Back on the Bike

The weekend just passed was IRONMAN UK weekend, the Ironman branded event that takes place in Bolton. I supported Dean there last year and would have been there this year had he not deferred (right decision, but one it took a while to reach). But ten of my triathlon club mates took part and many more went up in support. I just watched from afar via updates to Facebook and the tracking app. There had been a lot of controversy around the event this year as the bike route had to be changed, and shortened, due to fires in the area. Many people said it wasn't a true IM event if it wasn't the full distance and the cutoffs should have been proportionally altered. Despite all of that, every single one of my club mates completed the event after months of training, and I am proud and inspired by them all. Almost dangerously so.

Cycling with the girls

I feel so far away from my ironman achievement these days, still just five weeks ago, which isn't long at all really. I'm still trying to hang on to that sense of exercising for the love of it, rather than because I have to but with a couple more events looming I'm finding that increasingly difficult to do. I've been out on the bike twice with friends and dabbled in a bit of pool swimming. I'm running gently once or twice a week and following a yoga DVD now and again if I can't get to a class. But gosh am I tired! Am I still recovering, or is it to do with the heatwave we've been experiencing recently? I stopped taking my iron supplement shortly after Lakesman as I ran out and didn't bother to get more, thinking I wouldn't need it as much but perhaps I do!


Whatever it is, it's frustrating. Coupled with the tendonitis I think I've developed in my left foot I'm not a very happy bunny when it comes to being active right now. But that's not to say there haven't been some lovely fun and positive things going on of late. I've learnt to crochet thanks to my friend Cathy who needed a lift to her meet up following a hip operation. There was a lazy weekend spent in my parent's garden soaking up vitamin D and eating lots of lovely laid back buffet style meals and a return visit to Thames Lido. Barnes Fitness had their annual get together in the form of a pool party, which was absolutely fantastic fun, so much so for the kids that we struggled to explain to them why we had to leave. Several books have been consumed, cakes have been baked (and shared) and long-forgotten embroidery projects are being dug out. Life is more than training now.

New hobby - crochet!

That said, in just over a weeks time I will be joining thousands of others, including many from my triathlon club, in RideLondon100. It's the penultimate in my Anthony Nolan events this year and one I'm growing more apprehensive about the closer we get. The event is a 100 mile closed road ride from London to Surrey and back again, taking in both Box and Leith hills. Working out how to get to the start in good time has been a bit of a headache but now that's sorted, having gone through four iterations, the excitement is building. Riding that sort of distance on closed roads with so many people will be an incredible experience, like nothing I've done before. And in theory I should be more than up to the task, having ridden further during Lakesman and conquered some very hilly routes in my training. But I've not ridden much since then and I'm hoping it won't hurt too much. If I keep in mind that I've done more than this before, and look out for the signs that I'm not eating enough (my usual downfall when riding long distance) then it should all be fine. I'm still raising money for the charity so please visit my JustGiving page to donate if you've not donated previously, every little helps!

My last charity event of the year will be Swim Serpentine, the two mile version. Doing an open water swim of that distance, in it's own right will be new for me too. I won't be holding back on energy for a bike ride or run afterwards and previous stand alone open water swims have only been a mile. It will be good to see what I can achieve over the two mile distance.

It's certainly been a bit of a year already yet we're already planning our events for 2019 with two already entered. Ironman may not feature for me again but I can't see myself leaving triathlon behind for some time. I've learned so much about myself in the last six or seven months, not least how important looking after myself is. So in that vein I'm off to roll my foot and start a new book.
SaveSave

Let Sleeping Cat Owners Lie

"Darling, we need to talk about the cat..." not a conversation I thought I'd be starting with my husband on a Friday morning. We've been accidental cat owners for the last 5 months. Accidental because we never planned to get a cat, it wasn't on our radar at all, until a friend got in touch looking to rehome their gorgeous Bengal who is affectionately known as Fang. Now this little bundle of fluff, who frustrates and charms us in equal measure is part of the family but something has to change.

Fang at rest

You see you don't really own a cat, the cat owns you, and never is this more apparent than at meal times. That is, the meal times that *she* decides upon. In the evenings this can be a bit flexible. It's easier to ignore a cat winding around your legs and meowing when you're trying to cook dinner, less so when you're eating though so we've become strategic with evening feeds. In the morning, however, nothing wakes you up quite like a cat stomping on your bladder or walking across your pillow and sniffing your face to see if you're still alive. This can happen anytime between 5:30am and 6:30am. Ignoring her leads to meowing and knocking over the bedside lamps. Shutting her out of the bedroom results in scrabbling at the door. We've tried an automatic feeder, which opens at a set time and has helped a bit but not entirely and does rely on one of us remembering to set it.

