‘Love Running? Love the 30k’ was the message printed on the ribbon of the Stamford Striders St Valentines Day 30k race medal – some may say it’s a bold statement to make, but I have to say after my first experience of this event, I agree.

I am sure February 2020 will be remembered by most of the running community as a month of storms and strong winds, especially those in marathon training! The Stamford 30k itself is usually held on the Sunday closest to Valentine’s Day, however with Storm Dennis raging strongly, the event had to be postponed by one week. I did not originally have a place in the race (too slow to register before it sold out!), however the new date fell in my favour as a few spaces became available. I was really looking forward to my first race of 2020, especially with several friends from my running club also taking part, and even the warnings from a number of previous participants about the ‘hideously hilly’ course profile did not dampen my enthusiasm. 

As race day arrived the wind still prevailed, and the forecast was for up to 40mph gusts – great! Rain also threatened, and on what was due to be a rather exposed rural route I began to think I could be in for a tough time! I travelled to the event with some friends from Run Club and we remained relatively relaxed though; we all were treating this event as part of our marathon training cycles, so not necessarily approaching it as an ‘all out’ race or chasing a particular time. The race start area, set at local school in Stamford, was a bustle of runners and it felt good to be back in that environment again. Our biggest debate was what to wear; it felt milder than of late, however the wind would be cooling, and if we got caught in heavy rain showers it would certainly add a chill factor.

After a busy week I welcomed the 11am race start - which meant for a little bit of extra time in bed! – and as we huddle by the start line, the sun suddenly decided to shine boldly through the clouds. I already knew I was going to be too warm! As usual, it is only really when I am stood in the start pen that I begin to contemplate seriously my strategy for the race ahead of me; I never like to overthink it too much! I chatted to my friends and commented that I thought I could run between 8:20-8:30 min/mile pace, which would be steadier than a long, slow run pace but not too ambitious considering the weather and the course - although this would depend on how strong that wind really was and if the hills completely destroyed me!

The Stamford 30k course is indeed very rural and to be honest a lot of the course blurs into one in my mind; countryside roads and open landscapes. The hills however cannot be forgotten as they are pretty much relentless, constantly up and down with very small sections of flat in between. The wind was apparent, particularly in the first couple of thirds where it was either whipping from the side, or for a few a few miles, coming head on. It doesn’t sound like I would be ‘loving the Stamford 30k’ at this point, but I was, and my body felt strong against both the challenges.

Another factor which boosted my enjoyment of the race was running the whole duration with my friend from Run Club. We had not specifically planned to run together, but just slipped into a natural pace alongside one another, and we chatted almost constantly as we ticked off each kilometre marker. My friend had taken part in the event a couple of times before and as we neared the final few kilometres assured me we had beaten the worst of the hills by now. However, as I turned a corner to see another long climb looming on the horizon, I pointed and laughed ‘what about that one then?!’ This sums up the Stamford 30k, there are so many climbs it is virtually impossible to recall or remember each and every one of them!

As we hit the final couple of kilometres I was pleased with the strength I still felt in my body; at no point had I wanted to stop, give up, walk or thought I would not make it to the end. Weaving through some residential streets as we headed back to the school to finish, I enjoyed the shared sense of power between my friend and I. A marshal on a bike was also following us into the finish and his enthusiastic support towards us both (which almost bordered on the comically scary!) caused me to beam a huge smile across my face. The marshals on the entire course were all actually incredible and must be applauded for standing out in those conditions!

The final few hundred metres of the Stamford 30k is around the school field; it is a tough little test at the end and the uneven surface demands some concentration on tiring legs. The actual finishing metres were directly into the strong headwind; ensuring no sprint finish could be mustered! I headed toward the finishing mat still side by side with my friend and the commentator urged us on, trying to encourage one of us to beat the other. We were so in sync now though that even any attempt at a surge to the finish meant we crossed the line at the exact same point.

