Holiday Running part 2: San Francisco

photo from goldengatebridge.org

We left Canada by boat on the Clipper from Victoria to Seattle. In Seattle we did the Needle and wandered round  Pike Place Market.  We had a great meal in Cutters Crabhouse - the most amazing sushi I have ever eaten. The next day we took the Amtrack - Coastal Starlight Train to San Francisco (well Emeryville and then the bus).  It's a 24 hour trip and what an experience - worthy of a blog in its own right. We watched the US slip past the train windows; going to sleep high in the mountains and waking up in the middle of a massive refinery in Sacramento. There's something about long train journeys that activates my inner Agatha Christie!

We arrived in San Francisco in bright sunshine at 10am.  The town was buzzing - it was Memorial Day weekend and the 75th birthday of the Golden Gate Bridge. The streets were already heaving with people of every shape, colour and size and you could hear the sealions hooting away.

But, there they were, weaving in and out of the pedestrians and dawdlers - runners. Loads and loads of runners. Tall, short, old, young, fast, slow, lean and definitely not lean. San Francisco runs! Yippee!  Cyclists too, from lycra clad cycling junkies to tentative first timers. San Francisco moves and it grooves.

I was even more delighted when we got to our delightful and rather special hotel on Fisherman's Wharf -  The Argonaut. (Thank you Andy for finding us this!). There on the desk was an offer to join the weekly running session with the fabulous Fernando (read on) and a running map in my room!  Yay! I had to run, it's mandatory here.

The next morning I was up early and ready to run San Francisco. I peeked out of the window - the streets were empty except for runners so off I went.  It was cold and cloudy but I'm well used to that! I went one way along Fisherman's Wharf down towards Pier 39 where I said 'good morning' to the San Francisco sealions. At that time of day there were no crowds but those sea lions were still putting on quite a show!

Round Pier 39 with the smell of sourdough bread making my mouth water and then back up towards Golden Gate Bridge. At the end of the wharf you go past the open air swimming club and a small beach and then up a steep hill with glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.  Friendly bunch too these SF runners. Not all said 'hi' but quite a few did and that was nice.

Golden Gate is a magical bridge and the longer we were there, the more I found myself wanting to look at it, to see it from every angle and in different lights. It's a bridge you really want to get to know, a bit like the Forth Rail Bridge, another iconic red/orange bridge that mesmerises you.

I ran round the park and down along the flat and then home for one of those wonderful US breakfasts. Today's treat was the Buena Vista Cafe - very probably the finest breakfast I have ever had - even without trying their famous Irish Coffee at 9am! Thank you Kathleen.

My second run in San Francisco was with Fernando from the Argonaut Hotel. Fernando's a runner who has done the San Francisco Marathon (yes it includes hills!) and takes guests out with him on his Tuesday night run. I thought it was a great idea and thoroughly enjoyed our run by the sea. I learnt so much about life in San Francisco, got some great visit and restaurant tips and I really enjoyed my time with Fernando. What a great idea for a hotel service, and one I've never come across before - more please!

We did the usual tourist stuff, Alcatraz, Nappa Valley, but the biggest thing in San Francisco really isn't the cable cars or the hills, or even Ghiradelli Chocolate, no the big thing about San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge - and we were there for her 75th Birthday bash - lucky or what!

We'd seen her from almost ever angle you can imagine, but this is clearly a Bridge that has to be crossed one way or another. The question was how?

My first thought was to run across it. It would mean a total run of about 12 miles from the hotel, not a ridiculous distance even without much practice. But how would my vertigo cope? What was the traffic going to be like? Would it be easy to find my way up to the bridge from the bay?  I even looked to see if there were any local running clubs, there are but nothing was happening whilst we were there. You can pay to do a running tour - in a group or on your own.  City Running Tours charge $75 for a run up to 6 miles and $25 per person for group 5k runs.  (other options are available). I think I feel a change of career coming on!

The more I thought about it, the more certain I was that what mattered was going across the Bridge with Ali, didn't matter if I ran or walked. On our last full day, we hired bikes and cycled over the Golden Gate Bridge.   It was cloudy, it was cold, we couldn't see very far, but wow, it was amazing to be on it.

