us on alternating legs of 8k and 5k while the ladies all ran the 5k route. It started and ended on a track which allowed us to cheer at various points when our runner came back into the stadium. I was on the 2nd leg after Ruth for our team and I was nervous. Worse than cross-country nervous, I really didn’t want to let the team down.

It was an anxious wait on the start line before Ruth came flying round the corner and running at full speed towards me. She was on form, tapped my hand and off I went!

The course wasn’t hilly as such but it was undulating and I could feel the inclines. It was odd running round as I was mostly on my own with some boys speeding past me every few minutes. It’s much harder to push yourself running alone than with someone close by to chase but I had to give it my all.

As I rounded the corner towards the stadium I could already hear my name and Kim was taking photos – that’s a look of concentration! Coming into the stadium all I heard were the Chasers shouting my name, it was a great feeling, especially as no one else had support like that.

The last 300m on the track seemed to take forever but I could see Sophie ready to take the 3rd leg…I just had to get to her.

Finishing was a relief, after I’d recovered I could concentrate on cheering on everyone else, that’s much more fun that running.

The boys team…

…and the girls

And how did we do? Well, the boys finished in 16th placed and qualified for the Nationals, the Ladies A in 13th and the Ladies B in 28th which, most importantly, was not last! Success all round then?!

Somebody does have to come last. But yesterday it wasn’t us, phew!

What surprised me the most was how little support the other teams gave their runners, why weren’t they cheering? There were several girls coming home on the final leg with none of their teammates around them at all. In stark contrast we were jumping up and down and shouting at every single one of our runners. We definitely took 1st place for best support and that’s what makes being a Clapham Chaser so fantastic. We really are a team.

Almost the whole team post race. A great day was had by all and I was really pleased I’d taken part!

The Bit Before the Taper…

On March 7, 2014August 10, 2015 By Girl Running CrazyIn General4 Comments

There’s a dull ache in your legs that you just can’t shift
You waddle down the stairs amusing your colleagues no end
You’re so exhausted your housemate pokes you on the sofa to check you’re still alive
The weariness makes simple tasks confusing
You’re always hungry
15 miles is an appealing ‘shorter run’…

It’s almost time for the taper, you know it’s coming, it’s waiting for you with open arms… but you’re not quite there yet.

I caught a glimpse of myself in a shiny shop window last night. Luckily it was dark, I looked like this…

The weeks before the taper are the hardest, for me anyway. Not only is mileage at its highest but you’re still trying to get some quality speed sessions in and recover from every session quickly so you’re ready for the next one…it hurts.

Ironically, I’m not actually a massive fan of the taper – it makes me a little bit crazy (yes, more than usual), I worry about getting fat and how the hell I’m actually going to run 26.2 miles. But I definitely like the idea of it at this stage.

Last Sunday my running club hosted the Thames Riverside 20 – a lovely 20 mile run along the towpath. Lovely, but it’s pretty much all off road. I planned to run 9mm to the 10 mile mark then pick up the pace. Of course I didn’t, I ran with the 8.30 group and dropped back at 15 miles, the last 5 miles were really challenging and I finished feeling disappointed and slow.

Clapham Chasers Thames Riverside 20 – much happier at the start than the finish!

Those 20 miles were exhausting, much more so than the 21 miles I ran the weekend before.

Recovery has been an arse – after resting on Monday and 5 miles or so on Tuesday I couldn’t face my 9.5 miles on Wednesday and had to run them last night…I should be running round Regents Park right now, but I’m not, I’m writing this because my legs aren’t willing to do as they’re told. Soooo, that leaves me some miles to make up on Sunday then. Yippppeeeeee!

Right now, I can’t wait for the taper. But next week? Well, we’ll see.

Marathons: Spring Vs Autumn

On October 9, 2013 By Girl Running CrazyIn General, Thoughts2 Comments

Is it better to train through the freezing Winter…or the sweltering Summer?

Frankfurt will be my first autumn marathon. The previous 3 have all been spring marathons which means cold dark nights, cold early mornings and bloody freezing long weekend runs.

