A Question of Sleep

So, after chatting to Nick and reducing my volume training still hadn't been going the way I wanted.

My sessions were still way slower than they used to be, I felt totally flat and to be honest, I just didn't feel like training.

I felt pretty frustrated because I thought i’d fixed everything else that could be causing the decline in my performance. I thought my nutrition was pretty good. My iron levels were finally up and my living situation was much improved. My sleep wasn't great...but I didn't lie awake all night.

It was only when I talked to a sports doctor, that I realised that waking up four or five times a night wasn't normal.

I never wake up in the morning feeling rested. Throughout, the last marathon training cycle my recovery was awful. If I want to reach my potential, I need to fix this.

After doing some research, I started talking to a doctor who has a lot of experience in this area.

I already did most of the things that were recommended online; avoiding blue light after dinner, establishing a regular bedroom routine and trying to avoid caffeine after lunch.

However, my poor sleep has been a long term issue for me and more aggressive measures are needed.

The doctor suggested some blood tests, which revealed a major reason why I wasn't sleeping. I plan to go into detail about my results and what they showed in a future post. For now, just check out the graph below.

To simplify things, my cortisol levels (including night time values) were way too high. Check out this article here if interested)

I discussed my results with the doctor and she made quite a few recommendations to help with my sleep.

This involved some supplements, which I also plan to go into more detail about in a future post.

It also included some lifestyle changes. I need to reduce my stress levels further to reduce my cortisol levels. I'm working on this but having spent most of my life being pretty highly strung, it's a challenge for me.

Another major change I have begun this week is doing my harder sessions in the morning. Getting a good nights sleep after an evening session is pretty much impossible for me. Thankfully, my energy levels are miles better in the morning anyway, so this switch has been easy for me.

So, here goes the start of my plan to fix my sleep and high cortisol/ stress levels...hopefully, soon i'll be sleeping like this little one -->

Sleeping like a puppy...

How to deal with a bad run (or month of bad runs)

I’ve had times (as i’m sure my coach/ family/ significant other) can attest where I have dealt really badly with my running not going well.

I’d like to think that i’ve improved but it is definitely a work in progress.

Right now I am recovering from a stint of overtraining, which I did not deal with well to begin with…and I can’t help but wonder if i’d be further down the road to recovery if I had.

Here’s some strategies I employed:

• I cried - running has always left me a little prone to emotional outbursts. In normal life, I rarely cry… but running can turn me into a human water fountain

• I threw my toys out the pram - I am ashamed of the tantrums I have had about/ during running. Pedestrians have suffered. My phone has suffered.

• I threatened to take up fencing instead - telling everyone I am hanging up my trainers and taking up another sport. Anyone who has seen my badminton, pool, darts (insert any sport involving coordination here) will know this isn’t going to happen.

• I went out of contact - disappearing from social media, avoiding talking to my coach and running at an hour when no one is likely to see me or join me isn’t a cool strategy. No one is going to call 999 and report a missing runner. People will just be a bit p*****d off.

I think you’ll agree this isn’t a good way to deal with things.

Here's a better way to react:

• Put a limit on crying and tantrums - okay, having a minor meltdown for a short amount of time in non- judgemental company can help. Just get it over with and then move on.

• Talk to your coach - when things aren’t going well, that’s when you really need the advice.

• Talk to your friends/ other runners - they’ve been there…and they probably have cake/ wine.

• Run with people - but only nice, positive people who won’t try and initiate a race in your fragile state.

• Don’t spend all your non-running time thinking about how badly you are running - focus on your work or a home/ art project.

• Leave your garmin at home for a bit - focus on running by effort and time.

• Make sessions fun - try new routes, make it a game (Dave and I played a game of making a bet on how many dogs we’d see during a run when I was feeling particularly bad…yes, really)

We all have times where we are struggling with fatigue, slowing paces or a nagging injury. 

Sometimes, that’s beyond our control…but we can (atleast to some extent) control how we deal with it.

From Marathons to Mud

Plans can change pretty quickly; one minute I'm building up to a nice, flat road marathon. Next, i'm standing on the start line of a cross country, contemplating how I'm going to cross a ditch that can be best described as a small river.

"I'm turning round...I've changed my mind!"

