Would anyone mind doing the 'Day 400 happy dance' for me? I appear to have broken myself a little bit today, so even though my tea drinking arm and mouth seem to be functioning just fine, I'm not convinced I have a happy dance left in me!!!
Today I did my first race of the year - a local 10k on a flat route, which sounded ideal. Plus, I got to meet up with some ace running friends. And the weather was beautifully misty and still this morning.
Until you factor in the 'I've still got a chest infection' issue... and then that complicates everything... because it was crazy cold this morning and that makes breathing / running a teensy bit more tricky. The start of the race was delayed by about 20 minutes as they tried to grit sections of the course, but it was still super dooper slippy in places and you definitely had to watch your feet to make sure you didn't do some kind of mid-air acrobatics!
All I actually wanted from today's race was to complete it. I've had such a pants few months with running that I doubted whether or not I could manage 10k at all. Which seems ridiculous when at the beginning of October, I could manage it in less than 50 minutes... and now I don't know if I can do it at all. I did do it today though - which I'm chuffed about. It was slow. I was having to breathe in a weirdly shallow way so as not to bring on a coughing fit with the cold air. Plus, the urge to stop and walk nearly overwhelmed me just before I finished! And when I did finish, my hands were so painfully cold that I couldn't actually stop my watch for a while... and when I went to the loo afterwards took ages attempting to remove and put back on clothing as I couldn't feel my fingers! Then I spent ten minutes coughing.
And yet, I'm still glad I ran! The crazy gets you like that sometimes. 400 days in a row and there hasn't yet been an excuse not to run which has felt like a genuine reason. Plus... there was bling!! Bling, people! Bling!!!
And tea afterwards. Result! :D
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Sunday, 4 January 2015
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Runstreak Day #309 - the HM after the HM before
This is long... sorry!
If I were to give advice to someone else, on my list of 'things you shouldn't do when you're a bit of a mess' would probably be 'run a half marathon'. But then, I did that last weekend, so having clearly failed to take heed of that advice, it seemed stupid to not just run another one the following weekend. When there is no logic in a choice, sometimes you've just got to embrace the illogical.
So... today, I ran the Tissington Trail Half Marathon. I was so fortunate to be able to share a lift with Helen Waterfall (thank you for your lovely company Helen!), which helped to distract from pre-race nerves and nonsense. We got there nice and early. I was spectacularly underdressed. Who wears a t-shirt and shorts to run when it's pretty darned cold and you're running in the Peak District?! The answer is 'me'. Like a shivering fool. In between moaning about being cold, we got ourselves registered and sorted (three loo visits before the start - not bad going)... and then headed off on the bus which had been laid on to get people to the start.
By the time 10am rolled round and we actually started, I was shivering up a storm and could barely feel my feet. The weather was absolutely beautiful, but beautiful doesn't make cold any less cold, sadly! The views, however, were stunning. Once we set off I was hoping to get warm (this was obviously my main focus of the race rather than anything sensible like pacing) and ran off far too quickly and did the first mile in a stupid 7:52. My hands were freezing and instead of warming up, were growing painfully cold. Note to self: prepare more for a race than shaving your legs, making a veggie sausage sarnie to eat afterwards and putting vaseline on your toes.
That aside, as the runners thinned out, there was space to just concentrate on my own running and take in the views. The route follows the old railway line from Parsley Hay to Ashbourne and it is delicious. The trail cuts through rock, sweeps over fields lit in golden Autumnal sunshine, over bridges crossing small country roads... and silent except for the pattering of feet and the occasional bit of huffing and puffing from the runners. By mile 4 any bit of climb is really done with only slight inclines occasionally peppering the gentle descent towards Ashbourne.
