Alice's Adventures in Running Land - Blog

An #Extra Training Session

2/26/2015

You may have seen the London Marathon #extramile campaign on social media channels or visited the extramile website (www.extramile.co.uk). You may have also read my previous blog post about the campaign and how much I am enjoying being able to share my marathon journey with fellow runners and anyone else who may be interested! Well thanks to my regular Twitter updates, and frequent (often very unflattering) running related Instagram images, I have been chosen as an #extramile ambassador – basically recognised as someone who spends lot of time on social media talking about running!

The wonderfully unexpected bonus of this accolade is that I have been invited to attend a training day in London next weekend with other selected #extramile London Marathon ambassadors. On Friday 6th March I will be making the long commute down to London, then across the city to Lensbury Hotel in Twickenham. Here I shall meet the other ambassadors over dinner – which I am sure will be fuelled with high levels of running and training related conversation, as well as fuelling us for the forthcoming training happening the next day.

On Saturday 7th we shall be spending the day with Martin Yelling. Martin is a former international runner, elite multisport athlete and Hawaii Ironman finisher who has coached runners from novices through to champions. Martin is also the founder of the UK's number one running podcast - Marathon Talk- and owner of Yelling Performance, as well as regularly contributing to running, health and fitness publications. His wife is also Liz, Yelling, 2 x Olympic marathon runner, so basically he knows his stuff!

Martin will be giving us a pre training talk, leading is through a track based marathon training session, and also taking part in a question and answer session. I am very excited to be able to learn from what Martin has to say, and hopefully pick up some advice and be able to answer those niggling questions I have in my mind. The track based session actually scares me a little! I don't think I have run on a track since high school so it feels a little out of my comfort zone! I am ready for the challenge anyway!

Then it will be back to Lincoln for me ready for a lovely long run on the Sunday – which hopefully I will be feeling even more inspired than usual to complete!

My Training Review: Training Week 7

2/22/2015

MONDAY: I finished work later than normal which meant I had to quickly squeeze in a run before my Body Pump class. I managed a relatively fast 7km which was fairly tough after yesterday's half marathon but a run nevertheless!

TUESDAY: today was my Sports Massage (see below blog post) so I was advised not to run afterwards. I went to the gym instead and did a light cycle on the bike for 10km and an arm weights session.

WEDNESDAY: a 10km run before Body Pump. I discovered today why I was advised not to run on Tuesday as the pain from the bruising on my legs literally made me feel sick whilst I was running! The pain was a strange sensation, almost like a constant impact repeatedly hitting against my skin - so it wasn't the most enjoyable run I have to say!

THURSDAY: no Body Attack class so I completed a Bootcamp session at my gym. I have never done anything like this before and I enjoyed it for a change. It was a bit like a circuits class (although outdoors) with different stations including tyres, ropes, and running with weighted rucksack.

FRIDAY: rightly or wrongly (I have read mixed reviews about doing this) but I completed a longer run this evening to make up for missed distance earlier on in the week. I covered 14km at around marathon pace, my legs were a little painful at the start but I got used to the feeling and felt strong.

SATURDAY: a 5k run on the treadmill followed by some core exercises and a good stretching session in preparation for Sunday's long run.

SUNDAY: 24km today - beating my longest run to date. I ran 15.5km with my friend on another new route which I again really enjoyed. I felt comfortable for the majority of this distance then my legs suddenly started to tire over the last 3/4km. I had drink break and a bit of a stretch at my friend's house before heading out to complete the remaining distance. This was hard, and I had the feeling of no energy in my legs and it was real effort to keep going. I am proud I kept running until the 24km mark, despite it feeling extremely slow and plodding! I was also very, very hungry during the last few kilometres so need to review my nutrition pre run for future weeks. But at least I have learnt something to take forward!

My First Sports Massage

2/17/2015

Another week and another first for me... my first sports massage! After the calf pain of last week I took the plunge and booked my first massage session in. Deep down I knew what to expect, and had been appropriately warned by others who had a massage before, but I will admit nothing quite prepares you for the pain!

It is a 'good' pain in the sense you know it is benefitting you, and I guess that's what makes it bearable! The tights spots which are firmly manipulated, although make your fists clench in pain, are being loosened for the better. From the massage session I found out that my hamstrings are extremely tight - which I sort of expected as my flexibility is also extremely poor! The sports therapist also found that I had some scar tissue on my left calf which looked like had remained from an impact injury (I have no idea what from!). This meant the fibres were misaligned, and some severe pressure was applied to realign the fibres - which hurt a LOT!