If things had gone according to plan, I'd currently be tapering for Frankfurt Marathon. As it happens, nothing went to plan and instead, I am changing my racing flats for spikes and praying that I can remember how to stay on my feet in calf-deep mud.

Here's what happened; I started my marathon training feeling a little off. I decided to carry on regardless. I pushed myself through long marathon pace sessions and ran more miles than I ever had before. I turned a blind eye to the fact that my legs no longer seemed to work like they used to. I ignored the feeling that something wasn't right outside of training; I wasn't sleeping well and my sense of humor seemed to have been left on one of my long runs.

Most people would recognize this as over training. However, being me, I held on to the belief that over training was something that happened to other people. I just needed to push myself harder, surely? Did I tell my coach how I was feeling so he could adapt my training? Nope. Did I back off and get more rest? Nope. Did it work? Um, nope.

Unsurprisingly, I felt worse and worse. Marathon pace became impossible and most runs ended in tears. No, I'm not sure how I let it go on so long either. Eventually, I confessed to Nick how I felt and got some blood tests. This resulted in two weeks of just easy recovery running and the abandonment of my marathon plans.

So now I get a new aim for a few months...cross country. Lower volume and a change of scenery. I've completed two in the last couple of weeks. My first Hampshire League was great fun, though my body doesn't yet feel completely recovered from the beating I gave it. This weekend I ran a local league race, which I enjoyed...the first run I genuinely enjoyed in a little while (and there were four ditch crossings!). Lesson learnt - don't try to push through feeling terrible. Sometimes you just need to rest.

Go, WADAC girls!

If Carlsberg did running races

In over a decade of running, I’ve attended a lot of running races. I don’t remember ever being massively dissatisfied, though this may be something to do with a grudging acceptance that I’m there to run and therefore a bit of suffering is involved. Mile - long queues for toilets my dog would have turned his nose up at and having my name misspelled more times than on my Starbucks cup is all part of the experience.

That being said, I do notice when a race is especially good, and Wednesday nights’ Desborough 10k was pretty special. If I turn up to future races demanding a post race glass of rosé in a diva-esque fashion, here's why.

I’ll talk about the post-race refreshments, mostly because you couldn't talk to anyone else without them mentioning it. It wasn’t quite ‘feeding the 5000’ but over 250 runners were tucking into a delicious hog roast within 15 minutes of finishing so it wasn’t far off. Plus we had water AND wine. I have never finished a race and been asked: “red, white or rosé?” All of the finishers got a choice between a bottle of top quality wine or a medal. I wish I could say I struggled with that one...

Let’s talk about the race itself (you’d be forgiven for thinking one hadn’t actually happened with the amount of chat about the food and drink). The course was a fabulous mix of fields and closed roads. There was no shortage of friendly marshal’s and the route was so well marked even I found it impossible to go the wrong way.

The atmosphere…is it just me or, at some races, do the runners just seem like they don’t want to be there? Well, they definitely wanted to be at this one; the combination of fabulous food, a very enthusiastic race director and beautiful surroundings made this the happiest race I have ever attended. Even the grumpiest runners (You know the type…“How are you?” “Ah, my knee aches" "I was attacked by a goose yesterday”) were enjoying themselves.

I haven’t even mentioned the faultless organisation; top quality chip timing, the super efficient results service, the readily available free photographs (my worst nightmare, but everyone else enjoyed them ;) and the wonderful social media coverage. I’ll just say that if anyone wants to organise an event, take note; this is how to put on a running race.

The London Marathon: reflections on a frustrating race

Is it possible for me to miss my target and still feel some pride? Turns out it is.

If you read my pre-race blog, you'll know that I was in some pain prior to the race and worried about whether i'd be able to run. Add that to the fact that my build up was far from smooth and perhaps you can understand how i'm still happy on some level despite missing my 2.35 aim.

I finished in 2.38.04, 3rd woman off the mass start. Yes, I was three minutes off of my target time. Yes, I feel pretty gutted about that...but i'm not completely disappointed with myself.

