Alice's Adventures in Running Land - Blog

My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

5/31/2015

MONDAY: Bank Holiday Monday meant I ran a morning 8km, intending to end at the gym for a Body Pump class. The class was cancelled when I arrived so I opted for gym weights instead. The run was at an average of 5min 19sec kilometres, I didn't want to start the weak too fast, as past weeks I have definitely felt the effect of a fast Monday run on my legs throughout the rest of the week.

TUESDAY: Body Attack class

WEDNESDAY: tonight's 8km was one of those runs when everything felt amazing! My legs felt perfect, the weather was lovely, and a random car driver enthusiastically shouted 'Run Forrest Run' at me right at the start which spurred me on even more! For the first time since the marathon I recorded an average pace of under 5mins per kilometre which felt even better! Body Pump afterwards.

THURSDAY: the plan I am following for my forthcoming half marathon said today's run should 'include some hills'. I am not a massive fan of hills, I think it is mainly a mental barrier as opposed to physical! But I stuck to my plan, running 9km incorporating several of the hills which are near my street - I live on one myself so have no excuse really! I really got into the pattern of running up and down the hills, the challenge followed by the known recovery period, and actually quite enjoyed hill training.

FRIDAY: I felt tired today, this week my plan includes no rest days, which to me felt very strange. I contemplated not running as I have really appreciated having an actual rest day each week following my training for the marathon. I stuck to the plan though resorting to the treadmill as a way of making sure I made it through the run, running at a comfortable pace for 8km.

SATURDAY: today again felt a little odd, with an 11km run in the plan before Sunday's long run. My legs felt ok though and running the reverse way round to one of my usual running routes added a new element to the run and helped me to keep a good pace of 5.08km.

SUNDAY: a mild and damp day meant a lot of my 19km run was spent dodging the slugs and snails who were crawling across the pavements, adding in some extra agility work ! I felt really strong during the first half of the run, but suffered a bit of a dip after I hit the 10km point with my quads feeling generally tired and sore. I got back into my stride though and was pleased to average 5.21km and finish the run in 1hr 41mins, which with only 2km left to complete the half marathon distance, means I am on target for a sub 2hr time. I also racked up a good number of steps of my pedometer which I am wearing for 100 days as part of the GCC Walking Challenge my work is taking part in (see image), and which I am determined my team will win!

'Running Quotes'

5/28/2015

Everyone loves a running quote. They are always popping up somewhere on social media as a means of inspiring, encouraging or simply making fun out of certain aspects of going for a run. I often read the same sort of messages over and over again. But every once in a while one stands out which you really connect with.

I have a few chosen quotes saved in the photo gallery on my phone. Ones which make me smile or particularly resonate with me. Some of my favourites are:
   'Celebrate finish lines, not finish times' - which reminds me of the Lincoln 10k 2015 (see previous blog posts)
   'You know your a runner if your first thought when you look at the weekly weather forecast is how it is going to effect your runs' - which is pretty much me every morning as I pack my running stuff, trying to hazard a guess as to what I will need to wear for my run that evening.
   'Joggers bounce up and down at traffic lights… runners just stand there looking pissed' and 'I love all that yelling and whistling from your car window as I run by, by all means give me your number - said no runner ever' - both which neatly sum up situations I encounter frequently on my evening runs around Lincoln.
   'Friendships formed through running are as beautiful as they are strong. Strengthened by each stride and tempered by exhaustion, they are bonds difficult to break' - which reminds me of my friends and their support particulary during my London Marathon training.

The quote pictured however is probably my overall favourite, and I have only recently stumbled across it:
'Non runners may not believe how beneficial running can be, but it's true. Running has rocked people's lives - improving the way they look, the way they feel, the way they think, and the way they look at life
Running has undoubtedly improved how I feel, how I think, and my overall outlook on life - which is a powerful thing for essentially just putting one foot in front of the other! Running has given me a greater focus and is an effective way of maintaining my physical and mental health, which until truly getting into running, was a balance I had struggled to find for many years.