Reviewing my watch, I could see we ran an average pace of 8:23 min/mile, which for that course and in the conditions we were met with, I was very pleased about. The Stamford 30k was indeed an excellent training run, and my performance has given me confidence that my current endurance is developing well. Running with my friend certainly increased my enjoyment levels too, and being able to meet other friends from Run Club afterwards and share race stories also added to the experience. My favourite comment was from one of our members who said she never would have felt as good running that course if it had not been for the confidence hill sessions at Run Club had given her, which was really good feedback to hear.

Stamford 30k means I have my first race of 2020 under my belt, a new medal hanging on my medal board and a pretty cool long-sleeved finisher top to add to my running gear collection. I have started the year positively and I now look ahead to a few more evens I have scheduled as part of my London Marathon preparations - I do indeed love running. ​

I started this week feeling a bit run down; a cough niggled, my head hurt and I was tired. After a 50+ hour working week previously, as well as 40+ miles of running I think my body was just telling me to slow down a bit. I listened, which meant taking the first few days of this week steady, especially as I knew I had a big weekend of work and running ahead. Managing life and training can be tough, and I am sure I have far less variables to juggle than some people do!

MONDAY: Rest Day - I felt fatigued today, and with some flexibility in my usual working schedule, decided to shift my weights class to tomorrow and have a complete day of recovery. 

TUESDAY: a day of rest meant I felt far more prepared to tackle today's interval run, which was 6 miles with 10 x 400m reps. Perhaps it is down to the track work I have been doing in recent months with my Run Club, but I am finding intervals far less intimidating than previous training cycles, and I actually look forward to them! I ran well and logged a few sub 7 min/mile paces for some of the interval reps. Body Pump class in the evening. 

WEDNESDAY: with less evening work commitments this week I chose to allow my body some extra time in bed in this morning and went running after work. I still much prefer morning runs, but I felt any chance to maximise extra rest was needed. I had 7 miles on my plan, suggested to be at 8 min/mile pace. For now the third consecutive week, the wind was rather blustery and made the first few miles a real challenge to hit this pace. Turning away from a direct headwind, I managed to find some rhythm though, and some quicker miles meant I finished the run with an 8:05 min/mile average pace - I will take that!

THURSDAY: 8 easy miles, made a little tougher by (you guessed it!) the wind. I had ten miles on my plan, but 8 miles felt enough today, and I was also conscious I was increasing my mileage more than my plan suggested at the weekend due to taking part in the Stamford 30k. In the evening I led a track session for Run Club, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I was grateful of the personal rest from any further miles. 

FRIDAY: a steady 3 mile progression run, starting at closer to 9 min/mile pace and finishing nearer to 8 min/mile pace, shaking the legs out a little in preparation for a Sunday's race.

​SATURDAY: Rest Day - in which I was pleased to still be able to squeeze in volunteering at Lincoln parkrun before heading to work. I hate to miss parkrun in any capacity!

SUNDAY: my first race of 2020; Stamford 30k. After the event was rearranged due to storms last weekend, I was really pleased to gain a space in the race, and had opted to run it instead of a half marathon I had originally entered. I felt the longer distance was more suited to my current training stage, I had never tried the event before, and I also had a few friends from Run Club I could share the day with (see image). The wind still prevailed (honestly - enough of the wind now!) and the hilly course profile I had been warned about certainly lived up to its expectations, but I was really pleased with how strong I felt. I didn't push myself 'all out' but ran steadily, logging the full near 19 miles running alongside my friend from Run Club. Considering the wind and the hills I was very happy with an 8:23 min/mile average pace and the distance flew by with my friend's company. Full blog to follow - but I really enjoyed another long run and sharing the experience with friends; I cannot emphasise how good this feels compared to the relative struggle I faced with long runs during my last marathon training block. A happy ending to a tough start to the week. ​

'I love running in the wind' said no one ever - this has been one of my favourite quotes of the week. If anyone truly likes running in the wind then fair play to them! I personally hate the way the wind makes everything feel so much harder, and especially when training for a marathon, I do no think any runner needs that! After Storm Ciara last week, the windy weather remained throughout this week, and by the weekend Storm Dennis decided he wanted a piece of the action..! Despite the disruption I have managed to log 43 miles for the week and am feeling strong and happy; just no more storms now please!

