Week 11 - Movin' on Up

Five weeks to go. Eeeeeek. I can't believe it's coming round so quickly. Training went pretty well this week - I put in my fastest time over 5 miles which I was quite chuffed about. The mid week 8 miler was also a good run - down to the Houses of Parliament, over the Thames and back up to Battersea Park. I managed to miscalculate the distance which resulted in me doing three laps past the front door to make up the final mile but other than that it was pretty standard issue. London definitely has an autumnal feel about it now and the evenings are drawing in which means that by the time i'm home from my evening runs it's usually dark. One of the reasons I chose to run the New York marathon was the propsect of summer training - I'm a fairweather sports enthusiast, that's for sure.

The long one this week was scheduled for 18 miles. I had a three day weekend at home booked from way back and so my plan was to run the Camel Trail, a beautiful former railway which connects Bodmin to Padstow. In total the trail is 17 miles long. Looking at the map I decided to run from Nanstallon to Padstow (9.7 miles) and back again. The only problem was not having access to the car along the way and not passing anywhere to get a refil on the water. Thankfully my mum agreed to meet me at various points along the way in the car to make sure I was ok and hand out the supplies. I started out slightly later than I would have liked at 10am and the first 4 miles (usually my worst) passed pretty quickly.

It was sunny and still and the Camel River looked beautiful. Passing through Wadebridge and on towards the mouth of the esturay the views were stunning and you could see for miles. I cycled along the Camel Trail loads of times as a child but haven't done it in at least 10 years. The scenery, combined with dodging death by out of control cyclists, really kept my mind off getting tired.

Having met me in Wadebridge after just 4 miles Mum had jumped in the car and driven round to Padstow, the halfway point. As I rolled up to the jetty, where she was reading a magazine in the sun, my legs felt good but my right shoulder was in agony. I think I must be tensing my neck and shoulders whilst running, or maybe it has something to do with carrying a water bottle in the left hand. No idea but it was killing. My support crew administered 2 Ibuprofen and a refil of water and although what I really wanted to do was hang around for some Rick Stein Fish & Chips in a poncy box I promptly turned around to retrace my steps back to the original starting point.

Miles 13 - 15 were hard but after the third sighting of Mum, another water refil and my first sports gel (blackcurrent falvour (grim) but not as bad as the rumours made out) I was back on the road and ready for a sprint finish. Well almost. I was genuinely surprised at my stamina, perhaps it was down to the location, perhaps it was down to having my mum support me at regular intervals along the way or maybe it was down to my three helpings of all-you-can-eat party buffet at my friend's father's birthday party the night before. Any which way it was a genuine shock and for the first time the 26.2 mile distance felt really within reach. As the Garmin beeped to let me know I'd hit the 18 mile mark I pushed on through and ran almost back to the car, stopping just shy to walk the last half a mile with mum.

As the weekly mileage continues to tick up at a knee-shattering pace i'm focusing more on the nutrition. More than one person has told me it is key to success (er - what about the running?). Having stomached the energy gel on this week's long run I've stocked up on more and also (as recommedned by a friend who's just done The Great North Run) bought myself a book called Go Faster Foods.

I also bought myself a guidebook on New York. Woo Hoo!

Week 10 - A marathon is a long way

Getting back on track has been a struggle. It was only really after the long run on Sunday that I felt reassured I was making any progress. The mid week 8 miler was slowly slowly and my achey legs during the final mile got me worried. It was the furthest my flatmate has ever run so he was pretty chuffed but other than that it was just a few more miles in the bank to cash out on race day.

In the final few weeks until the marathon my life is dominated by running and I pretty much spent most of Saturday resting up ahead of the long one. I drank my own bodyweight in Evian and tried to eat sensibly (triple chocolate chip cookies and sausage and egg mcmuffin aside). I got a solid 8 hours sleep and reached Richmond Park just after 8am on Sunday morning.

Having not done a long run for a fortnight I was reasonably nervous... 16 miles sounds so much longer than 14. I've got just 3 more long runs before New York but right now they seem like mountains to climb. The new trainers were slightly broken in and ready for action and I had decided to experiment with Jelly Babies as incentivisation tools. A long time ago my friend, who has run both the New York and London marathons told me that these little sugar packed critters were the key to her success. After a certain point she would reward herself with one at every mile. Worth a shot I thought.