Running quotes, or any motivational quote, can often be a bit cliché - but I am pretty sure there is a quote out there which will mean that little bit extra to everyone...

My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

5/24/2015

MONDAY: started the week with quite a fast 8km, averaging 5min 7sec kilometres. This was comfortable and I felt like I could have ran longer at this pace; a feeling I am attributing to the fact I had only ran 5km in the past three days so my legs were quite rested - for once! Body Pump afterwards.

TUESDAY: Body Attack - one track in this release absolutely kills my legs, it features lots of squats and lunges, as well going down to and getting up from the floor in a burpee like motion to complete press ups. It hurts at the time, and you just know you are going to be feeling it for the rest of the week.

WEDNESDAY: a relatively long evening run before Body Pump at 13km. At first my legs felt good, although my quads were sore from Body Attack, but they soon faded until it felt like I was literally trudging along! My actual time was not too bad, averaging 5.19 kilometres, just a shame it didn't feel that way! Body Pump afterwards.

THURSDAY: Rest Day

FRIDAY: enjoyed an early morning run with my friend who is currently nursing a stress fracture on her shin! I ran approx 4.5km to a large park area in Lincoln called West Common and met her there since she has been advised to only run on grass or soft surfaces. We then ran around the Common making the distance up to 11.5km in total. The Common is quite uneven and requires quite a lot of concentration when running in order to avoid turning your ankle. You also have to concentrate quite hard to avoid the free roaming horses that live there! (see image) I enjoyed running with my friend as her injury has rather limited our running opportunities so far this year, despite the fact we will both be running the Liverpool Half Marathon together!

SATURDAY: 6.5km on the treadmill including six fast sprints. This short, sharp run made the treadmill more bearable, and running in the gym also gave me the chance to do some good stretching, core work and additional arm weights.

SUNDAY: my first Sunday long run since the marathon. Initially it seemed a little odd going through the pre run routine again, but it soon felt normal and so much better than having to run long in the evenings after a full day at work, which I have had to do the past two weeks. I was lucky to be able to run with my other friend today and with her company the 17km went by so quickly! I was barely even paying attention to the distance, had no concept of time at all, and wasn't constantly debating how my legs felt in my head - just enjoying running! It was only at the final stretch, when met by one of Lincoln's lovely steep hills, that my legs suddenly went 'no thank you!'. Thankfully at this point we had completed our distance! Afterwards the run was made even better by being able to enjoy a post run smoothie and homemade biscuits made by my friend!

Park Run Tourism

5/18/2015

As I was sat planning for a long weekend of eating rubbish and drinking too much at the London Rugby 7s in Twickenham, my friend suddenly came up with the brainwave of trying out a local Park Run whilst we were in London (you know you have succeeded in truly converted your friend into fitness/running when they suggest doing a Park Run on a weekend away and not you!) So that's what we did - entering into the world of Park Run Tourism!

Locating a Park Run was not difficult, the Park Run website handily lists all those within a specific postcode region. The difference between London and Lincoln soon became very apparent at this point. From our hotel in Osterley there was approximately six Park Runs we could do, all only a few miles apart. In Lincoln we have one Park Run to serve the entire county! Osterley Park Run itself was postponed for the week so we discovered that a place called Old Deer Park Run in Richmond would be our best bet in terms of tube connections. So Saturday morning we left our hotel bright and early, trainers, barcodes and alien onesie outfits in tow...

Alien onesie outfits are probably not what most people would think to take to a Park Run, however the London Rugby 7s has a fancy dress theme each year (this year's being space) and therefore with the intention of heading to Twickenham Stadium straight after the run, the onesies had no choice but to come along for the ride!

