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!

Flotation Therapy : My Next Adventure In Self Care

As training and work take up ever more of my time and energy, I'm seeing changes in my energy levels, recovery, sleep patterns and moods, not always positive. If I'm at home I struggle to sit still and relax (there always seems to be housework) and sleep has evaded me more frequently in recent weeks than it used to so I was looking for something to try alongside my vitamin supplements, dietary changes and regular massages for a bit of self care.

My swim coach suggested that I try Flotation Therapy to help with relaxation and muscle recovery. Flotation therapy is the practice of floating in a pod or tank, buoyed up by a 25cm deep Epsom-salt solution heated to 35.5 degrees C. The salts are rich in magnesium which is know for it's muscle rejuvinating properties and is also linked to improving sleep. The temperature of the water is roughly the same as your skin temperature which is meant to help you relax and floating helps to realign your body as well as hopefully inducing a meditative state to revive you. Some people reported that it made their skin very itchy, others that it felt claustrophobic in the tank, so I went with the expectation that anything might happen.

The pod!

I booked an hours session at The Floating Point in Pangbourne to see if it would do anything for me. The Floating Point has two float rooms, each containing a pod and shower facilities. You have the room to yourself so after your briefing you can lock the door and have total privacy. On arrival I was offered water and the process was explained. I chose a piece of music from the playlist to have played at the start and end of my float session, to help me relax and then bring me back round again. Vaseline is provided to cover any small cuts as they will sting in the water and you're given towels and toiletries as well. Once in my float room I disrobed and showered before putting in ear plugs provided and getting into the pod and closing the lid. The room is fitted with a motion sensor so one it senses you're not moving around, it is assumed you are in the pod and the music and timer starts. You bob around a little bit before settling and it really is quite comfortable. ​

Inside the pod, disco lights optional

I wondered if I might get claustrophobic but the pod is fitted with lights (which you can turn off) and actually when you've got your eyes closed I find it makes little difference. It took me some time to physically relax but I didn't get my mind to switch off entirely. Ironically I kept wondering if I'd manage to relax before the music restarted to mark the end of my session. The hour went neither quickly nor slowly. I didn't really want to get out but I had an evening of classes to teach so needs must! Once out and showered I was shown to the relaxation room and served water, herbal tea and sorbet.

I stayed there for sometime, enjoying a peaceful feeling and slowly "coming round" before re-entering the world outside. Had I felt inclined I could have read a book or done some colouring that was thoughtfully provided.

How did I feel afterwards? Peaceful, physically lighter, as though my posture was improved, a bit more focused. My sleep has been better since then but I don't think I can attribute it all to the floating. I really enjoyed the session, the enforced time of total relaxation. I'm sure there are other ways to achieve it but with the added mineral and postural benefits this was a hit for me. The centre recommend weekly floats but that's not feasible for me (in terms of time or budget) but I would consider it on a monthly or after-event basis, or even just ad hoc when things are getting on top of me.

Floating seems to be quite popular with sports people, with some teams being booked in regularly as part of their training regime. I haven't booked in a return visit yet but I fully intend to; hopefully it will help me to train, recover and live a little better.

Have you tried floating? What was your experience? Is it something you've considered? What other forms of recovery and self care do you partake in?

Samaritans Run 2018 - What's New

I really enjoy being a part of local races, whether running them, working behind the scenes or supporting on the sidelines. I'm especially fond of The Samaritans Run, which I've run every year for the past 4 years!

The Sam Run, as it's affectionately known, is a 5k and 10k race, usually part of my running club championship, in aid of the Bracknell branch of The Samaritans. It's a vital event in their fundraising calendar and it always has a good turn out. This year it will be held on June 30th and not only am I entered in the 10k event but I'm also an ambassador for it! What does that mean? Well, I'm helping to promote the event, I'll be helping out on race day (when I'm not running), I'll be leading training runs and have provided training plans.

The event used to start at Wellington College, moved to Fujitsu and has now found a new home at Easthampstead Park School. The organisers have been working really hard to take into account the feedback given last year and there have been some changes! I went out to recce the course last weekend (in the snow) which has been simplified and has a new section through the woods. The start and finish point will still be in the school field and 10k-ers will pass through here to start their second lap.

Last year the race village had a lovely community vibe and this year will be no exception. There's stacks of free parking, a new kids fun run and all finishers will receive a nutrition bar, bottle of water, banana and bespoke Samaritans Run medal.

The medals have moved on a bit since this one!

