RACE RUNDOWN: Wokingham Half Marathon 2016

It seems like it was only five minutes ago that I started my Hal Higdon half marathon training plan. After a failed attempt two years ago at Reading to secure a sub 1.45, I decided to follow a plan for Wokingham Half Marathon that I entered for 2016. 

I won't go into too much detail on my training as this post is more about the race itself but you can see my progress in previous posts documenting this journey. However, to summarise, I took the method to follow a plan which focussed around me running a 7.55 mile pace come race day. It consisted of paced and tempo runs, speed work and long weekend jogs. I also incorporated a swim each week to bring in an element of cross training - something I highly suggest for anyone following a half marathon plan. 

I have really enjoyed the last 12 weeks and come race day, I was feeling a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Would I break the dreaded 1.45 barrier - something that haunts me. Or would I creep in just over again? The latter terrified me.  

Wokingham Half Marathon has been running for 30 years and has become a very popular race for club runners and those looking for a PB. Described as 'fast and generally flat', I was instantly attracted to this course, especially as many fellow runners at my club had secured their best times here. 

On race day, the skies were grey but the temperature was mild. Despite it being dry (yay to no rain!) the winds were incredibly strong, which concerned me. Parking in the town centre, we had a 10 minute walk to the start line, which was in Cantly Park (it may be quicker but we were fighting gale force winds!). The main base is rather small and basic, but has all the amenities you need (changing tent, kit drop off and several port-a-loos). The start line itself is very long and narrow, with pen markers for you to line up beside. Sadly no pacers are at this race, which can be a concern for some, so it was super important we line up in our correct time slots. I popped myself in the 1.45 pen, which was very far down the track. When the gun went off, it took me three minutes to cross the start line.

Starting off, we set headed down country roads with the first mile and a half feeling slightly downhill. I resisted the urge to set off too quick (my biggest fail at Reading 2014). It was quite busy in the first couple of miles and I did find myself weaving in and out of a lot of people who, I presume, did not place themselves in the correct pen at the start. This peeved me a bit but by 5K, it had petered out. I was relieved to feel no winds what so ever and the first 10K whizzed past. Running down mainly country roads, we passed through small villages where locals came out to cheer. Most of the course seemed flat, with a few short uphills to cross a couple of motorway bridges. I found myself running 7.35s and whilst I was concerned this was way too quick, it felt really comfortable. The water stops are at 3.5, 5.5, 7.5 and 9 mile markers. These are simply water in plastic cups, which I do struggle to drink whilst running so I did find myself stopping to have a quick gulp. I also took an energy gel between miles seven and eight. 

So, as I say, by 10K I was feeling fresh and strong. However, this suddenly changed as we turned back on ourselves to make our way back up to Cantly Park. It seemed that we had ran the first half with the wind behind us which only meant one thing - facing it head on in the second half. My god, was it strong! It also seemed to get worse the closer we got to the finish. Miles 7-10, it was bearable and I managed to run 7.50s but the last 5K was hell on earth. The winds were houling and at times, I felt myself swaying and trying to not topple over. To add to this, the course was starting to become a climb uphill, crossing back over the motorway bridges and taking some long, subtle uphills back up the roads. I dropped down to 8.15s and was absolutely shattered. Not only were my legs heavy as lead, I felt like I was running through treacle fighting the gales. Everyone around me was the same but we all trooped on. By the time you reach the 13 mile marker, you turn a sharp bend and the finish is in sight.  With all my might, I sprinted (well attempted to) to cross the finish in 1.42.40. 

Overwhelmed with joy at my time mixed with stress from the last 5K of windy torture, I felt delirious crossing that line. There was a good bunch of crowds around, which including my parents who were waiting on the sidelines for celebratory hugs. After dropping my chip in the buckets provided, I collected my medal and skipped round to the side where the crowds were standing to cheer in my friend that was also running. Once she had crossed the line, we walked back to the base camp to have a quick change and collect our bags. We also treated ourselves to the tech t-shirts on sale that had all competitors names printed on (short sleeved: £10, long sleeved £15). I opted for bright orange. 

To summarise, Wokingham Half Marathon is a lovely race that has the perfect balance of popularity yet intimacy. I loved that it was much smaller than the big wigs in half marathon events (e.g. Reading, Bath, Bristol etc..) yet it had a brilliant turnout of dedicated runners. There were around 3,500 runners, with most of them being club runners. Despite this though, there were a mixture of abilities making it a great choice for anyone. The course itself is very open, with the right amount of turns to keep you interested. After Reading and the dreaded dual carriageway at mile 11, it was nice to have a course that gave you lots to look at. The only downside for my race was of course the crazy winds but this cannot be helped. Although I do wonder if I could of got a faster time if these had not be so disruptive...

If there was anything for race organisers to improve on it would be to maybe introduce pacers, mainly due to the fact that runners of all abilities were mixed together, which meant chaos for fast runners caught up with the slower ones. However, this is only a minor criticism. Overall, I would highly recommend Wokingham Half Marathon. Priced at a reasonable £24 (£22 for affiliated runners), it offers a great PB course for anyone looking to secure a shiny new time. 

To read more on this event, you can visit the website here. 

RACE OVERVIEW

Course: 4/5

Scenery: 5/5

Facilities: 3/5

Water Stations: 3/5

Medal & T-Shirt: 4/5

My time: 1.42.40 (February 2016)

LIPSTICK RUNNER'S OVERALL RATING: 4/5

Lipstick Runner.

TRAINING UPDATE: Week 10 of half marathon training

I can't believe I am in the last days of my training. Wokingham is now only two weeks away and I have been in the final stages of race prep before I begin to wind down and taper. 