Here's why; 2.38 is my second fastest marathon on an arguably tougher course than my PB...and it hurt...Effort-wise I felt fairly comfortable the whole way...but the pain in my bum limited my stride and was horrible throughout. With that in mind, I'm somewhat proud that I completed it one of my best times. That doesn't mean I'm not upset to miss out on 2.35...but it gives me confidence that, once I am pain-free, 2.35 is very achievable.

Despite a slightly painful experience, I really enjoyed the day. There were some absolutely amazing results; to name just a few, I am so proud of my friend Tracey's performance (2.33 and first lady in the mass race) and David's fabulous 6 minute PB for 2.30!

The race definitely made me even more hungry to smash my personal best...Bring on an Autumn marathon :)

A real pain in the bum?

This is a fairly difficult and emotional blog to write. Even more so when I'm not sure whether it'll have a happy or sad ending. Pain is something everyone has experienced and something which I find fascinating. My experiences with pain are way too much to write about in this one blog but I thought i'd share this start of a short story, if only to make people aware of the multi-faceted and complex nature that pain has.

It begins like this. I arrived back from Portugal feeling a lot more confident; 2.35 seemed a lot more likely. Then, suddenly, a couple of days after I got back, my butt started to hurt...I literally developed a pain in the bum...and it's been there ever since.

Some advice I have received on dealing with pain is to try and see it as an interested observer. It's a great technique and one that if I employ, I do actually see my 'pain' as mildly amusing. Given my interest in pain's complex nature and how the mind can create, modify and relieve pain, I'd think that literally having a 'pain in the bum' was a great metaphor. My sore ar** has caused my sense of humour to go on a bit of a run so it's a bit lost on me currently.

If anyone is interested in the pain and the brain, I'd urge you to watch this Ted Talk. It's fantastic and one of my favorites. Lorimer Moseley does a much better job of explaining how the mind can create pain than I could.

This is a fantastic article on pain, which I also find very interesting.

Here's how I see it; Pain can entirely be created by your mind and the level of your pain is not directly correlated to the level of tissue damage. 'Pain receptors' at the tissue level are modified by many influences; these could be your 'fear' about the pain, the 'value of the pain' (i.e. what consequences the pain has for you) and the attention you are paying the area. Here's a good example; a pianist who breaks their finger might experience a lot more pain with it than someone who has the same injury but perhaps doesn't use their hands much for their job.

Having been a runner for most of my life I can with absolute certainty say that I have experienced this effect many times. I've had 'injuries' that have miraculously felt better after being told it was 'nothing serious'. I've had stomach aches, headaches, back aches, all related to stress and anxiety at certain times in my life. I don't need convincing that the brain can be solely responsible for pain in the absence of tissue damage.

However, I'm sure you can see that this creates a bit of a problem for a runner...we push our bodies to the limits...is the pain the result of some self-induced tissue damage or is it linked to fear and anxiety? For me, is my current pain minor irritation made worse by taper - induced paranoia? Or have I done some damage, which I could make a lot worse by running London?

So, this leaves me in one of my least favorite places...limbo. My next step is to get it checked out by my awesome physiotherapist on Monday...someone who fully appreciates the impact stress can have on the body. Hopefully, this will shed some light on whether there is actually something to worry about. I guess i'll have to wait and see if he can get to the bottom of it...

Escape to Portugal: one month to go!

It's amazing how I go through so many ups and downs in one marathon training cycle. This one has seems to have been even more undulating than usual; I've had so many moments where I have thought my target seemed totally out of reach, only to later find myself thinking "ok, so this might actually be alright" not too long after. There are up and downs within the whole marathon training period, within a week cycle and even within a session. The training during my recent trip abroad for a spot of warm weather training was no different.

I've just returned from an amazing 12 days in Portugal with the fabulous Running with Us lot. It's remarkable how much easier it is to train hard when you're surrounded by the right people and the weather is good. I headed out feeling a bit anxious; Bath Half had felt terrible, the time wasn't what I'd hoped and marathon pace was feeling way faster than i'd have liked.

My first long run in the Algarve was a continuation on this theme...I felt unwelcome negative thoughts settle in as I completed one of three 5k blocks at marathon pace and felt like I was running near maximum pace towards the end. I tried to remain positive though (okay, a small temper tantrum may have occurred, sorry Nick...) and completed my longest run, 23 miles with 3 x 5k at marathon pace.

