It's taper time!

1 week until the Abingdon Marathon!

Monday 9th October 2017

It's time to start tapering - slowing down, reducing the miles and trying not to put on too much weight! 

After a gentle 15 miles yesterday, I woke to the unusual feeling of my legs not aching on a Monday morning. It made for a rather pleasant 5 mile recovery run around the Harbourside with John.  

In the evening, we did our usual yoga class. I found that I could actually hold the positions without my whole body shaking! Starting to enjoy the taper! 

Tuesday 10th October 2017

Up at 5am today for our - now regular - early morning PT session. We ran there and back as well so got 3 miles in. 

The session today went like this: 

Crunches

Foot jumps

Reach to feet

Plank pup arms

Supine lowers

Pup arm rotations.          5 x 20

Sq thrust over mat

Sq jumps

Mat end hops

Split lunge jumps

Press ups

Down n ups.  ( X10).        5 x 20

Elk crunches.....x20

Mat side single leg hops.....x20

Plank hold for 30-45-60 seconds

Row 1 min........sq jumps 6kg dbs.    X3 each

Wednesday 11th October 2017

We had a lie in this morning so were both looking forward to running to club for our last mid week medium long run before Abingdon. We ran to and from club making a solid 12 miles at a good average pace of 8:23. Legs feeling really good at the moment. 

Thursday 12th October 2017

Due to me having a committee meeting in the evening, we were up early today to get 5 miles in. We ran around Ashton Court nice and slowly- 9:35 average pace. 

After a really long day at school - 14 hours! It was wonderful to come home to John's home made gluten free risotto - delicious! 

Friday 13th October 2017

With a cross country race in the calendar for tomorrow, it meant that today was another recovery run. Just 3 miles in the morning before school. 

Then at lunchtime, I had 43 children, 3 teachers, 2 parents and Jim Gump join me for running club. Jim was visiting school and gave a talk about his experiences running around America. Since he visited 2 years ago, the children have been following his journey and many of them have been inspired to start running. 

Saturday 14th October 2017

Today was the first cross country race of the season and I was feeling very excited! We left the running club at 11:45 and made the journey across the bridge to Cardiff. We had our highest GWR team turnout for a number of years and it made for a brilliant atmosphere. 

My main aim for this race was not to get injured just a week before Abingdon! 

As well as the Gwent League, this race was also the Welsh Cross Challenge which meant that there was a very competitive field. 

Standing on the start line alongside Jess Judd  was pretty exciting. But looking around and then seeing a number of other women I knew as being local elites was worrying. Last season, my best Gwent league cross country position was 15th so (before I saw the starting line up) I was kinda hoping for a top 20 position. Now, looking around, I knew that would not be the case. Never mind, I thought. I'll just do what I can. 

The gun sounded and, unusually for me, I hesitated and the excellent position I'd got myself in on the line quickly disappeared as I found myself surrounded by loads of women much slower than me. Cursing my slow reactions, I dropped back, slipped out to the far side and then put on a spurt to overtake a good chunk of the field - note to self - go on the gun next time! 

The first half a mile or so was pretty speedy but, just as I got into a good rhythm, we came to a short sharp hill. I slowed a lot going up it but them managed to pick my speed up and overtake a few women on the downhill. Mile 1 done in 6:24 not too bad considering it's the first mile of the season. I was hoping to average closer to 6:15 mm pace so I worked on picking up the pace. I looked ahead and saw an elite who has won the Bristol half or 10k in the past...she looked like she was slowing so I fixed my gaze on her and worked to overtake. I managed to catch and overtake her - yes! Feeling good now, Mile 2 passed in 6:12 - much happier with that pace. 

The third mile incorporated the second lap of the course and included the hilly section again. Annoyingly, the hill combined with the effort of overtaking really sapped my energy. Despite working hard on the downhill to make up time, mile 3 went by in 6:57 - much slower than I was hoping for. With just half a mile left, I managed to pick the pace up again 6:28mm through to the finish. 

The results are still not up so I'm not sure about my position but I was pretty pleased to have beaten a few local rivals. 

Once I'd finished, I found a good spot near the finish to cheer on the other GWR ladies - it was brilliant to have so many!

Next it was the turn of the men - always enjoyable spectating! Me, Cat and the other GWR crew raced around the course trying to see everyone at as many different places as possible. I especially enjoyed being able to watch John run as usually, he's finished way before me! 

Sunday 15th October 2017

Woke up this morning with very achy ankles...oh dear...clearly the cross country had taken its toll. I did a few stretches but both my legs hurt and my left ankle actually hurt when I put my foot down. Oh no - I really hope I haven't ruined my marathon chances for a cross country race...

John and I set off for a gentle 13 miles. The first mile was pretty painful and, I have to say, I was rather worried. However, my ankle loosened up and running didn't feel too painful. I think I'd forgotten just how much racing in spikes effects my feet and legs when I'm not used to it. 

3 miles in and I wasn't feeling too bad - hopefully a couple of days easy running and all aches and pains will have gone. Then up ahead, John and I spotted a large group of runners - as we got closer we realised that it was the GWR Sunday morning crew. We caught up with them and decided to tag along for a few miles. The atmosphere was buzzing with marathon excitement as the group was full or pre and post marathoners discussing times, strategies and supporting. 