MONDAY: Body Pump class

TUESDAY: this was the worst day of the week in terms of battling against the wind. It was very strong and meant I had to dig deep to produce a tempo run. I had 6 miles on my plan, with the 4 middle miles at half marathon pace. Ideally I wanted closer to the 7:30 min/mile region for the tempo section, but it was such hard work, and I settled for just trying to log some sub 8 min/mile splits. I managed this feat; but even that was not easy, and it felt at times like I was running against sheer resistance!

WEDNESDAY: a midweek ten miler is always a sign for me that marathon training is getting serious. The wind persisted, although slightly less strong, which meant a few miles were a bit more challenging than they should have been. I kept my pace easy though, focusing on mileage and form rather than speed. 

THURSDAY: my interval session for the week was a due to be hill repeats and this coincided perfectly with a hill session we had planned at Run Club. After a mile warm up it was then into a very challenging block of hill repeats, sprinting as fast as possible up a steep incline and recovering on the downhill. We completed four sets of 8 minutes and as each set passed I could feel my legs tiring and having to push myself more to maintain pace. It was tough and certainly not a session I would have attempted without the support and motivation of being in a club environment. A recovery jog home left me with 5 more miles in the legs - and ready for tomorrow's rest day! 

Another week has passed, and I will be honest, it has flown by! It has been a very busy week for me work wise and I knew I would need to make conscious effort not just to get my running in, but also to make sure I looked after myself. It is something very easy to let slip in the whirlwind that is life - let alone when you throw in running 40 odd miles a week into the mix!

MONDAY: Body Pump class

TUESDAY: rather than a form of interval run, this week my plan specified 7 miles of fartlek aka 'speed play' (I learnt this way back in GCSE PE!) On runs like these I tend to plan a hillier route which naturally demands my body to work harder on different gradients/run at different speeds. I quite enjoyed the change, and I personally find it much more effective way of approaching fartlek training than just running and trying to make myself go faster on certain streets etc. 

WEDNESDAY: Tuesday had a been a long day work-wise; I got to work for 8:30am and arrived home just before 9pm. When my alarm went of this morning to run I just did not feel refreshed, physically I probably could have ran, but mentally I was tired. I was not due to be working in the evening, so decided to try an evening run. Post work it was then a different story, mentally I felt much more recharged to take on 8 miles, but physically I was weary from a busy day. My 8 miles were supposed to be slow/recovery, and it was just as well, as I could not have upped my pace from a steady plod even if I wanted to!

THURSDAY: it was track night at Run Cub tonight, so I was pleased to allow my body the extra recovery and to be able run in the evening again. I am much more of a morning runner, but with club it is different as the inspiration and motivation of others pushes me. Having said this, after another full on day at work, as I sat in my car at the track I felt I had no energy, a weary mind and it was also flipping freezing! I did not feel 'up' for the session, and even less so when the pyramid set we were running was outlined to me; it was tough. This is when the magic of running kicked in though; as soon as I started to run everything was forgotten and suddenly I became focused on just me and my strides. I slotted in with a few other club mates and  we tackled a 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m descending pyramid, with 400m recovery in between each distance. Together we kept a strong pace throughout and I was really pleased with my splits. I left the track feeling energised and strong, very different to how I arrived. 