Pretending she's find of me

As I've been struggling with sleep and energy levels recently, Dean volunteered to take responsibility for morning cat feeds for a few days. But somehow, on the days the feeder hasn't been set, I'm still the one waking up to feed her. My husband is a heavy sleeper. So we're now having a conversation about the value of actually doing something if you say you're going to. A plan is in place! Earlier to bed whenever possible (10pm, and no later than 11pm), setting the feeder *every* night and an elbow in the ribs if he's forgotten to set it and isn't waking up. I can't cope with my current work load and training volumes on 6-7 hours sleep a night.

Longest ride this year

And boy is training ramping up now! I've been feeling tired almost every day which is why quality sleep is SO important. Just two days after Swimathon I was back in the pool for almost 3km and this week heralded my first OW swim of the year (brrrrr). After a frank conversation with Ellie about my cycling, speed, confidence and aborted sportives, it's clear that things need to change and quickly. So instead of a 20 mile time trial this week I spent an hour at a disused runway with Ellie practicing my stops, starts and manoeuvring and getting some tweaks to my bike fit from Ian. All of which made my second brick session of the week *much* more comfortable and confident.

Getting an informal bike fit

It's now just two weeks until Outlaw and six weeks until Lakesman. My cycling has improved in terms of skill, confidence and endurance in just this week alone which is reassuring. I'm feeling ready for Outlaw but there's still work to be done before I feel similarly ready for Lakesman. I'm not sure I will feel ready for it actually but I a few days of double training sessions, longer rides, tired running and some cold swims are going to put me in the best shape I can be on that start line. Provided I get some more sleep too!

Week beginning 30th April
Swim : 3,700m
Bike : 97.14miles
Run : 15.34 miles

Event Review : Brighton Marathon 2018

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside! We (my parents, Dean and I) arrived in Brighton on Friday afternoon. It was sunny and we had plenty of time after checking into our hotel to wander to the race village by the front to collect our race packs. It was happening. Dean and I were running the Brighton Marathon, him for the first time, me for the second and with a time goal in mind. I was feeling oddly relaxed, but I may have been the only one.

Friday afternoon seemed a good time to be at the race village. It was in the same area as the finish would be so it gave us a chance to check out the food trucks, massage tent and merchandise stands before collecting our packs at the far end. Numbers were allocated as you arrived, allowing you to choose your start pen based on how your training had actually gone, not how you had hoped it would go. We also got commemorative timing chips (which we got to keep) and a "competitors" t-shirt, rather than a finishers one, which I rather liked even if it was a tad short. This t-shirt was supplemented with some additional purchases on my part (and some treats from mum - thank you!). 

All the important things done, we took some time to sit on the beach before making a start on our carb loading at The Geese, a pub specialising in sausage and mash... it was divine! 

Mushroom and garlic sausages, colcannon, mushroom and Guinness gravy and cauliflower cheese

It was an utter joy to wake up on Saturday morning knowing I had no appointments or demands on my time. We had a lazy but filling breakfast and determined to make the walk to Preston Park, where the race would start, to check how long it would take and to see what was going on. About 35 minutes later, after a slow amble in the sunshine, we arrived to see the mini mile races taking place; lots of enthusiastic children wearing matching t-shirts and hefty medals accompanied by proud parents. We found our own start line and examined the course map with mum and dad over a cuppa to decide on their spectator spots. 

We took another amble back via race village so Dean could get a last minute massage for neck and shoulders, where I bumped into a host of FaceBook acquaintances (many selfies and group photos followed) and then headed back to our hotel. A bit of good luck meant we managed to get a table in the sun on the restaurant terrace for shakes and nachos. A chance to rest up properly!

The vast majority of people arrived on the Saturday including our friends Cathy and Barry who were staying around the corner and joined us for a bevy in the last dregs of the sunshine. We compared notes on the race village, emotions, how legs were feeling and game plans for the following day. Us runners agreed to meet in the morning to wander to the start together, leaving my parents to have a more relaxed start to their day. Dinner was at the marina... macaroni cheese and sweet potato chips for me! Tensions started to rise as I laid out my kit for the following morning. Alarms were double checked and we both tried to get some sleep. The nerves continued to build.

Then it was here. Race day! The hotel puts on a runners breakfast each year of porridge, yogurt, toast, cereals and fruit before their regular breakfast starts to allow us to get something inside us before heading to the start. I managed to eat fairly heartily but Dean struggled with toast. Where as when we walked to the start on Saturday I'd been using my phone to guide us, there was no need for that on Sunday. A steady stream of runners lead us to Preston Park. Lots of nervous chatter, arms around shoulders and revised agreements of race plans. Once at the start we did the usual loo queues, meeting up with friends and the bag drop. Cathy had a bottle of fizz in her bag for after and amazingly it survived intact! The weather wasn't anywhere near as nice as the previous two days and I was glad on my bin bag to help keep me warm. Huddling in the start pens helped too. There was a big countdown and... we stayed where we were... faster pens being set of sooner. It took us 20 minutes to get over the line.