Week nine was an interesting one. I had ended week eight with a 10 mile training run. I luckily had my best friend join me and we tend to chat ALOT when we run together so the mile pace for this was a very casual 8.50. The following day, I didn't ache exactly but I did decide to give my body a rest from cardio and instead I did a small weights workout. I am now successfully using my 5KGs at least once a week which is huge progress given that I was struggling to lift them only weeks ago. 

(10 miles with my bestie!)

By Tuesday, I was starting to feel the familiar feeling of training fatigue. I always get this towards the end and I was also experiencing a very busy period in my job which doesn't help. Cycling home that evening, I couldn't be arsed to go out for my paced run and when I got in, I decided to skip it. However, as I started to get changed out of my cycling kit, guilt flooded over me and I fought the urge to slob on the sofa and told myself to get into my running kit and get out the front door. 

It was hard but I eventually was outside, Garmin set and starting off on a four mile paced run (it was meant to be five but sod it!). Despite feeling absolutely shattered, I decided to take a different route to  my normal one to change things up. This one turned out to be bloody hilly! My god it was so hard. Up and down, up and down. It was endless! Time managed to pass quickly though and I was super chuffed to see that I had finished with an average mile pace of 7.38 (faster than it should be!). I was ecstatic and so glad I had plucked up the courage to head out. 

Come the next day and elation had quickly turned to pain. I woke up with the most painful shins. Even to lightly touch them made me wince - it was horrid. Every step I took was agony and I found more comfort on my bike than actually putting my feet on the ground! By Thursday, it was even worse (it always is the second day isn't it?). I was worried I had come down with the dreaded shin splints but after much research, I think I had a bad case of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Still though, it was awful and I decided to skip training for three whole days. 

By Sunday, I was down to run 13 miles. Ugh the dreaded long run of my training plan. Luckily, my shins were feeling OK by this point but the weather outside was greatly putting me off. It was chucking it down with rain and I could see trees bending over backwards from the strong winds. Seeing my husband snuggled down in the duvet, I begrudgingly got out of bed and changed into my kit. I opted to wear my new Mizuno Breathe Thermo Wind Running Top (shop here). I got this for Christmas from the hubby and it is a beautiful piece of kit. It works to keep you dry and warm during the winter months as the yarns captures escaping heat. I was a little hesitant of its thickness and that I would overheat but it turned out to be an absolute lifesaver! The rain was awful and it kept me dry up until 7-8 miles before I started to feel slight dampness on my skin. I think that is good going though!

(wearing Mizuno Breathe Thermo Wind Running Top)

Going back to the actual run, I found myself going at quite a good pace. I was ranging between 8.10 - 8.40 mile pace and it felt comfortable and controlled. I ran all over North London and then ventured down to Angel and St Pauls, followed by running up the Southbank and over to Buckingham Palace. Doing 13 miles on my own was a bit lonely but I kept myself busy taking in some of London's wonderful sights. 

(Sunday morning practise for the Queen's guards)

By the final mile, I dug deep to try and do it at target half marathon pace (which I did) and found I finished the whole run in just over 1.48! To say I was chuffed is an understatement. I was surprised at this time as I did try to go at a pace that was casual and not overly strenuous. I'm pleased that this turned out to be faster than I expected. 

Coming into week 10, I didn't feel too tired from my long run. Again, I made Monday a weights day and headed out for a paced run on Tuesday. This did come out a lot slower than all my previous ones (and I mean ALOT - my average mile pace was 8.58) but I do think my legs were a bit heavy from the 13 miles two days previous. Due to social commitments, I skipped sessions on Wednesday and Thursday but switched them to Friday and Saturday. First up was my weekly swim session (which went well) and then early Saturday morning I headed out for a speed session.

I opted to carry out the pyramid session my club had done at training on the Thursday I missed. It involved started long and slow, then getting shorter and faster and going all the way back up to the top again:

1200m (half marathon pace)

800m (10K pace)

400m (5K pace)

200m (sprint!)

400m (5K pace)

800m (10K pace)

1200m (half marathon pace)

(60 seconds rest between each set)

I love doing these as at the time they feel bloody tough but you know you are pushing your body hard. If you decide to do these sessions, make sure you follow the correct pace. Try your best to go fast on the shorter distances but remember to reserve energy for when you are back up to 1200m. That last set burns! It totals just over 5K and I was happy with my average pace and mile splits:

The next day (today) it was my weekly long run. Now I was actually supposed to be doing the Regent's Park 10K race today but I felt like I needed to get another long run in for practise. So, I headed out on this gloriously sunny day to take on 10 miles. I managed to keep similar pace to last weeks 13 miles and again felt steady and controlled. Opted to do the last two miles at target half marathon pace and ended up doing them much fast than anticipated! Wahoo! The weather was so beautiful today too so London's sights were in their true glory. 

(Left: St Pauls, Right: Buckingham Palace)

So this brings me to the end of week 10! Looking back on my whole plan, I do feel pleased with where I am. Yes, I have missed a couple of sessions and maybe tweaked a few too many paced runs but overall, it isn't too shabby. Do I think I can secure that all important sub 1.45? At this time, I honestly don't know. Whilst I feel happy I can do the distance, I am a little fearful I will run out of steam at mile 9/10 and end up wilting away in the final stage. But, this could be mind over matter and I will need to ensure on race day my head in screwed on properly and ready to take on the challenge and reach my goals. 

Lipstick Runner.

