Alice's Adventures in Running Land - Blog

The Running World is my Oyster...

1/31/2015

This week has been a great week for me personally... Monday I successfully passed the Viva assessment for my Masters by Research degree in Sport Development, and then Thursday I passed my driving test at the first attempt. All this whilst sticking firmly to my marathon training plan! Running has in fact offered me a perfect time over the past weeks to reflect and prepare for both these milestones, whilst running along roads I would often find myself imaging what I would do if I was driving in this situation!

What made me smile the most however was this card I received from my friend - highlighting one of my key motives for learning to drive - I can now get to more running races! I think I will stick to the train when travelling to the Marathon however, I don't fancy trusting my legs to even operate the pedals post race!!

My Training Review: Training Week 3

1/25/2015

MONDAY: Due to work commitments I had to split up my planned 9.5km today. I opted for a 7k treadmill run at 6.30am before work, running the last 2.5k in the evening before my Body Pump class. I normally struggle with running that early in the morning, and with very little rest time between that and Sunday's 13k run, I feared I may find the run a real challenge. The run felt good though and it was only time that prevented me from running the full 9.5k in one go.

TUESDAY: A change in the class programme at my gym meant my usual Tuesday Body Attack class was not on again. I decided to do my 8k tempo run instead, and like last week, I struggled to find the correct running speed (see below post). However, after doing some more research and talking to people I think I may have worked out where I am going wrong!

WEDNESDAY: An 9.5k outdoor run before Body Pump. My legs felt good and noticeably there was no real wind for the first time in a long while! Maintained a comfortable pace throughout of around 5.20-5.40 km.

THURSDAY: This was supposed to be Body Attack but a mix up with instructors meant I ended up doing 20 mins of circuit training followed by a 45 min spinning class. Both gave me a good workout without being too taxing on the legs!

FRIDAY: Rest Day - Francis Maude MP (Minister for the Cabinet Office) visited Lincoln today to meet with myself and other volunteer/social action projects in the city (http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/Francis-Maude-Minister-Cabinet-Office-visits/story-25914102-detail/story.html). This, combined with another volunteer meeting after work, meant I was quite busy and therefore was able to resist the urge to exercise!

SATURDAY: 5k treadmill run with a slight incline, followed by a few arm weights.

SUNDAY: My friend from the gym offered to show me a new running route today, a 14.5km loop taking in some new parts of Lincoln I had never even seen let along ran along before! The route was really interesting featuring a mix of the city, off road fields and a LOT of hills (see above). The hills combined long steep inclines, lengthy gradual ascents and sharp peaks, all which really tested my legs - and affirmed my existing belief that my friend is in fact a machine! With two marathons under her belt she is certainly a good running partner and point of advice. The pace was quite fast, around my usual 10k training speed, so overall it was a challenging run out!

Its a Marathon...Not A Sprint

1/22/2015

After attempting my second ever Tempo Run this week, and finishing it feeling a little annoyed with myself that I couldn't maintain my usual fast pace on the treadmill, I spent a some time reflecting and came to the (probably blindingly obvious to you) conclusion that I am indeed training for a marathon, not a sprint.

The furthest distance I have ever trained for previously is 10k - a programme which consists of fast paced runs, and interval training. Therefore I am currently approaching my runs with the intention of running my 10k pace, and thus doing interval training at equivalent paces. But, with legs feeling tired from the ever increasing weekly mileage, I am now beginning to learn this is not at all realistic. I need to find my 'marathon pace' and do interval or tempo running sessions to suit this.

My biggest barrier with be overcoming my current approach to running, where I am preoccupied by fast times and getting my 10k runs to be quicker. I now must focus on distance and mileage - I am not aiming to break the marathon World Record after all!

My realistic goal is to finish the marathon - something I will be immensely proud of, and of course to reach my fundraising target for vInspired. I would love to run a time around the 4 hour mark, and if I am honest with you I will be disappointed if it is anything over 4hours 30minutes. But I am not going to focus on times for now and start thinking with a marathon runner’s head – not a sprinter’s!