The next week included a couple of tough sessions interspersed with a good amount of easy running; I ran roughly 96 miles in the first week and 90 in the second. The first session we did was 12 x 800m, which seemed like a ridiculous number but actually went by pretty quickly with alternating threshold and 5k intensities. The second session included blocks of faster 400m reps followed by 2 miles at marathon pace. I actually felt decent in these two sessions; the extra sleep and relaxation (along with a talk with Nick) started to pay off and I could feel my spring returning.

Then...Saturday...another one of those lower points on the rollercoaster track; I struggled with the long run again; a progressive 20 miles where, i'll be honest, the 10s slower than marathon pace portion felt pretty close to maximum. Then...still riding the rollercoaster...by the last portion of the run I was actually feeling strong!

Another down came later on...After the long run, I developed a really annoying blister problem, which got a bit infected, making my last few days sore running. (Although, in hindsight my slightly hyperchondriac panic that I needed to go to hospital to avoid losing my feet was probably overdramatic...sorry, everyone ;) I don't think i'll ever be allowed to live that one down....Then, up again...I was really pleased with the final session I did on the Monday before I left; after a tough couple of weeks training, the combination of 1200m and 300m reps felt surprisingly good. 

Now back in the UK, I'm having a few days of easy running to recover from the camp and the infected blisters. Unsurprisingly, I was welcomed back with a lovely wet and windy run yesterday evening. Thankfully, I've got some Scottish countryside to look forward to as I'm heading there for a short break this weekend. A change is sometimes as good as a rest when it comes to running and different running locations is fabulous for breaking up the monotony of all the miles!

Bath Half Marathon

Sometimes races don't go to plan. In the mind-still-racing period following usually a few possible reasons come up. Often though, these are things that you wouldn't have even remembered if it had gone well. A poor nights sleep (perhaps a couple), a tough week at work, not adequately fuelling the few days before, the wrong time of the month if your female...

At Bath, all of the above applied. Alone, perhaps it'd have been fine, but add the factors together and maybe they are enough to explain my sub par performance?

Bath wasn't awful. Not at all. I didn't feel great throughout but perhaps that's to be expected when your first mile is at 5k pb pace. In fact, I was quite pleased to come third and second Brit. It was an awesome day for the Running with Us team with Tracey Barlow running fabulously to take top Brit and second overall.

I finished strongly and recovered from the fast start. My concern is my time. I'd hoped to run close to 75 minutes but ended up over a minute and a half slower. I can't help worrying that it wasn't much quicker than marathon pace despite a near full on effort. I can hope that the combined factors can account for the time but with less than six weeks to London I still feel anxious.

Luckily, there's still time to put in some hard work. Today I'm off to the Algarve to get stuck into some marathon specific training. My next blog will hopefully be written in a much sunnier climate! I'll try to blog more regularly with hopefully, a lot less to do.

My running role model and 7 weeks to go!

This week was a little less spectacular energy-wise (although still better than pre - iron level improvement). I felt pretty good getting two days of decent easy miles in two days post Cambridge Half so I was a little surprised when my Wednesday session didn't feel great. I guess you sometimes can't tell how you've recovered until you try and run fast...

The session was 7 x 1mile at tempo pace. I could feel myself returning to a slightly negative attitude when I struggled to even reach half marathon pace on a couple in the second half. We did determine later on that these ones were slightly uphill and into the wind (the dangers of an out and back...). It was also very muddy (so naturally I ended up covered...).

My next session was supposed to be 2hrs with last 20 mins at marathon pace on Friday but due to labs (for my Exercise Physiology course) I moved it to Thursday. I was a bit apprehensive about this the day after the slightly disappointing tempo session and I did feel pretty tired to start with but my silly backwards legs did their usual and ended up feeling good after 1hr45 of running...

My other key run for the week was 20k alternating tempo and steady pace on Sunday. I was pretty pleased to feel good again on this one. I was satisfied with the paces on a muddy footpath and felt positive again after this.

Sunday was also mothers day so I thought i'd include a little bit about my mum here...

