3 Nov 2013
29 Oct 2013
Swain's Lane Conquered!
In north London you can find the (in)famous Swain's Lane, feared by cyclists and runners alike. This neat little lane has got a maximum gradient of a whopping 18%, is around 1.2k long and if you climb it 24 times you will have climbed the equivalent of Mont Ventoux!
Yesterday my colleague Debbie and I did our inaugural post work hill interval run. Having met up at The Flask (who I much recommend at this time of year for their lovely mulled cider!) we walked to Swain's Lane and started off our run with a warm up run down the hill. I had earlier done a gruelling bootcamp session with Shane the Slavedriver at Barry's Bootcamp and felt pretty spent even on the first run down, but running with a slightly less fit friend hid that fact. We didn't go fast, letting Debbie set the pace, but we did keep going the entire time. No walking, no stopping. Three times in a row I talked Debbie up the hill, setting the bar high for coming hill climbs in London's best lane.
26 Oct 2013
#PMA
I'm well into my second week of my second month-long Barry's Bootcamp stint and I'm loving it. There have been plenty of times when I've thought about writing how Shane, in three months, have made me go from a top sprint speed of 10.5mph to running no less than four 12.5mph sprints in the same session. Or Sandy's hustle runs. Or Anya's crazy hard full body workouts. Or Olly making my sprint up a 10% incline at 11.5mph. But I haven't and that's partly because I've been busy changing jobs and partly because however happy and proud of my achievements I've been I've not really felt like I could do them justice in writing - '...and then I turned my treadmill up to 11.5mph and sprinted up that incline. It was hard but I made it!'. Yeah, I know, not exactly riveting reading.
Then yesterday I went to Faisal's class, Faisal who is a bundle of endless energy, encouragement and PMA - positive mental attitude. Before hitting bootcamp I was feeling a little bit 'meh' as I like to call it - you know that feeling when you can't be bothered with much and there's a slightly blue tint to your mood - but during the Friday 7 minute mile challenge (run a mile as fast as you can, aim to get under 7 minutes) something changed. Faisal was talking us through this mentally quite challenging run and basically infusing us with positive mental attitude, making us believe that we not only could but would and that no one could stop us from taking what we wanted on the treadmill in specific and in life in general.
I walked out of the gym feeling a little bit invincible, confidence boosted by my accomplishments in Barry's red room of pain (I did the mile in 6 minutes and 40 seconds and with relative ease) but also boosted by Faisal's positive mental attitude affirmations. Now, I know we can't solve all the worlds problem with only a positive mental attitude but I think that a more positive mental attitude could change most peoples' lives. I suggest you try it, it's free and with very few side effects....
14 Oct 2013
Putting The Fun In Your Run
This weekend I ran my first 5k race. It was an untimed 5k race, I more ambled than ran and I absolutely loved it. I only ever entered this race because my friend Olly wants to get into running and this was his inaugural race - but I think it was one of the best race experiences I've ever had. My friend Julia was visiting from Sweden and we grumbled plenty upon getting up nice and early on Saturday but once the race kicked off and we got going it was pure enjoyment. Running, talking, laughing and rekindling your love of running. After the race we had a post-race beer and started planning for the next race....
Putting The Fun In Your Run
This weekend I ran my first 5k race. It was an untimed 5k race, I more ambled than ran and I absolutely loved it. I only ever entered this race because my friend Olly wants to get into running and this was his inaugural race - but I think it was one of the best race experiences I've ever had. My friend Julia was visiting from Sweden and we grumbled plenty upon getting up nice and early on Saturday but once the race kicked off and we got going it was pure enjoyment. Running, talking, laughing and rekindling your love of running. After the race we had a post-race beer and started planning for the next race....
8 Oct 2013
Race Report: Royal Parks Ultra
Have you heard that song by José Gonzalez where he goes 'every step feels like a mile'? I've never grasped the full meaning of those words until the last 5 kilometres of my first ever ultra marathon, and every step felt like an actual mile. But let us not get ahead of ourselves, the race started way before that...
