Running the London Marathon in 2015 was the best day of my life, and I will not hide from the fact I was gutted when I did not get a place in the 2016 race. But, I still found myself wrapped up in the race's magic this year thanks to the fact my friend was running. As race day neared it had almost felt like I was due to be running again. I nervously watched the countdown on social media, got excited by preview snaps of the expo, course and medals, and literally could not wait until Sunday 24th April. Needless to say, there was no way I was not going to be in London on race day. My friend had supported me in 2015 and I could not imagine not being there for her. My friend's journey to the London Marathon start line had also not been perfect due to a horrible injury which had sidelined her for five weeks. Many probably would have not picked up the training again, or would have not been physically or mentally able to; but she did. So even before the race had started I already felt so incredibly proud of her.

I stayed over at my parents' house in Suffolk the night before the marathon, and then made an early morning journey to London. I barely slept race night, full of nerves and excitement again; and when I got off the train in London I found myself power walking to Tower Bridge. The sooner I got there the better I felt, knowing I could claim my spot for the next few hours. My friend had stood with my other friend and supported me on Tower Bridge last year, and seeing them at roughly the half way point had given me such a buzz of energy and motivation for the second section; so in my mind it was a perfectly placed spot.

Tower Bridge was already buzzing when I arrived, charity banners, balloons and signs spanned its length, and there were huddles of equally eager spectators positioned. I chose my spot exactly on the mid point of the bridge and claimed enough space for my friend's family to join me. It was a cold, fresh morning, and the wind whipping across the bridge made the wait for runners seem extra long. Hats were pulled from bags, gloves were dug out of pockets and hoods were pulled tightly around ears as we all kept our eyes peeled down the road. The elite athletes came first and as ever I was inspired by the wheelchair and ambulant athletes, and amazed by the speed of the elite men and women runners. Then the trickle of 'regular' runners started to appear. It was almost scary the way runners began to then take hold of Tower Bridge, the numbers gradually building until the bridge was abreast with marathoners. I clapped enthusiastically, not only warming my hands, but to support all their efforts and to add to the unforgettable memories I knew they would be creating. 

The worst part of the wait to spot my friend was the complete failure of the London Marathon tracker app. It never worked and so locating her relied upon using the less precise website tracker, which only gave 5km splits, and also our knowledge of her rough running time. As the time window arrived when we expected her to enter the bridge the anxiety within me was so high. I was unbelievably scared of missing her, or of not being able to flag her attention. Thankfully I spotted her, and she heard us screaming her name - a massive relief. I can remember when I ran across Tower Bridge the sheer joy of seeing my friends, but also the feeling that the moment was just not long enough. It was the same when spectating. The adrenaline rush of seeing her felt like a blink. I wanted to be able to shout and tell her how strong she was looking, and encourage her further, but there was just not the time! You almost feel like for the determination and effort your runner is exerting you want to give them so much more!

Once my friend had passed us, we left Tower Bridge and headed straight for the finish. It was odd to think as we made our relatively short journey across London that my friend was out there, winding her way around a much more scenic route to the exact same point! It was perfectly timed that as we arrived at the finishing straight, the runners we had first witnessed crossing Tower Bridge were starting to enter the finish. I found it hard to watch some who were now struggling, knowing full well the pain they were going through, and also just how blooming long that stretch down The Mall feels! But it was also great to be able to cheer on some of the same faces. 

The anxious wait to spot my friend then began all over again. It was worse this time, and I was continually refreshing the website tracker on my phone, praying for her to get the 40km point, meaning she was roughly entering The Mall. When she did I was then transfixed, madly scanning runners trying to pick her out. I was so relieved to spot her again. I never heard my friends shouting me when I was running down The Mall as I was completely zoned out; so I knew it would be tough to grab her attention. But we did, and I was again so pleased she had heard us and that we were able to give her that final push for the finish.

Walking away from The Mall to the runner 'meet and greet' you fully realised just how loud the crowds are down that stretch. The atmosphere in London was all I remembered as a runner, and at numerous times during the day I had wonderful flashbacks to my own race. Some moments I have been able to recall with such precision, but others I had almost forgotten about until I was actually back in the city. What I can remember clearly is the wait after finishing trying to find my friends and family, battling the crowds and just wanting someone to celebrate with - and also rid me of my heavy bag!! So again I was anxious to get to my friend - I tell you being a spectator/supporter is definitely not an easy or relaxing day!