As we went past the 6 mile mark, I noticed that I'd just done another couple of sub-8 minute miles and if I pushed it a bit, I'd get a sub-50 10k time, which meant that finishing comfortably sub-2 would be possible. So, I decided not to be a lazy arse and do my normal trick of slowing and slowing as I went and concentrated instead on keeping a nice even pace. Which then fell apart a bit by mile 9 which was my slowest mile by far! What didn't help was someone at around about mile 8 telling me that there wasn't far to go. Well, missus... you just run another 5 miles and tell me if that's not too far. Then we'll talk. So, you can see I was in giving up and getting into moany mode by this point!
Gave myself another stern talking to, ate the sad little date I'd brought with me for a bit of an energy boost, and caught up with a guy I'd been chatting to before the race started. He was much faster than me but having problems with his calf muscles so had slowed a lot. He'd settled into an 8 minute mile pace and so I decided to keep him in sight. Between him, me and another female runner, we covered the next couple of miles fairly quickly... although all I could think when we passed the 11 mile marker was 'do two more 10 minute miles and you're sub-2'. Which actually was my normal 'stop trying, give up and walk' brain starting to talk to me a bit too loudly and I could feel myself easing up.
I mentally told the voice to eff off. Got my legs moving a bit more... and concentrated on enjoying running under a tunnel of trees instead. The very last bit of the half marathon was almost in sight as we passed mile 12. The thought of being able to stop running within the next 10 minutes was just about the only thing that kept me going. That and the fact that the other female runner who was near me had taken to calling out the distance left to go every half mile, so once she bellowed 'half a mile left', I knew I could hang on for what would be a maximum of 5 minutes.
The thing they don't tell you about the route is that at the very end. Just before the 13 mile marker... you go down a fairly steep slope. Mirrored by a fairly short steep hill on the other side. Which your weary legs think has been sent from hell to push you right over the edge. If there hadn't been a few people at the top of the stupid, short, mean hill then I quite fancied walking that bit! Instead, I couldn't lose face, so hauled myself up it... past the 13 mile marker... and... finish!
1:46:59 chip time. And my hands were so cold, I couldn't even move them to take the medal out of its little cellophane wrapper and plonk it around my neck!
An absolutely lovely route. My ankle is wrecked. But Helen is awesome and had painkillers in her car. And you know what? I felt lucky to be able to run through the beautiful Peak District on a sparkly morning in October.
And I haven't felt lucky or that kind of happy since the accident. I may have been a stubborn idiot to not stop running after it happened, but today, I got to be a happy stubborn idiot... and even though I know that things are still really hard (got to the end of your road before turning into a panicky mess, Helen!)... this morning, I got a bit of me back. And I'm so grateful for that.
Geeky stats stuff
If I were to give advice to someone else, on my list of 'things you shouldn't do when you're a bit of a mess' would probably be 'run a half marathon'. But then, I did that last weekend, so having clearly failed to take heed of that advice, it seemed stupid to not just run another one the following weekend. When there is no logic in a choice, sometimes you've just got to embrace the illogical.
So... today, I ran the Tissington Trail Half Marathon. I was so fortunate to be able to share a lift with Helen Waterfall (thank you for your lovely company Helen!), which helped to distract from pre-race nerves and nonsense. We got there nice and early. I was spectacularly underdressed. Who wears a t-shirt and shorts to run when it's pretty darned cold and you're running in the Peak District?! The answer is 'me'. Like a shivering fool. In between moaning about being cold, we got ourselves registered and sorted (three loo visits before the start - not bad going)... and then headed off on the bus which had been laid on to get people to the start.
By the time 10am rolled round and we actually started, I was shivering up a storm and could barely feel my feet. The weather was absolutely beautiful, but beautiful doesn't make cold any less cold, sadly! The views, however, were stunning. Once we set off I was hoping to get warm (this was obviously my main focus of the race rather than anything sensible like pacing) and ran off far too quickly and did the first mile in a stupid 7:52. My hands were freezing and instead of warming up, were growing painfully cold. Note to self: prepare more for a race than shaving your legs, making a veggie sausage sarnie to eat afterwards and putting vaseline on your toes.