She's a runner too...and for her age (which she'd kill me if I disclosed) is rapid (aiming for 3h15 at London). She's also my inspiration; she doesn't let age, injury or stress keep her down. She's still getting PB's and I do think if she'd have started running when she was younger she'd have been exceptional. Her support is one of the reasons i've been able to keep improving. She always put her things on hold to take me to races (often 100 miles away for a 2.5 minute race...the joys of a failed 800m career...) and still comes along to support me whenever she can.

A rare non - running photo...she's not a natural blonde!

We're both doing Bath next week; she's had some injury problems so is using it as a measure of her fitness. I'm also keen to see where I'm at and will be backing off training this week to sharpen up a little :) I'm really excited to see how we both do.

NB: I probably should also mention here my dad is equally awesome/ supportive (and running Bath Half too)...but it's not Father's day so he'll have to make do with a sentence ;)

Cambridge Half Marathon and 8 weeks to go!

With roughly 6 weeks of training left until London (eek!), things seem to be continuing to move in the right direction :) Given last year's occurrences, you'll understand that I'm basically hugging my wooden desk whilst I say this...

I had a good session on the Tuesday; some 400 m intervals, followed by a tempo. I actually really enjoy this session but the interval/ tempo combination is a pretty tough one. It's great for teaching you to run hard when tired and one Nick often sets me. This time, I was pleasantly surprised with it, especially as i'd had an interview in the day (my sessions following mentally tiring days are usually sub-par).

The weekend was also a promising one; a few weeks ago, Nick and I decided to target the Cambridge Half Marathon rather than doing the National Cross Country. I would say it was a tough decision for me to make but my cross country leaves a lot to be desired...mostly some extreme showering but usually results in a ban on entering the house. 

So, on Sunday I headed to the Cambridge Half Marathon following a slightly easier few days (although I didn't taper as such). After, a steady start I eased my way into the race and felt pretty good throughout. I ended up 1st women in 76.14. The course was great and I really enjoyed the day. 

My only concern was that the time wasn't amazing. However, it was so nice to feel more like myself again and I was enjoying feeling good so much I didn't push as hard as I perhaps should! I know that sounds a bit silly...but I've spent so many runs in the last few months struggling along and feeling terrible so it was amazing to just enjoy the run :) In any case, hopefully i've saved up some energy for Bath in two weeks time!

Beating my caffeine addiction and 9 weeks to go!

Last week was a better one; it included three decent sessions and over 80 miles of running.

The sessions included:

- 6 x 1 mile, alternating between threshold and 10 k effort

- A 90 min run including 6,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts in the latter half

- A 30k progression run incorporating 10k at marathon pace and 5k at tempo

I wouldn't say I felt amazing but i'm definitely noticing an improvement on previous weeks. I'm putting this down to the iron, feeling a bit less stressed, better sleep and one more thing...

This may come as a shock to people who know me...but one other thing I've done recently is significantly reduce my caffeine consumption. Until recently, I was a self-confessed caffeine addict. This was only worsened by the fatigue i've been experiencing since my last marathon training period. I'd constantly use caffeine to perk myself up after life stress combined with training made me feel run down. In the end, though, I realized that I wasn't really getting much of a lift anymore...it was just bringing me back to a normal energy level.

I found this quite worrying and, along with my sleep and iron problems (both of which are worsened by coffee consumption) I began to wonder if my caffeine dependence was actually contributing to my worsening running performance. Around this time, I came across this guest post by a runner I look up to, Esther Atkins. For those of you who don't read the post (though I strongly recommend you do), Esther restricts herself to caffeine only before long runs and workouts. I found I could really relate to Esther's honest article and it motivated me to try this strategy for myself.

So, I'm happy to report one month on the wagon...I have somehow managed to limit myself to having caffeine only before long runs, workouts and races. Now, as someone, who was an absolute coffee addict before, I had my doubts. I thought that without coffee my life would be miserable. I'd somehow assumed I needed coffee for my creativity, happiness and energy. In the end though, none of this happened. What happened was totally positive:

1. I no longer NEED caffeine to transform me into a functioning human being when I get out of bed. This feels very liberating.

2. My energy levels have actually improved. Caffeine really was just bringing me back to a normal level rather than perking me up.

3. I'm much more in tune with my hydration and nutrition needs; without caffeine to make me feel better I'm finding I ensure I snack healthfully and drink enough water throughout the day.