Post massage my legs can only be described as tender. They feel like they are bruised everywhere - and it’s probably because they are – see images on the left! I met my sports therapist later at the gym and she commented how they were the worse bruises she had ever seen post massage! I do bruise easily but must admit I was a little shocked. Despite the pain and the bruising I would definitely go back again and I would like to try and make it part of my running/training routine. I will just make sure I don’t schedule anything in for the next day that involves having my legs on show!

My Training Review: Training Week 6

2/15/2015

MONDAY: started the week with a steady outdoor run of 9km. I tried to use this as a bit of a recovery run following Sunday's long run, not sure I quite succeeded as I still ended up running at around, or slightly quicker than marathon pace. My legs didn't feel too bad though, my calves were initially tight but loosened as the run progresses. Body Pump afterwards.

TUESDAY: I really struggled with my run today. I attempted to run 8km on the treadmill but made it to 6km before making myself stop as the pain in my calves was intense and I didn't want to risk any injury. I did make up the remaining 2km on the cross trainer which luckily didn't cause my calves any form of discomfort. From this experience I have now booked in my first ever sports massage for next week!

WEDNESDAY: in complete contrast to the day before I loved my 9km run today! It was one of those days when you know that all you need to do is go for a run to make yourself feel better.. and it worked! My legs felt tired but there was none of the pain I experienced on Tuesday - thankfully! Body Pump after.

THURSDAY: my seemingly cursed Body Attack class was not on again, so I did a circuits class which was mainly weights based with some lovely burpee, skipping and squat jump stations thrown in for good measure.

FRIDAY: Rest Day - filled my evening by experimenting with baking some protein flapjacks (see photo) with my friend! I found the easiest recipe I could and one which involved us buying the fewest ingredients. The flapjacks were made from a mix of oats, coconut oil, peanut butter, banana, raisins and almonds and I am pleased to say turned out ok - although we did run out of banana for the second batch, which meant they were very peanut buttery!

SATURDAY: Park Run (see below blog post)

SUNDAY: I conquered a half marathon today (21km), and perhaps what was most pleasing after my troubles earlier in the week was that my calves didn't feel tight! At the start of the run my legs did feel really tired and I was fearing the next few hours were going to be a complete struggle, but I soon got into my stride and enjoyed another beautiful morning of running - I was actually a little hot in sunny parts (as the above sweaty post run snap shows)! When I reached the 14km mark my pace noticeable dropped but by the end I didn't feel completely exhausted and could have gone on further if required. I aimed to stick to my marathon pace throughout however on reviewing my watch afterwards I set off too fast for the first few kilometres so need to work on keeping a consistent pace. My time overall was 2hrs 3mins - which seems on track for my target of a 4hour marathon....

My First Park Run

2/15/2015

This week I took part in my first ever parkrun at Boultham Park in Lincoln. parkrun is a free, weekly, 5km timed run, and runs take place around the world and are all led by volunteers. I have always wanted to try the Lincoln run, so when my friend said she was going for the first time I was eager to join. So Saturday morning we, along with my other friend who has completed a couple of parkruns before, ventured to Boultham Park ready for the 9am start.

I actually felt a little nervous beforehand, for two reasons. One - anything organised/official generally makes me feel nervous - it doesn't even have to be running related! But the fact that the run was timed, with a start and a finish etc. made me feel slightly nervous. If I was just heading out for a 5km run around the block I would have been completely fine! Two - I was anxious about my time. Being in marathon training has meant I have got used to running longer, slower runs. Even the weekly 5km run on my training plan I have been completing at a comfortable speed of about 25 minutes, whereas before I was pushing it down to around 23 minutes. So I was trying to mentally prepare myself for the fact it probably wouldn't be a PB run, which is something you would normally strive for in any other organised run.

To officially record your time parkrun requires you to register online which enables you to receive your own unique barcode. This is then scanned at the finish line to accurately record who you are and what position you finished. However, as I wasn't feeling that optimistic about my performance, I opted to just run the course and self time my run, rather than have it posted online! My time... 24.40, which if I am honest I was happy with as it was sub 25mins. I also was not quite expecting the number of runners at the start (it turned out to be a record attendance) so got a little stuck, as well as having to slow down briefly to exchange a few words with a couple of people I knew!

Overall I really enjoyed my first parkrun. The event has a lovely atmosphere and is wonderfully organised by the volunteers involved. Its a great way for those new to running to get started, gives more experienced runners an accessible platform to run a weekly timed event, and virtually caters for all those in between. I will definitely be running it again - and may even be brave enough to officially register my time on the next occasion!

My Training Review: Training Week 5

2/8/2015

MONDAY: started the week off with a 9.5km run, outside, on a cold evening, with a lovely combination of frequent snow flurries and blizzards! To make the situation even more delightful I had chosen to wear shorts which meant I had rather cold legs (see photo on right)! Strangely I still enjoyed the run...! Although my calves were a little tight on inclines. Body Pump class afterwards.