It was an emotional moment greeting her, all that she had achieved over the last few weeks, and the challenges and setbacks she had overcome, suddenly felt like they had been truly rewarded. It was one of those moments when a hug says a million words. I wanted to cry but I knew if I started I probably wouldn't stop, and I also felt I wanted to be as strong as my friend had been, not only over the last 26.2 miles of running, but throughout the last sixteen weeks of her training. I felt pride, joy, happiness, relief and just so inspired by her. 

My 2015 London Marathon memories are some of my most treasured, and today I was able to add more to them, and experience the pleasure of seeing my friend create her own. It makes me so happy to think that there were thousands of other runners out there creating the same special moments too - just confirming what an amazing event the London Marathon truly is. ​For this reason, my thoughts also go out to the family and friends of David Seath who sadly lost his life on Sunday.   

This week I have not been following a training plan of any sort, so it has just been me choosing what I want to do, and also aiming to listen to what my body wanted to do. I am trying not to rush back into running full throttle after the Manchester Marathon, as I want to make sure my body and mind are rested, ready and raring to go when my Berlin Marathon training starts in June. Sometimes I feel a bit lost without a plan, but this week it has felt much needed.

MONDAY: double exercise classes to start the week; Spinning followed by Body Pump. I returned to my usual weights during Body Pump, after dropping down during taper and post marathon, and could certainly feel it on some of the exercises!

TUESDAY: today I went back to my Body Attack class - a form of high intensity aerobics. I had stopped attending the class in December last year, when I started my marathon training, in order to focus on running. I had missed it and I loved being back. I was pleased my cardiovascular fitness was still there, although I could feel the slight absence of power in my legs towards the end of the class.

WEDNESDAY: the first visit to my Sport Therapist post marathon for a much needed massage. My legs were given a good report thankfully, they were tired and in need of a 'flush out' but no marathon damage. The massage felt great. I wanted to let my legs enjoy their new found release, so resisted running in the evening, doing some light cross training before Body Pump.

THURSDAY: getting back to my usual exercise levels seemed to catch up with my legs today; on top of the massage soreness, I think I also had a few days worth of DOMS built up - maybe I had not been taking things that easy after all! I resisted running again as I saw no point in unnecessarily taxing my legs, and instead returned to the gym for some more cross training.

I love Lincoln 10k day - its official. There is something about your hometown run that makes you want to take part even more than normal; yes I could run that route every single day if I wanted to, but its just not the same. I love seeing the streets I train on filled with runners and lined with supporters, and I love seeing the city where I live caught up in the running and race day bubble. The other great thing about being involved in your local event (other than rolling out of bed and casually walking to the start line!) - is that I always know so many people taking on the distance, so its great to support and encourage each other. 

Despite having completed Manchester Marathon the weekend before, which was a particularly physically and mentally demanding race experience, I knew I wanted to run the 10k. In a perfect scenario I wanted the race to be a bit of a comeback after a disappointing marathon. However, I had to be realistic about my capabilities after a mid week run highlighted just how tired my legs were still, on top of the occurrence of knee and hip pain. I like to run a 10k in sub 50 minutes (one day a sub 45 min!), but instead I reasoned with myself that anything under an hour would be acceptable under the circumstances.

​This was my fourth consecutive Lincoln 10k and the weather has always been perfect. Once again, blue skies and glorious sunshine bathed Lincoln's Cathedral as my friend and I walked up to the race start. I was a little nervous; not for once about what time I was going to run, but about whether or not I was going to enjoy the race. I wanted to finish with a smile and be happy, something which I did not achieve at the Manchester Marathon. The last thing I wanted was to run the whole thing in pain, hate every step, and just feel even worse about myself!

The start of the race was very crowded, they seem to be making the starting section narrower each year and its really not a good idea (Run for All please take note!) Due to this I was forced to start slower than normal, before managing to get into a stride. I was pleasantly surprised that my knee and hip seemed silent though, the race adrenaline possibly masking any niggle. My legs felt heavy from the first steps, but this I could live with. 