This Winter was one of the coldest in history, so cold in fact RW editor Andrew Dixon said ‘Those who’ve marathon trained through this UK winter are 23.7777% tougher than in previous years. Fact.’ This prompted my Dad to respond with ‘When I was steel fixing in 1963 and the snow was 4ft thick for 3 months and I was riding my bike to and from work was 100% tougher than any marathon runner’ but whatever, it was cold and I was brave!

Finding the motivation to head out for an after-work run after a warm cozy tube ride home or a 3 hour weekend run when it was snowing was challenging to say the least. The seasons are changing, I don’t think I got a single long run in when it wasn’t really cold, and inevitably the day of the marathon itself was warm and sunny which wasn’t ideal considering training conditions.

When I signed up for Frankfurt I promised myself no pressure. There’d be no slave to the plan, no regimented mileage and no ‘junk’ miles. I did all that for London and it didn’t improve my time. This time I planned to run smarter, run less, recover more, and remember that I’m doing it for the love of running (and the new bling…and the mini break abroad…and the post race celebrations…)

For the most part, training through the summer has been a pleasure; warm light evenings and sunny days beat the cold, dark and dodgy ice patches anytime, it lifts your spirits. There have been downsides of course, we had a couple of heatwaves earlier this Summer and it made the long runs tougher than I had appreciated, my pace slowed, I had to get out the door early and I needed to take on more water than I was used to. But I wouldn’t complain about it!

My long runs have generally been slower than in the Winter. I don’t know why, in all honesty I feel fitter than ever so it doesn’t make sense to me. I’m hoping it’s because I’m putting more effort into weekly tempo and track sessions which weren’t part of my schedule before and therefore I’m not as fresh on the long runs as I might have been. Or it might be the increase in temperature (when it’s -7 you run as fast as you can just to get it over with), but I’m trying not to let it worry me.

So, is it better to train through the Winter or the Summer? No doubt the Summer is much more enjoyable but how will this affect my race? Has my pace been compromised? Jury’s still out, my marathon time might have the answer…

24 Hours. On a Track

On September 25, 2013 By Girl Running CrazyIn General2 Comments

Could you stay awake for 24 hours? Maybe? If you had to? Could you stay awake and RUN for 24 hours? In a 400m loop? Just round & round & round…? I know a man who can, and what an absolute legend he turned out to be.

I already knew Chris was hardcore. He runs ultras, trail ultras, extreme ones, in fact he runs all the ultras, all of them. However, what I didn’t appreciate is just how hardcore he actually is.

This weekend was the Self-Transcendence 24 hour race at Tooting Bec track. Yep, 24 hours of track. Hell? I think so! But Chris was about to take on this mamouth challenge starting at noon on Saturday and finishing at noon on Sunday.

On Saturday I ran 20 miles. It was one of the hardest training runs I’ve ever done. It was so tough I started setting myself mini goals at just 12 miles…2 more miles and you’re at 14, then it’s just 6 to go…that’s less than 10k and you know you can do that…let’s just pop another gel and hope for the best. Oh look, there’s a deer, I better stop & take a photo so it doesn’t head butt me (those Richmond deer are attention seeking so & so’s I tell you)

Photo of deer – taken for personal safety reasons only, not because I wanted to stop for 60 seconds, not at all:

I don’t know whether it was because I haven’t done a long run for 4 weeks and I was pushing a bit hard, or something else, but it wasn’t a great place to be mentally. I’ve never been happier to see my front door. Anyway, I spent the rest of the day resting & eating & lying still with compression socks on, I even watched about 10 minutes of women’s football because lifting the remote was too much effort (sad but true). I crawled up and down the stairs and I got a good nights sleep. All the while Chris was still running…(well, there aren’t any deer in Tooting Bec)

On Sunday morning I awoke to find he had already reached 90 miles some point in the early hours and was just 10 away from the 100 mile goal! Before I left home he had only gone and done it. 100 miles!