I set off in the usual direction and the first lap was fairly uneventful. During the long runs I have been listening to the iPod and trying to think of lots of other things besides running. The Non-Runners Guide to Marathon training has been giving me lots of tips to improve my concentration and also positive self talk to help me through the tough points. So far it has worked pretty well and I've not had to have a walking break or suffered a real sense that I just can't carry on since that first 10 miler in Week 5.

Whenever I run on my own I listen to my iPod. The book suggests that I don't but, for me, the dulcet tones of chris martin, britney speares, michael jackson and MC Hammer (don't judge me) are very motivational. I don't use it when out with others or in races but on a long training run, on my own, it definitely helps. At first I filled my iPod with fast beat, loud and pumping dance music to push me round those 3, 4 and 5 milers. Now i'm on the longer runs I prefer to mix it up more. I'm sure there's some scientific research out there that matches up your ideal bmp to deliver peak pace performance but right now i'm just happy to sing along with with the opening line of Castles in The Sky which goes like this. "Do you ever question your life... Do you ever wonder why?" Around the 12 mile mark and having not partied properly for a good month and a bit YES I DO.


So back to the Jelly Baby experiment... The first problem was how to transport them. Once that was overcome (wrapped in foil in my back pocket) the second problem was removing them, unwrapping them, consuming one, wrapping the remainders back up and replacing them. You'd have thought that 10 minute miles would be long enough to effect this series of manoeuvres but as I have all the awkardness of a new born giraffe on a trampoline in an earthquake it proved troublesome. The third and final problem was that after going to all this effort I realised that I don't actually like Jelly Babies and therefore their use as an incentivisation tool is altogether redundant! Rubbish. Next week I will experiment with the dreaded gels!

I'm lucky that training is still a novelty. I think your first marathon is always going to be the most fun to train for. Each long distance is further than you've ever run before, you don't have any existing times to measure yourself against and each week you feel you've made a decent amount of progress. Plus you get to experiement with what works best for you in terms of incentives, nutrition, hydration and so on. Blissful ignorance is more often than not a good thing in my opinion. Chatting on email to an experienced marathon runner he decribed his training as 'a series of disappointments interspersed with a few highs" but at the moment I can confidently say my training is the reverse.

Week 9 - Muy Bien

Week 9 was virtually run free. Despite my best intentions I didn't manage to cover off any miles in Barcelona. I probably walked about a 1000 ks but not really sure it counts.

I arrived back in London on Monday racked with guilt and vague concerns that I may not be physically able to run at all. I started off with the grand idea of running 16miles but ended up calling it a day after only 7. Richmond Park was eerily empty on Monday afternoon and for the first time since I began training I felt vaguely scared about being out on my Hans Solo.

The most important point of note is that the new trainers are very comfy didn't aggravate the blisters at all. Muy bien. Need to seriously crank it in Week 10.

Week 8 - No sweat (well less)

Week 8 was an eventful week - edited highlights include the discovery of a miracle prevention from further blisters in the form of zinc oxide tape, a new pair of Asics trainers, a couple of important additions to the running playlist and some good friends accompanying me along the way.

With the ongoing blister saga, which to be honest is becoming rather dull, I decided to investigate treatment options. Besdies a new pair of trainers I have tried Compeeds, vaseline, regular plasters, dual layer socks and bandaging them but nothing really seems to do the trick. My work buddy Bos has a friend in the Army who lent her some zinc oxide tape and she recommended giving it a go. It is white, super sticky and works a treat. It has revolutionised my running. Hoo Bloody Rah Ray! Looking like a foot extra for the Return of the Mummy I headed out on my mid week runs round the bridges with my flatmate in tow. We were both feeling a bit out of sorts on the short run and struggled to finish the 5 miles we had planned. The medium length run was much more successful and the ever-entertaining banter from Wes made the miles fly past. Having him carry my Zade is quite helpful also.

