Runs don’t always have to be races

RUNS don't always have to be RACES We must have all done it. Had a look on Strava or race times and thought 'eek! So and so who was slower than me just beat my PB!' I know I have. Most of us also go into a race with a time in mind and it's the first thing you get asked by fellow runners and even non runners when you finish a race - 'what time did you get?' Last week I ran a 10k and instead of having a time in mind I decided that for this race I was going to just get round and enjoy the atmosphere. It might have been the race itself or the fact I hadn't put any pressure on myself but it was the most enjoyable run I've had. It also helped that I spent most of the race with Jeremy and Sandra and chatted the whole way round. Now a bit of healthy competition is definitely good for pushing yourself a bit and achieving something you might not have thought yourself able to do but maybe this year pick a race, run it with some buddies, don't look at your watch and just have fun. I actually left Sandra and Jeremy at the 800m mark as I felt like having a little sprint, but having seen this photo I wish I had stayed with them, might have to do it again!

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It all comes down to this…..

So for the last 18 weeks I have been training for Milton Keynes Marathon – 381 miles ran, an average 3-4 runs a week of anywhere up to 35 miles. Over this time I have got PB’s in all distances from 1 mile to 20 miles, yet there is only one day where it matters. I must admit the pre-race nerves are starting to set in. Have I done enough? Have I done too much? Will I be able to make it round? Is that a sniffle? Why am I aching? Am I getting ill? This is natural, and I experience it before all races however this time round it feels different. I’ve never had a goal before. Obviously all races you want to do your best, and it’s always great getting a PB, but typically on the start line when people ask, ‘what are you hoping for?’ my answer is always ‘just to get round and finish it.’ This time I don’t want to just finish it, I am absolutely hell bent on getting that elusive sub-5 I’ve always wanted. It is going to be a big challenge as my current marathon PB is 5hrs 22mins, so I’m going to need a massive 23mins improvement (almost 1 min per mile quicker average). So how am I going to achieve this? I have 100% faith in my training. I’ve had some corkers of a training run, some I will never want to talk about or think about ever again, but the majority have been a fantastic experience. I’ve got to run with some great people, and learn from them – seeing some go from half marathon runners to full and doing it in absolute style. I’ve had a fantastic support system from my family, friends and running club (as well as complete strangers). I am going to eat well this week, but also stick to the plan. I know what has worked for me over the last 18 weeks, and I know what hasn’t. I am also going to smile, the whole way round the course. I find that smiling when I run lifts my spirits and gives me the bounce that I need to get through some really long distances. I am going to draw on every single positive thought I have, and every positive comment, message, post I’ve received and accept every single cheer and shout of my name that I get! I can’t wait to see my family and friends at the end of the race and on the course. I also can’t wait to see my running club, Leighton fun Runners at Mile 21, complete with jelly beans, fruit pastilles and full fat coke – I know they’re going to give me a huge boost at a time I am going to need it, as well as a couple of man-up shouts! I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Milton Keynes Marathon for selecting me as an MK Ambassador, I’ve loved the role. I want to say a big thank you to Leighton Fun Runners for their continued support and great advice over the last 18 weeks. Thank you to Laura Williams, my Weight Watchers Leader for helping me lose over a stone and a half, definitely has helped improve my running. A massive thank you and well done to my running partner Jude Wilson, who has been amazing throughout our training and set the bar by smashing London in under 5 hours. Thank you to my family and friends for all their support, both in person, on Facebook and through sponsoring me (I’m raising money for Keech Hospice –https://www.justgiving.com/forLindaHerkes And lastly a massive thank you to my husband Scott for putting up with my early morning long runs, being out for hours upon hours, cooking endless roast dinners on a Sunday because I’m too knackered to move and being there to watch our son so I can train. My next, and last blog, will hopefully be a race report of MK Marathon, telling you all how I smashed my goal! Fingers crossed everyone – and please send as many positive thoughts as you can! xxx

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The Lonely Running Shoe

The lonely running shoe.. A poem about how it feels to be a runners neglected trainer….   C’mon, slip me…

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To Run…or not to Run

To run or not to run…   No poems or tales of adventure this week – just a question. If you are training for an upcoming event (of any distance) and…