I am not sure if after a marathon this sounds blatantly obvious, but the distance then seemed to fly by, and I was soon at half way. My pace was reasonably consistent, the heaviness in my legs was a little restrictive, but at this point I felt good. I was running much better than I had expected and possibly could sneak a 50 minute time. 

​Reaching 9k I managed to speed up slightly for the final kilometer. I was a little tentative as my body's collapse in the final stages of the Manchester Marathon was still there in the back of my mind. I know a 10k is not a marathon; but the thoughts and fears were there. Quite timely, I passed the volunteers from Lincoln parkrun who were out in force supporting. I had to smile as the Race Director called out to me, joking that I should try and catch my friend up - I laughed it off knowing full well that was never going to happen (I was right too, as when I found my friend at the finish she had ran a super 47 minute time!) I carried my speed into the finish though, making a real effort to sprint for the line. My time - 51.02. I was so happy. Yes, it was not a sub 50 or anywhere near my own 47 minute PB;  but I had done it and I had enjoyed it. It just felt so good to be running happy again.

I had my medal engraved with my finish time in the race village, not because I was particularly amazed by running a 10k in 51 minutes, but because I wanted to remember the happy feeling I had when I crossed that finish line. I then went and enjoyed a post race cider with my friend; something which again I didn't get to do/didn't feel like doing last weekend at the Manchester Marathon. The Lincoln 10k may have on paper seemed to be a poorly timed race, but actually the whole day was exactly what I needed. ​

The week after a marathon; I knew from running the London Marathon last year to expect to be unable to walk properly and to fully hate the sight of stairs. However, last year I was proud to recount my marathon story and wanted to tell everybody passing that I had ran THE London Marathon! As some of you will know, my Manchester Marathon did not go to plan so reliving the marathon over and over again to various people has been tough. People have been extremely kind and supportive though; the responses I received to my race review blog alone were unexpected, overwhelming and humbling. 

Physically, I think I actually hurt less than I did after the London Marathon; instead of the overall body ache I had acute muscle pain in more specific areas. I like to think this is a sign perhaps my legs are a bit stronger than last year!? My working week was busy; on Monday I was straight back into it, on my feet all day playing Street Golf; with the rest of the week including supervising gym sessions, badminton, football, table tennis and more golf (if you had not guessed, I work in sport!) Being lightly active seemed to help keep me supple though, the odd time I found myself sat for a while I soon ceased up!

My 'training' week has looked like this:

MONDAY: I will hold my hands up and say I went to the gym to do my usual Body Pump class. I did not complete it to any level of intensity though; to be honest it was more the fact I did not want to be sat at home mulling over Sunday and welcomed the distraction and to be among friends. 

TUESDAY: Rest Day - the full post marathon tiredness hit me today

WEDNESDAY: back to the gym for some light cycling and then gentle Body Pump again.

THURSDAY: more light cross training and the return of the foam roller. This was the first day I felt able to withstand foam roller work - and it still hurt!

FRIDAY: I attempted a gentle run today, aiming for between 3-5 miles depending on how I felt. I ran a very steady 5k; which gives you some indication of how I felt! My legs were heavy and sluggish, but worst of all my left knee hurt and my right hip hurt even more. This was a bit of a shock as neither had been bothering me all week. With the Lincoln 10k on Sunday I was despondent. In a dream world I wanted this run to be a bit of a back-in-action, confidence booster after Sunday. However I now knew that if I was to run it, I needed to really evaluate my race goal. 

SATURDAY: Rest Day

SUNDAY: The Lincoln 10k - after a bit of a debate I decided to run the race (see start line photo). I did not want to miss my hometown event, and bargained with myself to instead just be realistic about my capabilities. I like to run a 10k in sub 50 minutes (one day a sub 45 min!), but instead I decided anything under an hour would be acceptable under the circumstances - full blog to follow. 

Thank you once again to everyone for your comments, tweets, messages and general support this week - it has very much been appreciated. ​

The Manchester Marathon 2016 - a race I had been training long and hard for, and my second marathon. I was aiming to beat my time from last year at London (4.09) and wanted to go sub 4. My training had gone well, I cannot complain at all. No major injuries, no massive disruptions etc. so I knew it was within my capabilities to do it. But without beating around the bush I didn't - things did not go to plan...