A very enjoyable 14 miles done today at 8:58mm  pace - just what I needed. 

Total miles for the week = 47.6

Just 1 week to go! Eeeekk!!

Not long now! Two weeks until the Abingdon Marathon!

Two weeks to go until the Abingdon Marathon 

Monday 2nd October 2017 

I begun this week feeling really positive after a great long run the day before. I am at a point where I am confident that I'll get a PB. All the main training is done now. Just these last couple of weeks of keeping the mileage going and trying not to catch any illnesses from the germ filled beings I work with (children!). 

John and I started this week, as usual, with a recovery run. Today was VERY slow - 10:27 average pace! My legs were screaming. I definitely worked hard yesterday!  In the evening, we went to yoga but didn't run again - rest needed. 

Tuesday  3rd October 2017 

After a successful early morning training session last week, we thought we'd book PT in for early this week as well. It is always hard work getting up at 5am but it's worth it. 

Running up to Clifton in the dark at 5:30am is hard work...especially as my calves were still rock solid. Today's session involved lots of jumping using benches. Lots of squats with increasing weights each time. Lots of ab work and lots of other things that I can't remember! 

I didn't really want to run again in the evening, but I had a ADMF (Arthur Dagger Memorial Fund - a charity, created by Great Western Runners in the memory of a member who passed away, which gives donations to young, talented athletes) meeting. Normally I'd drive there, but the traffic was horrific and, due to the M5 being closed, Bristol's roads were at a stand still. So I decided to run to the meeting. An extra 4.7 miles done for the day. 

Wednesday 4th October 2017 

We had a lie in this morning - still trying to let the legs recover. In the evening, we ran to Redland for our GWR club night. It was lovely to join our friends for the winter 10 mile route today. It feels like ages since we've ran with the club - busy social life! 

By the time we'd ran there and back that made 12 for the day at an average pace of 8:35 - not too shabby. 

Thursday 5th October 2017 

Today should have been an 8 mile GA run...but I just really didn't feel like it. I don't often get days where I don't want to run but today was one of them! I managed 3 miles in the morning. Then tried again in the evening and once again just did a measly 3 miles. I think I'm just fed up with my legs still aching and running being painful. 

Friday 6th October 2017 

Another recovery today and good news - legs starting to return to normal. Hooray! Again, should have been about 8 miles...again though... we opted to call the run short at 3 miles and go back to bed with a cup of tea. Luckily, all the hard work is done. In the past we've done a 3 week taper so cutting the miles short now (hopefully) won't matter. 

At lunchtime I had running club - 38 kids, 3 teachers and a parent this week. Still taking it very slow as there are a significant number of new runners. Lots of stopping and starting to regroup regularly -but the kids enjoy it all the same. 

In the evening, we drove down to London to stay with my family. 

Saturday 7th October 2017 

Today was super exciting! It was parkrun's 13th birthday! As we were in London anyway, we decided to make the runners pilgrimage to the home of parkrun - Busy Park. 

We had checked the times from previous weeks (naturally) so I knew I had a shot at a top 3 position. We arrived in plenty of time to warm up and use the toilets. As it was a special event, there were prizes given out and then the race director asked for everyone wearing an apricot parkrun top to get in a group photo - luckily, we were representing Ashton Court in orange so I made sure we were at the front! 

After the photo, we got ready to start. John made sure we had a spot right at the front. With 1500 parkrunners, we wanted to get away sharply!

As soon as I started running, I knew today would be a good race ...opps sorry...run. I was eager to get a good position and also keen to get sub 19 so I wanted to aim for 6mm. John had decided to run with me and it was lovely to have company. Despite going off quickly, we spent the whole run overtaking people men - always a good feeling! The first mile went by in 6:05. I felt comfortable and in control. Then I spotted two girls not too far ahead of me. I couldn't see any more ahead - so I hoped that I was currently in 3rd position. In mile 2, I managed to catch up to and overtake one of the girls with a 6:02mm - getting quicker! This is very unlike me - I hardly ever manage to negative split. 

The best thing that comes from marathon training is that 3 miles seems super short. 2 miles had gone and I felt like I hadn't even started. Not quite believing that I was nearly at the end, I focused on trying to catch the other lady in my sight. Closer and closer I got but, in the end, I ran out of road. With only a quarter of  mile to go, she looked round and, despite my trying to run quietly and stealthily, she spotted me and picked up her pace. I ran the last mile in 6:00mm (negative split woohoo!) but couldn't quite catch her - she finished just 5 seconds ahead. 

Annoyingly, the first lady got given a prize of a mini bottle of prosseco! The lady giving out the prizes my have seen the utter horror on my face and, feeling sorry for me, chucked a bag of Maltesers my way! I can't actually eat then because they contain gluten...but I appreciated the thought and I've never work a parkrun prize before! 

31st overall, 2nd lady, at the home of parkrun, on the 13th birthday with a time of 18:57 - please with that! 

In the evening, we had a family party. Lots of dancing and lots of drinking. Most importantly, I managed to wear heels, dance to Saturday Night, the Macarena, YMCA and not twist my ankle - phew!

Sunday 8th October 2017 

Despite a few cheeky drinks last night, we weren't feeling too bad as we dragged ourselves out of bed at 9:30 for our last long run of the campaign. We decided to run to Richmond Park, do a loop and then run back to my parents' house. 