As we entered a sunny and warm Marin County, we looked back on the bridge and I knew we'd made the right decision. We cycled on to Sausalito for lunch at The Bridgeway Cafe and the onto Tiberon - about 20 miles.  We had a totally wonderful local, organic and well deserved ice cream at the The Grass Shack and a wander round Tiberon. A fascinating place with nooks and crannies and houses all the way up the steep hills round the bay. The Ferry ride back gave us final views of the Bridge from the sea.

San Francisco is definitely special, and Marin County an unexpected gem. Running in a place that's full of runners is just great and runner watching is just as much fun as any other type of people watching. Everyone runs their own way; some make it look easy, others make it look painful. I got lots of food for thought about running form and I think Ali is now an expert on it! People watching for runners!

And as for the Bridge, well I might run over it in future, but what I enjoyed much more was seeing it when I was running. It is a Bridge that is better looked at that walked on!

So there you have it, 6 holiday runs.  I had a fab time and will definitely do holiday running again.  It was a long journey home, cramped but we actually got back on time for once and the plane from London was the one that brought the Olympic Flame to the UK. It was yellow with some stunning photos inside. That was an unexpected treat.

One of the good things about North Berwick though is that it's a lovely place to live and to run. So it was with a big smile on my face that I set off for my first post holiday run - barefoot on the beach. As I splashed through the surf like I was 6 years old, I relished the cool fresh air, the lush greens and the red stone and the blue sky. Everything in balance, everything in its right place.  Home Sweet Home!

Happy holidays, happy running!

Take care

Sue

Running Canada: Holiday Runs Part 1

I love being on holiday.  It's a time for escaping everyday worries and responsibilities and spending quality time together.  I'm very happy with my life but I really appreciate a break and the chance to spend  time doing different things in different places - seems this applies to running too!

This year was a very special holiday for us - we travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to spend quality time with family in Canada, followed by a few days in the fine city of San Francisco. We had a fantastic time; absolutely brilliant. Despite the jet lag, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated on every level and so's my running.

Now as some of you know, Ali and I live on different sides of the great divide: I run, Ali doesn't.  So usually I run very little when we're on our hols. But this year, maybe because of the enforced injury-related rest in January, maybe because of it being a once in a lifetime visit to some amazing places,  I really, really wanted to run at least a little bit whilst away. I wanted to leave this planet knowing that I had run in Canada and the US.

Holidays are special and I wanted to make the most of the rare time we actually get to be together, so I decided on 30 minute runs, not to run every day and I managed 6 runs over our 3 weeks - about 22 miles in total.

That's not many runs or many miles, but my holiday runs punched well above their weight. Every one of those short runs has left me with great memories. Each run showed me a different aspect of the places we visited as well as giving me some amazing views and experiences. I've a record forever on my Garmin and some great photos. I also used up a few of the extra calories that got taken on over the three weeks and put on less then 2lbs, despite eating well (this was a real achievement for me!). All in a total of 3 hours in 3 weeks and about 2,000 calories. And as importantly, my running has moved to another plane. Not bad return I'd say.

Here's the first batch of my runs - the Canada ones. Two runs from San Francisco to follow.....

Run 1 - Barnstorming Banff
We landed in Edmonton Alberta where we were met by Maureen and Dave who took us on the holiday of a lifetime.  They drove us through the Rockies where we saw some of the most amazing views and sights I've ever seen, including my first black bear.

Banff, venue for my first run, is great, a bit like a glammed up Aviemore. Despite all the shops, there's a great vibe about the place - it's human friendly and welcoming. The day we arrived we went up the mountain, swam in sulphur pools and walked a lot. Jet lag had me wide awake at 6am, so I headed off for a quick 3 mile run. It was cold. Very cold. The height above sea level and the high mountains surrounding Banff made it one of the coldest runs I have ever had, and I didn't warm up much either! My first run at altitude too - maybe that explains the cold!

Normally Banff buzzes, but at 6.15 it was deserted, I had the streets to myself - or so I thought. As I ran I got a glance or two of my running form in the shop windows not bad, but that bum is still sticking out too much!  By about 6.30, delicious bacon and cinnamon bagel smells emerged and my thoughts turned to breakfast. I ran along the river back into the town, catching a glimpse of one of the freight trains whose ghostly horns sounded at intervals during the night. The sound of North American trains is so evocative, it takes me back to Casey Jones and childhood tv.