Bin bag chic

The marathon distance itself seemed to go by in a bit of a blur. That sounds a bit silly but you are completely in the moment, digging deep the closer to the end you get, and there's a lot to entertain you. I commented to Cathy at one stage that there was so much I wanted to remember but that by the end my addled brain was liable to forget it all so we made a pact to prompt each other with as many of these moments as possible at the end. 

These moments included a DJ in someone's front garden and a lady doing "mum dancing" on the pavement, a little boy shouting "GO RACERS" at the top of his voice to everyone, the most enthusiastic shouting I've ever heard from our friend Zena and my parents popping up all along the route with a big red foam finger. There were people in fancy dress, notably a telephone, a stormtrooper, the Moana ladies and Elvis, who I was running with for about 4 miles until it all got a bit too much and I had to push ahead to leave him behind. 

The four of us all had our names on our vests and from the start we were tallying who got the most shouts. Undeniably it was Barry, to the point I considered pretending I was also called Barry. We stuck together until about 8 miles in, as we turned back from the marina, when Dean stopped to eat something. Barry, Cathy and I carried on together for a few more miles, Cathy reining us in around the half way mile where, the crowd being a little subdued at this point, got whipped up by Barry shouting "go crowd!" at them. We started speeding up with the adrenaline. I laughed a lot. There were lots of signs and banners on the course and my two favourites were "May the course be with you" and "I have crabs, no CARBS, I have carbs!". 

We played spot-the-club, shouting out to fellow club members, other local clubs we knew and groups like RMR or RIOT. You could spot the pacers by the big coloured balloons, plastered with their target time, bobbing through the runners. We caught up to the 4:30 pacers who had started ahead of us and I resolved to stick with them for as long as I could. I didn't realise that this lead to me pulling away from Cathy and Barry around mile 14. There was still masses of support up until mile 18 or so, where we headed out to the industrial estate. This is always the hardest part of the course. You've 8 miles still to go, you're getting tired, the support wanes and there's not much to look at. There also a great deal of speed bumps that seem to creep up on you. I'd pulled away from the pacers and missed seeing Cathy and Barry as we switched back in the town but I saw them and Dean on the switchback in the industrial estate which made my heart sing. They were still there! They were doing well but how on earth was I keeping my pace up?

Coming out of the industrial estate, on to the seafront, I started to get more and more cheers from the crowd. I spotted my parents as I got to the last mile. First Dad (I almost cried) and then Mum, waving like a loon. The last mile. I can run a mile. The crowd spurred me on. I saw the Anthony Nolan support group who gave an almighty roar. I passed under the pedestrian bridges and tried to whip the crowd up as Barry had. Most obliged and their shouts carried me the last 800m, 400m, over the line! 

I'd finished! And in under 4 and a half hours! In 4 hours 23 minutes to be precise, a 19 minute PB. The tears I'd held back when I saw Dad didn't burst forth. I collected my medal, pint of Erdinger (I only managed half), goody bag and kit bag. It was cold so I got changed as quickly as I could, just in time to see first Barry, then Cathy. Dean was a few minutes behind. I was immensely proud of everyone. There was much hugging, a few tears, and an intense desire to get back to the warmth of the hotel for celebrations. 

There was some well-deserved fizz and proper analysis of the race, salt baths, stretches, clean clothes and a hearty meal. The race organisation was really good, in my opinion, although I think , given that the founder of parkrun started the race, they missed a trick by not having a "one park run to go" sign at the appropriate spot on the course. A few days later and my legs have been pummelled by my sports masseuse and I'm feeling fairly recovered. I'm already back into training, with a focus on swimming and cycling, preparing for Swimathon on the 28th and the events beyond. I'm trying to look after myself with lots of good food, extra iron supplements and resting when I can.

You can still donate to the cause via Just Giving, either for efforts thus far or for the upcoming Swimathon, half or full iron triathlons. Good luck to everyone running London this weekend. It's going to be a hot one but oh so wonderful.

The Week Before Brighton

On Sunday 15th April I will finally be running the Brighton Marathon. It's been a real rollercoaster of a few weeks not only in terms of what I've achieved (or not) with training but emotionally and mentally. Let's have a bit of a recap...

Week of March 12th
Swim: 1,600m
Bike: 51 miles
Run: 8 miles

It feels like lifetime ago that I walked the Sam Run course in the snow with Jackie, the race organiser, and Amy, one of the other ambassadors. I've organised some training runs in the lead up to the event which you can find out about here, and it just so happens that until April 19th you can get a discount on race entries! Just enter code Discount5 or Discount10 at the check out for the 5km or 10km race respectively. It was also the week I went out for a friend's birthday and to see Bill Bailey with Dean and my parents. It was a great week and one of my highest mileage weeks on the bike (all indoors though).