TRAINING UPDATE: Week 8 of half marathon training

I'm two thirds into my half marathon training and I must say I am feeling a little apprehensive. It has been a manic couple of weeks, what with a new job and just generally getting back into the swing of a normal routine post Christmas. I have managed to upkeep a strong steady plan (I may have missed two sessions though), yet I am feeling utterly exhausted!

Week six of training was my first week in my new job so I had get used to a new cycle route. This one is slightly longer than my previous commute and includes some short, steep hills. Three weeks in and I am already seeing the benefits this commute is having on my cycling. I feel faster and stronger which is an added bonus as it helps set me up for triathlon training in March. Anyway, going back to week six and it kicked off with a swim using my new Garmin watch that I got for Christmas. It quite simply is such a delight to have one of these on a swim now. Gone are forgetting how many laps you have done halfway through a swim and now I can finally see how fast I am going. This watch has an accelatrometer so I have to make sure I push off for the start of a new lap hard enough for it to clock a new length. For this session, I did a simple front crawl swim up to 1250m and was really pleased to come in just over 27 minutes. 

Next up on Tuesday was a paced four mile run where I really struggled in the first mile to reach a 7.55 pace. I was almost 30 seconds behind schedule! So I upped my speed and overall finished the run with an average pace of 7.54. This is great as its my half marathon target pace, however, due to that slow mile, I had to run the last three faster.

By Thursday, I had decided to venture down to the athletics track with my running club to kick off the year with a tough speed session. Annoyingly, I forgot my watch (I was livid!) so I had to run blind a session of:

1200m threshold running

5x 400m @ 5K pace

1200m threshold running

(60 secs rest between each set)

Despite not knowing my pace, I ran the fastest I could and felt super energised at the end - can you tell!?

At the weekend, I rested on the Saturday, rolling and stretching to get prepared for a 10K race on Sunday. This was the normal 10K I do - Mornington Chasers Regents Park 10K. I was oddly feeling quite nervous (even though I have done the race so many times!) about the pace I would be able to keep for this and the weather that particular morning was fecking freezing! By the time I arrived at the park, my hands and feet were frozen. I just wanted to get running to warm up!

Luckily after the first of three laps on the course, I had warmed up and was stripping off my gloves. I tried my best to keep steady throughout and managed to cross the finish line in 46.45 with an average pace of 7.30. I am really happy with this as it has been my target 10K pace in the tempo runs I have been doing.

The next day (and the start of week seven), I opted to do a workout session at home as my legs were a bit tired. For Christmas, I got Joe Wick's Lean in 15 book (which by the way I highly recommend) and he includes some HIIT workouts in there. Looking at the weights focussed one, I thought I could do it so I picked up my 5KGs and got to work. 

Oh my lord it was hard! I had to use these weights for squats, lunges, bicep curls, press up arm pulls and a couple of other things. I had to repeat the workout three times but sheepishly gave up after two as my body felt broken. Man alive I am weak! Give me endurance any day but tell me to do a weight session and I am useless. The next day I felt it too. Lets just say I took the lifts that day at work.

The rest of the week, I carried out a swim, hill repeats and a paced run, ending the week with a nine mile run. Joined by a fellow running buddy, we went out easy and finished with an average pace of 8.55. The distance didn't feel too bad either which must be good!

Come week eight and I am starting to feel tired. Work was particularly busy this week and I found myself staying late some nights, which caused a bit of disruption to my training plan. On Tuesday, I was supposed to get up at 6am for a run but told my alarm to f**k off when it went off. I laid in and woke up with enough time to get ready and dash to work. I felt guilty I didn't go for a run and so I decided to make up for it and would do a quick run session after work before I met my friend for a catch up coffee.  My GPS wouldn't work on my watch so I decided to run hard for 30 minutes. And I really did - so much so that halfway round the outer circle of Regent's Park I tripped and went flying! I managed to save myself from any rolled ankles or grazed knees thank god! I finished in Kings Cross where I met my friend and felt like I had maintained a good pace. When I got home that night, I decided to look at the route I took on MapMyRun and it turns out I did four miles bang on. So in 30 minutes that is 7.30 pace! Wahoo!

After this successful session, it went downhill from there as work was still crazy busy. I ended up missing a planned tempo run on Thursday. I tried so hard to get up on Friday to do it before work but I was unbelievably tired and just couldn't drag my body from the warmth of my bed. 

Do I feel guilty for missing this? Well yeah, but at the same time work has to come first over my hobby and sometimes this just cannot be helped. Instead of feeling bad, I am going to dust myself off and carry on. Next up is a 10 mile run tomorrow where I will again be going casually to get my legs used to the distance. 

To reflect on the past eight weeks and the next four until race day, I feel OK(ish). I don't feel strong and confident to secure the all important sub 1.45 but I am going on the hope that everything will all come together on race day. For now, I just need to keep focussed and simply do the best that I can. There is no point in worrying or piling on the pressure. At the end of the day, whatever I do will be an achievement and who can complain about that. :) 

Lipstick Runner. 

2016 Race Calendar

With 2015 shortly coming to an end (where has this year gone!?) and Christmas out of the way, I have been busy accessing my goals and lining up races for 2016. I must admit, I have been a rather chaotic decision maker which has caused me to self evaluate realistically what I want to do. 

My problem is that I get over excited too quickly and take action upon things I haven't really, really thought through. For example, back in April, I decided I was going to bite the bullet and do a marathon. After spending another year watching London Marathon take place, I got that urge to give the distance a go (as I do every year) and decided to enter Brighton Marathon 2016. At the time I was so excited that I was finally going to be doing a marathon. I had succumbed to taking on the challenge. Yet by June, after completing my first triathlon, my train of thought was starting to take a different direction.