By the weekend it was time to go shopping. Now is probably not the best time to admit that the trainers I have been running in are almost two years old, have been used primarily for the gym and netball and I only got them because they were a nice colur and half price in Lilywhites. Sensible - I know. So it was with some nervousness I stepped inside a specialist running shop in Clapham Old Town to seek the advice of the experts and subject myself to embarrassment of video gait analysis on the treadmill in order to determine my form. The guys in the store were really helpful and as I suspected I have quite a neutral running style which means I don't need too much support in my shoe. So then it was down to style and comfort. One near death experience on the treadmill later - I'm petrified of them and when the guy hit stop I promptly shot off the back and smacked into the wall (Smooth)- I was ready to commit. Being Cornish has its advantages and in this instance it was a 10% discount and a free pair of socks!(the owner of the store is also from the motherland). Either that or he just felt super embarrassed on my behalf over the teadmill incident. Anyway here are the shoes that will hopefully carry me across the finish line in NYC.


One of the consequences of marathon training is less partying and that has meant bulk movie watching in recent weeks. I've seen some great ones with some pretty cool soundtracks and so there are a few additions to the running playlist on the wonderous shuffle. The latest is by The Temper Trap entitled Sweet Disposition and featured in 500 days of Summer.

By the weekend I was ready for the 14 miles. My NY marathon running buddy was over from Brussels for the weekend and this was going to be our first training run together. We got up early, headed over to Richmond Park and set off for two laps at a reasonable pace. I always get a bit nervous when running with someone new. What happens if they are too fast for me or worse still, they slow down to my pace and spend the whole run wishing they were going faster. Luckily she and I seem reasonably well matched and I really enjoyed running with her. We struck the right balance between chatting and focusing. The miles really did melt away, I felt strong on the hills and I genuinely enjoyed our two hours out in the sunshine.



I'm taking a bit of a break this week. Not ideal but work is off the hook and i'm off to Barceolna for a few days. Hoping to fit in a medium run round the city but we'll see. Not feeling too guilty right now but I'll update you next week.

The Long Run
Distance: 14 miles
Time: 2 hours 17 minutes 41 seconds
Average Pace: 9 minutes and 50 seconds per mile

Lessons Learned:
Treadmills are dangerous and should be avoided at all costs
Not everyone is as interested in my blisters as me

Week 7 - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

As I sat down to tap out my latest update Daft Punk came on the radio and I couldn't think of a better title for this week's post. It's been another good week only slightly hampered by those ongoing pesky blisters.

The particular highlight was my first 4 mile run of the week. My flatmate joined me for only the second time since I began my training. The first time was about a month ago where he pulled me round Battersea Park and made me work hard. Fastforward to last Tuesday and it was a different story. Not only had we knocked off 4 minutes from our previous jaunt I was the one dragging him around. Admittedly he has done very little, if any, running between our outings but it still felt good to hear him cursing under his breath, constantly asking how far we had left to go and out-sprinting him to the finish line.

Obviously not to be outdone by a girl he joined me again for a mid week six miler and was back on form although we were pretty evenly matched and maintained the 9 minute mile pace of a couple of days before. The fourth mile was tough as the blister on my right foot reminded me it was still around. By the time I got home it was a bit of a mess, so much so that I had to abandon the third run of the week less than a mile in. I walked for a couple of miles but decided to rest up ahead of the long one.

I'm still wedded to Richmond Park for the longer runs and with temperatures forecast to hit 26 degrees I got up early to avoid the real heat. Luckily at 8am is was overcast, slightly drizzly with a nice cool breeze. Needing to work off the mahoosive plate of pasta from the night before I decided to aim for 14 miles this week. The schedule calls for only 12 but having missed a few of the mid week runs and with a holiday on the way I just wanted to bank that extra couple whilst I still have the enthusiam and strength. It was a bit quieter than the last two Sundays and as I settled into the first mile the blisters weren't feeling too bad. I was really positive about doing the whole 14 miles and no part of me seemed to disagree at any point which made for the easiest and most enjoyable long run so far.

I actually felt strong right up until the final mile... which seemed to go on forever. The multitude of hot topless men striding around the park helped to keep my spirits up as well. Ha! To date I've only braved a smile and nod or maybe a quick hello but think I am going to aim for the odd high five before training is out. So I felt pretty good when I finished and without the addition of a Bodypump session I was far far less achey than the week before. The blisters coninue to grow and i'm really going to have to look into maybe a new pair of trainers (definitely time anyways) as well as some better preventitive measures.