Post-floatation tea and sorbet

Week of March 19th
Swim: 4,200m
Bike: 41 miles
Run: 30 miles

Along the canal

A busy week of trying to look after myself with a floatation session mixed in with a social run, helping out at the first Barnes Fitness event of the year (see their website for more events - I particularly recommend to Dinton Series and Starlight Swims) and some long ol' distances across the disciplines! I tackled my longest run in this training cycle to date, 20.7 miles along the canal from Newbury to Reading. It was a lovely if somewhat muddy route (and I didn't have my trail shoes on) but it gave me a chance to practice my nutrition strategy (aka what I will eat and when). I also got out on actual roads on my bike! Shock horror! Only a few heart palpitations at junctions and aside from not eating anything on the 27 miles ride and almost collapsing from hunger and adrenaline at the end it went well.

A much needed snickers bar!

Week of March 26th
Swim: 1,850m
Bike: 49 miles
Run: 10 miles

Another big mileage week on the bike, although it was all on the turbo trainer where I wussed out because of the weather or on a spin bike. I had a free Monday evening which enabled me to get to one of the 3CTri spin classes, which I find so beneficial. Continuing the theme of looking after myself I had both a massage and an osteopath appointment and am seeing improvements in my posture and knotted muscles.

On Good Friday I ran the Maidenhead 10 at a pace I didn't think I was capable of. I don't run many 10 mile events but it was a huge 10 minute PB for me and a massive confidence boost to boot! If I wasn't sure before, it's shown me in no uncertain terms that training is paying off. The rest of the weekend was spent running the kids around outside between rain showers and grinding out miles on the turbo trainer whilst working my way through 4 Rocky films.

Week of April 2nd
Swim: 5,500m
Bike: 24.5 miles
Run: 16.5 miles

Which brings us almost up to date... Last week I hit my biggest swims of the year with a 2,500m and 3,000m swim. The latter was at Thames Lido where I spent a happy Thursday afternoon with Cathy for swimming and tapas with recovery in the hot tub and saunas. I've never swum a lido before but I can't wait to go back!

I'd squeezed in a brick session (2 hours on the bike plus a 45 minute run), track and the other swim earlier in the week and a 7 mile run first thing in the morning prior to the lido on Thursday and frankly I was good for nothing the rest of the week. I'd only done one thing differently to what was in my plan (7 mile run was meant to be on Saturday) but I was so much more tired than I felt I should have been. Not only was I fatigued but emotional, dithering about the simplest of decisions, falling asleep stupidly early and getting upset at teeny things. I took the rest of the week off (with the exception of a Zumba Gold course on Sunday afternoon) and felt much better come Monday.

My swimming is still ramping up this week but the bike and running is tapering off in preparation for Brighton. I'm really excited to see what I'm capable of and will of course report back!

In the mean time if you'd like to donate or simply remind yourself why I'm putting myself through this, please go to my Just Giving page. I'm so grateful to everyone who has sponsored me so far. I still have Swimathon, Outlaw and Lakesman to go!

A Message, Motivations and Making Time For Myself

A couple of weeks ago I was checking my email between classes and saw one from Anthony Nolan. It was entitled "Message from your recipient". After donating white blood cells, my second donation for my match, I sent a short message to my recipient via the charity. I had no way of knowing if my recipient was in the UK or if she would want or be able to return my message, but needing white cells led me to believe she was doing ok and I felt compelled to get in touch, even if my message was rather clumsy. I had no idea what she's going through and even less what to say. Nervously I clicked on it and the content left me feeling very emotional. All communication is anonymous and I'm not able to share it with you but suffice to say it was a beautiful message and it seems she's doing really well. It was a good reminder of why I need to look after myself, and why I'm putting the effort into training this year.

It's been with some trepidation that I returned to training on the 5th of January under the watchful eye of my coach but I seem to be doing ok. I've been giving plenty of feedback on how different sessions have felt and although I've substituted rest day Thursdays with yoga for the past two weeks (thereby only having one day clear of any activity since the 5th) I've found it a useful part of my routine, something I really enjoy that I also consider part of my self-care routine. For the first week or so, training felt like a novelty again but it quickly becomes another thing to fit into the diary so keeping the driving factors in mind helps. My motivators are that I've signed up to big events this year that I don't want to fail at but perhaps more importantly because I am hoping to raise £1,500 for Anthony Nolan by completing these events. I also use bribery to get me through training sessions! Promising myself a chocolate bar after swimming for instance (see above), or spending the last 15 minutes of an uncomfortable turbo session discussing the relative merits of gin versus wine as a post training beverage with Dean... I went with gin.