That aside, as the runners thinned out, there was space to just concentrate on my own running and take in the views. The route follows the old railway line from Parsley Hay to Ashbourne and it is delicious. The trail cuts through rock, sweeps over fields lit in golden Autumnal sunshine, over bridges crossing small country roads... and silent except for the pattering of feet and the occasional bit of huffing and puffing from the runners. By mile 4 any bit of climb is really done with only slight inclines occasionally peppering the gentle descent towards Ashbourne.
As we went past the 6 mile mark, I noticed that I'd just done another couple of sub-8 minute miles and if I pushed it a bit, I'd get a sub-50 10k time, which meant that finishing comfortably sub-2 would be possible. So, I decided not to be a lazy arse and do my normal trick of slowing and slowing as I went and concentrated instead on keeping a nice even pace. Which then fell apart a bit by mile 9 which was my slowest mile by far! What didn't help was someone at around about mile 8 telling me that there wasn't far to go. Well, missus... you just run another 5 miles and tell me if that's not too far. Then we'll talk. So, you can see I was in giving up and getting into moany mode by this point!
Gave myself another stern talking to, ate the sad little date I'd brought with me for a bit of an energy boost, and caught up with a guy I'd been chatting to before the race started. He was much faster than me but having problems with his calf muscles so had slowed a lot. He'd settled into an 8 minute mile pace and so I decided to keep him in sight. Between him, me and another female runner, we covered the next couple of miles fairly quickly... although all I could think when we passed the 11 mile marker was 'do two more 10 minute miles and you're sub-2'. Which actually was my normal 'stop trying, give up and walk' brain starting to talk to me a bit too loudly and I could feel myself easing up.
I mentally told the voice to eff off. Got my legs moving a bit more... and concentrated on enjoying running under a tunnel of trees instead. The very last bit of the half marathon was almost in sight as we passed mile 12. The thought of being able to stop running within the next 10 minutes was just about the only thing that kept me going. That and the fact that the other female runner who was near me had taken to calling out the distance left to go every half mile, so once she bellowed 'half a mile left', I knew I could hang on for what would be a maximum of 5 minutes.
The thing they don't tell you about the route is that at the very end. Just before the 13 mile marker... you go down a fairly steep slope. Mirrored by a fairly short steep hill on the other side. Which your weary legs think has been sent from hell to push you right over the edge. If there hadn't been a few people at the top of the stupid, short, mean hill then I quite fancied walking that bit! Instead, I couldn't lose face, so hauled myself up it... past the 13 mile marker... and... finish!
1:46:59 chip time. And my hands were so cold, I couldn't even move them to take the medal out of its little cellophane wrapper and plonk it around my neck!
An absolutely lovely route. My ankle is wrecked. But Helen is awesome and had painkillers in her car. And you know what? I felt lucky to be able to run through the beautiful Peak District on a sparkly morning in October.
And I haven't felt lucky or that kind of happy since the accident. I may have been a stubborn idiot to not stop running after it happened, but today, I got to be a happy stubborn idiot... and even though I know that things are still really hard (got to the end of your road before turning into a panicky mess, Helen!)... this morning, I got a bit of me back. And I'm so grateful for that.
Geeky stats stuff
| Distance: | 13.10 mi |
| Time: | 1:47:03 |
| Avg Pace: | 8:10 min/mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 281 ft |
Monday, 6 October 2014
Runstreak Day #302 - the Robin Hood Half Marathon
Two weeks ago, I was sure that I wasn't going to be able to make it to the next day of running, let alone the Robin Hood half this morning. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, I think it was adrenalin and determination that I wasn't going to lose more of myself than the accident had already taken that got me running again. It was stupidly painful and I felt desperate in doing it. I have never cried while running (and at other times - am a bit of a mess at the mo) as much as I have in the past couple of weeks.
I made it to the Robin Hood. I am grateful that I'm here and that I could run it at all.