One of the perks of being an ambassador is that I've been given a handful of half price race entries to share. Everyone who comes along to one of my training runs will be entered into a draw to win one of these entries (draw will take place on the afternoon following the training run). I'm planning four training runs, giving you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the course (although I encourage you to do your speed training/race pace practice in addition to these) and meet smoother participants. You can do either 5k or 10k on the course with pace will take into consideration those taking part.

1. Sunday 22nd April 10am
2. Friday 11th May 6:30pm
3. Sunday 27th May 10am
4. June - TBC

Be sure to follow my Facebook page to join these events! If you don't fancy your chances in the draws, or can't wait that long, you can enter the event here.

Snow, Stetsons & Socialising

The last three weeks have been eventful to say the least! The week after the Wokingham half marathon was a mixed bag. I had to shuffle my training sessions around a lot to allow for work and a weekend with the children. As such my "recovery run" became a 10 mile "comfortable run" which I nailed - felt really strong and had some good pace. It all fell apart a bit after that mind you. I had a sports massage on Wednesday and also a review of my training plan with coach Ellie. We discussed the outcome of the race and how I felt about it, what was coming up in the weeks ahead and as such my training plan has been tweaked and a couple more events signed up to (for training purposes only).

Two hours of ice skating for a child's birthday treat... better than a long run?

I routinely shift longer sessions planned for the weekend, to during the week. This isn't because I necessarily have more time but there are chunks of time where I'm not working and I'd rather train then than take time away from Dean and the kids on the weekend, so this is something that is changing in my plan. I also struggle with going outside on my bike. I freak out. I don't know where to go, worry about traffic and a number of other things, so turbo sessions are becoming more structured and I've signed up to a sportive and some social rides.

Monday 19th - Rest day
Tuesday 20th - 10 mile comfortable run
Wednesday 21st - Rest day (skipped track session)
Thursday 22nd - Swim & bike intervals
Friday 23rd - 2h bike ride & Tri club swim session
Saturday 24th - parkrun
Sunday 25th - Rest day (skipped bike intervals)

Reading with the cat

The week of the 26th was the week of the Beast from the East, with snow that caused a fair amount of upheaval. The beginning of the week was fairly straightforward, swims, cycles and so on all completed but several sessions got cancelled due to the snow and I felt unnecessarily guilty about that. Out of my control but I hated missing sessions when I had the energy to do something. I switched track for strength work (which I don't do nearly enough of) and my rest day on Thursday coincided with the snow laying thicker on the ground and the organisations I freelance for deciding to cancel all classes. It was like having a mini holiday! I read, caught up on some admin and drank copious amounts of tea. I completed my turbo session on Friday but got a notification later afternoon that the triathlon club swim session was cancelled as the sports centre was closing early, by which point I couldn't get to any pool to do any kind of swim, and there was no hope of fitting it in at the weekend!

Strength and stretching kit

Dean and I joined some friends on Saturday for a snowy run in the forest, punctuated by walking breaks, photo stops and much chatter. I know full well neither of us would have gone out on our own on the roads or in the woods and having committed to meet up with others meant we couldn't back out. And a snow mile is worth at least 1.5 road miles right?

Monday 26th - Swim
Tuesday 27th - 1h15 bike & 20 minute run
Wednesday 28th - Strength training (track session cancelled)
Thursday 1st - Rest day
Friday 2nd - Bike intervals (swim session cancelled)
Saturday 3rd - 11.5 mile comfortable run
Sunday 4th - 2h bike intervals

Breakfast at Carluccios

Last week was a great week training wise. I knew I was spending the weekend at the C2C country music festival at the O2 with acts starting around 10:30am on Saturday and Sunday and so would only have time for shorter sessions early morning. I'd discussed this with Ellie previously and she had adjusted things accordingly. For the first time in I can't remember how long, I completed every training session last week, getting up early on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to fit in my training. Not all went according to plan... I couldn't hit the heart rate zones in one ride, cadence monitors failed and a swim had to be cut short, but all in all I was really pleased.

I had another session with the osteopath who reassured me that my posture is improving and I have been more diligent with my stretches since. I found time to meet up with friends for lunch and breakfast and booked a flotation session for a few weeks time. I drank too many cocktails at the festival and ate out more times that I was truly comfortable with and have had a string of very late nights but all in all a good week and weekend.

