Day 268: Lame filly is odds on for a painful run

RUN: 1.1 miles

Still in Chester, still on Cloud Nine, still sore from race day and still limping thanks to the tendonitis, we headed out for another single lap of Chester Racecourse.

The course is open to the public, who can use the running or walking track just inside the horse track, and the inside of the course for dog walking and recreation.

So off we jogged (limped) to clock up another mile to add to the total. Here's today's run

The foot needs a rest at five furlongs (that's a grimace not a smile!)

Day 267: A VERY special day at the racecourse

RUN: 1.2 miles

After a final night in Liverpool with a celebratory meal and some well-earned rest, we have come to Chester for a few days.

After the half marathon yesterday, my foot is feeling very bad. I have been struck down with peroneal tendonitis (sharp pain down the outside of my right foot behind the ankle bone), which feels like I've got a knife in my shoe.

We are staying at a hotel at Chester Racecourse, so I put on a brave face for a walk around the course.

As we were wandering (limping) along, boyfriend Andy stopped at a little viewing point overlooking the river and... ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM!!

We're engaged! Waaaaaaaa!!

 

I was so shocked, all the pain disappeared! He said he was thinking of proposing after the half marathon (but he diddecided against having the pressure of carrying the ring and the huge box!) or after the marathon (but he couldn't wait that long!) It was a perfect proposal, and I'm so happy!

We sat by the river for a while taking it all in, before walking (still limping) the rest of the way into Chester for a lovely lunch.

Although I was floating around on a cloud, there was still the small matter of today's run to tackle. Fiance Andy joined me for a one-mile lap of Chester Racecourse. At first the pain was bearable, but at five furlongs I got such a sharp stabbing pain, it made me scream out. I did manage to put on a brave face and jog the rest of the lap, but I hope this foot sorts itself out, or I'm in trouble!

Here's today's racecourse run

Day 266: Liverpool Half Marathon Day!

RUN: 13.1 miles

Half marathon day has finally arrived! Argh!
After quite a sleepless night, a panic over forgotten earphones and a bowl of porridge and banana, we headed down to Liverpool's Pier Head, to join the rest of the 8,000 runners.

We stored our bags, attached our race numbers and joined the (very long) queue for the portaloos!

Queueing to the start line

Unfortunately, by the time we had waited our turn and made our way to the start line, it was a bit of a melee and we didn't see the time pens, so in the confusion we ended up setting off from the 2.5-hour pen (for people who estimate they'll run it in that time) - much to boyfriend Andy's annoyance!

About to set off!

We said goodbye and good luck as soon as the crowd started moving, and we were on our way, and Andy was instantly out of sight.

The course took us towards Liverpool Cathedral and on to Sefton Park. There was a good atmosphere, with supporters cheering us all on from the sides of the road, and other runners chatting as we passed each other.

There was one hill to tackle near the beginning of the run, but to be honest I hardly noticed it and was expecting something much worse having looked at the course and the climb.

The crowds grew as we arrived at the park, and I decided to carry on past the first water station. At the second station, I was on the wrong side of the path and didn't fancy tripping anyone up to get some water, so again I carried on.

I had a bit of a mishap with my watch and managed to stop the timer and had to restart, so I only had a rough idea of my pace. Perhaps that was a good thing, meaning I took the course at a pace I felt good at and didn't panic I was going too fast or slow.

I was feeling good and going strong until just after I got to the third water station at nine miles.
I almost missed it (again!), but managed to grab a bottle, get out my energy gel and tried to take them on the go. Having chucked half the water down myself and failed to even open the gel, I decided on a strategic stop. So I stopped, gulped the gel and a bit of water and got on my way again after a few seconds.

Soon after, we were leaving Sefton Park, running through the tunnel of the underpass and into Otterspool Park.

As I started to struggle and was trying to convince myself to keep up the pace, some men ran past me wearing Help For Heroes t-shirts. One of them had a running blade in the place of one leg. That was enough to stop me feeling sorry for myself and get on with the task in hand.