The stick continues to work wonders, I haven't yet tired of the Raspberry flavoured Lucozade Sport, I'm taking Glucosamine Sulphate tablets, drinking bucket loads of water and trying to eat more healthily. Did I mention I've lost 7lbs... 'bout frigging time. Hoorah!

The Medium Run
Distance: 6.54 miles
Time: 59minutes and 49 seconds
Average Pace: 9minutes and 9seconds per mile
Calories burnt: 725
Lessons learned: Boys will only let you beat them once in their lifetime

Week 6 - Pain in the Ass

Not a very elegant title to this week's post but appropriate nonetheless. The Monday after my long run I definitely had some aches and pains in my thighs and the top of my hamstrings. My training manual says that now i'm into double figures I should try to take the day off from running before and after - so Monday I put my feet up.

By Tuesday I was feeling pretty much back to normal but the blisters were still looking pretty angry. I strapped them up with some Compeeds and set off for 4 miles round the bridges. I had a great run and stormed home in under 37 minutes and 4 seconds - which is one of my fastest solo runs. The only slight hiccup was that about half way through I managed to rip off the skin across the entire blister on the back of my right heel. Grim Reaper.

So despite feeling the fittest and most positive I have since I began my training I was confined to four rest days in a row. I braved iodine tincture (thanks Grannie) which definitely sped up the process and at 92 pence a bottle was an absolute steal. I had to forego a planned 10k around Regents Park on Thursday evening as it just wasn't healed enough to risk missing the weekend run. On Saturday I decided to fit in a session of Bodypump in an attempt to make up for dodging the midweek runs which made me feel a bit better. But come Sunday I was raring to do my long run (who would have thought it).

This time I was better prepared. I made sure to drink loads of water over the weekend. I charged up the new iPod shuffle. I strapped up the blisters and went back to my usual socks. A return to Richmond Park seemed like the most appealing option so I got up early and arrived at the park before 9am. Despite this it was already scorchio. I set off from the same starting point but decided to run in the opposite direction in an attempt to knock out some of those troublesome hills. Screw dominating them. I started off slow and like before I found the miles between 2 and 5 the hardest. However this time I knew I could go the distance, I had an iPod with a decent battery and was a lot fresher from my four days off. So much so that pretty early on I decided I was going to run an extra mile and shoot for 12 instead of the scheduled 11.

By the time I got to 6 I was feeling pretty happy and it was a whole different story from the week before. Running anticlockwise round the park was admittedly a bit easier than the alternative but the run just remphasised how much of this is about mind over matter. Miles 10 to 12 were hard and I felt my form disintergrate. In total it took me just over 2 hours. No prizes for speed but a definite tick in the box for endurance. Grrrrrrrrrr.

So at the end of Week 6 I felt a mixture of achievement and disappointment. I really wanted to get a full house of four solid runs which I didn't manage but then again the long run felt very comfortable and the thought of running twice that distance didn't totally freak me out. Although I felt sore at the end of the run I wasn't compeltely exhausted. I stretched and stretched and stretched, I attacked myself with the stick, I also took a couple of Ibuprofen and got a reasonably early night. Fast forward 8 hours and I sprung out of bed with the elegance and grace of a 95 year old. Can't wait to feel the burn the day after 26.2 miles. Seriously... I forsee a world of pain coming my way over the next 10 weeks but somehow it all seems totally worth it. I've surprised myself with how much I'm loving the running.

Bring on Week 7.

Week 5 - Eat It!

August is my least favourite month to be in London. I'd rather be anywhere than stuck in the office with all the traffic and people roaring around on the street below. Unfortunately almost everyone else in my office is actually somewhere else so Week 5 didn't get off to a very fast start. In fact, due to a variety of factors, my first run of the week didn't happen until Friday - whoops!

On Friday I decided to hook up the heart monitor for the first time to see how much of my 'i'm about to die' feelings are all really just in the mind. All I had to do was strap it on and turn on the watch. I haven't quite worked out how to accurately calculate my maximum heartrate and therefore what my appropriate training intensity should be in terms of bpm. Historically Friday evening runs haven't worked out that well for me because I'm usually tired after a long week at work and trying to squeeze in the run before heading out to start the weekend. This one was much better. Over a distance of 5 miles I averaged 9 minutes 39 seconds per mile had an average heart rate of 174. All in all it was a solid run and I felt in control throughout. Saturday morning was sunny and I hit Battersea Park for a quick 3 miles. The heat slowed me down a bit but it was still a pretty good run. I'm finding that I am enjoying the middle distance runs the most at the moment. 5 miles is long enough to settle in, too long to try and rush it but not long enough to get really tired. At 3 miles I am trying to push myself and the first and second miles seem to go on forever.