FRIDAY: Rest Day

SATURDAY: my original plan for this week was to, as usual, run my long run on a Sunday. I was already dreading this a little though as I was due at work for 10am, which would mean needing to be out the house for 6am and getting up at 4am to eat... slightly crazy I know. I was then alerted to the predicted arrival of Storm Ciara on Sunday with a threat of 'danger to life' winds. It was all sounding a little dire! Thankfully I was saved by the offer of a long run on Saturday; and it turned out to be a really good alternative in many ways. Some of you may have read in past blogs that my workplace, Lincoln City Foundation (who I love working for even though sometimes I am very busy!), have partnered with Curly's Athletes to hold the Lincoln City Half Marathon in September 2020 (more info here: www.lincolncityhalfmarathon.co.uk) On Friday, one of the guys at Curly's said they were coming to Lincoln to try the parkrun and did I fancy doing a recce of the half marathon route after wards. It may as well have been a rhetorical question! So that is what I did; I ran my Lincoln parkrun (in a conservative 24 minutes, which was actually really enjoyable) and then headed out for 13 more miles testing out the event route - which will all be revealed in the forthcoming weeks! I loved running with someone and the distance flew by, and it was also exciting to imagine thousands of people running these steps in a few months time. I ran quicker than my normal long run pace of late, around the 8:20 min/mile marker but felt really strong. I loved the route too - but maybe I am slightly bias!

SUNDAY: with 3 miles left to run this week I had the intention of getting these logged before going to work. However, Storm Ciara sounded scarily violent outside my window and I decided to wait until later in the day and review the conditions. When I got home later on it was still very windy, however I was mentally a bit worn out from a sixth day at work and I really just needed some form of release and I guess some 'me time'. I laced up for 3 easy miles, with my pace very much dictated by the wind direction! It was what I needed and a nice way to end a busy but rewarding week. ​

Four weeks of training logged and 40 more miles of running achieved this week.  A few people have asked me how my training is going and I can only speak positively. I also feel a change in myself this marathon cycle; I feel more relaxed about training, and whilst I am pushing hard in the physical running sessions, away from pounding the streets, I am calmer in my mind, more content and just generally happier. It is a balance in past years I openly admit I may have lacked a little. 

MONDAY: Body Pump class

TUESDAY: I was eager to attempt my intervals today as I was giving my new trainers their first run out. I had 6 miles with 6 x 800m reps on the plan and really enjoyed it; I have found a nice stretch of pavement which I can run in loops, and whilst some may find this boring, I like being able to just focus on the session. My trainers felt great and I hit good splits for the interval reps, the majority sub 7:30 min/mile pace.

WEDNESDAY: I was joined by my sister and her boyfriend for this morning's just over 7 mile recovery run, as they were staying with me in Lincoln to deliver a sport science presentation to my Run Club. It was good to have company, especially over chatty, easier miles, and it helped to make recovery miles feel a little less laborious and was much easier to keep pace under control. 

THURSDAY: a day of two runs; up first, my own 5 mile tempo run, with the middle 3 miles hitting half marathon pace. Later it was my turn to lead at Run Club and I had a hill session planned, incorporating loops to challenge all members (see image). I love taking my turn to lead; it is not abut my own miles (although I do log some of course!) and I genuinely get real joy from supporting and encouraging others to achieve and progress in their own running goals. 

FRIDAY: Rest Day

​SATURDAY: a breakthrough in parkrun terms, as I logged a sub 21 minute time again, finishing in 20:53. Importantly, I felt really strong in doing so. For me this shows my training is coming together; time is one thing, but the feeling of power and strength in my body is more satisfying. It is always helped being encouraged by the parkrun volunteers on the course too, and I was lucky to have support on a number of twist and turns around the Lincoln parkrun course today, which helped give me an extra push.

SUNDAY: I am keen to build my endurance base more than ever during this training cycle, so today was another 16 miler, trying to get my body comfortable with running for longer. I felt strong for the vast majority of this run, which pleased me, and I did not look at my watch and just let my legs turn rhythmically around. I had a couple of miles where my legs tightened, but towards the end I felt like I could even have pushed the pace a little more. I averaged exactly the same time as last week, 8.30 min/mile, and the consistency in my longer runs is also a marker of progress in my mind. ​