As the Mersey came into sight and we turned the corner on to Otterspool Pier, we were on the final four-mile straight back towards central Liverpool. I had aimed to pick up my pace at this point, but my body had other ideas. Stitch strikes!

I have very rarely suffered stitches while I've been running, so I was a bit annoyed and unsure what to do. I went for just carrying on, but it was painful. As I had been doing all the way round, I thought of the cleft children, of my sponsors and my family and friends who would be cheering me on if they were there, and of Andy running ahead of me. Eventually the pain went away, and I came to the last water station with one mile to go.

I could see the Liver Birds on top of the Liver Building in the distance, so the end was in sight. Phew!
As another stitch started to stab me once again, I managed to keep going. People all around me were talking about finishing and saying they thought they might just miss the two hours. With a few rough sums and my dodgy watch timings, I worked out that I might just make it.

With a last push, I headed past the Museum of Liverpool, and with the deafening noise of the crowds spurring me on, I turned the final corner to see the finish line only a few metres away.

I finished in 1 hour 57 minutes. Phew!
Andy finished in 1 hour 41 minutes. Wow!

I was pleased with my time, but since I was so exhausted I hardly felt any emotion about finishing. The thought of doing it all again in the marathon is a very scary prospect at the moment. This is where it gets serious.

Here is our route for the BTR Liverpool Half Marathon 2013:
 

 

Hooray!

 

Day 260: Snow, snow, go away...

RUN: 2.2 miles

Back in familiar surroundings after an eventful couple of runs in the countryside, I clocked up another two miles this evening in the snow. It's very cold and windy and the snow keeps coming in flurries, but it's not too bad on the pavements and hopefully it will all be gone soon. I'm looking forward to some better weather...

There is going to be a feature about my running challenge in tomorrow's Telegraph & Argus, so keep an eye out for my face on the newsstand (if you're in the Bradford area)!

Here's today's run

Day 259: Up hill and down dale in a countryside challenge

RUN: 6.1 miles

With my running shoes all cleaned and dried, I was back out on the North York Moors today.
The moors are obviously a challenging place for a long weekend run, so it's a good job that the marathon training schedule suggests a mere six-miler for today. Phew!

So boyfriend Andy joined me (no getting lost today) for a challenging and scenic run through the lanes of Fryup Dale. Here I am (above) outside Dale View barn, where we stayed, on my way home for the obligatory Fryup Dale fry-up.

Here's today's run

Day 258: Country calamity on the North York Moors

RUN: 2.9 miles

Well, how can I begin to tell you about today's run? It was a real comedy of errors on my first run out on the North York Moors, where I am staying for the weekend in a very rural barn comversion.

Heading out in to the lovely scenery I was looking forward to a nice, peaceful Saturday session... which I got for the first few miles.
Then this happened....

Mud

 

Don't always trust Google Maps in the countryside. I had set out a route along some lanes, through a farm, down a track and back home. Simples.

Well, not quite. I got to the farm track and it was gated off. So I imagined I could just carry on down the lane and find another way up to the road. Wrong again.

 

Once I had got myself in the above situation, I decided I was too far along to turn back, so I stuck with the plan and headed for a hedgerow skirting a field with no animals in it. I realised why there were no animals in it when I found myself knee-deep in a bog. Great. Obviously at this point there was more wading going on than running.

 



Bog

 

Realising I was quite possibly trespassing by this point, I hurried along thinking a farmer might be out with his gun at any moment to chase off this ridiculous offcumden dressed in illuminous pink.

 



Barbed wire

 

Then came the next challenge of a barbed wire fence, which I managed to get my pants caught on with one foot stuck through the holes in each side, so I was teetering on the top.
Next came the stream, which I hurdled to get back to the road to sheepishly jog back to the barn. Phew! No damage done, no shots fired, just a lot of mud to carry home and a lesson well and truly learned.