I had done better than I thought in the tri and never have I enjoyed a sport so much! The thought of switching back to a sole running focussed challenge didn't seem so exciting now. Instead, I wanted to do more tri's. By this point, I also didn't like the sound of doing 20 mile training runs in the cold winter months of February. However, I hadn't yet made a decision to proceed or not. Instead, I put it down to being on a post tri high and decided to sit it out and wait for the marathon urge to return. 

It is now late December and the urge has not returned - it has barely made a slight noise. What's worse, is that I have entered two more triathlon events, plus a potential duathlon in 2016. I haven't even thought about how I am going to fit all these around a marathon but in all honestly, I'm not sure I even want the worry of trying to make it all work. Truth is - deep down I have already resided to the fact that I don't want to do a marathon next year and I have been feeling really guilty about it. Goodness knows why I feel guilt as it doesn't effect anyone but me. I guess what I am feeling is slightly ashamed at my over eagerness to enter one. A very valuable lesson has been learnt here and one that comes to all of us at several points in our lives - think before acting. 

Despite this glitch in my event calendar, I feel I have planned a relatively busy and challenging race calendar for 2016. It involves a mixture of events to give all areas of my training a good workout in the bid to help improve my running, cycling, swimming and core fitness. 

First up, are two 10Ks in January and February to whip my body back into shape post Christmas and New Year. These are also vital elements of my training for Wokingham Half Marathon in February. I am really looking forward to this as I am desperate for a PB in this distance. I also see this as good base training as I start to increase my distances in triathlon. 

Following the HM, I am planning on entering a duathlon in April and currently have my eye on Newbury Duathlon again as it's such a wonderful, intimate event (you can read my review here). This will be a great exercise to practise transitions and will also offer me a solid brick training session. Plus, the views make for a lovely bike ride. 

By May, I will be in full swing with triathlon training, yet have decided to squeeze in a Tough Mudder, which I recently posted about here. This event is to offer me a fun, team building day but also offer something different to break up my pattern of training. I think (hope) it will also really help me to 'buff up' my core strength - an area that is currently rather weak. 

Come Summer, I will be in full triathlon mode, starting the season off with the Cotswold's Women Only Triathlon in June. I have opted for the Sprint distance here and hoping to improve on my time from Blenheim in 2015. This event will also be a part of my training plan for my last and probably most important event of the year - Hever Castle Triathlon. Here I will be racing in the Olympic distance and it will be my biggest challenge to date. With the big day coming in September, I am hoping all my previous events will put me in excellent shape to complete this distance confidently.  

So in all, a busy 2016 so far! Let's just hope I get through it all injury free and with a big smile on my face :).

Lipstick Runner. 

TRAINING UPDATE: Week 2 of Half Marathon Training

I am successfully two complete weeks in to my revised Hal Higdon intermediate half marathon plan. I say revised as I have made slight modifications to his calendar to incorporate swim training too. So far, all is good and I have enjoyed following a detailed plan once again. With each session, I have followed the criteria Hal lists on his website on how they need to be executed. This has allowed me to get a good balance of pace work, strengthening exercises and distance training.

The last two Tuesdays I have headed out in the evenings to do three miles of paced running. This is where I need to train my body to run at my target half marathon pace, which for me is 7.55 per mile. If I stick to this, I am in the safe zone to secure a sub 1.45. The first Tuesday, all started well with my first mile being 7.55 but after that followed a slightly faster pace and I finished the whole run with an average pace of 7.41. For three miles, this pace was totally fine for me but I needed to slow it down a tad so my body will start to develop recognition for a 7.55 pace. By combining these paced runs with my long distance training and tempo work, it should all pull together to allow me to maintain 7.55 pace come race day. The next Tuesday that followed was definitely better paced. I managed 7.55 for the first two miles but the last one was still a bit too fast. I finished with an average pace of 7.50.

In week 1, I had to work my training around having a friend from overseas to stay for a long weekend. As many runners may know, it is hard to squeeze in sessions around, well, just life in general but I tried my best to get my training in without it interfering with time spent with my friend. Luckily, she is a keen runner and along with another training buddy, she joined us for a long run at the weekend. There was no focus on pace for this one - instead we have a nice natter and catch up whilst running around London visiting all the famous landmarks. We had a great time, except I did have a trip halfway and ended up rolling my ankle which was agonising. It swelled up slightly with bruising so I spent the following day resting and icing it.

Alongside my runs, I have also been keeping up my swimming. In the first week, I planned a technique focussed session where I swam drills of pullies (float held between the knees and the arms doing all the work), sharkies (swimming with arms coming up super close to the body), leg kicks (float out front at arms reach and the legs doing all the work). Below is the session in more detail:

250m front crawl

250m pullies

250m front crawl

250m sharkies

250m front crawl

250m pullies

250m leg kicks

The following week, I flipped over to distance training and this is where I swim front crawl until I reach a certain distance. I chose to fit this swim in at 6am before work. I have done this a few times now and I'm surprisingly growing fond of starting the day this way. The walk to the pool in the pitch black and freezing cold isn't too great though...

I normally complete 1250m in these sessions but I decided to increase the distance slightly and went up to 1375m (so basically an extra five laps of a 25ml pool). Over time, I will gradually step up the number of lengths until I am at 1500m distance training - the same as the swim in an Olympic triathlon.