And so we reached today. 10 miles... hitting double figures for the first time. I was slightly nervous but also excited. On the advice of a friend I got in car and drove out to Richmond Park to run round the perimetre. I arrived just after 09.30 and it was overcast but warm. I strapped on the heart rate monitor, plugged in the iPod, switched on the Garmin and grabbed my bottle of water. One lap of the perimetre is 7.2 miles so I would need to double back a bit to make up the distance. I had no aches or pains from my previous two outings (could be something to do with The Stick, which I have been using religiously, but still too early to tell) and after the first mile I began to settle in to a run that was going to take me an hour and a half at the very least. Not long after, I encountered my first hill which was pretty tough going - but having hit it so early on I dominated (as my flatmate would say) and carried on. The sun had come out and I began to worry that I hadn't hydrated enough before the run.


My major problems began at mile 4, primarily because I thought I'd already run a mile further than I actually had but also beacuse my iPod decided to die (time for a new one I think) and I could feel the beginnings of a painful blister on my left foot (new socks - not a wise move). The iPod was annoying but no big deal, the mileage was disappointing but still overcomeable and the pain wasn't so bad as to need to stop but it was the combination of factors that put me in a bad frame of mind. Whilst grumbling away to myself I obviously took a wrong turn (no idea how - it was a fairly well marked trail) and ended up at a dead end with the only option being a slightly sketchy looking hill path through some trees. The hill was hard and I had to walk after about three quarters of the way to the top. It was at this point that I encountered some weirdo/scary looking dude picking blackberries whilst on a bicycle. I almost turned back to re-find the place i'd originally gone wrong but was near the top of the hill so stumbled on and luckily popped back out near one of the main entrances to the perimetre of the Park.

I needed a break to regroup and pull myself together. I stopped for a couple of minutes and downed a lot of water. Today was going to be a mental battle and so far the desire to give in was outweighing the will to continue. Starting off again I felt much better and my talking to seemed to have done the trick but I couldn't help feeling that if I'd had someone else running with me things would seem a whole lot easier. So I visualised that they were. The Non Runners Guide to Marathon Training really does seem to anticipate exactly what I'm going to feel like every single week. The latest chapter recommends creating films in your head to help you along the way when things get tough. Some suggestions include, remembering your greatest run so far... the sounds, sights and smells and where you were; another option is imagining you are as light as a feather or that all the muscles in your body are rowers you can command at will. I chose to imagine friends and family members accompanying me along the way. Some would join me for a mile or so and I would imagine what we would talk about, others would cheer me on from the sidelines and tell me to keep on going. I know it all sounds a bit strange but it massively helped.

My legs felt fine and my breathing was shallow so I knew it was all in my mind. The visualisations worked up until about 8 and a half miles, by which time I'd already done one lap plus a mini loop and was just passing the car for the second time (aghhhhhhhh). After that I just gritted my teeth and furiously clock watched for the next fifteen minutes. By that stage there was no way on earth I was going to stop before my 10 miles was up. I had worked it out perfectly and collapsed over the car bonnet in a sweaty bedraggled mess.

10 miles. Done. However it made me realise that the long runs are going to get even harder and that this is going to be as much of a mental battle as a physical one. I also need to pay more attention to what I'm eating and drinking ahead of the long runs. I think my mind was partly tired due to insufficient fuelling beforehand. Once home I checked the blisters (massive one on each foot - the new socks are now in the bin) gave myself a good going over with The Stick and sunk about a litre of water. Roll on Week Six.

The Stats

The Long Run
Distance: 10.02 miles
Time: 1 hour 41 minutes and 57 seconds
Pace: 10minutes 11seconds per mile
Calories Burned: 1107 (yes!)
Average Heart Rate: 175bpm

New experiences
Blisters the size of 10 pence pieces
Feeling dehydrated after a run
Running in Richmond Park