My Training Review: Training Week 2

1/18/2015

Week two of training under my belt, a noticeable increase from week one...

MONDAY: an 8k run on the treadmill completed on very sore quadriceps! This pain sensation was new to me as its usually my calves that get tight when running. I blame my crazy exercise session on Saturday morning, think the numerous lunges, jumping lunges etc. of Body Attack had taken their toll a little bit! Body Pump class afterwards.

TUESDAY: a change in working pattern and the fact my Body Attack class was cancelled meant I did a 45 minute session of HIIT training. Did not find this too much of a challenge and probably gave my quadriceps a needed rest from being put through another Body Attack beasting!

WEDNESDAY: another 8k run, chose to go outside this time and really enjoyed it rather than habitually resorting to the treadmill after work. The weather was cold and there was still a strong wind in places but enjoyed the run. Finished the distance at my gym ready for Body Pump.

THURSDAY: Rest Day. Managed to get over the urge to exercise by attending a local pantomime that a colleague of mine from work had choreographed. A busy day at work, followed by a volunteer meeting and then panto meant that my eating schedule went out the window a bit and I also spent a lot of time outside in the cold waiting for buses! This seemed to have a real influence when it came to Friday...

FRIDAY: My first introduction to tempo running over a 6.5k distance on the treadmill. I had not felt 100% all day, a niggly headache and lack of energy which I can only relate to Thursday's poor diet and cold weather! I found the tempo run hard to gauge if I was running at the correct speed, so think I need to read a bit more into how to use the session correctly.

SATURDAY: Back to my Saturday morning volunteering, so a 5k run completed on the treadmill in the afternoon, followed by an arm weights session and some core work.

SUNDAY: A 13.5k outside run. I normally run in the afternoon but got up and went first thing to try and get into the habit now the distances are increasing. It was a cold frosty morning but the pavements were not too bad - had to bring out the winter gloves though which is always a sign of the low temperature (see above photo). I could noticeably feel the increased distance from the rest of the week in my legs. Normally I complete my Sunday long runs on relatively fresh legs but today they felt heavy on hills - a sign that marathon training was really starting!

Mixing it with the Elite

1/17/2015

The elite field for this year's London Marathon looks extremely competitive and we should be set for a very interesting race in both the male and female competition - shame I won't be able to watch it, think I might be slightly busy....!

I really admire the talent of elite long distance runners, the physical condition their bodies are in and the mental strength they possess. Just looking at their Personal Best times for the marathon distance makes my legs burn, feet ache and stomach go queasy. All clock in at around 2hr- 2hr 20 marathons - that is something to be very proud of!

Some top names to look out for in both the men's and women's fields are as follows:

Women
Edna Kiplagat - last year's London Marathon champion and current World Champion
Mary Keitany - two time London Marathon winner and current New York Marathon champion
Florence Kiplagat - last year's London Marathon runner up and current half marathon World Record holder
Priscah Jeptoo - 2013 London Marathon winner and Olympic silver medallist 2012

Men
Wilson Kipsang - last year's London Marathon champion and former World Record holder
Dennis Kimetto - current marathon World Record holder
Kenenisa Bekele - triple Olympic gold medallist
Emmanuel Mutai - 2011 London Marathon champion

Paula Radcliffe - world record holder and three-time London champion - is also using the London Marathon this year to say her farewell to marathon running. I can remember watching Paula race many a time on TV, her head nodding along as she pounded the pavements and/or track. It will feel quite special knowing she is running the same race as me, although I am pretty certain she is a safe bet to well and truly beat me!

My Training Review: Training Week 1

1/11/2015

First week of Marathon training has been completed! Here is how it went....

MONDAY: a easy 5k run completed on the treadmill, I added a 0.5 then 1.0 incline to increase difficulty as I am used to running a lot further to start the week. The run was still a good challenge though as my legs were very sore from Saturday before when I completed my first Body Attack and Body Pump classes of 2015 back to back, followed by a 10k run on Sunday. I did my usual Monday night Body Pump class after the run.