When I turned up at the track I was struck by a fairly somber mood, about 30 people were running, shuffling and hobbling round the track, some even looked like they were about to fall over. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting but it was clear to see people were in a dark place, I guess I thought they would be happy it was nearly over but they were past that point.

I spotted Chris and he was walking, his head was slightly down, his knee was strapped up, and, to be honest, I was worried. Despite this he smiled when I waved at him and asked me how the ankle was. It turned out he had some damage to his own ankle and hadn’t been physically able to run for a few hours.

I quickly learnt the rules. Fellow Chaser, Jane, was on the support crew for the final 8-12 shift and she explained that someone was allowed to accompany a runner for 150m on each lap. Those 150m were pretty vital, it was a chance to understand where he was mentally, what was he thinking and what he needed. There were a whole team of official lap counters so we didn’t need to worry about that but what he did need to know was how many laps it was to the next goal. Sounds easy, but converting laps into miles and into marathon distance, then back into km’s and making 100% sure it was right was an important job, there was no room for error!

So, the 100 mile goal had been reached but, as always, one goal leads rapidly to another and we were now aiming for 4 marathons. Chris reached this and then set the next goal of 170k …

…170k barrier reached. Whoooooo!

Chris is an amazing athlete. He finished in 12th place covering over 106 miles (over 171k) – that’s a HUGE 428 laps of an athletics track!! He achieved his 100 mile goal, he achieved his 4 marathon goal, he even achieved his 170k goal, but, most importantly, he also smashed his fundraising target. I actually thought I was going to cry when the clock turned to 00:00:00. 24 hours, done!

Happy happy 24 hour ultra runner!

Chris wasn’t the only person who impressed me that day. I also met Geoff. Geoff is 80 years old and clocked up a whooping 94 miles despite suffering some health problems over the last year. He was still running right at the very end. He was still smiling and he was still thanking people for their support. What touched me the most was that he made an effort to change into a shirt & tie for the presentation ceremony at the end. He really was a lovely man and definitely the smartest ultra runner I know!

I genuinely witnessed something very special this weekend. It’s not just the hours and hours of training and preparation, or the sacrifice and dedication but it’s a whole lot of heart and a whole lot of soul. These runners left absolutely everything they had on that track, they are truly phenomenal and I felt very privileged and humbled to watch them finish.

How do you pick which marathon to run next when you just want to run them all?!

On June 5, 2013August 7, 2017 By Girl Running CrazyIn General, Marathon Chat5 Comments

So I wasn’t accepted for the New York Marathon through the ballot. Given the $347 price tag for the entry fee alone I’m starting to think this was a good thing. I mean, for $347 I expect a solid gold diamond encrusted medal that weighs so much it’ll take me over my luggage limit on the flight home…

A few months ago, running more than one marathon in a year seemed slightly ludicrous to me, it’s just so much time and effort! But after London (where I failed to hit my PB let alone any other targets I set myself) I was keen for another challenge, especially as I now have the support of the Chasers (which I absolutely LOVE being a part of).

It also got me thinking, how much extra effort is it really? Really? I’m already pretty fit and I run on a regular basis, often clocking up 30+ miles a week outside of marathon training, so I just need to throw those extra long runs into the mix… What with the longer days and warmer(?) climes it’s got to be easier than training through the Winter. Hasn’t it?

So I now need an Autumn marathon to train for and my sense of adventure takes me outside of the UK. Like most marathon runners I have distant dreams of completing the World Marathon Major series, but it’s now June, Chicago has sold out, Berlin has sold out and New York were unaccommodating. What next?

Amsterdam was my back up if I didn’t get a place in New York, a guaranteed flat course, short flight and it’s a lovely little city…but then I found out the Chasers ‘official’ Autumn marathon would be Frankfurt…

I’ve been to Amsterdam before and I liked it. I’ve never been to Germany, what if I didn’t like the food? What if there was no pasta? What if it’s a city where no one understands me?! All these thoughts were going through my head and I struggled to make a decision, do I pick the ‘safe’ option in Amsterdam? Or do I sign up to a marathon in a country I’ve never been to before with a group of people who, although friendly, I don’t actually know at this point? What if they all finish an hour before me (likely) and I’m left in a post marathon daze on my own in a strange City?