Here's today's disastrous run

Day 257: We're all going on a country holiday

RUN: 1.2 miles

We're going away to the North York Moors with boyfriend Andy's family today, so I had a quick jog out before we set off. Looking forward to a couple of runs out in the countryside this weekend.

Luckily this weekend is a bit of a 'rest' weekend on the marathon training schedule, so just a four-mile and a six-mile run to do in Great Fryup Dale.

Here's today's run

Day 256: The only way is up in the gym

RUN: 2.2 miles (3.6km)

Back to the gym today for my new weekly strength-building session, and I had a little mishap.

An interval run (to build fitness) on the treadmill was my first task - so I put 20 minutes on the clock and set off doing one-minute intervals of 9kmph and 12kmph.
After the first ten minutes, my right calf was feeling a bit tight and needed a stretch. But during my few seconds of stretching the treadmill decided to give up on me and reset itself! Nooo! So I started again with another ten minutes.

 

Next I moved on to weight training (to build strength in my little legs) and managed to increase the weight on all my exercises. I'll be like Geoff Capes in no time! Hmm...

 

Day 254: Just the one... again

RUN: 1.0 miles

Another one. Hopefully I'll recover a lot more quickly after these bigger runs once I've been doing them for a few more weeks.

Here's today's run

Day 253: Trouble walking, let alone running!

RUN: 1.0 miles

I'm still feeling worse for wear today after my big weekend run. I feel ok once I get moving, it's just the getting moving part that is proving a challenge. So I got moving to add the obligatory one mile to my total, before getting back to the important business of resting and putting my feet up.
Here's today's little run

Here's a photo of me after my run on Sunday with my legs in the air to help the circulation (apparently). Not sure how much good it's done, but anything is worth a try. I'm reading my How To Run book by Hugh Jones, full of good advice and common sense. No advice on how to get up from your office chair two days after a big run without groaning like an old man though.

Day 252: Ouch!

RUN: 1.2 miles

My whole body aches after yesterday (did I mention I ran 18 miles?)
I limped and stumbled round rather pathetically for 1.2 miles, and have rarely been more glad to reach my own front door than I was after the 13 minutes-plus it took.
Some rest and relaxation is definitely in order.

Here's today's run

Day 251: EIGHTEEN miles - my furthest run yet!

RUN: 18.3 miles

Phew!! If anyone had told me this time last year that I would be able to run 18 miles then I would have thought they were talking to the wrong woman.
This woman likes chocolate cake and sitting still or going for a gentle walk in the countryside. She is not really cut out for anything that requires physical strength, stamina or aptitude.

Well it turns out that all you need is willpower - and if there is one thing this woman does have, it's a very persistent nature.

Here I am this morning eating chocolate cake at Pickles Deli in Baildon (a very lovely cafe, by the way) - not the ideal fuel for running, I know, but I am feeling ravenous all the time at the moment and I was still hungry after lunch with my friend Emma (she encouraged me, I blame her).

 

 

...And here I am this afternoon having another go with energy gel mid-run, and a recovery shake after 18 miles.





I decided to try a circular run this weekend, from Guiseley to Baildon, on to the canal through Apperley Bridge, Calverley and Rodley, then up past Kirkstall Abbey and along the A65 through Horsforth, Rawdon, Yeadon, and back to Guiseley.

18 miles is a long way. But it doesn't seem as far now as it did in my mind before I set off. There were a few low points (Kirkstall is much further away from Rodley than I imagined), but with my music on, some fine weather, a positive frame of mind and my body seemingly co-operating, it was possible. And I feel much more confident for the half marathon and even the marathon doesn't seem insurmountable to me after today.

 Running past Kirkstall Abbey

 

I gave energy gels another try today. I'm still not convinced they will work for me, but the actual eating/drinking of the gel wasn't as horrible an experience as it was last week, and the Maxifuel lemon and lime gel tasted ok. After the run I was back on the chocolate (I can't help it!) with a For Goodness Shakes recovery shake. Really really tasty!

 

I'm definitely going to try this route again and try to improve on my time of 2h 55m - 9m 33s miles.