I was less smily at the end of the session.

This leads me neatly into an update on my self-care resolution for 2018. In addition to treating myself now and again (I must stress that I don't give myself a reward after every training session) I've already managed to cook from two new recipe books this year, even getting Dean to accept that tofu isn't all that bad.

Vietnamese Pho from the Mindful Chef cookbook

I've met up with friends once a week or so (something that got rather neglected at the end of 2017) and allowed myself a guilt-free hour or two each day to watch something on TV. Sometimes that's been while I'm training on the bike... I can catch up on my Nordic programmes despite the noise from the turbo trainer thanks to subtitles! I've also been reading more, substituting time on the phone in the morning and on occasion TV in the evening for a book. My favourite one to dip into has been Lagom... very much in keeping with what I'm trying to achieve this year.

That's all been for my mental wellbeing. For my physical wellbeing I've indulged in bubble baths, had my monthly sports massage (tight lower back, calves, quads and forearms), booked in to see an osteopath and gotten a flu jab. When I've felt tired I've rested or had an early night. I'm taking my vitamin supplements and trying to eat well. Oh I know perhaps at the moment it's all sounding a bit smug. I'm not looking for any recognition here or to guilt anyone into doing anything, it's just a snapshot of my life at the moment. This blog has always been about documenting my endeavours including the ups and downs of training and how I deal with those. If it helps or inspires anyone, that's a bonus as far as I'm concerned!

Afternoon treat of scone with blackberry gin jam!

To that end, are you getting to the end of January on a high or a low? What's your driving factor this year and how are you staying focused?

Event Review : Eden Project Half Marathon

Who on earth would drive down to deepest darkest Cornwall on a Friday night? Two people who really wanted a get away, have no annual leave left and had planned to run a half marathon, that's who. Namely me and Dean! It was our last get away and event before our wedding, and the break in particular was much needed.

Traffic was on our side and we had a good drive down but we still arrive at our B&B, Ragstones, until about 9:30pm. Regardless of the time, we were given a warm welcome by Jacqui and shown to our room where we were served tea and cake. Comfortable as the room was, I don't think either of us slept that well and so a day of pottering on Saturday, after a hearty home cooked breakfast, was just the job.

We'd spent New Year 2016 in Cornwall and visited the Eden Project in early January. Our tickets were valid for a year so it was the perfect excuse to go back and use them again. Even though it was busier than our last visit, it was quiet for a Saturday, and we spent about 5 hours exploring at a leisurely pace. We spotted members of the St Austell Running Club sorting t-shirts and medals for the races on Sunday so had a chat and got a heads up on where the post-race pasty collection point would be. Of course we also did a bit of shopping and had a late afternoon meal at their restaurant. I'd go back for the food alone... the scones are amazing! We still had some daylight hours to kill so we drove a couple of miles to Par Sands for a stroll on the beach and a pint in the pub before heading back to the B&B to rest up.

Trying to take a selfie with the biomes

The Eden Project hosted two events on Sunday 15th October, the Marathon and Half Marathon. The marathoners set off at 9:30am and the half marathoners at a very civilised 10am. We had a 5 minute drive from the B&B (after another hearty breakfast) to the designated car parks, from where it was a short Park-and-Ride bus journey to the visitors centre to drop off our bags in the Core building. There were male and female changing rooms-come-bag drop, tea and coffee available and no queues for the loos! Hot footing it back on to the bus we made it to the start line with about 5 minutes to spare. There weren't as many people there as I think I expected but it was a good crowd. We started bang on time, with a bang from a proper starting gun!

The route heads out of the Eden Project with about a mile of down hill road running to start. This sounds great but in reality it's crowded and I had to really hold back and pick my way carefully through the pack whilst avoiding wet leaves and mud on the road. After the road section you're diverted onto footpaths and trail. It was wet and muddy with quite a lot of puddles, not unexpected but you needed to keep your wits about you, and it got quite narrow in places, all of which meant bottlenecks. Being a mid-pack runner means being a bit more picky about running through puddles so there was a lot of dancing around the edges slowing up people behind. The three mile marker came and went with no sign of the promised drinks station. This eventually appeared just before miles four, after we'd spilled out of the foot path onto a road that was almost blocked with cars. Four miles in and I'd not been able to find any sort of pace or rhythm.

The rest of the route was much less eventful. We continued on a mix of trail and road, past farms guarded by barking dogs, fields of horses, cows and sheep, views across the villages and of course plenty of hills. Hills through villages, hills through countryside, gradual hills, steep hills, rolling hills. The downhills felt treacherous and the uphills draining and the pockets of support were gratefully received. We kept moving but started adopting our ultra tactic of walking anything uphill. It seemed to do the trick and soon we started to see signs back to Eden. The last mile was almost all downhill through the car parking area and finally down into Eden itself. We flew down the last quarter mile into the quarry, almost crashing into people just past the finish line! I'd hoped for 2h20 before we started but stopped looking at the time after the second mile, so I was delighted to see we'd completed 13.1 miles and 288m of elevation in 2h23.