TUESDAY: 8km tempo run on the treadmill - I found this quite boring as I am really enjoying running outside at the moment (despite what the weather is throwing at me!). Calves were tight again so did a good stretching and foam roller session afterwards as well as some core exercises.

WEDNESDAY: this was supposed to be an 8k run but I ended up doing about 9km in order to finish at the gym in time for my Body Pump class. My calves were again tight at the start but loosened as the run went on. In Body Pump I also managed to get through the back track (for those not accustomed to Body Pump a track of music focussed solely on back exercises using a weighted bar) for the first time with an increased weight of 20kg on the bar - which felt good!

THURSDAY: Body Attack class - my legs felt notably more heavy than normal in the class, especially in one particular track featuring a high number of burpee tuck jumps, which was an absolute delight...! Although I joke it was good to finally get the class back in my weekly routine and I enjoyed it.

FRIDAY: Rest Day - a long day at work meant exercise was not even an option, but more importantly my legs were grateful of the break!

SATURDAY: a 5k run on the treadmill followed by a lengthy arm weight session and core exercises. I also ensured I maintained my stretching and foam roller routine post run.

SUNDAY: embarked on my longest run to date and also possibly the longest run I have ever actually completed - 17km. It was a glorious almost spring like day with blue skies, sunshine and no wind - could not have been much more different to the start of the week (see above image)! I ran with my friend again so this meant we maintained a good pace throughout and I got to try another new route. My calves played up a bit and I had to stop twice briefly to give them a bit of a stretch. My cardiovascular system felt really strong though which was pleasing.

Going The #ExtraMIle

2/4/2015

Everyone out there who is currently training for a marathon will know what I mean when I say you feel like you are going that ‘extra mile’. Alarms set for 5am to squeeze in that run before work, layering up to brace the cold on a dark winter’s evening, carrying on when every muscle in your legs are aching… you get the idea!

It is times like these when you often feel like you need that extra bit of support and encouragement to remind you of why you are taking on this challenge, and also to reflect on just how far you have come! This is why I am really enjoying being involved with the London Marathon’s #extramile campaign.

extramile is a social campaign at the London Marathon led by headline sponsors Virgin Money and developed in partnership with communication design studio four23. It was first launched in 2014 and enables runners to share their marathon journey via Twitter or Instagram using the #extramile hashtag. The extramile website (http://www.extramile.co.uk) then pulls all content together which us shared using this hashtag, and displays it on a collective timeline - bringing the journeys of 37,000 runners together! The website also allows you to create your own capsule to record your own #extramile Twitter and Instagram updates and gives you a personalised URL which you can share with others.

Sharing my journey through Twitter and Instagram using the #extramile hashtag allows me to connect with a much wider audience, and a simple 'retweet or 'like' from someone can give me that extra little boost. Following other peoples' journey also keeps me motivated and at a time when I may feel like I am struggling there is someone out there with a bit of motivation or advice to offer. I find being able to look back on images or posts I have shared furthermore helps me reflect on my training. I hope I am able able to inspire and support fellow marathoners with my training updates... and of course my sweaty selfies!

My Training Review: Training Week 4

2/1/2015

MONDAY: started the week off with an outdoor 8km run. My legs felt fine even after Sunday's long, hard run. Finished at the gym in time for my Body Pump class.

TUESDAY: finally mastered a tempo run! A 6.5k treadmill run starting off at marathon pace, with a fast section in the middle, and ending at marathon pace. Felt good to finally work it out! I did a few legs weight exercises and some core exercises afterwards. I also had slight shin pain in my left leg so made sure I stretched well and iced my leg when I got home.

WEDNESDAY: my shin still felt a little sore, so I kept icing it at work during the day ready for my evening 11.5km run. I completed this outdoors, just dodging the snow flurries, (see photo) and with a slight headwind. My legs felt good, and I had no shin problems. However during my Body Pump class afterwards I really had the feeling of no energy - as I would call it an 'empty tank' feeling!

THURSDAY: Rest Day. I really felt I needed this after Wednesday, I also suffered from restless legs during the night so knew it was a sign I needed a break.

FRIDAY: an early morning 5km run completed on the treadmill and some core exercises before work. I wanted to run outside but the pavements were so icy at that time of the morning I didn't feel it was worth the risk!

SATURDAY: enjoyed taking part in my first Body Attack class today in three weeks. Usually it is part of my weekly routine but due to the instructor being away it has not been running. The class features an agility track which really got my calves working. Another Body Pump class afterwards - three this week!

SUNDAY: a 14km outdoor run with some very strong winds - the first 6km I found myself battling a permanent headwind which was a challenging start to the run to say the least! My calves tightened up during the middle of the run which caused a bit of discomfort but I finished feeling strong.