Edinburgh Marathon - 31.5.09

(me at mile 25)

That's my first marathon done and dusted and I am already planning my next one . It was very hard, but nowhere near as hard as I thought it was going to be. I had been scared stiff all week with the weather reports gradually predicting higher and higher temperatures. I knew how hard it had been at Sheffield in the heat and how dangerous a marathon could be anyway. So I drank water like it was going out of fashion, carbed up on very sensible foods, cut out caffeine and ran virtually nothing. Saturday morning came and it was lovely to see Kay and Nicky at the station (saw them at Leeds and Edinburgh stations, but our trains were 20 minutes apart unfortunately). We went for some lunch in Princes Street Gardens when we got there and then went to find the 'expo' which consisted of overpriced rubbish marathon branded stuff, a help desk to pick up numbers that hadn't arrived and a chance to sign up for 2010. Saturday evening should have been lovely with all our running club friends around, but as the evening went on I gradually lost the plot and ended up dashing into the toilets because I was about to burst into tears with anxiety. Jaz, Helen and Janice sorted me out between them - thank you! Sunday morning started for me at 3am (not deliberately!). It was hot at the start already. The mountains looming around the start pens were incredibly beautiful. Then in no time at all we were off. I had my pace band on for 3:42, 'BLUE BALLOON' written on my hand to remind me of Helen's story about setting off too fast and my Garmin set up to tell me the time, distance, current pace and lap pace with me intending to start a new lap each mile. Didn't see any mile markers until about mile 4 so that went out of the window. And pace band? Looked at it twice I think. I suppose that is a reflection of how much I have improved at pacing over the last few months. The race itself went by in a bit of a blur really. The heat was unbelievable, but wearing my hat seemed to help. There was no breeze from the sea and very little shade. I felt comfortable to about 14 miles when my body had its usual mile of yuck before settling down again. I knew I was hitting faster than my required pace for most of the miles, but they weren't silly fast. The only one I did tell myself off for was an 8:08, but I think that was actually a short mile. I drank at every water station, had a gel every 4 miles or so because of the heat and also had a couple of bottles of lucozade sport. Mile 24 was my slowest mile at 8:43, but then I saw our amazing supporters at mile 25 and it lifted me enough to get back on track. The next mile was hard, but not impossible and I didn’t experience anything different from my usual end of race negative feeling, except it was easier to turn it around and keep on target. The end was a welcome sight and as I stopped my watch I knew I had beaten my target – 3:41:45 (official time was one second faster lol). I have my good for age place for London 2010 and am absolutely thrilled. I know you will all be shocked to see that I even managed a fairly even split – 1:50 for the first half and 1:51 for the second. I was horrified that they ran out of water too. Apparently anyone slower than about 4:30 had difficulties. On a day like that it brought it home to me very visually how scary and tough a marathon is. I saw people collapsed by the side of the road, ambulances and a packed first aid tent at the finish. I was lucky. My worst injury came from my skins compression trousers being too tight when my legs swelled and leaving amazing bruises on my legs! I also have two tiny blisters and a bit of chafing from my ipod. I am so proud of how well everyone did on Sunday. Firstly, we all completed a marathon. Secondly, it was in the heat and some of you were out in the blazing sun without water for far longer than was safe. I am so lucky to have had such brilliant support and advice – thank you. And to all of you who came up to cheer us on – thank you so much as well – it kept us all going when it got tough. So now in typical me fashion I am planning my next race and already thinking about what I need to do before London to improve on my time. I can’t walk properly, stairs are a nightmare and I haven’t stopped grinning yet!