The finish area was a bit congested. It took a while to collect our t-shirts (mens and women cuts in varying sizes), medals (different sizes for half and full distance), beer and pasty tokens and travel size toiletries from Weleda. A short walk back to the changing rooms to collect our belongings and change into dry clothes wasn't enough time for the pasty queue to die down but the line moved quickly enough and soon we were inhaling our snacks. As well as the runners there were lots of spectators, each runner having been given two entry tickets for friends and family for the day, so it was much busier than on Saturday but not overwhelmingly so. We left just as the prize giving started (winner judged on gun, not chip time... fair?) forgoing the free foot soak and massages on offer in favour of a proper clean up back at the B&B.

The organisation of the event was excellent but I think there are improvements that could be made to the route and finishing area. I thought the route was good, varied and challenging (fair play to any running clubs in that area) but neither of us would go back to repeat it, or take on the marathon challenge.

One woman, two half marathons, 10 years apart.

But the race did mark 10 years of half marathon running for me. I did my first half back in 2007. It was the year that the Windsor half got moved to Henley following an outbreak of foot and mouth. I can't find the results online but I know it took me over three hours and a good deal of crying to complete it. I ran in thick jogging bottoms and a cotton t-shirt! The Eden Project half is my 23rd half marathon (though I can only prove 20 of them) and I can't believe how much has changed over the years. I've gone from working in IT to becoming a self employed Personal Trainer and Run Coach. I now own more lycra and sports clothing than regular clothes but I still use my running to fundraise. I used Eden to try out my Anthony Nolan vest, which I'm glad to report was very comfortable. I'll be wearing it for all of my key events next year and using them to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Charity.

You'll know from previous posts that I donated stem cells back in June and I will be donating for my match again on October 23rd, but this time white blood cells. I'm invested in the charity and their work and want to raise at least £1,500 for them through my sporting endeavours. Donating stem cells affected me physically, making it harder to run for about a month, so I'm grateful that I can run at all. So I dedicate the following events to Anthony Nolan on 2018:
- Swimathon 5k
- Brighton Marathon
- Outlaw Half Triathlon
- and finally Lakesman, my first full Iron Distance triathlon!
These will all test me as I've set  targets for each that are beyond what I've achieved before! If you would like to sponsor me you can do so here and I thank you so much for any support you can give. As ever, you can follow my training and fundraising efforts on this blog :)

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

Boxing Clever

After Swimathon I had no races until May so found myself looking at my dairy and decided I had space in my life to bring something fresh into the mix. I've been inspired by movies like Southpaw and Creed recently, not so much with a view to getting in the ring, but with the style of training that boxers go through. So I decided to add some boxing-style training into my weekly routine.

Why not just concentrate on my running? Well, to be a better trainer, I need to play around with different types of training and while reading around subjects is all well and good, the best way to get under the skin of something is to experience it myself. I'm not ready to take on physique training (yet) but I wanted to see where a boxing training plan will get me to in terms of my fitness and figure.

But then something happened... I saw a blogger friend post about the Ultra White Collar Boxing match she was about to take part in. And the seed was sown. UWCB gives Joe Public the chance to get eight weeks of boxing training for free in return for committing to stepping into the ring to fight in three 2-minute rounds and raise money for charity in the process. What better way to get committed to boxing training than in preparation for a real fight? Dear Reader, I signed up.

June 25th will see me stepping into the ring, complete with entrance music, with another amateur fighter from the group, to fight it out for real. This is so far outside my comfort zone it's almost a dot. I'm nervous as all hell but also really intrigued to see how I cope with the training both physically and mentally. This will be the first contact sport I will have gone in for. I will get hit. I will get hurt. And I'm under no illusions that my Boxercise Instructor training will count for anything.

Each Thursday evening after my PT sessions and Saturday morning instead of parkrun I will be heading to Reading for a training session with the other guys and gals who have signed up as well. In fact that part has already started and I will be sharing more about that in the coming weeks. In addition to these sessions I'm cleaning up my diet and while I won't be giving up running I will be ensuring that I also make yoga or Body Care (at Box Bell Fit) a priority, in addition to some sessions that include a mix of jump rope, shadow boxing, bag work and strength as well as press up and sit up circuits. I have my gloves, wraps and gum shield and am psyching myself up for the hard work ahead.