Arriving at Old Deer Park we did feel a little nervous, not about our times for once, but in case we were a bit out of place, or felt a bit silly amongst the other runners. We need not have worried though as we were instantly made to feel very welcome, and lets face it people could not really miss us! We even had the company of another fancy dress runner, wearing a onesie with a Welsh flag and daffodil hat, who was on his stag weekend and also heading to the Rugby after.

Old Deer Park Run is a lot smaller than Lincoln, there was around 100 runners compared to Lincoln which usually has over 300 runners. But this made the run feel a lot more like a community, it was clear everyone knew each other well and they were a committed bunch of friendly and enthusiastic runners. The volunteers organising the run cheered 'Alien 1' and 'Alien 2' on as we ran and truly made us feel at home.

The run itself was an enjoyable challenge. Wearing a thick fleece onesie was unsurprisingly very hot. I also could feel the effects of the alcohol I had already consumed Friday evening in my system. On top of this my legs still felt a little jaded and definitely not back to their pre marathon pace. However I was pleased to complete the run in 24min 52sec - over a minute improvement from my last Park Run in Lincoln - which was onesie-less!

Post run the friendliness of the Old Deer Park Runners was demonstrated further as we sat in the local café chatting. We were even asked by one young Park Runner for a photo; clearly she wanted to remember the day Aliens came to visit her Park Run! Our alien outfits were unintentionally quite suited to the fact this was our first venture into the Park Run 'world' outside of Lincoln, and it was certainly an experience that has made me want to try other Park Runs. Although I think I may leave the onesie behind next time!

My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

5/18/2015

MONDAY: a beautiful evening to start the week, warm but not too hot. I tested my legs a little by aiming to push my running pace from last week. I averaged around 5.11 minute kilometres over the 8km distance, which felt enough of a challenge without totally knackering myself! Body Pump afterwards.

TUESDAY: Body Attack - another warm day meant this class felt tougher than past weeks as the studio was also warm and unusually very packed with people (possibly the warmer weather causing people to hit the 'summer body' panic button already!)

WEDNESDAY: 10k before Body Pump in yet more pleasant weather. My legs felt really sore today, particularly my quads, which I put down to the fact I am trying to run a bit faster now and my marathon muscles are just not used to it! Despite the soreness it is starting to feel more natural to go that little bit faster when running, and I actually averaged at 5.05minute kilometres.

THURSDAY: due to weekend commitments I attempted my long run this evening after work. My legs really did not want to run though, my quads were now very sore and my limbs felt heavy and lethargic. I am also not used to running longer distances after work, and kind of miss my Sunday morning routine! But I got out there never the less and trudged my way around 15.5km. Despite wearing my London Marathon vest (see image) I did not feel like someone capable of running a marathon at all!

FRIDAY: Rest Day - and the start of a weekend away in London, I didn't even feel guilty about not doing anything today as I really felt I needed a break after Thursday's running struggles - progress!

SATURDAY: Despite not feeling guilty about resting yesterday, with another impending rest day on Sunday, I could not quite bring myself to have three days off a week! So my friend and I (a fellow runner) sought out a local Park Run near the hotel we were staying in and became Park Run Tourists! Old Deer Park Run in Richmond welcomed us Lincoln tourists with open arms... even when we were wearing Alien Onesie Fancy Dress outfits! Full blog to follow, including why we decided to run in the onesie outfits!

SUNDAY: Rest Day

Lincoln Colour Dash 2015

5/13/2015

During my relatively recent entry into the wider world of running I have met a few 'running purists' as I like to call them. These are people who would never dream of donning a Santa suit and running a 5km Santa Run at Christmas, nor would they contemplate the thought of running through mud and obstacles for the fun of it. However I really enjoy this ‘fun run’ side of running just as much as the conventional distance events.

The aspect I personally enjoy the most about ‘fun runs’ is the opportunity it gives you to run with friends. Yes, you can run a 10k with other people, but in reality you all have your own finish time in mind, your own target pace etc., so whilst you may start and finish at the same geographical point, you do not actually run together. The other side of fun runs I enjoy is being able to watch people of all ages, abilities, levels of running experience, etc. enjoying taking part in a running race. Fun run races are accessible, achievable and enjoyable, whilst also providing an appropriate level of challenge; which for someone who works in Sport Development makes perfect sense to me when encouraging people to ne more active!