My only downfall in this first two weeks was missing my first ever tempo session. For this, I must honestly hang my head in shame. The after effects of my work Christmas party left me a little worse for wear (I blame a concoction of tequila and martini's) and I mean in a bad way. In fact, I have contemplated giving up alcohol - or at least cutting back. In the two days that followed this hangover, I had awful nights' sleep, craved carbs and sugars and just felt absolutely shattered. Were the endless flow of drinks worth it looking back? Erm, no.

Despite this slight hiccup, I have been pretty good and even started week three how I have planned with another paced run - this time near my family home on the trails which was a nice change. I am now up to 3.5 miles for these sessions and again, it was a tad too speedy (average pace was 7.45 again). Being amongst the woodland and breathing in fresh, country air did the body good though.

Next week I head home for Christmas and for me this will be the biggest challenge. The temptation to sit eating a tin of Quality Street in front of The Grinch will be huge, however, I will try my hardest to stick to my plan and carry out each session planned. I have made Christmas Day and Boxing Day my rest days so I can indulge then :).

Lipstick Runner.

Wokingham Half Marathon 2016 - training starts NOW!

(recent picture taken at Fixture 2 of Middlesex Cross Country League)

I have been a bit of a running geek this week and built a 12 week plan for my upcoming half marathon in February 2016. 

My choice of race is Wokingham Half Marathon and whilst this will be 4th, it will have been two years since I raced this distance and I am feeling a little out of my comfort zone. Having spent a lot of time focussing on shorter distances, I will find it tough training to achieve 13.1 miles and a shiny new PB. With a current time of 1.45.30 (Reading Half Marathon 2014) I am desperate for a sub 1.45 but currently lacking confidence to achieve this. This is just under 8 minute mile pace, which for me over this distance is rather quick!

I decided yesterday to research half marathon training plans and as next week conveniently marks 12 weeks until race day, I opted for a longer plan to allow me to steadily rebuild my speed and distance. I was browsing Hal Higdon's website (American Runners' World contributor and all round running expert) and came across his intermediate level half marathon plan (which you can see here).

This plan is for those who want to improve on previous times and experiences but still offers a schedule that is easily manageable. Over the 12 weeks, he combines a mixture of easy runs, with speedwork, tempo sessions and strength building. The latter two I rarely do so I am excited to follow a plan where these are essential. 

Of course, I'm sure I am not the only one that follows training plans down to every, exact detail (please tell me I am not!?). Looking at this plan, I did see a lot of running (in my opinion a little too much for a half marathon) and I knew that I wouldn't be able to commit to six days a weeks. I don't particularly want to either. I also want to be able to continue with my swimming so I'm maintaining upkeep of my triathlon training in the background. With this in mind, I have devised my own personalised training plan that takes 75% of Hal's version but mixes in swimming and maybe an extra rest day (sorry Hal). 

My aim is to train on average 4/5 times a week. Every week consists of a steady short run and then a long paced run at the weekend but I will be alternating each week between speed sessions and tempo runs. For these tempo runs, the aim is to build up my pace so I am carrying out a run where I test different speeds over certain time periods (e.g. a 30 minute tempo run will consist of 0-10 mins threshold pace, 10-20 mins at 10K pace and then 20-30 mins easy running). In the past, I have tried these sessions a couple of times and found them really hard so I know they will be a big challenge in my training.

For those like me who have a winter half marathon in the diary, now is the time to start planning! Never have I felt so organised for a race. With my plans stuck proudly on my fridge, all that I need is the enthusiasm, determination and strength to follow every day to achieve (hopefully) that much desired sub 1.45.

Lipstick Runner.

My 2014 fitness journey

With 2014 drawing to a close and another whole year complete, what better time is there to reflect on your own journey - both achievements and learnings. 2014 for me has been a jam packed year full of fabulous progressions in all aspects of my life. I started the year newly engaged and with a new job which was very exciting and throughout the year, I have set myself many fitness goals. Some I have smashed, some I have failed. But that's OK - failures are simply learnings and everything I set out to do I always try to reflect on positively for the future.

So on that note, here are my 2014 fitness highs and lows.

1. Securing a 10K PB

1st January and half marathon training was back on track after three weeks off holidaying in Hong Kong. It was tough getting back into a routine but I actually found having a decent break to let my body chill and recuperate did the world of good! My pace was on top form - faster than before in fact and I didn't have one single niggle. By the start of February and crossing the start line of Mornington Chasers Regents Park 10K, I never dreamt of heading under the sub-46 minute mark. But I did! 45.45 to be precise. 

Funnily enough I returned to this course at the start of December and working at maximum effort, I finished in 47.40. I found it hard to believe that I had been two minutes faster at the start of the year and it made me realise that I have in fact lost speed. A big chunk of what I know I am capable of. 2015 will be focussed at bringing this back - especially for the triathlon. I am hoping my 5K plan (which you can read about HERE) will contribute to this greatly. 

2. Missing my half marathon target...by seconds

After smooth sailing training, I was ready to smash my half marathon target of 1.45. My training had me on schedule to go clean under and I was so excited to cross the finish line with this secured. Choosing Reading Half Marathon for the second year running, I carried out the race in the wrong way from all aspects. Due to rainy, cold weather I decided to wear leggings and a skin under my club vest. Big mistake. Here's a note for you in case you didn't already know - no matter how cold it is, don't layer up. Once you start running, you will boil. I learnt the hard way and by the 5K mark I was beetroot red, itchy and irritated. 

Due to being so hot and bothered I started to stop at water stations, drinking far more than I am used to when running. This lead to a huge stitch at around mile eight. I was practically crawling now and at mile 10, with just 5K to go, the 1.45 pacer passed me. I remember it clearly. I was about to come up to the hardest part of the course, a dual carriageway. A long straight road that seems like it never ends is the easiest place to lose the will to live and once the pacer past me, I felt close to tears. 

