Alice's Adventures in Running Land
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Rock n' Roll Liverpool Half Marathon

6/15/2015

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Running the Rock n Roll Liverpool Half Marathon further emphasised to me two of the many 'bi products' to running. Completing the race enabled me to explore another new city which I had never visited before, and also strengthened my friendship further with one of my running buddies. I didn't do too badly time wise either...!

During my time in Liverpool I was lucky to be staying in a family members flat, which was literally 2 minutes from the start and finish lines of the Half Marathon. This obviously didn't mean I just rolled out of bed to the start line, but did mean the stress of getting there to begin with was removed. My friend and I still arrived a little too early though, and there was enough time for us to notice the strong, cool wind coming off the dock. Standing in the start 'corrals' it was also clear how much the Rock n' Roll series of running events had a international following. Spanish, French and American runners all surrounded us, and many runners were also bearing old Rock n Roll race t-shirts from around the globe.

I strangely was not too nervous at the start line, unlike my friend who was running after a good six weeks of being out injured with a stress fracture. Having done extremely limited running in this time, and definitely not anything on paper that would resemble half marathon training, she was feeling a little anxious! We started together, although I didn't expect to run the race together at all - but we did. As we wound our way through Liverpool my friend stayed by my side and we shared the joys of the route together.

The start of the Half Marathon takes in the centre of Liverpool, including running past the famous Cavern Club. The route then takes a bit of an incline, including one hill in particular which is rather steep and long. One runner sticks in my mind who at the bottom motivationally shouted to us all 'its only a hill!', followed by a few moments later adding 'its a bit of a b*****d hill though!' The route then leads on through a serious of beautiful parks which seem like hidden gems, and also includes a little trip down The Beatle's very own Penny Lane. The fact that live bands were dotted around the course seemed just an added bonus to the route!

The hardest part of the race came at the final 5km. This long stretch along the dockland was where that strong, cool wind made its presence felt. Up until now I had felt really good running, the tiredness in my legs was minimal and I certainly had no niggles. My pace had been a little fast at the start of the race, but had steadied to a consistent level.
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The head wind now bearing onto us made steps feel harder though, and people around began to struggle. I used this as my motivation to keep going, picking who I deemed to be a struggling runner ahead and aiming to catch up with them. At one point along this stretch I thought I was going to lose my friend, I upped the pace a little and suddenly she wasn't by my side. She soon returned and we then vowed to cross the line together.

As we headed into the last kilometre it suddenly became me who looked like was going to be left behind. My speedy friend started to surge for the finish, something I would never do with a kilometre left to go still. But I knew I had to keep up. I hung in there, a fact which has told me I need to have more confidence in my legs during the final stretch of a race, and we crossed the line as planned, hand in hand in 1 hour 49 minutes. How my friend did it I don't know, but I am just glad she did.

With a wonderful race and finish time behind us, not to forget some very 'bling' medals - we spent post race enjoying the bars of Liverpool. I forget to mention that other running 'bi product' - you can drink and eat guilt free!
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My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

6/15/2015

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Race week - although I kept having to remind myself I was actually running a Half Marathon on Sunday! Rightly or wrongly the distance felt achievable and therefore not something which was consuming my thoughts (unlike marathon race week!)

MONDAY: following a weekend away it felt good to get out on the streets! I ran 8k averaging sub 5 minutes per kilometre without it feeling like too much of an effort. Body Pump after.

TUESDAY: Body Attack class

WEDNESDAY: for the second week in a row I began running and within minutes my Garmin watch was telling me it had no battery - great! I managed to keep it alive by doing small sections of the 10k distance and saving the individual workouts. This did make me question why I was so preoccupied with my Gramin. I knew the route I was running was 10km as I had ran in hundreds of times before, so GPRS didn't really matter; this was also supposed to be taper week so my pace was not essential in the grand scheme of things either. Even when I arrived at the gym for Body Pump, with my watch now totally dead, I was annoyed I couldn't review my splits, something which has become so habitual to me at the end of each run I do. I definitely need to become less reliant on my Garmin!