4. When I have my caffeine before races, long runs and workouts I can actually take advantage of it's benefits. It's generally well accepted that caffeine improves endurance performance by reducing perception of effort, i.e. your race pace feels easier. Before, I don't think I was getting the full benefit of this as I had desensitized myself to caffeine from so much overuse.

5. I am sleeping a lot better; as someone who has suffered from sleep problems my whole life I'm finally finding the good nights outweigh the bad. I'm no longer waking up frequently every night and wake up feeling more refreshed.

So far, I'm pleasantly surprised with the results of my study of one :) I strongly recommend trying this if you are a bit of a caffeine addict, and/or, struggle with insomnia and iron problems. I must say, I thought it'd be impossible, but in fact it was pretty easy after the first few days. Of course, I still have my beloved Starbucks Cappucinos..but i've realised I still enjoy them just as much when they are decaf!

via GIPHY

Ups and downs: 10 weeks to London

It's quite hard to believe there are only 10 weeks to go until the London Marathon. I wish I felt fitter than I did at the moment but i'm trying to reassure myself with the knowledge that I am pretty sure I have felt similarly with 10 weeks to go for all my other marathons...the only one I felt great about at this stage I ended up not making the start line!

I'm also hoping that with the iron tablets and a few other changes things will start to come together.

The last week of training was a mixed bag; a session which went pretty well and left me feeling positive followed by a cross country race which momentarily made me feel like my marathon aim was ridiculously out of my reach. Thankfully, i never stay in this mode for long and my optimism has resumed...

The session, which I did on the road, was 6 minutes at tempo, 5 x 2.5 minutes hard, 6 minutes at tempo. I finished it feeling pretty happy; my tempo portions had felt comfortable at 5 and a half minute miling when they had slipped back up towards 6 minute miling during the time was feeling my worst over christmas.

The cross country was a different story...I travelled to London to compete in the Surrey League second claim for Herne Hill Harriers (a lovely club with whom I trained frequently when I still lived in London). The disgusting weather did nothing to help my uncharacteristically rubbish mood. I finished 7th and subsequently had to ask my friend to wait on the cool down whilst I collapsed on a bench...

Ironing out some problems: 11 weeks to London!

The start of my training for London marathon 2016 began with ironing out a few problems...quite literally.

I said in my post Frankfurt blog that i'd spent a lot of the training period feeling pretty fatigued and rubbish. Although I still think most of this was down to life stress, when I still didn't feel back to my usual self training in my more settled environment, I decided it was time to get my iron levels checked. Low iron is a common problem in distance runners, especially females, and I have been fairly prone to anemia throughout my running. With a lot going on, though, i'd neglected to get my levels tested for quite a while. 

I can't say I was surprised to discover that my iron levels were inadequate. Once the stress levels had reduced, I knew there had to be a reason for my sub par performances. It was quite a relief to be find out why i'd been getting slower despite hard training and why i'd been feeling unnaturally tired. So, with plenty of time to go until London I've started taking iron tablets in the hope of feeling back to my usual self. I'm making it my goal to get my iron levels checked a lot more regularly now as these things have a habit of creeping up on you.

So, although probably too soon for the iron levels to improve, I did seem to experience a bit of a placebo effect this last week. A much better week of training resulted; nearly 90 miles including two decent sessions and running the Watford Half Marathon at marathon effort as part of my twenty miler. The sessions included some intervals (some shorter sharper efforts, preceded by a ten minute tempo) and some continuous hill repetitions followed by two minute repetitions at a harder pace. I definitely felt a lot more like me by the Thursday hill session.

Downhill...too fast for the camera ;)

The Sunday long run was replaced with running the Watford Half at marathon pace, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The course was one of the hilliest i've ever done, which made for a fantastically challenging run. This did lead to marathon pace being renamed "marathon effort". I ran 78.29 for second place in a close finish, which I was satisfied with given the low iron diagnosis and having upped my mileage to nearly ninety in the week.

This coming week, i'll continue with some decent mileage and race either a cross country or park run on the Saturday. Sunday will just be an easier long run this week but i'll aim for two hours of running. My goal is to blog each week in the build up to London...

Muddy good fun...