Week 16

Well that's it. All my training is done and now I just have to wait until Sunday, rest, eat, keep my nerves in check, don't go off too fast and run a great race! I have totalled up my training. Over the last 16 weeks I have run 5 or 6 days every week but one (parents evenings and concerts at school). I have done two 18s, three 20s and one 22 mile long runs which I never thought would be possible for me. My total mileage is 556.74 miles and I have spent 71 hours 22 mins and 38 seconds running. It has been very hard getting out there in the cold and snow and running after school when I am tired. It has been incredibly tough doing most of my long runs on my own, but I am proud of myself for doing it. I am pleased with my training. I missed about two sessions I think out of the last 16 weeks and I couldn't have done any more with the time I had available. I have enjoyed reading about everyone's training and the highlight for me is definitely Kay and Nicky's contraband paper bags! I have learned so much and had some amazing support from you all - THANK YOU! Good luck to everyone racing on Sunday and thank you to all our fab supporters too

Week 15

Well, in one week's time it will all be over. Strange thought! This week I have well and truly tapered. Rested Monday and Wednesday. Run club on Tuesday, 4 miles on Thursday, 3 mile tempo on Friday, parkrun Saturday and 10 miles today. It seemed really odd to do just 10 miles - I was left with the thought that I had a lot of time to myself on a Sunday for the first time for a long time. It has been hard to stay properly paced this week and I have been relying on my Garmin to yell at me when I went too fast. I saw the physio on Thursday evening. It has been about 6 weeks since I last saw her and my knee was back to being bent again and very tight piriformis muscles as well. She put me through the usual agony including sorting out my achilles problem which was caused by a tight plantar fascia. I said I hadn't been sure about whether I would physically be able to do another marathon because my knee didn't seem to cope with the high mileage, but she said that providing I have physio every 3-4 weeks I will be okay. Yesterday at parkrun was lovely because Kara did her 10th one. I am so proud of her for sticking it out and trying her best each week (despite the drama queen act she is so good at putting on!). Only 2 runs left now this week - run club on Tuesday and another of about 2 miles on Thursday. I hope that will be enough to keep me going whilst letting my legs recover enough as well. I know that I have done my best races when I have not been able to run much the week before...

Week 14

First week of the taper done and tbh it didn't feel like much of a taper apart from the long run today. Monday I rested. Tuesday I didn't go to run club because I know I always end up pushing myself and didn't think I should so soon after Sunday's effort. So I ran round near home instead, but ended up doing 7.5 and probably too quick as well. So I rested Wednesday as well. Thursday I did 5 easy miles. Friday I did 7 x 800m intervals at the track. It was only then I realised how much the long run had taken its toll on my legs because they didn't want to move. The recovery period was too short as well I think (about 80m) and I only managed 6.5 of the intervals. Saturday I did HPTT with Kara and again my legs were tired. Today I had 15 scheduled, but my knee and achilles were niggling a bit so I took the sensible option and only did 14. Much slower than last week too at 9:11 min miles. This week is when proper tapering starts. I will probably run 5 days, but I only have one tempo session on Friday which is remotely quick. Trying desperately to avoid bugs at school. The kids think I am nuts because every time they sneeze or cough in my lesson they get squirted with anti-bac handwash!

Week 13

Well that's it folks. The hard work is done and now it's TAPER TIME!! Well done to everyone on the hard work and training you have all put in over the last 13 weeks. You all deserve to have fabulous races in Edinburgh on 31st. My week has been quite eventful. The club interval session on Tuesday night was great fun. I had said to myself that I really should take it easy after my long run the day before, but I couldn't. I love intervals and just couldn't rein myself in! Wednesday was a rest day. Thursday my legs were very tired so my tempo session was a bit of a wash out. My old injury on my achilles was playing up this week and hurt while I was doing my race pace run on Friday evening. I still managed it, but it was sore. Saturday I decided to spectate at HPTT and had a massage to try and ease the pain before today's long run. I didn't feel 100% last night and was wondering if I would be well enough to run today, but after an early night I woke up refreshed so set off just before 8 to do my 9 miles before Leeds Half. I treated it as a dress rehearsal and had arranged for Jaz and Kara to give me lucozade drinks on route and ran in my new running sunglasses even though it was a rather dull day. I arrived at the start at about 9:20 which was just about right and kept jogging on the spot while we were waiting to start. You all know me so well and I just couldn't keep to the right pace today. It was a race and I couldn't mentally view it as anything else. I kept having to slow myself down, but it was much faster than I have done any of my long runs before. Even the dreaded hell of Stonegate Road felt easy today. By the time I got to Lawnswood roundabout I felt so good I upped the pace for the last 6 miles. I did wonder if it was too fast, but I thought I could always slow down again if I needed to. Getting a hug from Kara on Kirkstall Road was lovely and my energy drink gave me a big boost. Then of course there was the VARR cheering squad outside the gym which gave me a real boost (thanks Tom for yelling at me to slow down!). I didn't lose pace and even the hill by the international pool didn't slow me down today. I finished my 22.22 miles in 3:12:38 which has given me a real confidence boost that I can get under 3:45 and get my gfa place for London next year (my half time was amazingly 1:50 which is only 9 mins slower than my pb). I followed Helen's advice and drank at virtually every water station, had gels at 5, 10 and 15 miles and lucozade at 9 and 19 and it really helped. I didn't hit the wall in the slightest and today was the first long run I have done where I didn't feel it was tough at any stage. So that's it now. I am ready for my taper now and just hope I haven't peaked too soon.