Sunday's early morning run

Monday 5th - Swim
Tuesday 6th - 1h bike ride
Wednesday 7th - track session (fartleks), osteopath
Thursday 8th - 1h bike ride
Friday 9th - Swim
Saturday 10th - parkrun
Sunday 11th - 1h negative split run

Lattes with a friend. Poncy lattes. They were very good.

This weekend I'm doing the Finchley 20 on Sunday, provided we don't get the rumoured snow to disrupt things. I'm going to use the event to practise my marathon pace and nutrition strategy. I'm feeling quietly confident at the moment!

How did the snow disrupt your training if at all? Did you accept the time off or find alternative things to do?

The Power of Comparison

Comparison: a consideration or estimate of the similarities or dissimilarities between two things or people.

Training is time consuming. Not only is my training taking up my time but it's consuming my brain power. I find myself thinking a lot about what I'm doing, how well I'm doing it, what sessions I have to juggle or move this particular week to fit in with other things. It's exhausting, and that's without actually completing the sets!

But in all seriousness it's comparison that's really occupying my mind. I am training for a full distance triathlon. That is my end goal. 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling and 26.s miles of running. There's a few intermediate goals along the way but they are all going to help me reach my end goal. The only other person I know well who's training for a similar thing is my husband Dean. I know several people training for marathons, Swimathon, personal bests, long distance bike rides. I even have a friend whose marathon goal is exactly the same as mine; same event, same time. But no one else is doing exactly the same thing overall. 

So why is it that I keep on finding myself comparing my efforts to theirs? Comparison is a natural thing for us to do I think. It's a way of validating our efforts, of answering the question "am I doing this right"? But with it often comes frustration, disappointment, feelings of inadequacy. The friend who is doing the same marathon as me recently obliterated her previous 10k PB. My speeds have been coming down but nowhere near to what she's achieving. We are doing different things and we have different goals; triathlon vs multiple running events.

Is comparing yourself to others always wasted energy? The positive aspect of comparing myself to someone else, as long as it's someone with similar goals, is that I can look at what is different and decide if there's anything I can bring into my training that would help. For example I'm training over three different disciplines, not just running, but my friend is doing more gym work than I am. So perhaps I could add in some focused strength work once a week which would make me more resilient, less prone to injury, stronger and faster. If I feel that my schedule really doesn't allow for that then I need to accept that I won't get those benefits.

The best kind of comparison is between my achievements now and my achievements a week/month/year ago. I keep a training diary with not only distances and times but energy levels, moods and of course PBs. I'm seeing my PBs coming down, my body better able to cope with the training volumes now than it was a month ago, my training more structured than it was last year and it also helps me to identify times when I might be overtraining.

So I'm making an effort not to compare myself to others, but if I do, to only take the positives from it, and to take time to look back on my journey from time to time to see just how far I have come.

Race Recap : Wokingham Half Marathon

My first event and target for the year has been ticked off the list. On February 18th I, along with a couple of thousand other people, took part in the Wokingham Half Marathon. I'd set myself the challenge of a sub 2-hour half marathon but it became clear in training that I wasn't going to be able to maintain the speed to do that so I re-adjusted my goal to achieve a PB, anything below 2h10. It had been a long time since I'd been quite as nervous before an event.

In the week and a half leading up to the event, my training went mostly to plan.
Thursday 8th - Rest day
Friday 9th - 1750m swim
Saturday 10th - Zumba Basic and Zumba Gold instructors course. A 10 hour day with a lot of dancing but I'm now qualified!
Sunday 11th - 1hour ramp run and an hour on the bike
Monday 12th - 1950m swim
Tuesday 13th - 45 minutes of fartleks and a couple of easy miles in the evening with clients
Wednesday 14th - Got talked into skipping track my the husband in favour of a Chinese take away on the sofa for Valentines day.
Thursday 15th - 1h10 on the bike
Friday 16th - 1hr on the bike and 1750m swimming
Saturday 17th - Rest day
Sunday 18th - RACE DAY!

The race started at a very civilised 10am. Car parking was located around the town with a 10-15 minute walk to the start. We ended up cutting it slightly fine with just enough time for me to visit the portals (plentiful) and Dean to do the bag drop. Lots of people, a well set out race village and plenty of shouting from the Race Director to tell us how little time we had left before the start. I placed myself roughly where I thought I needed to be in the start pack, Dean placing himself some distance behind me so I could concentrate on my race. We took about 3 minutes to cross the start line and it felt as though there was less jostling for position than usual. There was plenty of support along the entire route, from marshals, clubs and general public. It was a closed road event, on wide roads, country roads and taking in two motorway flyovers... twice. Otherwise it was largely flat.