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Paris as a supporter

This weekend 16 of us boarded a train bound for Paris. For some it was to add another marathon to their growing list of achievements, for one it was to run her first (well done Debbie) and for the rest of us it was to to cheer as loud as we could when we saw a Leighton Fun Runner come past during the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon. We were all booked into the same hotel but as we all arrived at different times decided to meet up at the Expo where team LFR collected their snazzy green bags and race numbers before heading off for a bite to eat, a few beers and a trip up a few step to the Sacré-Cœur before calling it a night. The following day was spent mooching around Paris with a bit of sightseeing.  What was meant to be a lazy day turned into almost 8 miles of walking so even us spectators earned the massive carb-load fest and a few bottles of wine that night. Sunday greeted us with a bright sunny morning which for us spectators was perfect but for the poor runners meant shorts and vest tops and by the end of it a bit of sun burn. With the Lads, Chair Claire and Katy all setting off for their early start time the rest of us headed down to the Arc de Triomphe to see off the rest of the girls. Paris has got to be one of the easiest marathons to spectate at. There are very few barriers and no real marshals along the majority of the route and we found ourselves walking alongside the runners as we headed to the 2k mark to see the girls pass through. After a few shouts of encouragement we then head over to a park for some breakfast before finding a great spot sat on a bridge where we got to see the earlier group come past at about 27k.  As always we were overly ambitious in our hope to catch the girls again on route so spent a few miles walking about to find a well needed pint before heading over to the finish. We found a great spot just before 42k were we got to see all the girls finish what was a very hot marathon. We had an amazing day and got a real buzz seeing our team achieve so much. I think we may have enjoyed it even more than the runners and even had our own blisters to show from the 10 miles we managed to clock up around the course. Do I want to run a Marathon myself now? Definitely not but I'm more than happy having a day or weekend away to support the club members who are mad enough. Supporting can be great fun so why not sign up to join in with our Leighton 20 next Sunday or the LFR Mile at the MK Marathon in May? 

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What happened to the fun?

With the benefit of hindsight, I’ll wager that all the things that end up pear-shaped in life will all have seemed like a good idea at the time. They may have even started with some small innocuous sentence. Here are some classics… Lets just go for a quick drink, yeah just the one... I’ll have the vindaloo please… We probably won't need trail shoes… Who else is entering the <insert marathon here> You probably didn’t even get to the end before working out that a marathon would be up there in the list of stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time, and there’s a lot of truth in that. It's not just beginners who, when getting close to the M-Day, start to have doubts about their choices, all runners go through it.
 
One of the biggest reasons why runners start to feel like they’ve made a mistake and shouldn’t have entered a marathon is the sheer, unrelenting boredom combined with physical and mental fatigue that kicks in roughly two thirds of the way through the plan. Most likely you’ve trained through the dark, rain, sleet, wind and possibly snow. You’ve woken up at stupid o’clock at the weekend. You’ve run alone, with people, in crowds. You’ve worried you’ve peaked too early, you’ve worried you’re not ready, you’ve worried you wont finish. You’ve been unable to walk properly for days on end. You’ve felt permanently hungry and gorged on whatever is in your cupboards…for days on end. You’ve felt deflated, elated and agitated in the same day. To cut it short, you’ve been through the grinder, and then some….and there’s still weeks to go. So what’s that all about then? Why do we put ourselves through all that? Some might say the end is worth it. The moment when you hold your beer in one hand, medal in the other, and wear the smile of a champion, grinning from ear to ear, makes it all worthwhile. I know it is, because I’ve been there, but first-timers don’t.
 
So, could we do that any differently and still get to the same place? This is the million dollar question…the single biggest thing that no-one thinks of at the start of the training, is just how drained you will become just trying to stick to the plan. Many simply stop! Many give up on running altogether as a result. It’s a fact. No-one, it seems, factors in any ‘fun’ training events into their schedule to break up the monotony of ‘mile after mile’ and give them a little something to look forward to. Simple things can break up the miles, like speedwork sessions with the club or novelty races, or parkrun. More important than simply entering ‘fun’ events, is attending with a ‘fun’ state of mind. Take away the pressure, relax, and run for a laugh for a change. You could try running off road too, the change of scenery from buildings to trees and the feel of trails underfoot will help remove the some of the stress of the training. It seems to make a lot of sense to try and factor some fun stuff into the plan, just to keep sane and also force yourself to run with less pressure. In the end, there are no magic formulas though, but it's true that you stand a better chance of being in top shape on the start line if you de-stress yourself along the marathon training journey, remembering that above everything else, it should be fun, and when it's not, your body soon lets you know about it.

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Don’t Tempt the Piper..

An attempt at a poem about 1st time marathon running….   Don’t tempt the piper… There once was a runner boy from Leighton, Who’s three mates said lets run…

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Tips for Cold Weather Running

Wear several thin layers (wicking material if possible), rather than one thick layer. This way if you warm up you can take a layer off to adjust –…