Week 12

This week has been a nightmare for me and I am glad to have come through it the other side with some fabulous support from my friends (THANK YOU!). I decided to take Monday off because my knee was a bit sore after Sheffield. Tuesday's club night was good fun even though the rain was bad. It was nice to get warm and have a natter to people in the sauna afterwards too even if Dave did tell me off... Wednesday I had to teach athletics at school and thinking the field would be soggy I wore my old trainers. Had great fun teaching the long jump and showing the children how to improve their running style. It has even got me wanting to start a running group on a lunchtime for the children who would never dream of joining cross country club. Really hope I can persuade some of them to give it a go if I am allowed to do the club. I was cross with myself though because when I went out to do my run ater school, I was about 10 mins in when I realised that I had not changed my trainers. I had wondered why my knee was so bad and I was kicking my legs again all of a sudden. I didn't have time to go back so just carried on. I haven't slept well this week and I wasn't sure why. I entered the London ballot on Monday but because the site kept crashing it was 10:30pm before I managed it and was then too hyper to sleep. Tuesday was another late one and Wednesday I lay in bed for ages trying to sleep and it just didn't happen. So by Thursday I was well and truly wiped. My knees hurt and for once I could not get myself to even go for a short run after school. Friday I decided to give Stonegate Road a go because I haven't been up there for a while and didn't have enough time for an interval session. Saturday I did HPTT and ran with Surinder. Sunday morning I woke up late having been out on Saturday night for some much needed relaxation. And I lost all motivation to run. I just could not get myself out of the door to do my long run. I haven't missed a single long run during this schedule and felt awful to not do it, but knew that it just wasn't happening. I did force myself to do 6.5 last night, but it was incredibly hard. Today I did my 18 miler though. Michael hadn't run yesterday so was up for a long run today and having the company really helped. It was still a tough run, but I did it and am just trying to get warm now having been absolutely soaked to the skin. This week seems to have been much like the end of races for me - the end is in sight and it seems so far away still and my motivation just went. It really helped to read Tom and Helen's blog this morning while having my breakfast. Knowing that other people feel like this and still do amazing sessions after made me think yep I can do this. So again a big thank you to everyone who has helped me get to the end of this week Only one more long run to do then taper time...

Week 11

Two decisions made for me today: 1. I will leave the 5k pb try until after the marathon 2. My predicted marathon time is 3:42 which means running at 8:28 per mile. Today we ran Sheffield Half Marathon. It was hot and there were some tough hills in there as well. I found it incredibly hard to pace myself properly, but still managed a pb by finishing in 1:41:11 (according to my Garmin). Applying Tom's double it and add 10% rule, I came out with the 3:42 time which would still give me a gfa place for London 2010. I pushed it hard today, managed a negative split and didn't fade in the last mile, but it still wasn't what I had hoped for - maybe I am not a long distance runner. Kay pointed out that I hadn't tapered for this and the last two weekends I have done 20 milers so my legs were probably tired. Don't get me wrong - I am pleased with my time though. As the time draws nearer, I have decided that I have no idea how well I am going to cope with 26 miles even though the 20s have been relatively easy (during them at least!), so I will play by the rules to mile 20 and then see what happens. If it is as hot as it was today for the Londoners, I know I will have no chance!! A HUGE well done to Kay for her race today . Nicky did fantastically well considering she has been injured and only back running for 4 weeks. Two weeks to taper time...