It was a beautiful sunny day, John and I both felt great and chatted merrily for 15 easy miles around the stunning park. 

We recovered well today with a full English breakfast cooked by my mum. Before heading back to Bristol for a roast dinner cooked by John's mum - yum! 

While reading Athletics weekly on the way home, I noticed that Birmingham will, most likely, host the 2022 commonwealth games ...that got me thinking...5 years to get my marathon time down to

 2 hours 30 mins... if I run 2 marathons a year and knock off about 5 mins at each marathon...its not going to be easy but is a very tempting longer term goal...

Total mileage for the week = 52.6 

Not long left now! It's a great feeling knowing that all the hard work is done. Just got to not catch any illnesses and not twist my ankle at the first cross country race of the season next weekend. 

As with previous campaigns, I'm really going to start thinking about what I put into my body over the next two weeks. No more alcohol, healthier eating and more sleep should ensure that I come to race day the fittest and strongest I've ever been! 

All the threes...

Abingdon Marathon Training - 3 weeks to go!

Monday 25th September 2017 

John and I began the week with our usual recovery run around the Harbourside. With not running long on Sunday, I wasn't feeling as fresh as I would have expected. Nevertheless, I still managed a double day, with a 3.5 mile run after work as well. Both runs were at recovery pace of around 9:30mm. 

Tuesday 26th September 2017 

The alarm went off at 5am this morning...painful! As we had (perhaps foolishly) booked in an early morning PT session. Due to the fact that we were busy in the evening, we also had to run to and from the PT session so we could get the miles in for the day. So after making the hideous run uphill all the way to Clifton, we then had an hour of torchure to endure! The first 10 minutes or so were really quite painful - my body was really not very awake. But, gradually, I woke up and managed to complete the session below:

Squat jumps 
Lunge jumps
Knee drives
Down and ups
20 on....20 rest
40 on ....40 rest
60 on .....60 rest.    Twice

Squats plus 15kg /12:5 kg db
Lunges plus 15kg /12:5 kg db in place    4x12

Bench side step up jumps alt 
10 kg db sq jumps.    4x12

Mat side jumps .......
Balance sit MB throws
5kg 7kg sq n press.                ......    4x12

Yellow KB squats timed for ........squat hold seated rows x15       X4

"Steeplechase" multiple bench jumps x10

 It's a pretty good feeling to have achieved that much by 7am - before most people are awake! 

Today at school, I took my class on a trip to the Big Pit - a really good day out but I was definitely feeling tired after a very busy day so far.

After work we had our 2nd Harry Potter quiz. Our team - the Quiz Elves - scored 55 points out of 70 which put us around the middle of the competition. I'm pretty sure that once John's finished reading all of the books, we'll be even more successful - not that we're competitive! 

Wednesday 27th September 2017 

Our social life has been pretty hectic again this week. Tonight's activity was a Monty Python Beer evening! This mean another early morning run...but not as early as we'd have liked so we only had time to do another 3 miles...oops... mileage for the week is way down at the moment.

The Monty Python Beer evening was epic! The Holy Grail was shown on a big screen and every 20mins another beer was brought around. As I can't drink/don't like beer, this meant that John was kept well stocked! 

Thursday 28th September 2017 

Finally, today we got a much needed lie in as we were racing in the evening. After work, we made our way to Weston Super-Mare for the first Prom race of the season. After winning last year's series, I was eager to make a good start both for myself and for the GWR team. 

We did a 2.5 mile warm up so I was feeling pretty good on the start line. The wind didn't seem too strong so I thought I'd have a crack at a PB (30:57). Noticing a very fast local girl (who I knew I wouldn't beat) and a rival from Clevedon (who I've beaten before) on the start line, I decided to go out strong and try and leave Clevedon girl behind! The first mile felt good. 5:59mm and running neck and neck with the girl from Clevedon. I managed to hold the pace for the 2nd mile 6:05 but I could tell that I wasn't going to be able to hold this pace much longer...once again, I'd gone out too fast - when will I learn!?!?!?! 

After the 2 mile mark, the race turns around and suddenly the wind hit me. A mixture of strong winds and the PT session from Tuesday meant that I just couldn't keep the required 6mm pace. Mile 3 went in 6:23, mile 4 in 6:22 and mile 5 in 6:21 ...so at least I didn't completely tail off towards the end! I did however drop back into 3rd place.  

As I've said before, the best thing about the prom race is watching your team mates and friends passing you in the other direction. It was really great watching John storming it at the sharp end. He was in 4th position for a while when I passed him and shouted "Think of the wine!" (the first 3 finishers get a bottle of wine!) clearly my advice helped, as when I saw him next, he had moved into 3rd position and was closing the gap on 2nd! Amazing! 

So John and I both finished in 3rd position - yes two bottles of wine! Woohoo! 

The club made a strong start as well with both men's and women's teams putting in good initial performances. Could this be the year we win the team prize?!

 

Friday 29th September 2017 

Despite racing flat out yesterday, we decided it would be a good idea to get up at 5am again and run 10 miles! A great route up Bridge Valley road, around the downs, across the Suspension Bridge and through Ashton Court. Surprisingly, we both didn't feel too bad and averaged 8:53mm pace. 