So last week I took part in Lincoln’s first ever Colour Dash organised by the St Barnabas Hospice charity. Jumping on the bandwagon on the American concept 'The Color Run', Colour Dash is a 5km run where you start out wearing white and finished covered in a variety of coloured powder paints (I am sure you have seen them!)

I have previously completed The Color Run in Brighton with friends for my birthday last year and loved it, and I must admit I entered into Lincoln’s version with the preconception it would probably not quit be to that standard…but was happily proven wrong! The event was well organised, there was plenty of colour to be thrown, and the dark clouds looming on the horizon didn’t bring us any rain! The only real difference was that the Lincolnshire Showground did not quite have the scenic views that Brighton’s seafront had to offer! Overall it was a fun morning, allowed me to have a laugh whilst running with friends, I got lovely and colourful, and I did not have to stress about my finish time…what’s not to like!

My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

5/10/2015

My first training week without THE marathon as the ultimate endpoint...
Despite having a half marathon to work towards, the real challenge, excitement and determination which surrounded my marathon training was noticeably
absent. Although I was so eager to get back running after my week of running rest, I could tell that my level of drive had dipped from 'ultimate extreme' back to 'normal obsessive runner'!

MONDAY: my first run post marathon! The euphoric moment was masked a little by the slight hangover I was feeling after actually going out to celebrate my marathon achievement the night before, and enjoying socialising on my bank holiday weekend! I didn't go too mad Sunday night as I had refrained from occasions like this for the past four months and it almost felt as alien as not running! This did enable me to make my Body Pump class in the morning then head out for a steady 9km run after. My left IT still felt a little tight, but I didn't push the pace, trying to ignore my Garmin and just let my legs get back into running.

TUESDAY: Body Attack class. I also had my post marathon massage today. I was a little nervous in case my therapist would find 'something' that had occurred during the marathon, but thankfully I was deemed ok. My legs were just very tight as was to be expected, especially my left IT Band (no shock) and also my left shin where my pre marathon injury scare had been (ditto no shock). The tightness on this left side also saw the return of my beautiful post massage bruising (see image)!

WEDNESDAY: time to run a bit faster and shake of the automatic 'marathon pace' setting in my legs. I completed 9.5km before Body Pump. The weather was very windy with some light rain at times, but I maintained an average of around 5min 20sec kilometre splits - faster but not overdoing it.

THURSDAY: a further introduction back into faster running today with an 8km run including six fast sprint sections. I opted for the treadmill for this as I always struggle with speed work outside. My issue is the treadmill now bores me as it did again today. The only plus was the faster sprints made the time go that little bit quicker!

FRIDAY: due to work commitments all day and evening on Sunday I did completed my 'long run' this evening. The weather was awful and I got soaked to the skin (see image) through a mixture of persistent rain and heavy downpours. I began running aiming to stick to around 5.20km again, but soon disregarded keeping track of my pace and just focused on making it home without drowning! When I did get home and reviewed my watch I was quite shocked to see I had naturally mostly kept to this pace, at first my legs had felt a little sluggish, but I had got into the run and the distance had felt very manageable.

SATURDAY: time to have some extra fun whilst running and complete Lincoln's first ever Colour Dash organised by the St Barnabas Hospice charity - full blog to follow.

SUNDAY: Rest Day - an odd feeling for a Sunday but working from 10am until 11.30pm on a busy community dance performance was a clear distraction!

Keep On Running...