I was aiming for 9:40 per mile for the first 8, which I managed relatively comfortably, edging a little quicker at times. Then miles 9-12 fell apart. Rather than speeding up I was taking an extra 45 seconds per mile. Shocking. I tried to dig in, pick my heels up, took my gel slightly earlier than planned... nothing worked. I feared a repeat of Oxford Half Marathon. A couple of shout outs helped but the photos from the race show grimaces and appalling form. Eventually I hit the last mile. A couple of women I knew drew alongside and told me Dean wasn't far behind. I swore a bit. I kept the feet moving as best I could, sped up a fraction and crossed the line taking 2 minutes off my previous PB time. And promptly collapsed on a nearby fence.

Dean crossed the line shortly afterwards, having completed the course in 2 hours 6 minutes to my 2 hours 8. We gathered medals, space blankets and bags (no goody bag for this event) and hobbled back to the car. I have to admit, despite the result I felt disappointed with my performance. It shows I rarely truly race events, completing them in relative comfort. And that's fine. If I do that from now on (after the events I've got goals for this year) then so be it. I'd rather still enjoy running than fear it. But it has opened my mind to what I can achieve.

I've learned a few things from the race:

• Pace at the beginning of a race is crucial, especially when racing
• Setting A, B and C goals helps to avoid disappointment, and sometimes that means readjusting goals before you get to the start line
• It's hard to train for speed whilst training for endurance events
• I am capable of more than I thought and with some more training a sub 2-hour half marathon is possible
• I need to work on improving my running form 

I ran the event for the Anthony Nolan charity. I'm trying to raise £1,500 for them via my events this year and I would be so grateful if you could spare a few pounds for the cause. You can find my Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/vikki-robertsan

The next event is Brighton Marathon which I'm aiming to complete in 4 hours 30 minutes. Why not donate the amount equivalent to the time you think I'll actually run it in? For example £4.30 or £4.40. If you get it spot on I'll send you something as a thank you!

What's In My Swim Bag

Swimming doesn't come easy for me. I really have to work at it. I still get freaked out if there are too many people in the pool, get worried that I'm holding people up (there fore swim faster and knacker myself out) and feel like I only ever have one pace.

I'm going to the pool twice a week these days, either to my Tri Club coached session or to the leisure centre to do a set dictated by my coach. Gone are the days where I just went to the pool and ploughed up and down until I'd covered a distance or time I had in mind.

As I'm getting more focussed, so my swim kit has expended a little. Here are the basics that I have in my swim bag most days.

1. Costume - The all important swimming costume. My first swim suit (Speedo) was from Decathlon. My second from Speedo directly. Both were funky but they are wearing out and I decided to treat myself to something a little different. This one is by HUUB and you can find it here. 
2. Cap - A cap keeps my head warmer and my hair out of my eyes. I've collected many swim caps over the years but it's nice not to wear a race branded one sometimes. I won't be able to wear this open water swimming (you need to be visible) so I'm making the most of this swim cap in the pool for now. I love a sugar skull! Find it at Decathlon.
3. Goggles - I can't do a proper swim set without goggles and I finally found some that seem to fit me. Bonus is they were only £10! Find these Lomo goggles here.
4. Antifog Spray - Despite my goggles fitting they still get steamed up. That was until I tried this Anti-Fog spray from Muc-Off. Now my vision is clear for the whole set!
5. Ring Protector - Rather than take my rings off and risk losing them, or worry about them falling off in the pool, I invested in this ring protector from Amphibia, which keeps my rings in place and protected during my swim.
6. Towel - Normal towels can be a bit bulky so I got an XL microfibre towel just for swimming. Plenty big enough to wrap up in, quick drying and cheap! Find other colours and sizes at Decathlon.
7. Waterproof phone case - I get my sets via Training Peaks. I have an app on my phone so I bring it poolside to remind me what I'm meant to be doing. Some of those sets are long and complicated! I got this waterproof phone case years ago and I don't think they're available to buy but it's by the sports brand Ashmei.

I also have a variety of training aids that I've built up over a few months. I take them to every Tri Club session and some pool sessions depending on the set.

1. Pull buoy - for isolating the arms and helping lift the legs.
2. Fins - for improving kicks.
3. Paddles - for improving the pull with the arms.

What do you have in your swim kit? Anything you consider vital that I'm missing?
SaveSaveSaveSave