At lunchtime, I had my first running club of the new year. Incredibly, the club is really popular and I had 49 children who wanted to run today! Amazing! I had lots of new runners so we broke the run up into lots of smaller sections to make it less daunting. They said they enjoyed themselves so hopefully it will be just as popular next week! 

Saturday 30th September 2017 

Saturday means parkrun day! We were back to our home parkrun of Ashton Court this weekend and it was lovely to see so many GWR runners celebrating Steve's 100th time volunteering. 

The run was very steady as I was trying to get my legs to recover in time for the long run tomorrow. After running today, my calves felt rock solid and my legs weighed about a ton! Oh dear! 

When we got home, we had a surprise waiting for us...our brand new marathon shoes had arrived! 

There's only one thing to do when you get new shoes...go for a run to try them out obviously! A gentle 2 miles around the block ...finishing off at the ice cream shop - yum! 

Sunday 1st October 2017 

Today's run was to be a big one! We wanted to do 24 miles with 14 at marathon pace. I was a bit worried as my legs were still feeling rather heavy from PT and prom but I was determined to get the miles done. 

I was up at 6am to have my pre-run bowl of egg fried rice. Then back to sleep until 8:45. 

We left the house at 9am and ran to the Bristol to Bath cycle path which we often use for speed work as it is 'flat' (I would disagree - it's really rather undulating...but the general consensus is that it is flat!) 

The first 4 miles passed by easily and hitting 8mm pace felt comfortable. After 3 miles, we bumped into fellow GWR runners - always nice to see cheery faces. I ran with Olga for a mile and was nice to chat about Abingdon - Olga is doing the Abingdon Marathon as well. My watched beeped for mile 4 and that was my cue to push on and start by 14 marathon paced miles. I've learnt that I'm not very good at speeding up and slowing down and then speeding up again, so instead of breaking my miles into groups, as I've done in the past, I wanted to try and keep a consistent pace for a longer distance. 

I've decided that my new marathon pace is going to be around 6:55mm. After reflecting on my training so far, I think that going for a sub 3 this time is just going to result in a disappointing and painful marathon. Far more sensible I think (to take John's advice) to run at 6:55 - 7mm pace, get a PB, get as close to 3 hours as I can and enjoy the marathon.

With all that in mind, I wanted to get 14 miles at 7mm today to practise how my new marathon pace would feel. Annoyingly, I realised pretty quickly into mile 5 (my first marathon paced mile) that my legs had not recovered from prom and 7mm would be very unlikely today. Mile 5 - 7:08, mile 6 - 7:15, mile 7 - 7:08...Instead of getting frustrated, which I have done in the past, I decided to alter my goal for today's run instead. My new goal would be to keep as much of a consistent pace as I could and try to keep as many miles around the 7:15 mark for the required 14 miles. 

Although my legs were very painful, the rest of my body was working well. My heart rate was averaging 156 and my breathing was controlled. It was humid but it wasn't really bothering me. I was feeling really strong. Once I reached 18 miles(14 miles of effort complete) and knew I only had 6 miles to go I decided to keep pushing the pace - rather than dropping to recovery as I had so often done in the past - and try and keep all miles under 8 mm. 

24 miles done in 3 hours and 1 minute! Average pace of 7:34. This means that, if I'd kept going for another 2 miles today, I would have earned myself a new marathon PB! I finished feeling like I could have done another 2 miles (I almost did...but thought better of it!). This has left me brimming with confidence ready for Abingdon. 

Total mileage for the week = 66.4 

Double blogging including very successful halfing!

Abingdon Marathon Training - 5 weeks to go 

Few! I've had an awesome but seriously busy fortnight- this is the first opportunity I've had to blog. 2 weeks worth...it's gonna be a long one! 

Monday 11th September 2017 

A much needed lie in today before my first 'proper' day back at school with the kids. A really great day. I love my new class - they're super well behaved (which always helps!) and really young - I always forget how they start the year all sweet and innocent! 

After school, John and I ran to and from the GWR committee meeting to make a solid 7 mile start to the week. Just at recovery pace of 9:30mm. 

Tuesday 12th September 2017 

We were up super early (5am) today for an early morning run through the woods. We got out the head torches and did my new favourite route which goes up Bridge Valley Road, through Leigh Woods, down onto the Towpath and home. 11 miles done before most people are out of bed! Nice! We were feeling really strong and kept a good 8:27mm average pace which, considering the off road nature of the route, is pretty good. 

After school we had a PT session with Jules. This week went as follows: 

1 min sets.......30secs rest

Db to sh pup position......4kg

Sq n press......4kg

Upright row......10kg

Shoulder press.....10 kg bar

Squats to floor......15kg dbs 

Dips

Curls......10 kg bar

One arm rows......10 kg db.....30 ea side

Press ups

Seated row......#12

Sq jumps

8/10 ball slams

8/10 ball sq n press

Shoulder taps raised leg

Tube clean n press........12/8

Sq plus 30 kg bar

Press ups

Mountain climbers

Split lunge jumps

Sq plus 10kg plate hold

Sq hold

Bench burpees

Phew! A great workout as always. 

Wednesday 13th September 2017 

A gentle run first thing to get our legs recovering. 3 miles at 9mm pace. 