Here's today's HUGE run

Day 250: Resting ahead of tomorrow's biggie

RUN: 1.0 miles

Just the minimum one mile today in preparation for the 18-miler on the training schedule for tomorrow (argh!).

Our race packs for the Liverpool Half Marathon have arrived. I'm really looking forward to doing it, actually. Liverpool is a lovely place and I am strangely excited to take on my first half marathon.
Only two weeks to go... look out for number 2101!

Here's today's little run

Day 249: Changing my mind about the gym

RUN: 1.2 miles (1.99km)

With my mileage suitably raised during these past few weeks of marathon training, I have noticed a lot more little niggling injuries sneaking in. There is always something giving me pain or not quite working right.

So I have taken another look at the gym. Rather than it being a bit of a cop out to go and use the treadmill when the pavements are dangerously snowy or icy, I might actually benefit from going to do a bit of strength work.

Today I did 1.99km (I did go to 2km but took the photo a few seconds early!), then concentrated my efforts on doing a few weight exercises to help build my strength.

I ran ten minutes of speed intervals (which apparently helps to build fitness by raising and lowering heart rate). I did one minute intervals of 9kmph and 11kmph.

 

Among other things I also used the leg press - apparently good for stability and strengthening quads and glutes!



So from now on I think I'll  make this a weekly trip. The gym is not my favourite place to go, but if it helps me complete my challenge and do the marathon, then gym here I come...



Day 248: Keep on trucking into the city

RUN: 7.6 miles

It was a nice sunny day to run to work to work today, and I felt ok for the first (mostly downhill) half, but quite sluggish for the second half.

The good thing about running into the centre of Bradford, alongside some of the city's busiest roads, is that you can always be seen. For me, having people around is the best motivation to keep going, and attempting to make it look effortless when I am really putting in a lot of effort, makes it somehow feel easier. I guess that's why races with spectators are so popular.

The downside to running along the main roads, I imagine, is the amount of rubbish you are bound to breathe in. I wonder how bad it is for the lungs.

Here's today's run

Day 247: Watch this space for me in the news!

RUN: 1.6 miles

Another 1.6 miles to add to my total today. Not too bad, but not the six miles that is down on the training schedule. I'm still struggling with these Tuesday and Thursday six-milers in between these big weekend runs. Hopefully I'll be able to pick them up again in a few weeks once I'm used to doing these longer distances every weekend.

I've been courting the media recently (gathering help from my newspaper colleagues!) and hopefully an article about me should be going in the Bradford Telegraph & Argus soon. I've had some photos taken by T&A photographer Anthony McMillan and been interviewed by feature writer Helen Mead.
I'll keep you posted on the results.

Here's today's run

Day 246: Short route to save my aching body

RUN: 1.3 miles

Yesterday's run has predictably taken its toll on my body and I'm feeling rather achey today.
So just a little one today for these decrepit legs.

Here's today's run

Day 245: To Bolton Abbey and back... 15 miles!

RUN: 15.0 miles

Yes, that is correct, these little legs have run 15 miles.

Although the training plan actually said I should do 16 miles today, I'm quite pleased with 15, since that's the furthest I've ever run... EVER.

I set off with boyfriend Andy from Ben Rhydding, near Ilkley, and followed the lane along the river, above Addingham, through Nessfield and Beamsley, on to Bolton Abbey.
Andy is suffering with a poorly foot, so didn't quite make it to the abbey, but I thought since I was so close I might as well go and take a photo of it.

Here I am at the half-way point

 

My conclusions from today's run are:

• Mountain bikers are a very friendly... a lot more friendly than road bikers.
• Running in the countryside is more boring than you'd think compared to running in the town/city.
• I'm feeling confident for a sub-two hour half marathon in three weeks (I was less than half a mile off the half-marathon distance at the two-hour mark).
• I might actually be able to run a marathon.

Here's my map for today, with the terrain below (you might need to use the zoom on the map to see it properly).


More MapMyRun info on today's run