So... how was it? To be honest, I'm too tired to process it. I found it a mixture between overwhelming and just hard work. I wanted to enjoy it. But I think I'm trying to deal with pain / emotional stuff which means that I have to focus so hard on keeping on running, that enjoying it isn't on the cards right now.
The first 3 miles seemed to go okay and then I just got slower and slower. My tonsillitis turned into a chest infection at the beginning of the week and adding that into the mix, my energy levels are in the toilet. By the 11th mile, it was only the fact that I knew the end wasn't too far away that kept me going. I could hear other people chatting near me and saying it was less than a parkrun left... but I'm sure that the last miles in a half marathon are deliberately longer than any others! Plus, I couldn't see my family anywhere as I finished which didn't help shorten those longer miles at all.
Even though my time was nowhere near what it might have been without the accident, I got a sub-2 with a time of 1:57. I did what I set out to do and got myself round the Robin Hood. I'm too exhausted to feel pleased with it right now - but I am hugely grateful to everyone who's supported me over the past two weeks and who made it possible to keep on running at all. Thank you.
I made it to the Robin Hood. I am grateful that I'm here and that I could run it at all.
So... how was it? To be honest, I'm too tired to process it. I found it a mixture between overwhelming and just hard work. I wanted to enjoy it. But I think I'm trying to deal with pain / emotional stuff which means that I have to focus so hard on keeping on running, that enjoying it isn't on the cards right now.
The first 3 miles seemed to go okay and then I just got slower and slower. My tonsillitis turned into a chest infection at the beginning of the week and adding that into the mix, my energy levels are in the toilet. By the 11th mile, it was only the fact that I knew the end wasn't too far away that kept me going. I could hear other people chatting near me and saying it was less than a parkrun left... but I'm sure that the last miles in a half marathon are deliberately longer than any others! Plus, I couldn't see my family anywhere as I finished which didn't help shorten those longer miles at all.
Even though my time was nowhere near what it might have been without the accident, I got a sub-2 with a time of 1:57. I did what I set out to do and got myself round the Robin Hood. I'm too exhausted to feel pleased with it right now - but I am hugely grateful to everyone who's supported me over the past two weeks and who made it possible to keep on running at all. Thank you.
Geeky stats stuff
| Distance: | 13.15 mi |
| Time: | 1:57:24 |
| Avg Pace: | 8:56 min/mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 127 ft |
Saturday, 19 July 2014
Runstreak Day #231 - Nottingham Women's Running 10k
Another 10k race. Which, after the last 10k I did, I had a BIG mental block about. In fact, although I've run further than 10k, I haven't actually run that distance 'properly' since my dreadful Derby 10k effort.
So, rocking up today, complete with dodgy left knee, I really just wanted to finish. But... y'know what? I definitely wasn't as nervous as I have been in the past. It really helps to know other runners - and through Facebook, I've managed to do just that - and they're brilliant. We arrange to meet at parkruns. We've met up at races. We chat about running in the comfort of a Facebook group where no-one rolls their eyes and goes 'are you talking about bloody running... again?!' at us! Yes, a race is still a fantastic laxative... but it doesn't terrify me as it did back in April.
And how was the race itself? Well, it was raining. And humid. And it was laps. Three of them. Not the two they'd said... but they snuck in a cheeky first little lap before the slightly larger laps. Which meant that by the time I was on lap three, the geese I was running past practically had me on their Christmas card list we were so well acquainted... and I was sick of the bloomin' sight of them! I'd set off behind the 50 minute pacer. Not because I wanted to get a sub-50 time, but because I figured I'd be quicker than 55 minutes, even taking it slowly, and I didn't want to get caught up in a panic-inducing scrum of women. My twingy left knee did its thing... and even the slightest downward slope (and I mean REALLY slightly sloped) set off some pretty excruciating pain, causing me to run-hop for a few steps until it settled down into a tolerable twang of ouch again.