In the evening, we ran to club and joined the gang for our first winter 10 mile route of the year (I work in academic years!). I really enjoy this route through Westbury, Henleaze, Shirehampton and finally along the Portway and back up Bridge Valley road. Unfortunately, it chucked it down. The memories of doing this route, while getting splashed by lorries in the freezing cold in the pitch black, all came flooding (literally!) back. With the run back from club as well, we finished with a total for 14miles for the night at an average of 8:13mm - pleased with that. 

Thursday 14th September 2017 

Yet another early start today and another 3 mile recovery. The 9:55 mm pace showed that we worked hard yesterday! With the Bristol half quickly approaching, the rest of the week would be filled with gentle recovery runs to get our legs in the best shape possible. 

In the evening, we got ready to run, left the house, ran 5 steps and once again the rain started to pour. Well neither of us wanted another soaking after yesterday...so instead we ran to our local gluten free fish and chip shop! Salt and Malt do (in my opinion) the best fish and chips in Bristol so we never need much persuading to visit! 

Friday 15th September 2017 

You've guessed it ...another early morning recovery. Legs are feeling pretty good (fingers crossed) Sunday. After work, I popped across to the Physio Hut in the Triathlon Shop so Jenny could give me my pre-half marathon massage. She even remarked that they were feeling better than usual! 

An evening of resting and relaxing after a very busy week at work. 

Saturday 16th September 2017 

Last bit of recovery today before racing tomorrow. We ran to Ashton Court for a very gentle parkrun then nipped home to tidy the house before my parents came around. They come ever year to watch the Bristol Half. It's always a real boost to see them. We spent the rest of the day eating and sitting before getting an early night- perfect pre-race prep. 

Sunday 17th September 2017 

As usual before a race, I was up early eating my favourite pre-race breakfast of homemade egg fried rice exactly 3 hours before the start. Then back to bed for a bit as we have the luxury of being able to walk from our apartment to the start line in less than 10 minutes. My race goals for today were:

1) Finish in the top 20 ladies.

2) Try to hold as many miles as possible around the 6:30mm mark.

3) Get a time of around 1:26 - 1:27 

After posing for the customary GWR clan photo, we had a good 1 mile warm up before taking our places in the 'fast club runners' pen. Being so close to the front is ideal as I don't have to worry about getting caught up behind slower runners at the start. In fact, quite the opposite...

The gun sounded and we were off. I had checked out the other women around me and felt pretty confident that top 20 was on the cards...maybe even top 15! I was caught up among the quicker runners and felt great. I checked my watch ...6:00mm pace ..oops! I slowed down a bit, watching some of my female rivals storm on ahead...making a mental note that I'd catch them later, I continued to slow my pace down to what I knew I could sustain. The first 4 miles passed easily.  I was running with Dr Dave. We were chatting a little, posing for the cameras and working together.  The pace felt straight forward and I hit - 6:11, 6:25, 6:26, 6:32 mm for the first 4 miles. Seeing John pass me on the other side gave me an added boost - especially seeing him in 1st position for our club.

At mile 4, I turned the bend and ran back the other way down the Portway. This is my favourite part of the Bristol Half as I get to see all my friends going the other way. Waving and shouting makes the miles pass much faster. I'm always amazed by how many people I know! Every single shout makes holding the pace that little bit easier. Miles 5, 6 and 7 (6:24, 6:34, 6:24) went by also without much issue - pace of . On the turn, I counted that I was in 11th position - itching now for that top 10 spot, I pushed on. 

Mile 7 - 8 is often a challenge because it is slightly uphill on Cumberland Road. Knowing that my Mum and Dad were waiting for me at the top really helped and I dug deep and tried to keep to that 6:30 pace. Mile 8 was 6:30 exactly. I was overtaken at the start of Cumberland - pushing me down into 12 position but managed to overtake a local B&W rival to put me back in 11th -surely I could hunt down 1 position! 

Mile 9 passed by quickly (6:36) and I was feeling good. I also saw some of my favourite supporters - my good friend Fliss and my God Daughter Amelia. 

At mile 10, something strange happened, as we were going round Queen's Square, despite feeling that I was putting in the same effort, my watched showed a dip in pace to 6:55 mm. Not sure if this was due to a more twisty section of the course or a problem with the GPS signal but, not wanting all my fast miles and seconds gained to go to waste, I pushed on and managed to knock out the next mile in 6:33 - phew! Back on track. 

It was at about this point that I managed to catch a glimpse of a very familiar looking head....the Maestro...not too far off! Knowing that if he spotted me, he'd pick up the pace and I'd have lost my chance, I decided to try and run as quietly as possible and sneak up on him! Slightly closer than the Maestro, I spotted fellow GWR runner and frequent race rival, Rob. He was my next target I decided. Focusing only on real-ling him in, I pushed on alone - sorry Dr! - and covered mile 12 in just 6:27. In the final mile, I passed Rob and had my eyes focused tightly on the Maestro...unfortunately, despite a 6:28 last mile, I ran out of road. Even more frustratingly, Rob, who I thought I'd left behind, had clearly been sitting on my shoulder, and nipped past me on the line! Still, 11th lady, first GWR lady and very surprisingly a new PB! 1:25:32 - delighted! 

John also got a PB and finished as 41st man overall - out of 10,000 - wow! 