On the way back, just after I'd run past the local hospital, I had an encounter. I came round the corner and found myself eye to eye with a moose. A young moose but unlike our own rather sweet and timid deer, it wasn't inclined to budge just because I'd turned up. In fact it was looking rather stroppy at having its breakfast interrupted. Despite the species barrier, I got the body language and headed off in the opposite direction - past the hospital just in case!

It was a lovely run. I saw a different side of Banff, the quiet side before the streets start to fill up and the shops open. I went to a bit that we'd missed on our walk. I saw very few people, no runners or dog walkers, only small groups of Chinese women collecting recyclables from the bins and the odd smoker standing outside the hotel. And of course I got up close and personal with that moose. 

Then off to Lake Louise for a very posh and yummy breakfast at The Lake Louise Hotel overlooking one of the most beautiful lakes I've ever seen.   We spent the rest of the day going through the Rockies stopping that evening at Kelowna.

Run 2 - Trundling on Texada

After a brief overnight stop in Kelowna, we set off early for a small island off Vancouver Island called Texada. After a brief overnighter in Vancouver (a lovely city, I loved Stanley Park and I really want to run there sometime) and several stunning ferry trips, we reached a warm and sunny Texada - home for a few days.

Maureen and Dave are both active and experienced runners so I knew I was going to get a leg stretch.  Our first morning, lingering jet lag had me awake and buzzing, so I headed off early. I went round the bay, running through scented woods with tantalising glimpses of blue water and snow capped distant mountains through the trees. The roads were quiet and I ran down to Shelter Point, a caravan park down the coast. I saw a bald eagle (and loads of turkey eagles) all from a safe distance this time, and a most amazing view awaited me at my half way point, looking back on the island and across the Bay to snow capped hills.

As I headed home I bumped into Dave and Maureen out for their run - they'd been waiting for me, but I'd snuck out not wanting to wake them up! Breakfast was one of Maureen's amazing smoothies which got me and Ali all fired up for a bike ride back to Shelter Bay and beyond.  

That was my only run on Texada, but the next day we went hiking up Mount Davis with the The Texada Trekkers. It's very different to walking we usually do, not least because you can start your walk way above sea level and don't really get many views until you get to the top! More bald eagles, a rare kind of ant and lots of great company meant we learnt lots about life on Texada. And surely there is no food as good as that sarnie you eat at the top of the hill on a walk.

There's something for everyone on Texada - you can run, hike, cycle, sail, kayak and all the rest.  There's also the Texada Half and Full Marathons - not for the faint hearted and probably not a PB run either - but one you'll never forget! Registration's open now for this year's race.

Run 3 - Trotting in Tofino

We left Texada early on the Sunday and took the ferry over to Vancouver Island and headed off down to Tofino on the Pacific Rim.  Despite the wet and misty weather, the views were amazing (living in Scotland you learn to appreciate the charms of such a climate).  I loved Tofino, it's another place with lots of outdoor stuff going on and it's very laid back with fantastic scenery and amazing wildlife.  We stayed at the Weigh West hotel, right on the bay. I did a short morning run, this time I stuck to the main roads and habituated places - there's bears on them there hills as Ali and I had seen on our bear watching trip the night before.  The views made up for the lack of David Attenborough type adventures.

Again, it was great to see Tofino at a quiet time of day, before things get busy and to run accompanied by fantastic views, breathing in clean, soft air.  As we ate breakfast in the restaurant which sits right over the water, we saw sea lions and otters play below us and more bald eagles overhead. We knew the bear and her cubs were breakfasting on the islands and the wolves and whales were probably tucking in too.

Run 4 - Viewing Victoria 

My last run in Canada was in the beautiful and historic town of Victoria at the end of Vancouver Island.  It was our last day before heading to the US and so Maureen, Dave and I ran together. They have a favourite run along the bay they showed me. We started amongst hotels and very expensive apartments (there are some very rich folk in this world), then through classic North American suburbs and ended up along the coast road which goes on for miles and miles. Plenty of car free quality running paths, so civilised.