Obviously I didn’t pick the safe option, that would be too easy. I’m going to Frankfurt with the club…

So I’m now entering my 4th marathon and I will still have only ticked one of the World Majors off the list. How many marathons am I actually going to run? The wishlist keeps getting longer… At what point will I break? How do I know when I’ve reached my peak? What if I reach the point where I never want to run again and get really fat and become a couch potato watching back to back soaps?

I don’t know the answers to these and I may very well find that 2 marathons in a year is one too many for me but, for the mean time, I’m fit, I’m healthy & I’m able and I fully intend to embrace that while I can.

I don’t speak German and I don’t like Hot Dogs, but I shall run the Frankfurt Marathon and celebrate with copious amounts of Jagermeister and pretzels, even if I am the last Chaser home!

My First Ever Track Session

On May 8, 2013July 12, 2013 By Girl Running CrazyIn GeneralLeave a comment

Tuesday night is track night. This involves different combinations of speedwork round Battersea Park’s 400m track and last night it almost killed me.

This week’s schedule was 4 x 1 mile reps with 75-90 second recoveries followed by 8 x 60 sprints on the grass. I may have been unfortunate to start on a night that involved mile reps, or I may have been lucky that the reps weren’t shorter and therefore faster, I’m currently undecided…

Again, we were split into 3 groups and I chose the ‘third group’, note not ‘slow group’ but the ‘third’. As the group started the pace didn’t feel too bad, but as the laps continued I started to fall behind, by the time we’d finished the 4^th lap and completed the first mile I collapsed on the grass. That was one of four done, I barely had a chance to catch my breath and we were off again. The second mile was awful, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to pass out, vomit, have an asthma attack or an unfortunate combination of all of the above. As a result I only ran 3 of the 4 laps, what a complete loser. Mile 3 was much the same but I was determined to complete all 4 laps on the final mile and promised myself a nice little lay down on the grass afterwards.

The little laydown didn’t last long as we finished with our 60m sprints, but these actually weren’t so bad, almost enjoyable compared to the mile reps!

I finished my first track session in bits, having pretty much come in last, having only completed 14 of the 16 laps and this morning I was walking like a penguin again.

On the brightside, we were supposed to be hitting our 10k pace, possibly 5k if feeling strong. This would put my 5k time at 21.44 and 10k at 43.29, both of which I would be more than chuffed with so it’s not all bad!

So that’s track then, same again next week yeah?!

Me. Walking

Joining a running club

On May 1, 2013May 1, 2013 By Girl Running CrazyIn GeneralLeave a comment

My parents have been on at me for years to join a running club. In all honesty I’m not sure why it has taken me so long but tonight I bit the bullet & turned up for my first run with the Clapham Chasers!

As promised on their website, they were a friendly bunch and very welcoming. There was a brief welcome chat to the Monday night ‘social’ run and we were offered a choice of 3 pace groups, Fast, Intermediate and Novice. I decided to join the intermediate group. The leader was adamant that he would be sticking to a strict 8 minute mile pace and no one was to run faster than him, perfect. Anyone that wanted to run faster should go with the fast group, I didn’t think that would be wise on my first session, especially a week after running a marathon, 8 minute miles would do just nicely…

We set off on our run into Battersea Park; it’s a favourite and familiar running area of mine so I immediately felt at ease. The pace, however, felt rather punchy for 8mm. At first I wasn’t sure if it was my heavy post marathon legs that made it feel tougher than expected but then I clocked our second mile at 7.32! I was quite relieved we were running at a quicker pace rather than issues with my form.

We were running faster than I would on a solo training run but this was a pace I could keep up with and one that was going to make me a stronger runner. By mile 2 of my first ever club run I knew this was the place for me, and I was going to enjoy it!

So, I am now a fully-fledged member of the Clapham Chasers and I can’t wait for next week’s track session!