My alarm went off at 6am and as I was (trying/forcing myself) to eat breakfast all I could think was 'all my friends are still cosy in bed, yet here I am about to head off to run 50 kilometres'. I felt slightly mad and/or stupid but eventually I got myself into my kit and headed off to Hyde Park and the start. In Hyde Park there was a specific 'ultra' tent where you could drop off your bag, get some last minute energy and water and talk to the other runners. I didn't talk to anyone, I merely stood there and stared at this plethora of runners who all looked like they were semi-professionals. If I'd been scared sh*tless before, I was now terrified. As per usual I debated so long about going to the toilet that I didn't have the time and then I found myself standing in the starting pen. I struck up conversation with the only other girl who looked as lost as I did and we kept chatting until we set off.
The start was at 8.30am and my plan was to take it nice and easy the entire 50 kilometres. I knew that I hadn't done as much training as I'd wanted to but that I'd done enough training to get myself through the ordeal. The girl I'd talked to before setting off (you can see here on this picture) and I were running together and it was nice and relaxing to have a fellow runner to chat with - it made it feel like it was a good Sunday training run! We were running through a sunny, stunning, London (waving to the queen at Buckingham Palace) and after a few miles of running and chatting we picked up another guy in our chat/running group. We ran togheter and chatted amicably up to the 25k race mark where they dropped off on one of the feeding stations. As they stopped for the loo I kept going, looking forward to the 35k mark where my friends were gonna stand and cheer me on.
Around this time the surface changed, from tarmac to towpath - gravelly towpath. My bad hip had started bothering me wat too early in this race, after only 10k, and once the surface changed it got worse. The whole leg (i.e. the leg muscles) were all sore and stiff and the five kilometres between 25 and 30k were long. After 30k I got a new little energy burst, knowing I 'only' had around 2 hours running left and getting closer to Richmond Park (and my waiting friends). It got warm in Richmond Park though, and I was looking forward to getting into the shade again. I reached the 35k mark and...no friends. Later on they told me how it had taken them some time to get to Richmond Park and that they missed me, but that actually worked in my favour. I spent the five kilometres between 35 and 40 looking for my friends thus not really noticing that I was running them. At 40 kilometres I had given up seeing the and instead focused on the fact that it was the last 10k ahead of me and that the 42.2k mark would mean that I'd become and ultramarathon runner!
But, the 42.2k mark didn't cheer me up. Instead I realised that while 8k is short in comparison to what I'd done, it's still pretty far - especially when your left leg and your shoulders are killing you. I aimed to get into a flow, listening to music and letting my thoughts roam free. When I finally got to Bushy Park I was ecstatic but those last 5 kilometres might have been the worst 5k I've ever run. Every step hurt. When I finally saw the finish line in the distance I was so god d*mn angry with Bushy Park that I managed a little sprint and finished the race in 5 hours 6 minutes. Once I had finished I got a text from a friends saying they were on their way (they had had a more eventful trip to the finishline than I!) and then I met a photographer that I'd promised a photo for a photo project. Eventually my friends came and after I'd had a quick shower we headed to Kingston, via the Railway Tavern in Teddington, and had a pre-birthday celebration on a riverside pub...a perfect way to celebrate being an ultramarathon runner!
The last ten kilometres I had a mantra in my head: 'I.Am.Never.Doing.This.Again!' but once my friend Claire had bought me my first post-race beer it happened....you know that thing that aaaaalways happens.... the 'I wonder if I could run a 50 mile race?' and the 'I want to get under 5 hours!'. So, here I am, sore but happy and looking for a new challenge. Just don't suggest I do an Ironman.....