Now we come to the reason that I am writing this a week late...After the race John and I had a lovely dinner with my Mum and Dad before going to the running club for our Summer BBQ. A celebratory glass of wine turned into 4...plus a shot...thanks Dr Dave - just what I needed on a Sunday night! 

A really great night but one that I would pay for for the next week! 

Monday 18th September 2017 

The run after the night before! Incredibly, we managed to drag our still spinning bodies out of bed at 6:30am for a recovery run...really don't know how I managed to get round the Harbourside without throwing up!

In the evening, I did another 3 miles around the Harbour before Yoga. 

Tuesday 19th September 2017 

Today called for 10 miles and as we had PT in the evening, it had to be another early one (literally can't remember the last time I lied in!). This was hard work today. We decided to do 10 miles out and back along the Towpath. Head torches needed, we left home at 5:30am and it took us a few miles to warm up our legs into sub 9 min miles for the required GA run. This was one of those runs where you just want to cut it shorter and shorter...by 3 miles I was having to work hard to convince my legs to keep going! We almost stopped and turned around at 4 miles but John managed to spur me on to the full 5 miles before we turned around and headed for home. That is one of those times when I remind myself just how beneficial it is to run with someone. If I was on my own, I probably would have only done 6 miles! Instead, another 10 mile GA run banked. 

In the evening, was our weekly PT session. Jules had a monster workout planned: 

Warm up - Star jumps...Burpees.....squats.....plank hold for 30s.......X3

5 sets of 20 for 1000 reps.

Press ups

Squat jumps

Mat hops

Squat n press 8/10 kg mb

Mountain climbers...count on one foot!

Balance v sits 4/6 kg mb

Slams....8/10 kg mb

Squats plus mb hold to chest 8/10 kg

Split lunge jumps

Shoulder taps....count on one arm!

 Yes...you read that correctly...1000 reps! 

Wednesday 20th September 2017 

Just 3 miles this morning - recovering from last night's efforts. 

After work, we did another 3 miles before walking to the Retro Crisp Buffet...which is exactly what it sounds like! For dinner, we ate 3 platefuls of retro crisps - so good! Clearly it's what the pro marathon runners eat!

Thursday 21st September 2017 

Today we didn't go out early (hooray!) instead, we waited until the evening before doing a long run. As I had a super busy weekend lined up, this was to be my long run of the week. 16 miles along the Portway, over the Avonmouth bridge and back up the Towpath. Lovely weather, great company, and a really positive run with an average pace of 8:28, I was really happy with that. 

Friday 22nd September 2017 

A recovery run again this morning. Although one that was punctuated with worrying about a pigeon that I'd seen outside our apartment which was either in a very deep sleep (standing up on the ground in the middle of the walkway) or dead....luckily, when we returned from out 3 mile loop, the pigeon was not where to be seen...hopefully that means he was just sleeping! 

In the evening, we left Bristol and headed for London to watch John's favourite band Sigur Ros. I had listened to quite a bit of their music and liked it so I thought I'd enjoy a relatively normal gig. Well, Sigur Ros live are very far from a 'normal gig'. The music made up just a proportion of the atmosphere- coupled with the vast array of flashing lights, intense base, smoke and visual effects - the whole performance was an amazing sensory experience. 

My little sister has a new apartment just a few minutes drive from the Apollo and she kindly offered to let us crash her new pad! 

Saturday 23rd September 2017 

Since dragging her around Ashton Court parkrun, Amy has a new found love of running! We were up early (for Amy) and she gave us a running tour of her local area - which included the very stylish Chelsea Harbour! 

After a delicious breakfast, we drove to our next destination - the Cotswolds! Our good friend Cat was embarking on a mega challenge - running 102 miles - the whole of the Cotswold way - insane! 

We went to checkpoint 2 (27miles) to cheer her on. She looked mega strong and managed to keep up a brilliant pace throughout to finish in 27 hours - incredible! 

Sunday 24th September 2017 

My mileage this week was looking pretty low so I wanted to pop out early today and get 10 miles in before my friend, Steve's, stag do! 

 It was a lovely run...until I twisted my ankle on some uneven ground (bloody trail running!). When I heard my ankle twist and felt the pain, initially I freaked. In a split second, I thought the worst - 14 weeks of marathon training...4 weeks to go and injured...what if I can't run...what have I done! 

The pain was pretty bad and I couldn't put my foot flat for a couple of minutes. Despite my hysterics, John managed to keep a calm head and reassured me. After managing to calm me down, I was able to try some movements and put weight on it. I could see some swelling but I felt like I'd be able to continue running. Thankfully, I was able to run with only a slight pain. I finished the 10 miles and iced my ankle before getting ready for the day...fingers crossed it will heal in a couple of days. 

Putting my ankle out of my mind, I headed off to meet my friend Steve for his stag do! I was super excited to be invited and couldn't wait. We drove to Birmingham and raced 'clown cars'. These were 6 different types of car that proved to be brilliant fun. Some examples were: Robbin Reliant racing, push me pull yous (two front ends of cars welded together) and double decker cars...check out the pics!

A very busy but very fun fortnight! 

64.9 miles for last week and 54.1 this week.

 Running is still going strong...as is my social life! 

Training while on school camp!

Abingdon Marathon Training - 6 weeks to go! 

Monday 4th September 2017 

John and I started the week off with a 5 mile recovery run around Ashton Court. We were up early ready for my first day back at school after the 6 weeks off. In the evening, we attended our usual yoga class to stretch out ready for another week of training. 