It was a beautiful day in Manchester. A crisp morning, but a rising sun and blue skies meant we were in for warm conditions. Lining up at the start I felt fairly relaxed. The start was weirdly empty (which I later discovered was due to parking fiascos meaning lots of runners being badly held up), and I found myself starting among the 3hr 30 runners rather than in the 3.45-4hr area as it was just so empty. The start was also interesting...there basically was no start! No starts signs, no start archway nothing. We didn't really know when we had actually began! The first mile marker was also hung on its post the wrong way round and came much too early, so that added to confusion. But we were underway. 

Starting with faster runners, and at this point in cooler weather, I got off well. I was running a steady 8.40/8.45 min/mile pace, which was a bit quick for me, but I felt comfortable, and it would have been more uneasy to slow down. I kept this up for roughly the first ten miles. The route up to this point I found a little uninspiring, it was not horrendous, just nothing of any real note! I passed my friends supporting me at mile 9; feeling good, smiling and waving, as I headed towards an out and back loop which would see us pass halfway. This section I would like to question slightly the 'flat' branding of this marathon. I'm not complaining as you come to expect it, but there were some sharp inclines as well as some long drawn out roads which steadily increased in gradient. Passing my friends again on the way back from this section, and at roughly mile 17, I was not quite as comfy, but still in control. 

The next section was a mental battle. Going into countryside, support was minimal and distractions from the tiredness hitting my legs were few and far between. My paced had slowed to around 9 min mile now, but I knew I had ten miles of good running in the bank so was happy. It was hot though and the sun was really making its presence felt by now. Unbeknown to me I was also getting badly sunburnt! Reaching the milestones of mile 18 and then mile 20 I was still feeling reasonably settled. Things were starting to hurt, as you would expect at this point in a marathon, but a 3.50 something time was still on the cards and this drove me on. Mile 22 came and I entered the unknown, untrained last 4 miles of the race. I was on track for sub 4 hours still and I knew what I needed to run in order to get it. 

The first mile of this final stretch I felt as good as you can expect at this point, but by the second mile I started to slow rapidly and my steps were becoming increasingly hard; it was like my mind couldn't remember how to even move normally let alone run. I felt unnatural and a bit disillusioned. My feet were swelling, I had a pins and needles sensation in my arms and legs, my vision was becoming blurry and attempting to focus on things in the distance made my head rush. 24 miles was nearly on my watch when I remember swerving towards some spectators. A woman reached out to catch me and told me to stop. I found myself leaning on the bollard they were stood by, begging them to let me go on. I tried and nearly fell, I am not sure how I was planning on continuing, but I just didn't want to give up. 

The next sequence is a bit blurry. The spectators flagged down a fellow runner who gave me a gel and offered to walk with me. We did for some minutes but I was literally shuffling and leaning on him to stay upright. Then a steward saw me and pulled me to the side. I was given more food and he took off my shoes, which at this moment in time felt like were suffocating my feet. I was still not stopping though. I walked painfully slowly, barefoot, and leaning on the steward for support, for the next mile to the St Johns ambulance tent. I rang my friend at this point and it must have been the most scary, rambling phone call! They weren't happy at St Johns as I was pale and my pulse was hard to find. They didn't advise me finishing the 1.2 miles which were left, but that was simply out of the question. I made them put my running shoes back on and I was off. 

I walked. It hurt as my legs were now sore as well as extremely tired. People were enthusiastically cheering me on though, thrusting jelly babies into my face and willing me to make it, which kept my spirits up. I eventually reached where my family were stood and they walked alongside me. I was gutted they couldn't see me run, but at least I was still going. In the final 200 metres I managed a gritted teeth shuffle as I wanted to run over the line. It took me virtually an hour to complete the final two and a bit miles, but I finished, which was all I wanted to do. 

Strictly speaking this is not a full week, as I still have the actual 26.2 miles to run on Sunday! But as the Manchester Marathon is not actually 'training'  then I am sure you will let me off...!

MONDAY: I completed another Spinning class today before my usual Body Pump class. I know you are probably thinking - not much of a taper, two exercise classes! But, I kept the resistance relatively low whilst Spinning, focusing on keeping with the beat of the music rather than making my quads burn! I also considerably dropped the weights I normally use in Body Pump for all the leg based exercises, again to offer them some rest. 