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Carrie – Out of Action

So back in January, Captain Rob blogged about staying injury free, I must have missed that one!  So the last few weeks I have been trying to keep myself from turning into a couch potato whilst I've been out of action, but here are a few of the things that I have learnt or have kept me from going slightly mad from the lack of endorphins… LISTEN TO YOUR BODYWell firstly I would say, don't keep running for a few weeks convincing yourself the 'niggle' will go away on its own like I did.  It took me two weeks of suffering before I took notice of the pain I was getting whilst walking and running.  Listen to your body, I’m sure I would be back out there now had I not tried to ignore it.  I might have even made it worse than it already was by carrying on regardless. GET CHECKED OUTIn the end, I did have to go and pay a visit to a physio.  I tell my clients all the time that google is not always your friend despite trying to self diagnose this injury. Relieved at least that I wasn’t going to have my leg chopped off he did proceeded to stick needles in me.  Now coming from a medical vocation you would think a teeny tiny needle sticking out of your leg would be a breeze… I am the biggest wimp when it comes to needles so for me that was quite traumatic. REST UPTake advantage of not having to pound the pavement for a few weeks.  Got a box set you have been dying to start?  Or a good book that’s collecting dust?  If you have a reason to be sat on the sofa, take advantage, it's guilt free!  Oh and try not to do too much internet shopping, that might get expensive. DO YOUR EXERCISESIf you do pay a trip to a physio then make sure you do what they say.  If they give you exercises to do then do them, it will only take a few minutes and if you are lucky you can do them sat in front of the TV too.  A fellow club runner who has recently been out of action for over a year will tell you it is amazing how you can bounce back if you know what you need to do to get you back in your trainers. ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIESEven walking has been a bit of a struggle seeing as it is my ankle that is giving me jip.  I have however been able to hula hoop (in front of the tv too, I like that), work on my core stability with a bit of pilates and yoga, and I had planned on hitting the pool but it’s not much fun getting out of a cold pool on a cold day (I might have to resort to that next week as I am getting a bit fidgety.) Thankfully my ankle has not protested whilst on my bike so that has seen a few more trips round the block than it normally would.  I may even bring it out Tuesday night and beast people out on their leg stretch.  Got a gym membership?  Hit the weights and work on the bits that don't get much action when you run. HANG OUT WITH RUNNERSThere is still a buzz from seeing your fellow runners, so I still turned up to club to help out at 5caKe night and took part in the Pilates night.  I’ve also still been volunteering at parkrun each week, that has been great as when someone comes through the finishing funnel looking like they might vomit I’ve been thinking rather them than me! BE PATIENTOk i’m struggling a bit with this one.  Two weeks might have well have been two months with the moaning I’m doing and I’m sure there are a lot of people out there that have been out of action for a lot longer, but I know it won’t get me out any quicker.  Run Smart!!!

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No Pressure

There are some golden rules for race day that explain how to maximise your race day experience and give you the best possible conditions to grab a PB. Things like hydrating and resting properly in the days leading up to a race, arriving in good time and eating sensibly the morning of a race, whilst not strictly training related, can all help your performance on the day.  That said, It’s very common to hear about new runners talking about what happened during a race and saying “if only I didn’t….” but the same is also true of more experienced runners. We are all guilty as charged, your honour. I raced last weekend and being honest, I was not expecting to do well. My training was not specific for this half marathon, or anything at all really, just running what I could, when I could and enjoying it. Also, in the days leading up to the race I had some intensive birthday celebrations, which is not exactly textbook race prep either. Finally, for reasons unknown the posse going to the race had decided to travel down on the day, and when we realised at what time in the morning the roads would start closing around the city, it was too late to get a hotel the night before. Our fate was sealed…we would have to be up at 4am to get there in time. So arriving in Brighton untrained, slightly jaded from recent celebrations, but wired on coffee I headed over to the race start with the team. I recall thinking low expectation thoughts “We got here in time, and the weather looks good, so let’s just enjoy the day!” After looking at the map upside down for 10 minutes the walk to the bag drop turned out to be way longer than anticipated, leaving us right at the back of nearly 9000 people with the race start imminent. Toilets! We quickly scanned the surrounding area and were amazed by the size of the queues. You know things are bad when people start heading off to ‘go’ in the sea! 3 minutes to race start and I realise I need to get to my race pen, which was separated from me by about 8000 runners, so I start shimmying my way in and out and as the race countdown starts I am close but not close enough, but hey….never mind, no pressure, it's just a race and I knew I was only there to enjoy myself and support the others from the club. That’s where the comedy ended and where the racing started. Autopilot kicked in. Moving around slower runners, holding back a bit at the start, then powering up through the field once warmed up. The only mistake made during the race was stopping at mile 10 to down a gel, which I then nearly choked on, so had to take on some water. Stupid! Not only did I lose time doing that, but it also takes a bit of time to get up to the pace again. However, I didn’t kick myself hard, “it's just a race” I told myself, no pressure! So….with no specific training, jaded, tired and probably dehydrated, after losing time at the start and during the race I crossed the line with a 1:31 PB …. I’d love to say it was because I trained hard for it, rested properly, ate sensibly and hit each point of my race-day strategy, but I’d be lying -  I did the opposite of all that. On reflection what I think happened is that by taking a much more relaxed approach and having very low expectations I was able to access personal resources on the day that are required to beat a personal best. Here’s the real question: Can stress and pressure suppress performances on race day? There seems to be plenty of articles on the interweb about it, like this one. http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/how-stress-can-help-and-hurt-running So I think it’s fair to say that the ‘no pressure’ line seems to work for me. I might not make some of the mistakes again, but then again I’ll probably make others, but so what? It’s all about what you learn along the way, right? From now on I will definitely try to put less pressure on myself for results because you never know, until you turn up for a race with low expectations, exactly what you are capable of.

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