Let's not forget that this is also in aid of charity, namely Cancer Research UK, and I would be incredibly grateful if you would consider sponsoring me for this match; my Just Giving page is here. You can also come and watch me flail about in the ring if you would like! Tickets are available here (be sure to include my name as the competitor) or you can drop me a line and I can arrange them for you. Wish me luck!

This Girl Can Swim for Sport Relief

A week ago today I took to the pool for the first time in, oooo, months! I didn't give myself time to think too much about it, heading there straight from teaching the early morning class at the gym and promising myself left over pancakes for breakfast if I didn't bottle out. Getting back in the pool after so long made me a bit apprehensive. What if I'd forgotten something vital, like goggles? What if the water was really cold? What if I got in the wrong lane and either held everyone up or had to keep hanging back? What if I'd forgotten everything I learnt when I took swimming lessons for front crawl this time last year and looked like an idiot? None of these things happened. The pool was warm, I managed a reasonable front crawl and found three pairs of goggles in my bag. And I got my pancakes for breakfast.

Swimming isn't something I tend to choose to do even though I generally really enjoy it when I get started; I need a purpose, a goal. So when Get Berkshire Active got in touch to say This Girl Can were teaming up with Sport Relief and encouraging ladies to challenge themselves, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get back in the pool. Sport Relief are hosting runs, cycles and swims up and down the country and encouraging everyone to get involved and raise some money. You can do anything from a 1 mile walk to a 50 mile bike ride, so there really is something for everyone. I'll admit that my first choice would have been the 25 mile cycle at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park but logistics put pay to that idea. The 6 mile run didn't feel like a challenge so swimming it was. I took part in Swimathon last year and was delighted to be able to complete the 1.5km distance entirely with front crawl so what better challenge than to attempt the next distance - 2.5km!

Post Swimathon 2015

So how am I going to train for this? Well I started by committing myself to swim by buying a block of 10 sessions at my local pool. By prepaying I avoid thinking about the cost per session as a barrier. I've also signed up for a free session at a leisure centre a bit further away that has just been refurbished and finally I will be dusting off my Thames Valley Triathlon membership card and getting to as many of the training sessions as I can. I signed up last summer and have not been to one single session in any discipline since. Ooops!

I've planned out exactly when I'm going to go to the pool and put them as appointments in my diary. No excuses for forgetting, allocating the time to other things or putting it off because I can't be bothered to go home to get kit after work. Organisation, packing kit the night before and being accountable are key. I've swum 3 times in the past week and am feeling stronger each time.

I'll be attempting my swim on March 19th at midday and I will, of course, be writing a bit more about my training in the lead up to it, and letting you know how I get on afterwards.

If you fancy a challenge, why not head over to the Sport Relief events page and sign up for something yourself! Or perhaps you'd be kind enough to sponsor me for my efforts. Give me a little extra motivation for getting to the pool before breakfast. It's all for a great cause. Thank you.

Event Review : Brighton Marathon 2015

Brighton. Home to brightly coloured sticks of rock, The Lanes and the pier. Also host to one of the most popular marathons in the UK and my "A" race for the year. I was inspired to enter after cheering Alex on at last year's event and I would recommend it to just about anybody. My parents and I made a weekend of it, heading down on Friday night and staying until Monday morning. This was partly influenced by the minimum nights rule put in place by the hotel I wanted to stay at but we'll overlook that. It made for a very relaxed weekend and the race was all the more enjoyable for that.

It's amazing what you can convince yourself is acceptable to eat in the days before a marathon. I'd been quite good until I hit Brighton. Smokey's and the Hobgoblin had a fine line in Mexican food and burgers respectively and there may have been a little over indulgence. But it's ok! I dozed it off on the beach before a restorative spritzer and some nachos... Hmmm.

Might have over-ordered...

Scaring away the gulls with my reflective legs.

We stayed at The Granville, conveniently located staggering distance from the finish line, around the halfway mark and close to the Brighton Center where the expo was held, which we visited on Saturday morning, shortly after it opened. There was no issue at all with collecting my race pack but the expo started to get crowded quite quickly. We managed to have a good look round, to record a message to be played at mile 23 and buy some kit before it all got too much, but only just. 

Because I don't have enough kit...

The morning of the marathon was a bit of a stunner and after a hearty breakfast of porridge and toast the stroll to the start area in Preston Park was most enjoyable. I'd packed my race vest with gels, nuun and a photo of me and my Aunt at the finish of the London Marathon. I'd penned some inspiring words on my hands and felt collected. The sense of calm was almost unnerving.

 

I don't think one person was certain of the way to the start and I now understand how sheep and fish feel... purposeful but with a hint of confusion and bewilderment. We arrived at the park just as the Brighton 10k started, which was great to watch. There was a fantastic atmosphere and every one was in good spirits, chatty and friendly. Baggage drop was a breeze but I did end up queueing for ages to use a loo. In the end I used the "mens cubicle" only to discover that loos nearer the start had no queue. Hey ho, new experiences and all that...