THURSDAY: my last run before the Half Marathon. 8km with 6 x 30 second sprints. The treadmill was definitely required in order for me to do this, and I feel I am slightly rebuilding my relationship with the machine. It serves a purpose for these type of workouts - but I definitely still cannot imagine doing long runs on there like I used to do many months ago!


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FRIDAY: the first of two rest days before Sunday. The day was spent travelling to Liverpool and exploring the city. I am still wearing my pedometer as part of the walking challenge my work is involved with, and even without doing any form of exercise I managed to rack up an impressive 16000 odd steps - so not much of a rest after all!

SATURDAY: A 'proper' rest day today in prep for Sunday.

SUNDAY: Half Marathon time. Despite having run a few unofficial half marathons during marathon training, this was my first official race. The Liverpool Rock n' Roll Half Marathon proved to be a wonderfully organised event and a thoroughly enjoyable route through Liverpool. With no previous time to beat I was aiming to be in the 1hr 45min (dream outcome) to 1hr 55min (top limit) time bracket. My official time... 1hr 49mins 1 second - which I was very happy with, and which is now a great benchmark to work towards beating in the (inevitable) half marathons to come!
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My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

6/8/2015

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MONDAY: an 9k run to start the week. My Garmin watch died on me shortly into the run as I had forgotten to charge it... however after my initial annoyance at the fact I wouldn't be able to track my pace etc. I actually enjoyed not being fixated by my wrist, and just ran at a pace which simply felt good. Body Pump after.

TUESDAY: Body Attack class - I woke with a cold today, my first in a very long time so I should not complain really, but I could definitely feel it slightly affecting my breathing.

WEDNESAY: a beautiful sunny and warm evening to hit the streets on National Running Day. My quads felt a little tight today as I still had not had a rest day for nearly two weeks. Despite this, and my cold, I was pleased to average a sub 5min pace per kilometre over the 9.5km distance, including one random very fast 4.25km split! Body Pump after.

THURSDAY: due to weekend commitments I completed my 16km long run on another lovely sunny day - great for topping up my developing runner's tan! This was also my last long run before the Rock n' Roll Liverpool Half Marathon, which seems to suddenly have crept up very quickly! I ran alongside the river near me, going out for 8km then turning around and running back again. Although the route along the river is beautifully tranquil and a great way to escape from centre of Lincoln I don't often run this way as the thought of running, turning around, and then running back the exact same way often doesn't inspire me much. Tonight I really enjoyed it though, even with both my cold and the soreness in my quads still very much lingering, and even discovered some new art installations along the footpath (see image).
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FRIDAY: today my cold, and probably the lack of an actual rest day, really caught up with me. I generally felt tired, my legs were still very sore, and I really debated not bothering with any form of exercise. I did go to the gym though, mainly due to the fact I had a weekend away ahead where I knew my options to exercise would be limited! I ran a very steady 5k on the treadmill, followed by a 10km cycle, and then some foam rolling and stretching, trying to loosen my legs a little.

SATURDAY: I managed to squeeze in a trip to Park Run before heading away for the weekend on a training residential - a run I was extremely glad I was able to complete! This Park Run included friends, birthday celebrations, PBs and (if they existed in Park Run events!) podium place finishing spots.... a run clearly worthy of its own (soon to follow) blog post!

SUNDAY: Rest Day - at last! This felt much needed and for once was one I felt absolutely no guilt about!
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My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

5/31/2015

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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.

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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!
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My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

5/24/2015

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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.
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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!
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My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

5/18/2015

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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!
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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
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My Training Week: Half Marathon Training

5/10/2015

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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!
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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!
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Keep On Running...

5/7/2015

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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. 
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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!
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    Alice's Adventures In Running Land

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