With 78 days to go before the London Marathon (arghhh), here's a little update about what I've been doing over the winter. To summarize, it's pretty much the same as the rest of the year but with a greater proportion of time spent wearing head-to-toe mud or a silly costume.

Running around in silly outfits is genetic

In my opinion, this time (for those of us who divide our year into spring marathon/ autumn marathon/ other) is an excellent opportunity to have a little more fun with running. For me, this has involved; winning a race dressed as Mrs Santa, doing a long run in a 'Mountain Forest' (Worst. DOMS, ever) and getting extremely muddy.

The camouflage method worked quite well

Mainly, I like to do a bit of cross country to show off my other talents. By this I mean my ability to end up muddier than everyone else. (As proof, I offer you a picture of me at the Midlands Cross Country; an earlier edition where I decided to add a triathlon element by diving head first into a bog).  My friends and family actually keep a special towel in the car for me to sit on post run. It's lucky that I have this talent going for me, because I'm not sure I have my cross country running ability.

I've realized over the years, I'm not really made for running on dirt. I feel a bit like Bambi...wearing ice skates. Whilst other people seem to skim across the mud, I seem to slip and slide my way along with odd facial expressions and frequent unladylike language... However, whilst I assume it wasn't pretty to watch (pictures of me where I seem to be imitating a windmill suggest this is true), there were a few races that I was quite pleased with. 

Regaining my Northamptonshire Country title, after a few years as a Surrey-dweller, was a definite highlight. A friend did comment after seeing me fall over twice whilst walking the course that he wasn't entirely sure how I even managed to stay upright. I proceeded to explain my interval method, which involves stopping to wade through a particularly muddy patch and then legging it to the next one...

Probably the cleanest I've ever been in a cross country race...

Last weekend, I came 7th at the Midland Championships. This was a great day out; partly because I managed to stay relatively dry and mostly because the MCAA did an excellent job of putting on a great race after the original location was flooded (they'd have needed a coastguard if I'd have done that one).

I have to say I was fairly pleased with the result on a tough course. I actually didn't feel great at all (a fact that was later explained by a blood test, which showed my iron levels are low). However, I am definitely looking forward to having my feet on some more solid ground. Although, if there are any muddy puddles on the streets of London, I'll probably find them...

via GIPHY

Things you should never say to a marathon runner

What we do isn't normal. Running more miles per week than a lot of people drive is considered a little strange by the rest of the world. Also, it can cause you to become tired...and therefore, cranky. Especially, when hungry.

So as we distance runner types begin to up our miles in preparation for our spring marathon, I thought i'd write a little guide on what not to say to the significant runner in your life. Or how to respond if it's you.

1. I don't know how you fit it all in

Often said in a way that suggests that they've got too many more important things to do; feed starving puppies, etc. Ask them what they thought of the entire Making a Murderer series they had time to watch because you're still on episode one. They were probably still in bed when you finished your first run.

2. Don't you/your legs feel tired?

Yep, all the time. I'm pretty sure I know how it feels to be ninety. If the lift was out of order at work i'd seriously consider a sick day.

                             

3. You'll/ I'd get injured

Aw, thanks for adding to my paranoia. I spend eighty percent of my time running imaging worse case scenarios for my various twinges (The other twenty percent is spent worrying about how two minutes slower than my marathon pace feels like i'm sprinting. A surprisingly low percentage spent worrying about the oncoming traffic in the road i''m about to cross with actual injury inducing potential). I'm so worried that the last time I wore heels on a night out, I stood perfectly still apart from going to the bathroom for secret calf stretching breaks.


4. You're looking thin. You need to eat more.

Guessing you haven't seen me eat an entire family sized pizza? It's pretty impressive. Running lots of miles makes me very hungry. Three meals per day doesn't work for me. I've had to add in second breakfast (first lunch?) and pre-dinner.

5. Don't you get bored?

No...don't you get bored watching TV? I get bored really easily; I've never had a job that didn't bore me to tears and I don't think I've successfully made it through a film longer than two hours. But running? Never.
                 

To be honest, if you do say any of these things, I wouldn't worry. We're horrendously lacking in fast-twitch fibers and have probably ran more than ten miles already today, so you'll be able to get away...