Three girls, one poncho

Ready for the off!

My "designated stuff holders"

As predicted, although the official race start was at 9:15 am, my wave didn't cross the line until around 9:30. I high-fived Jo Pavey as I crossed the line and settled in to the pack for a while as we looped the park before rolling down into the city centre. Sticking in the pack meant I didn't set off too quickly but it did get a little frustrating when I wanted to make use of gravity on the down hills. 

The route involves quite a few out-and-backs and on occasion I felt cheated when a turn around point actually turned out to be a turn but I didn't mind the double backs at all. I enjoyed seeing people running the other way, trying to pick out friends or familiar faces/vests. It also provided spectators plenty of opportunities to see their runners. The first half of the race is certainly the more enjoyable and scenic part, taking in the Pavilion and the Banksy.

All too soon I seemed to hit the half way mark, having seen my parents on the sidelines a few times. Now the hard work started. I tried very hard to maintain positive mental thoughts so although I knew it was just going to get harder from here on out, I tried to distract myself with the bands, the spectators, mental arithmetic around my pacing and milestones such as the 18 mile mark when we'd emerge from the sweltering town centre out onto the seafront again. A few messages and texts arrived from twitter and friends which lifted me no end. 

Photo by Crawley News

My hands are in the air like I just do not care...

And there were plenty of distractions on the route. Drum bands, rock bands, people playing music on stereos from bedroom windows, camper vans and tables loaded with cakes and drinks as spectators made a proper day of things, a guy blowing a conch and even the Queen and Prince Philip (looking slightly more cardboard-like around the face) handing out high-fives. Even on the stretch from miles 15 to 18, that I'd expected to be fairly bleak, there were plenty of enthusiastic spectators and with water stations roughly every 2 miles there was always something going on. Before the race I'm reliably informed there were processions of Harleys and Minis. I saw them lined up but I'd have loved to have seen them in procession.

I was ahead of my target pace by around 30 seconds per mile for a large portion of the race but I felt pretty strong so decided to keep it up as long as I could. Plus it felt good to have some minutes in the bank for later, just in case I unravelled. Mile 20 was an odd one. We were heading out towards the most remote part of the course and fatigue was starting to set in but I knew I only had six miles to go. I can run six miles. Another strategy... I know I can run one mile so whenever it felt as though it was getting hard I just thought about running the next mile, then the next one. Just one mile at a time. At mile 23 I met the big screen and the message my dad recorded for me played out. Cue flapping of the hands about the face as I fought back emotions. Head in the game Roberts, head in the game... just a parkrun to go!

Running along the seafront back towards the finish line was wonderful. I stopped to walk once or twice but quickly discovered it hurt less to run but even so my pace dropped and I was glad to have minutes in the bank. By mile 24 I knew that whatever happened I'd hit my time and that was a huge boost. The question was, how close would it be? Although I felt as though I had a big grin on my face the entire time, the official race photos tell a slightly different story. You'll notice none of them appear here...

It's downhill to the finish, pure bliss, but as soon as I crossed the line all the emotion came out. I'd come in 4 minutes under my target time in 4:41:19. I'd had the strongest race I can remember, raised a considerable amount of money for Hospiscare and run in memory of my Aunt. I pushed myself but still enjoyed it so much. The sunshine, the support both on the course and from afar... it was all just wonderful. And I learnt how to drink from a paper cup whilst running!

There's another, far more emotional photo in existence but I won't scare you with it.

Words of inspiration and strength

After a minute or two I managed to collect myself enough to gather up the contents of my goody bag (chocolate, bananas, protein drink, cotton finishers shirt, water) and find the baggage lorries. Collecting my belongings was easy as pie but fighting my way out of the Beach Village was another matter. I had to sit down a while (not knowing if I would actually be able to get up again) and fortify myself with a recovery shake before that battle. About half an hour later and I was reunited with my mum and a cheese sandwich (thanks mum), another 20 minutes and I'd shuffled my way back to the hotel and my dad who had champagne on ice. Dads are brill. 

And that was that. Celebratory drinks continued into the evening (bars will not give you a free drink on production of a medal, I tried), along with more Mexican food and great company. Aching legs made for a disturbed nights sleep and a rather painful Monday but I wouldn't have traded it for the world.

I won't be back to run Brighton Marathon next year, purely because I have other races on my wish list, but I'd highly recommend it. Far easier to get into than London, a mostly flat course, well organised and tremendous fun. The half marathon sounds attractive too!

I'd like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who supported me in the run up to the marathon, and on the day, in particular my parents, Team Bear and my coach.

If you raced on Sunday I hope you had a great one, be it in Brighton or Paris or somewhere else. If you've got a race coming up... GOOD LUCK!