TUESDAY: a four mile interval run with 10 x 200 metre efforts, with 30 seconds recovery in between. Thank god it was only four miles as this felt really hard! I tried to give my all on the short sprints, and thus the 30 seconds rest felt like absolutely nothing. It was quite disjointed, but my new Garmin 220 watch helped so much; I was able to programme in the workout I was doing and it buzzed and alerted me when the intervals were starting and finishing - I am used to trying to monitor this myself!

WEDNESDAY: a steady 5k before my Body Pump class, which again I completed using markedly less leg weights than normal. I felt a bit more confident on the run than I have been recently. I allowed myself to relax without any time pressure, and in doing this I found myself naturally running around my target marathon pace. 

THURSDAY: Rest Day - which I spent enjoying some of the wonderful cakes my friend made for me (see image) - aren't they just perfect! 

FRIDAY: a very steady 2 mile leg shakeout run - quite possibly the shortest run I have ever been on!

SATURDAY: Rest Day - travel to Manchester

SUNDAY: The Big Day - full blog to follow, clearly once I have actually ran the thing! ​

Manchester Marathon week is here. Even typing these words out sends a wave of nervous excitement through my body. 16 weeks of training are nearly up, and its all going to come down to one day - no pressure then right!?

Last year on London Marathon week I sat and contemplated the things marathon training had taught me:
http://www.alicesadventuresinrunningland.com/blog/1o-things-marathon-training-has-taught-me)
So this year I thought I would do the same.

1) Introducing 'The Curse of Marathon Number 2'
For my first marathon I just wanted to run it. I had dreamed of running the London Marathon for as long as I can remember, and to be one of the thousands of runners pounding the streets of the Capital was an incredible feat in itself. I had a vague time in mind - 4 hours - but really just wanted to be able to say I ran 26.2 miles. This year though the runner in me has come out; I want a PB, I want to beat my time, and I want to go sub 4 hours. The pressure has been applied, and I have self inflicted myself with the curse of Marathon Number 2. 

2) Don't be afraid to challenge yourself
With the PB hunt on, I have been pushing myself even harder this marathon training cycle. I have been following a plan for an optimistic 3hr 45 min finish time - which I know I probably will not get. But, if I want to knock 15/20 mins off my current marathon time, the only way to try to do this has been to push my body, not just further, but also differently to last time. Intervals, hills, tempo runs have all been in there, often with demanding pace requirements. Have I met all the pace suggestions? No. But have I tried? Yes. Did I enjoy them all... next question!!

3) Look after yourself
Sounds a bit stupid really, but you cannot underestimate not only the commitment marathon training takes, but also the effect it has on your life. I have woken up on days and felt so incredibly tired that I have wanted to cry! I have crawled into bed at 5pm for a 20 min nap, before wearily putting my running gear on. I have reluctantly succumbed to my bed at 7pm on a Friday night instead of attempting to fight sleep anymore. The overall tiredness combined with the near constant hunger has been difficult at times. I also have changed my job since the last time I was marathon training, and am now considerably more active on a day to day basis.  All these factors add up and are aspects you need to be aware of in order to keep yourself happy and well. 

4) Training is better with friends
I used this one last year, but it is still so true. Without a doubt you need people around you when marathon training who can and want to understand how you are feeling, and who are there to support you. This training programme I have also completed a lot more of my training runs with a friend. Its never bothered me running alone before, I can switch my mind into the most random of places and tick off the miles, and I know I can still do this if I want to. But I have to admit running 20 miles with someone else is a lot easier than over 3 hours out by yourself! A balance is good. 

​5) Explore further than your front door
I am never running past my own front door again - I have promised myself that. I used to do this all the time when marathon training last year; partly through fear I may need to stop and having the security of knowing home is just there, and also through lack of route knowledge. 

It used to mess with my head though, and I would hate running past my street knowing I still had many more miles to go. I have enjoyed exploring even more areas around my hometown this training programme and I am lucky to live in a city which within a few minutes you can be out in the countryside running through idyllic villages and rural landscapes. It makes such a difference to me. 