Tuesday 5th September 2017 

Today I was taking my Year 6 class on school camp for 4 days. We were up early so I could get a really solid run in as I wasn't sure how much running I'd get done over the next few days - it all depends on how good the kids are! 

We set off at 5:30am feeling surprisingly awake! We took the first couple of miles steady, gradually picking up the pace. As I was feeling good, I suggested that we do a progressive run - with each mile quicker than the last. Here are my mile splits for the first 8 miles -

8:26

8:11

7:57

7:44

7:31

7:20

7:10

6:55 

Really pleased with that - a very successful run. We finished off the 10 miles with 2 miles cool down. 

After a very easy journey, myself, 3 other adults and 31 children arrived at camp. Our first activities were abseiling and the challenge course. After dinner, the kids played a game before going to watch a film. While they were occupied, I popped to the gym and did a 20 minutes treadmill run before bed. 

Wednesday 6th September 2017 

I was up at 5:45am to get an early morning run in before the kids woke up - 30 mins and 3 miles done. 

Today's activities were vertical challenge, raft building, the giant swing and areoball. Lots of cross training for me today! In the evening we had a campfire and while the kids watched some more of a film, I managed to get another 20min treadmill run in. 

Thursday 7th September 2017 

Another early morning start for me and another quick 20mins on the treadmill. 

Today we had climbing, archery, zip wire and canoeing. In the evening, the kids had a disco and I managed to squeeze in my last treadmill run of the week - starting to get a bit fed up with them now! 

Friday 8th September 2017 

No running today. After a jam packed week full of activities and being responsible for 31 children, I was feeling pretty shattered so decided to give my legs some time to recover. 

We had the trapeze and tunnel trail in the morning and then, after lunch, it was time to head back to school. In the evening, I was very much looking forward to relaxing with John (who I'd missed loads!).

Saturday 9th September 2017 

After a pretty exhausting week, we didn't manage to make it up in time for parkrun. Instead we had a lie in and then went out for a run around Leigh Woods. So nice to be running outside after a week of treadmill workouts. 10 miles flew by as John and I chatted away - great to be home. 

We were out in the evening to celebrate Ian's Birthday. For once we were pretty controlled with our drinking - I only had 2 glasses of wine to (hopefully) enable me to be in good shape for my long run tomorrow. 

Sunday 10th September 2017 

After watching the Great North Run on TV, we were feeling inspired to get out and continue our training. I needed 22.4 miles to get me up to a nice round 60 miles for the week so the plan was to do a stead run at around 7:30 - 8 mm pace. We went along the river Avon trail which is brilliant because it's flat but it was rather muddy today which slowed us down a tad. I also got covered into stingy nettles - ouch! We then joined up with part of the Green Man route before reaching the Bristol to Bath cycle path. I finished off with a lap of the Harbourside making it exactly 22.4 miles in exactly 3 hours and 1 second - an average pace of 8:02mm. Despite taking a gel with me, I didn't feel the need for it. My body was craving water instead - luckily I took some with me. I'm starting to think that I won't actually use gels for the marathon and simply drink water. It will stop me having to worry about it upsetting my stomach, I won't have to bother carrying them and I feel like it's healthier as well. 

A solid run that felt good - my furthest run of this campaign so far. 

Total miles for the week - 60 exactly! 

Racing again at the Oldbury 10

Abingdon Marathon Training 7 weeks to go! 

Monday 28th August 2017 

Bank holiday woohoo! Really nice having John home for another day so we did a gentle 6 mile recovery (with a pit stop part way through for cake!) after the Severn Bridge race yesterday. We spent the rest of the day soaking up the last bit of summer sun at our friend's housewarming BBQ. 

Tuesday 29th August 2017 

It's been a while since I've done a good speed work session so, when John mentioned (on Monday evening) that he was planning to get up early and bang out a speedy 10 miles the next morning, I was keen to go along...however, my mind changed very quickly when awoken at 6am...oops! Back to sleep I went...well it was my last week of holiday after all! After analysing John's data on strava, I decided to do what any loving girlfriend would do...go out and try and smash his workout! Mwhaha! 

10 miles with 10 sets of strides on the plan. I love running with strides; it makes the miles zoom past. My target was to try and keep all my miles around the 7:30mm mark. I used mile 1 as a warm up (7:53) then started my strides on mile 2. I decided to do 0.1 mile of strides every 1/2 a mile (at 0.4 and at 0.9). To start with, I found that when I finished each set of strides, my pace slowed considerably. Consequently, I set myself a new challenge - to finish the strides and then maintain a faster pace for the rest of the mile. I did the strides in miles 2 - 6 in a pace of : 7:29, 7:23, 7:24, 7:23, 7:14 . Once the strides were complete, I focused on simply maintaining a solid pace for the last 4 miles - 7:41, 7:32, 7:36 and 7:34. Boom! A really strong workout done and, most importantly, a quicker average pace than John! Hehe! 