Why had I gone so wrong? Well whilst I was thinking this, when I reached the end of the carriageway and turned into a road, I got close to the curb and a spectator's giant husky dog jumped up at me and nearly sent me head over heels. Yep - that definitely topped it.

Despite all these setbacks (most which I am to blame), I crossed the finish line in 1.45.30. In all honestly I found this worse that finishing way past 1.45. I was so close and I messed it up. It really got to me. I stood there at that finish line and bawled like a baby. I had never cared so much about a race and never had I trained so hard. 

It took a while to get over this race trauma but I am happy to look back at it now as merely a learning experience. Deep down, I know if I train right and avoid these errors, I can go under 1.45 and one day (when I am not 5K or triathlon focussed) I will definitely give it another go!

3. 24 hours of team running

By the summer, the most exciting event of my 2014 calendar (in my opinion) was taking part in Mizuno Endure24. Not only was I facing my biggest challenge yet, I was doing it with my home club and best friend. Donned head to two in Newbury A.C gear, I was raring to go and despite the horrendous storms that took place over the 24 hour period, the grin was not wiped off my face. I completed four laps, totalling 20 miles and kept each turn consistent with pace. Yes, I injured my ITB rather badly on lap three (at 3am might I add) and I was out of action for the next couple of months but it was worth it! Best 24 hours I have spent awake (mind you this has probably only occurred in my life twice - but still it was the best).

4. ITB woes

Post Mizuno Endure24 and I faced my first, ever proper time out from running. After experiencing a slip on lap three of the course, I knew I was in sticky territory. I knew it even more come 8am and heading out on my final lap where the pain in my right knee was agonising. 

In the weeks that followed I attempted running, only to find myself retiring a mile in clutching my knee in sheer pain. After a trip to my sports masseuse, it was confirmed I had damaged my ITB and immediate rest from high impact sport was needed. I came back home with a foam roller under my arm, a plan to switch to swimming and determined to get myself fixed.

5. A brand new shiny bike

So with my injury comes the urge to dabble in a new hobby. I had always wanted a bike in London (for commuting and getting about town easily) but my fiancé had always disapproved. However, I think seeing me in the depth of misery through my injury brought his soft spot to life and after giving his blessing to get a bike, I was out the front door in a flash to get one before he changed his mind.

Seven months later and I am glued to my bike. I pretty much go everywhere in London with it and rarely travel by bus or tube anymore. It's brilliant! I never knew how much fun cycling could be and I will make sure in 2015 I broaden my horizons and take up more cycling adventures. I'd love to head out of the city somewhere, see some sights on route and get a good grip of long distance cycling. 

6. A 10 mile comeback

Come September, my ITB had healed and I was getting back into the routine of running. Rather a relief considering I had Cabbage Patch 10 just weeks away. With very little time to train, let alone strengthen my ITB, I decided to just do the best I can and not set any expectations. After Reading Half Marathon, I wasn't prepared for disappointment again thats for sure!

I focussed on distance over speed for this one. I hadn't attempted 10 miles since the spring so putting aside how long it took me, I trained up to eight miles which turned out to be just plenty come race day. I honestly believe going into a race with little expectation can be more beneficial to you than setting a target. It proved to be right for my 10K at the start of the year and it did for this too. A PB wasn't secured, no, but courage and belief was. I ran the whole course light footed, relaxed and well, breezily. I finished in 1.22 (two minutes slower than the previous year) and I was overjoyed!

7. Tri-life begins

Around late summer, I had decided that I was going to bite the bullet and enter my first triathlon, choosing Blenheim Palace in July 2015 as my debut. By November, I was starting my first month of full training and am now in a regular routine of swimming, cycling and running each week. It has been a hard adjustment to make as I have only been used to training in one discipline up until this point. However I have now found my rhythm and am already seeing improvements in my swimming and cycling.

My parents also kindly took me for a day trip to the palace itself to get a feel for the course and see the lake that I would be swimming in. I have never done a 'reccy' before, mainly because I haven't felt the need to. However, seeing where it will be taking place was so helpful. I am a little daunted at taking on this challenge but I do feel slightly reassured that I know the surroundings of the event a bit more and it won't feel so alien to me on the day.

I honestly cannot wait for the big day to arrive! To say I have completed a triathlon will just be incredible and I am already feeling so chuffed that I will be taking part.

8. Getting trim

One of the best things about triathlon training is the change that is happening to my physique. As you may have read, I have started Operational Bridal Bod. A fitness journey to me becoming bride ready for my wedding in July 2015. Since I started this back in September, I have dropped 6lbs, nearly a whole dress size and already areas of my body are slightly trimmer.

Of course it wavers at times. With Christmas coming up, I am expected to lose concentration a tad (because who wouldn't?) but knowing the level of training I have to take on for the tri, I really hope I see further improvements in my overall appearance over time. I can't afford to gain anything extra otherwise the wedding dress simply won't fit. What more motivation do I need eh!?

9. Feeling Tough

I was incredibly fortunate to experience one of the most sought after obstacle events in the world. Tough Mudder takes place at various locations across the UK and after being invited along to the London South course in October, I was rather curious as to what the whole experience would be. I was given a months notice so no time to train at all but I went out there with my Tough Mudder team and endured 12 hilly miles and 21 obstacles. I faced my fears of being trapped in water, got electrocuted and hauled my body through a shipping container of ice.

I think it's safe to say I will never experience anything like Tough Mudder again but I am slightly smug at having the honorary headband as evidence of what I went through.