TUESDAY: Body Attack class at the gym. This felt a lot easier already than the first Saturday session!

WEDNESDAY: a 6.5k run completed on the treadmill with a 0.5 incline. This wasn't my most comfortable run despite the relatively easy distance due to a severely bruised toe. That morning I had (cleverly) managed to kick the hoover in my house as I walked past it...not a good start to marathon training! Luckily the bruising has gone down very quickly!! Body Pump class afterwards.

THURSDAY: Rest Day - see below post!

FRIDAY: a 6.5k run completed on the treadmill. I really felt like running further but was strong and stuck to my plan's suggestion.

SATURDAY: This turned out to be a bit of a mammoth exercise morning. My usual volunteering was cancelled due to the poor weather so I ended up doing Body Attack, Body Pump, followed by my 5k planned marathon run. I really enjoyed it but safe to say I will not be trying to do that further into my plan!

SUNDAY: Long run day. 11.5k outside in the windiest weather I think I have ever tried to run in. There was hardly a stretch of road where I wasn't battling against weather resistance! The run was a real challenge despite it only being a little longer than my usual Sunday run. The last couple of km I managed to find a bit of shelter and I was pleasantly surprised that I still felt quite strong (although my post run selfie, below, would suggest otherwise!).

My Biggest Challenge: The Rest Day

1/8/2015

Four days into my official Marathon training and I am struggling - with the 'Rest Day'.

I am used to doing some form of exercise 7 days a week, only having a rest if its enforced, and I literally do not have time during my day to go for a run or go to the gym. But I have promised myself I am going to stick to the training plan I am following (for a four hour finish) and one day a week is 'Rest Day'. To be honest, it should be two days a week, but I know I can't handle that, and I still want to fit in the exercise classes I enjoy attending alongside my running.

Since finishing work on my first 'Rest Day' I have been resisting the urge to go for a quick run or just do a few weights at the gym - its like an addiction! But I have stuck to it, mainly helped by the fact I attended a volunteer meeting this evening where I was talking to others about my volunteer experiences - including how vInspired has supported me personally with my voluntary achievements. I hope I can draw on similar strength in future weeks...

So its one 'Rest Day' down, fifteen to go.....! I am sure in later weeks of the training plan I will grow to love them!

The Mission: Buying Running Shoes

1/3/2015

I did it. Bought my running shoes! It was surprisingly a lot easier and less stressful than I imagined. This was mainly thanks to the fantastic service of my local running shop The Lincolnshire Runner, based in Lincoln. The staff are highly knowledgeable and after showing them the wear on my old running shoes, knew straight away which shoe suited my running gait and the distances I would be covering - I would highly recommend if you live in the Lincoln area. So here is the result the Nike Air zoom Pegasus 31 for longer runs, and I also upgraded my old Nike Downshifter 5s to the Downshifter 6 for wearing over shorter distance and for the exercise classes/gym work I like to do. Bring on the miles!

Happy New Year!

1/1/2015

Happy New Year and welcome to 2015! I am starting off the year feeling a little worse for wear but am heading out for a - gentle! - 10k run this afternoon. The training plan I am following for the Marathon officially begins on 5th January so it feels like I am treading water a bit before then - although I should probably use these few days to rebuild any fitness I have lost during the festive season!

I am also going to be shopping for my new pair of running shoes over the next few days - a feat I am both looking forward to and dreading. I'll admit I am a bit of a snob when it comes to running/exercise wear - I like to look good, be colour coordinated (mainly on a black and purple theme), choose items with nice designs and which have well known labels. I don't know why I am like this, aside from running/exercise clothes, in my everyday wardrobe I couldn't care less what make of clothing I buy! So choosing running shoes can be quite stressful as I have to get the aesthetic and practical balance correct. Wish me luck.... I will let you know how I get on!