5/7/2015

With the London Marathon nearing two weeks ago now it is coming to the point where it is time to officially move on... Most people have listened to you recount the race in various levels of detail, friends have asked you how you got on before subtly asking what time you did it in, walking has resumed to normal, and you have inevitably begun to contemplate the next marathon challenge (and if your like me entered the 2016 London Marathon ballot!) But as the cliché goes, all good things come to an end, and whilst the memories and experience of the 26th April 2015 and all the weeks of training beforehand will stay with me for a long, long time I cannot hang onto that day forever - as much as I would like to!

So this week has marked the start of my next training focus - the Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in June. Looking at the plan, 'long runs' seem positively short in comparison to marathon training and the reintroduction of faster runs and workouts comes gives me hope I may be able to regain some of the pace I lost somewhere in the miles of marathon training. I have never completed a half marathon before, only on training runs whilst marathon training, so am not really sure where I am aiming time wise. In London I comfortably ran the half in just over 2hours, so would like to think I could get under that milestone quite easily.

One of my main aims over the next few weeks is however to remain injury free. The stress running a marathon puts on your body should not be ignored, and I must be careful not to go into things too quickly. In certain ways, I want to remain as strict on myself during the rest of 2015 as I have during marathon training; keep up my massage sessions, foam rolling routines, improved diet and actually having rest days! In other ways I really looking forward to being able to relax a little more and enjoy the social events the summer will bring without the thought of a 20 mile run the next day looming over me!

I have also really enjoyed blogging about my experiences training for the London Marathon, it makes me reflect, learn from and often see a bit more sense in what I am doing! I have therefore decided to keep my blog going. So its a case of both 'keep on running' and 'keep on blogging' really!

Post Marathon Training Week

5/3/2015

With the London Marathon under my belt, this week was all about rest and recovery - probably the two worst words I could hear as I am rubbish at both! This week I had told myself NO RUNNING, so aimed to stick to my rule...

MONDAY: first day after London. My quadriceps were so sore and my left knee very tight and painful. Walking - or should I say hobbling - was a chore, and stairs were near impossible. I had obviously expected the marathon to cause my body some distress but I must admit I was not quite ready for this! Having said this I still went to the gym (rocking the London Marathon finishers top of course)...! I did 45mins of stretching and foam roller work and then went to Body Pump - which I know sounds ridiculous but I made sure I was sensible! I dropped all weight virtually on the squat and lunge tracks and to be honest just dipped down a little bit - they definitely could not be called squats or lunges! The rest of the class is arm based so I could cope with that.

TUESDAY: my mobility had improved slightly today but I felt generally a lot more tired, as if Sunday's exertion had actually begun to hit me. I was booked onto my usual Body Attack class and it was probably an omen that it was cancelled. There was no way I could (or should) have done the class, but I know if it had been on I would have somehow dragged my limbs through it. Instead I opted for some more stretching and foam roller work at the gym.

WEDNESDAY: today my legs felt a lot better and with this the urge to run became a lot stronger. I resisted and did an hours cycle at the gym with moderate resistance followed by Body Pump. In Pump I still kept the weights low on all leg based tracks as I found my quadriceps were still very sore at the point of real extension such as a squat.

THURSDAY: Rest Day - probably well due by now!

FRIDAY: due to work commitments all evening I got up early and went to the gym at 7am. I was very, very tempted to go on an early morning run, even charging my Garmin overnight! But I stood by my no running rule and cycled again at the gym.

SATURDAY: today I was extremely tired, I am not one to moan about feeling tired but today I was definitely moaning! It seemed the week had caught up with me; Thursday and Friday night I had finished work at 11pm and 11.30pm respectively, plus my early morning gym session Friday, and of course the actual 26.2 miles I ran on Sunday! I opted for just a weights session at the gym.

SUNDAY: my Sunday's for the past months have been 'long run days' and if felt so odd not waking up and getting into running mode. It felt even stranger to think a week ago it was the actual marathon! With the notion this would be my last cross training session before I could allow myself to run again I headed for the gym for some intervals on the bike and cross trainer. Roll on running on Monday - looking forward to seeing how the legs feel!