Wednesday 30th August 2017 

Today John and I wanted to do a long run as we wouldn't be able to over the weekend. We set out with the intention of running 20 miles. Running to club, my legs weren't feeling mega fresh after yesterday's efforts but we were taking it relatively steady around 8mm pace. We managed to bag 5 miles before getting to club and arrived just in time to head out again with the 10 mile group. I haven't ran the summer 10 route for a while and I'd forgotten just how challenging it is when you're feeling a little tired! It's pretty hilly and despite being able to keep up with the boys on the flat and downhill sections, on the uphill, I just can't keep up - very frustrating - must do more hill training. John and I managed to get up to 16 miles but were slowing down and running out of energy so decided to cut it short. Still, 16 isn't too shabby for a Wednesday night. 

Thursday 31st August 2017 

Having failed to get up early on Tuesday, today I was more successful. Up early with John for a 5 mile plod around Ashton Court. Good to remind myself of what it was like to get up early and my 6 weeks of holiday was nearly coming to the end. This was the start of a few days of recovery before the Oldbury 10 mile race on Sunday. I spent the rest of the day with my Aunty and Cousin who came to visit me for the day. Had a lovely time showing them all of the best bits of Bristol - it really reminded me just how great this city is and how much there is to do and see. 

After eating far too much during the day, I was feeling guilty so did another gentle 3 miles around the Harbourside before Yoga with Amelia at Cargo 2. A really great class this week with lots of stretching and relaxing - just what I needed. 

Friday 1st September 2017 

Another 3 mile recovery run today before going into school (for the 3rd time this week) to finish off sorting out my classroom ready for the new term. I also had a sports massage from Jenny  to loosen up my legs ready for the weekend. 

Saturday 2nd September 2017 

Saturday means parkrun day! I knew I needed 7 miles to make a lovely round 60 miles for the week so we ran there and back as well. As much as I love run parkrun flat out, I also really enjoy a gentle run because I use it as a chance to have a good ol' chat and catch up- finding out how everyone's running journeys are going. 

Normally, we like to spend the day before a race, relaxing, eating and generally doing very little...well this wasn't the case today. After convincing our good friend Cat to run the Butcombe Ultra while drunk at the BBQ on Monday, we thought we'd better pop along and support her. John did some calculations and worked out which checkpoint he thought she'd be at. We arrived only to find that she was going great guns and had already passed...on to the next checkpoint we went. Assuming that we had a bit of time to kill, we went to the bar and go a couple of drinks and snacks. We'd literally just made it outside when Cat appeared looking so strong and super happy! She finished in 4th place overall and 2nd lady - seriously impressive. Very proud. 

Next stop for the day was to go hang out with some friends at a rugby club cider festival. Beautiful sunshine, great rhubarb cider, a bouncy castle (yes I had a go!) and fab bands playing made for a lovely afternoon. The only downside was that we were standing up for a long time and not really resting...hope that doesn't cause us a problem in the race tomorrow. 

Sunday 3rd September 2017 

Today was the Oldbury 10 miler. Its leisurely start time of 10:30am meant that I didn't have to eat my usual pre-race breakfast (egg fried rice) until 7:30 which made was rather nice. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't kind to us. It was very very raining and also rather windy...maybe it will calm down I thought...

My aim for the race today was to get all miles as close to 6:30mm pace as possible. I was also hoping for a good position but wanted the pacing to be my main challenge. At the start I noticed that the lady who beat me last week was there again today...round 2 ding ding! 

I set off and was feeling pretty good for the first mile. One lady I didn't recognise stormed off ahead and was well in front. I was running with my new rival from Bitton. She was clearly planning on running the exact same pace as me so I formulated a plan to sit behind her and let her pace me before sprinting past her at the finish to take 2nd place - simples! However, I didn't quite manage to execute this cunning plan. The first 4 miles were solid 6:26, 6:29, 6:31 and 6:36. The course was flat at tarmac, the weather was cool - on paper the conditions were perfect for me - but something just didn't feel right. My legs felt really heavy and tired and lacked the spring and energy that I knew I needed to sustain this pace. My Bitton rival managed to maintain the pace and as I slowed slightly I could just see her inching away, mile by mile. I dug in and really tried to pick it up and get back on track but it just feel like the whole course was steadily uphill. Then the wind really started to pick up - great! The rest of the miles were pretty depressing time wise 6:40, 6:37, 6:53, 6:50, 6:57 and 6:48. There was nothing I could do but dig deep and try to hang on for a PB. 

I finished in 3rd place in a time of 1:07:23. I'm pretty disappointed with the time but I put it down to spending too much time on my feel yesterday combined with racing hard last weekend.

 Luckily, I scrapped a PB by around 20 seconds which does mean that I have now officially PB'd in every distance - 1 mile, 2 miles, 5000m (track), 5k (road), 10km, 10 miles, 20 miles, half marathon and marathon in 2017! 

I was really pleased to get 3rd place and especially delighted that alongside Louise and Claire, GWR women won the team prize for the 2nd year running! I also won my first ever hamper! John hit his target of sub 60mins and finished in 5th position - amazing! Always proud x. It was really great during the prize giving ceremony as almost every other prize was going to a member of GWR - so wonderful to be part of a club that's friendly, great fun and also really successful in so many different age categories. Well done everyone. 

So another week of training gone and only 7 weeks to go. Next week I'm taking my new Year 6ers off on camp so will be a relatively light week of training. I will still try and run as much as possible...but might have to be before the kids wake up or after they've gone to bed - oh dear! 

Total for this week - 61.6 miles