10. Losing speed

As of November, triathlon training began and I went to solely running three times a week to swimming, cycling and running - aiming to workout four times a week. Having to focus some attention on two other disciplines does mean my running has dropped slightly. My speed on track and in races has reduced and whilst I actually feel quite miffed about this, I have to accept that this is actually to be expected in the early days of tri life. My body is still adjusting to this massive change of routine and I'm hoping once it's in the loop of things, it will begin to advance across all three sports. For now though, its a case of grim and bear the setbacks and work towards moving forwards.

So there we have it. My 2014 fitness journey. It's been really invigorating writing this post and looking back over the past year. I am so proud of all that I have achieved this year - both the good and bad experiences - and I am really excited to get stuck into 2015 and the new challenges that I face.

What are your 2014 highlights? Do you have any challenges set for 2015 too?


Lipstick Runner.

How running has changed me

(it's made me feel THIS happy!)

Yes that's right, here comes a deep and meaningful life post. I haven't done one yet and now I am settled into my blogging journey, I felt it was time to share in full detail how I became a fitness addict.

For those of you that read my debut post (and for those who haven't you can find it HERE), you'll be aware that I have dabbled in and our of sport pretty much my whole life. At times it has been an intense and big part of my life but in other periods it has been a very small part.

Finding my running 'mojo'.

My true love and appreciation for health and fitness came into action during my last year at University. Studying journalism and with my dissertation focussing on writing a health & fitness magazine for plus 50 women, I spent the whole year buried deep in books and websites all about fitness and healthy living. It was here that I realised I'd truly lost my 'running bug' I had during my teens and I decided I needed to find it again.

After graduation, I made sure I ran once, maybe twice a week. It was normally around 3/4 miles and it nearly always killed me. Despite this decision to take up running again, it took yet another year before I really got stuck into it and found my fitness groove. I think the fact that I moved to London, got my first proper job and was finally settled that I plucked up the courage to join a local running club. After all, I was new to the city and I needed to make friends!

I opted for a running club close to home and one that didn't look too serious. There are some with a whopping base of members that compete in all sorts of leagues. That was not what I was after. I wanted a social group that I could share this common interest with and simply enjoy it. Going along to the first session, I was so nervous. Entering a leisure centre with 100 or so runners mingling in the lobby is rather daunting. That said though, a Captain approached me (she must have sensed I was a newbie) and advised I head off in the 'gentle joggers' group. After a glorious run around Regent's Park with fellow newbies I was dead set on returning. Two and half years later, I remain at the club and have even become part of the committee, volunteering in my own time to club admin and marshalling at races. I have also gained a bunch of close friends, discovered a whole new level of energy within me and even found the confidence to take on challenges I never thought I would be able to achieve.

Ready, set, GO!

Being part of the running club meant there was plenty of inspiration around me. With fellow runners racing marathons, half marathons, cross country leagues and much more, I wanted to join the 'training clan' properly and decided to enter a half marathon. I chose Reading Half Marathon and gave myself around eight months to train. With training buddies and a club coach surrounding me and a sub two hour target time, I worked my socks off taking on several challenges in the build up to the big race. From locally organised 10Ks to even dipping my toe in cross country (and realising quickly I didn't like it), by the time I got to the start line of Reading I was just so proud of myself to even be at the stage of wanting to run a half marathon. I remember it being a very cold, wet day but my family and friends trooped out to cheer me on throughout the course to see me finish in a time of 1.47 - 13 minutes faster than I was aiming for.

(the finishing streak of Reading Half Marathon 2013)

As you can imagine I was chuffed to pieces with this achievement. To this day, I can still remember the feeling I had when I crossed the finish line. It was a tad emotional for me. Never had a ran that far and to smash out a time like that, well, I was shocked!

Since this remarkable journey of mine, I have gone onto complete two more half marathons, three 10 mile races, a 24 hour relay race and several 10K and 5K to reach the below PBs which I am continuing to improve as my running strength and experience evolves:

Half Marathon - 1.45.30

10 Miles - 1.18.02

10K - 45.45

5K - 21.58

Improved lifestyle.

Keeping fit doesn't just do wonders for your body. It greatly improves all aspects of your life. When I moved to London, I moved in with my boyfriend and a couple of his uni friends. We dived into stressful graduate jobs and quickly slipped into the robotic routine of get up, work, come home, eat, sleep. We had no energy to give time to one another, to go out and explore, head out on dates. Looking back on it now, I get really frustrated with myself.

After a few months of being at the club, my energy levels soared. Despite using more energy running, I felt 10 times better for it. Running has also given me more motivation. No longer do I spend my weekend laying in bed til midday. Now an early riser naturally, I am up and raring to go. Myself and my boyfriend (who is now my fiancé) spend quality time together, we sometimes even train together (he too has developed a love for exercise) and our relationship has never been better. In fact, I think it is these hobbies we have that help keep us going. We can share this common ground and enjoy it together.

Along with my social life and relationship, running has had an impact on my physique. By all means, I am no skinny bean. I have always been strong and curvaceous but what running has helped me to achieve is a strong, athletic body. I am toned and healthy. Being so sporty has also helped me to accept parts of my body I once despised and saw as flaws. My large arms used to bring me down. Now they are a power house to help push me through sprint finishes and hold up a plank position. My legs, appropriately nicked-named 'thunder thighs' are my pins of steel for running, cycling and swimming. These are parts of my body I am now proud of and that itself, I feel, is a huge achievement.