You can imagine it really wasn't the prettiest of races. Twang, ouch, rain, sweat, ouch, geese, rain, lap, rain, sweat... nice. And measuring in kilometres somehow makes it seem that bit further. Mainly because my brain can't cope with km and I have no idea of how far that really is. I swear the gap between 7 and 8 km was at least 5 miles. ;o)
 |
| Snapped by the Nottingham Post before the race with some of my lovely running buddies! |
Would I do that race again? I don't know! The laps were dull and there weren't many people supporting on the way round (though that might have been down to the fact that it was so wet!). Would I run another race? Yup!
Oh, and I ended up finishing in 40th place. Which made me squeal with excitement when I saw my name on the very first page of results! In a mixed race that would NEVER happen! No, it wasn't the best time ever... but I managed to haul myself around, got over my 10k fear and didn't walk. Even when the urge to walk almost overcame me.
I definitely earned my cuppa cha!
Geeky stats stuff
| Distance: | 6.23 mi |
| Time: | 51:53 |
| Avg Pace: | 8:20 min/mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 61 ft |
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Runstreak Day #127 - the Derby 10k and the horrible experience...
But... but... I feel really flat after it all. Down about it, if I'm honest.
I thought I'd been quite organised. I got myself up and ready early enough. Miraculously got the kids out of the house on time to leave for just after 7am (on a Sunday - I know!!!). And arrived in Derby at just after 8am.
And then it started to unravel.
We had a walk of about a mile and a half from the car to where the race was due to begin. It was cold, rainy and a horrible wind caught us as we walked up towards the stadium. The thought of having to run up that section in the rain less than an hour later wasn't pleasant. When we eventually arrived, it was crowded and I was worried about the kids getting cold hanging around for me. Then, there was the queue for the toilets. No queue for the men's toilet - of course. But a ridiculously long queue for the women's because there were only two toilets in operation!! Then, as I waited, I went to check the time... and realised that I'd forgotten my Garmin. I remembered taking it off in the car as we left Nottingham (it was irritating my wrist) and thought I'd put it on when we got there, but I ended up leaving it in the car by mistake.
It completely threw me. By the time I'd been to the loo and found my husband and kids again, I could feel myself crumpling. I only had my mobile phone and the RunKeeper app which had been playing up something chronic. And I very very very nearly didn't go through with it. In fact, there was a moment of weeping and 'I want to go home' which only my children's earnest faces and their 'Run Mummy Run' banner made me carry on. Then, there was the infernal shuffle to try to get into the right pen to start. It felt like claustrophobic chaos.
By the time I started, I was still panicking. Without my watch I just couldn't pace myself. Couldn't record the run properly. Had no idea of where I was or how far at any point. And kept getting penned in by people running in groups so I had to go up on the verge or round on the pavement. I had too many layers on because I'd been so cold at the start. And no arm band for my phone so had to hold it in my hand the whole way.
It felt horrible. Completely out of my control.
As we got back towards the stadium I ran past my husband and children - with my children yelling encouragement at me and waving their beautiful poster. I think there was still over a mile to go at that point, but at the time I had no idea at all. It helped me keep going to know they were so close and it was a relief when I finally headed back into the stadium to finish.Then, there was another claustrophobic queue for water and a t-shirt. No medal. No idea what time I'd finished in - I knew my app on my phone wasn't right. When I looked at it, it had recorded a time of about 52:17 but a distance of 4.55 miles!! I reckoned on needing to add about another 10 seconds for the faffing at the start but so annoyed at the distance being so far out.
Got the biggest cuddle off my children at the end. Rushed back to the car to get back to Nottingham. And couldn't find out my actual chip time until several hours after the race as the website kept crashing.
And then it all hit me again. I know this is the point where everyone says 'but I loved it really' and is itching to have another go. But I didn't. And I'm left feeling like I let myself down and have ended up in tears. Again.
Stupid, stupid me.
Geeky stats stuff
| Distance: | 6.28 mi |
| Time: | 52:25 |
| Avg Speed: | 7.2 mph |
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