My alarm went off at 6am and as I was (trying/forcing myself) to eat breakfast all I could think was 'all my friends are still cosy in bed, yet here I am about to head off to run 50 kilometres'. I felt slightly mad and/or stupid but eventually I got myself into my kit and headed off to Hyde Park and the start. In Hyde Park there was a specific 'ultra' tent where you could drop off your bag, get some last minute energy and water and talk to the other runners. I didn't talk to anyone, I merely stood there and stared at this plethora of runners who all looked like they were semi-professionals. If I'd been scared sh*tless before, I was now terrified. As per usual I debated so long about going to the toilet that I didn't have the time and then I found myself standing in the starting pen. I struck up conversation with the only other girl who looked as lost as I did and we kept chatting until we set off.
The start was at 8.30am and my plan was to take it nice and easy the entire 50 kilometres. I knew that I hadn't done as much training as I'd wanted to but that I'd done enough training to get myself through the ordeal. The girl I'd talked to before setting off (you can see here on this picture) and I were running together and it was nice and relaxing to have a fellow runner to chat with - it made it feel like it was a good Sunday training run! We were running through a sunny, stunning, London (waving to the queen at Buckingham Palace) and after a few miles of running and chatting we picked up another guy in our chat/running group. We ran togheter and chatted amicably up to the 25k race mark where they dropped off on one of the feeding stations. As they stopped for the loo I kept going, looking forward to the 35k mark where my friends were gonna stand and cheer me on.
Around this time the surface changed, from tarmac to towpath - gravelly towpath. My bad hip had started bothering me wat too early in this race, after only 10k, and once the surface changed it got worse. The whole leg (i.e. the leg muscles) were all sore and stiff and the five kilometres between 25 and 30k were long. After 30k I got a new little energy burst, knowing I 'only' had around 2 hours running left and getting closer to Richmond Park (and my waiting friends). It got warm in Richmond Park though, and I was looking forward to getting into the shade again. I reached the 35k mark and...no friends. Later on they told me how it had taken them some time to get to Richmond Park and that they missed me, but that actually worked in my favour. I spent the five kilometres between 35 and 40 looking for my friends thus not really noticing that I was running them. At 40 kilometres I had given up seeing the and instead focused on the fact that it was the last 10k ahead of me and that the 42.2k mark would mean that I'd become and ultramarathon runner!
But, the 42.2k mark didn't cheer me up. Instead I realised that while 8k is short in comparison to what I'd done, it's still pretty far - especially when your left leg and your shoulders are killing you. I aimed to get into a flow, listening to music and letting my thoughts roam free. When I finally got to Bushy Park I was ecstatic but those last 5 kilometres might have been the worst 5k I've ever run. Every step hurt. When I finally saw the finish line in the distance I was so god d*mn angry with Bushy Park that I managed a little sprint and finished the race in 5 hours 6 minutes. Once I had finished I got a text from a friends saying they were on their way (they had had a more eventful trip to the finishline than I!) and then I met a photographer that I'd promised a photo for a photo project. Eventually my friends came and after I'd had a quick shower we headed to Kingston, via the Railway Tavern in Teddington, and had a pre-birthday celebration on a riverside pub...a perfect way to celebrate being an ultramarathon runner!
The last ten kilometres I had a mantra in my head: 'I.Am.Never.Doing.This.Again!' but once my friend Claire had bought me my first post-race beer it happened....you know that thing that aaaaalways happens.... the 'I wonder if I could run a 50 mile race?' and the 'I want to get under 5 hours!'. So, here I am, sore but happy and looking for a new challenge. Just don't suggest I do an Ironman.....
7 Oct 2013
This Photo.
This photo makes me forget all my insecurities, doubts and worries. This photo helps reminding me of the good things in life, and the strength of my character. This photo boosts my self-confidence and my self-esteem. This photo helps me realise that yesterday I became an ultra marathon runner. Yesterday I conquered 50k, on foot, and I will always be a better person for it. Yesterday I proved to myself that I truly am the master of my faith; and the captain of my soul.
Full race report to follow!
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