( left: 2011, right: 2014)

Setting the challenge

In the last year, I have been more motivated than ever before to set myself challenges that are totally out of my comfort zone. Hungry for new plans and projects, I have gone on to complete my first ever 24 hour relay race, working in a team of eight to continuously run a five mile course for a whole day. Once upon a time, I would of turned my nose up at heading out at 2am, head torch strapped across my head and running through the woods as if it was the most ridiculous idea. What it actually turned out to be was an incredible moment in my life. The team morale I experienced on that night run and all the fantastic, inspirational people I met running around the course was brilliant and the sense of achievement at the end was totally worth the aches and pains that followed after.

What I have also noticed in my attitude towards sport is my curiosity to give things a go. For a good year now, I have debated whether or not to give triathlon a go and last month, I took the plunge and thought, "sod it! I bloody will do it!". Because, why not? With the sprint distance on the horizon, I am now training my body to take on swimming, cycling and running to eventually do them all in a row. To some, this may sound tortuous but to me, it's a huge buzz of excitement.

In all, looking back at the person I was four years ago (taking into account appearance, happiness and personality) to the person I am now, I was say there is a huge difference. Gone is the de-motivation, short temper, frustration and tiredness and I feel totally confident to say these traits have been diminished through sport. What I am now (or at least what I think I am - I hope others would agree!) is an upbeat, positive minded individual with patience and self discipline. All of which has been achieved through lacing up a pair of trainers and heading out the door.

To conclude this, I guess it's fair to say that the best things in life really are free.

Lipstick Runner.

RACE RUNDOWN: Reading Half Marathon

Everyone has their preferences when it comes to races and rightly so. Some prefer woodland trial paths and miles of greenery ahead of them. Others enjoy the roads but often try to seek country scenic views for clear headspace and enjoyment. Then, there are those who just don’t care where they run. It is these runners that will like Reading Half Marathon.

I have participated in this event two years running with it being my debut half marathon in 2013. I picked Reading as it’s local to my hometown, meaning my parents could ferry me there. I also selected it as it was a big organised event with lots of spectators and a relatively diverse course. My first time round this route was a mixture of emotion and self-achievement. I was so gobsmacked at the time that I was running a half marathon my mind wasn’t fully focussed on the ‘race’ part of it. Also, the torrential rain (border line hail) also meant a part of me just wanted to get it over with so I could be back in the car with my soggy bum on a heated car seat.

The second time I ran at Reading (March 2014) was a totally different story. I returned as I had friends from my former club, Newbury AC, running and I knew I wanted to get a spring half marathon in so why not try and beat my time at Reading?

Being a returning entry makes you notice a lot more things. Firstly, the amount of people that participate. Something around the 15,000 mark, which is fantastic, but for me this time, a bit too crowded. I spent the first 5k weaving in and out of runners who had positioned themselves in a faster pen than needed. This in a way is no biggie but if you are gunning for a PB, it puts added pressure on the race. I also found the course much harder to handle. At the one-mile mark you are greeted by a long upward slope, which at the early stages of the race you eagerly hitch yourself up. Then after this, its endless amount of running around housing estates (which do bring out fantastic crowds) before you reach the town centre at mile six. There was a brilliant band playing under a bridge near here which spurred me on and again the town centre brought in the masses of cheers and support. But it is at the same time slightly dull, smoggy and grey.

After the town centre, you are faced with another hill. This time, it’s steep and you can feel your legs begin to buckle. Depending on your race strategy there is a pub at the bottom dishing out free beer as an incentive to boost you up the hill – this might help some of you? If it had been gin, I might have opted but beer wasn’t really on the cards for my race. Anyway, back to this hill. Yes the hill is steep and when you reach the top you are PRAYING for something other than long roads and housing estates but sadly, no point. There is in fact another bulk of these for a good two miles before you reach a main road alongside a park (this is the ‘scenic view’ in the race). Again, loads of spectators and support so thumbs up there!

As you are getting close to 11 miles and you are itching to dig deep you hit the worst running wall ever. A dual carriageway. Here, there are no spectators (other than a first aid van and a couple of people on a water station) and all that is ahead of you is the long, LONG road to the Madejski Stadium where the finish is. I guess this is where your mental strength comes into play. I lack this so I fell to pieces along this final stretch and my biggest blow was having the 1.45 pacer pass me (my target time).

Once this awful, dull, dreary part is over you turn a corner down yet another long road away from the stadium. However you know you are in the last mile here so all is forgiven for the past 12 and you just put your foot down and go down the flat straight, over the round-a-bout and then back up the finishing streak. Now, this was the plan for me but when I turned into this last section, I was quite close to the curb and a huge husky jumped up at me and I mean its feet on my shoulders! I lost balance but luckily didn’t tumble down but it did shake me up and I lost my running rhythm.

Finally, the stadium is there and you are running through the entrance into a wall of noise and cheers and you head down the final 20m and through the finish line. I have to say, you do feel like a champion no matter how bad you feel and it is great spotting your friends and family in the stands. 

Overall, would I recommend this race? Yes and no. It is a great day out and it does bring in the crowds but at the same time, the course is very built up and the large scale of runners means there is a lot of hustle and bustle. But, you get a great medal and there are plenty of facilities in the racing village. So, if you are a first timer looking for a big organised event, then go for it. If you are someone looking for a PB, I’d say seriously think twice about it.

RACE OVERVIEW

Course: 3/5

Scenery: 1/5

Facilities: 5/5

Water Stations: 5/5

Medal & goody bag: 5/5

My time: 1.45.30 (Mar 2014 - so close to my target!)

LIPSTICK RUNNER'S OVERALL RATING: 3/5

Find out more about Reading Half Marathon HERE.


Lipstick Runner