6) What is a treadmill again?
As you can probably guess from my love of running outside and exploring, I have ran on the treadmill only once during this marathon training programme. I lasted 15 mins before whacking the red stop button! I didn't do a lot of treadmill running last year, but usually once/twice a week I would find myself on the belt. Now I cannot even imaging doing that. I do not think the treadmill is forbidden, but personally I find you cannot beat the natural challenges of running and training outside. 

7) Fall in love with your Foam Roller
I have spent way too much time with this piece of foam! I promised myself I would use it more, and when Santa bought me a lovely purple Nike yoga mat for my home that was it - we have been inseparable since. Some days I have wanted to foam roll badly as I could feel the tensions in my muscles, other days it has hurt too much to even contemplate. Sometimes I have literally worked one or two tight areas, whilst others I have been lying on my living room floor for whats seems like ages carefully ironing out my legs. My overall increased usage has definitely helped though. 

8) Never outrun the joy of running
This is a quote I often see posted on social media and its true. There was one week during my training that I almost didn't want to run anymore. I was tired, it felt like all I was doing was running, mentally I was drained, and I felt generally under the weather too. It all just hit me. My friend spotted my change in attitude first, and this alerted me. The thing you love should never become a chore, and when following a training programme, I guess its easier for it to seem like this. What did I do? I put a little less pressure on myself that week, mixed my plan slightly to take a rest when I wanted rather then when it was telling me, and I tried to stop thinking about running as 'training' remembering why I love to run in the first place. 

I am always learning as I run - and hopefully the lessons I have applied from my London Marathon training last year will be rewarded on Sunday when I line up at the Manchester Marathon start line. ​

Taper week 1! But its been hard...

MONDAY: Bank Holiday Monday meant a bit of a change in routine. I had planned on just doing my usual Body Pump class but this was cancelled last minute. So I found myself sat at home in gym gear not knowing what to do... anyone who knows me can guess what happened!  I ended up in the gym, steadily cross training for about an hour and spending a lot of time with the foam roller. 

TUESDAY: back to work and I was hit by a horrible headache which would not shift all day. I could not face the intense intervals I had on my plan, so opted to try a steady 5 miles instead. I felt better for a bit of fresh air and my steady pace did not make my head throb too much, although the drizzling rain was unwelcome!

WEDNESDAY: I woke feeling groggy today, my headache was still lingering in the background, I was sluggish and couldn't keep my body warm. Not good. I took things steady throughout the day and when the evening came, had to think sensibly about what to do. I really wanted to attempt my missed intervals from yesterday, but knew I did not have the energy to do that properly. The thought of another steady 5 miles did not seem that beneficial either. As a bargain I wandered slowly to my gym and cross trained intervals, which made my head hurt slightly less than running, followed by Body Pump. 

THURSDAY: a positive start to the day as I was feeling a lot better in myself. It was Sports Massage day though, so I knew I had pain to come, especially after the trouble with my left quad. I was not wrong - my left quad was in a bad way following the muscle spasm a couple of weeks ago, and it was very painful. My sports therapist is amazing though and I can withstand the pain when I know its helping me! She did say however that both my quads were very fatigued, probably as a result of overdoing it a bit recently and not fueling/drinking enough. This left me a little dejected that after all my running efforts I have managed to let my legs get to this state so close to the marathon. I was advised only to run slowly this evening, so I headed out for another 5 miles; the sunshine, the fact I could wear just a vest top, and being able to give my shiny new Garmin a spin (see image) lifted my spirits a little. 

FRIDAY: Rest Day - I struggled today with the guilt of how little I had ran this week, and how my training had not been to plan. Tapering is not fun!

SATURDAY: I attempted a faster 5k today, just to give my legs more of a spin after a lot of steady running. I say faster, it was still slow by my standards, but it felt good to get my heart racing a bit. 

​SUNDAY: my last long-ish run before marathon day! 12 miles was on the plan, which you would think would seem short and relatively easy compared to previous weeks. I would like to say it did, and that the run was pleasurable, but that would be a bit of a lie! It wasn't horrendous by any means, but I never really settled, unsure what pace to keep, scared of tiring my legs more by pushing on hills, constantly thinking about the day itself etc. all mind games! My calves also felt tight and I stopped a couple of times to stretch them - with one week to go my mantra was better safe than sorry!  ​