It was a great run, looking over the bay to the the distant hills of the US, and it's part of the route for the Victoria Marathon which would be a cracker I think. I could have run for miles, but stuck to my rule and headed back for breakfast getting in 4 good quality miles.  Running through the houseboat area, I was joined for a while by a four legged friend who fancied a bit of a run. This one was definitely friendly, a species I know well and she kept up beautifully until her breakfast gong went.

As I got back to the hotel, the sea planes were starting up and the town was coming to life; I returned to the world. Later that day, we drove along that bit of coast  and saw 2 adult and 3 adolescent bald eagles being mobbed by crows. It was an incredible sight to see so many of these beautiful birds so close. 

We left Canada the next day on the Clipper - a boat ride from Victoria to Seattle and then took the Amtrak onto San Francisco - more of which in the next blog.

I loved these runs. They're not just miles and minutes, but a wonderful part of my holiday experience. They added to  a trunk full of happy memories and experiences I just wouldn't have had otherwise.  

I'm finding running so much more exciting and rewarding than when I was focussed on counting miles. Now running is more varied and it's about the amazing experiences you have when you run. I want to run for years and years to come and I want to look back on a rich and diverse running filled life. I may run a marathon, but I'm finding that too narrow a focus for me just now - but of course things change....

Interestingly, I've totally changed my view that short runs are not worth the bother of getting changed.  Short runs are, as our  North American cousins would say, Awesome!  And  a welcome and handy addition to my repertoire.

Part 2 - running in San Francisco - to come. An experience I will remember forever.

Whatever you're up to, enjoy your holidays if you're lucky enough to have one, enjoy your runs if you're lucky to be fit and well enough to do them and keep well and keep happy.

Take care

Sue

Reading, wRiting and Running - The 3 Rs!

I love books. Every Christmas night, my Mum and Dad would put a much wanted book under our pillow along with new pyjamas (Thunderbird one year). That book was often my absolutely best Christmas present. I can still remember finding the Tales of Narnia and the thrill of reading that first page.

As the summer approaches, another book ritual kicks in - choosing the holiday reading. I love a treat and we've got a long trip this year so I'm hoping to get a lot of reading done.

Books and reading have been a constant pleasure throughout my life.  A good book, a timely learned article or a zippy magazine piece provide insight, company, learning and great, great pleasure. I try to keep my book collection pared down and so the books that are with me have been life long friends and seen me through some tough times. Those books stay with me and tell the story of my life with remarkable accuracy. More recently I've added blogs and downloads and websites to my literary collection. My cup ranneth over when I first downloaded a book en route so I could read it there and then - wow!

So, it's not really surprising that I now have some running books in my book case. My running reading started with Women's Running Magazine and Runners World They broke me into the notion of reading about running. Then I was pointed in the direction of two of the great classics of running -  Born to Run by Chris McDougall and Chi Running by Danny Dreyer and my running has been transformed by these books. 


Some of it has been because I now have some knowledge about running, a bit of science. I now know about the importance of speed work and tempo runs; that you need to get carbs and protein in fairly quickly after a long run and certainly not after a shower, face pack, exfoliation and manicure! Useful stuff that helps you run better and stronger.

But the reading that really inspires my running and has changed me behind recognition isn't about facts and figures; it isn't about the calculations of pace and tempo. What really inspires me is runners talking about their running, their stories about how and why they run. Sure some of these can get quite technical, but the magic is when another runner lets you into what's going on in their head, sharing their experience of running.

There are times when reading the race report is like running alongside someone, without the pain and blisters. You can get a sense of what it's like to run very fast or very long; to run up hills, in the desert. You can run vicariously in every country in the world.  You can learn how to run a great race and sadly too often what not to do.

It was reading runner's blogs that I understood that running a marathon isn't just about when you finish but crossing that line with a smile. I learnt that even the greatest runners have demons to face and their own challenges to beat. I have come to know that being able to run at all is a great privilege and one that we should never take for granted.

Something magic happens when all this running stuff gets into your brain. The other day I didn't leave enough time to get to a meeting. As I charged up the road I hurried quicker and quicker and then without thinking I leant forward, The I leant a bit more and then POW! I was running! Just like Danny says on the podcast, I was leaning like a Nordic skier!  It felt remarkably good, despite (or maybe because of) the heels on my boots and a rucksack jumping about on my back.

Out of the blue the words 'born to run' came into my head.  Of course!  Suddenly it all made sense. Running to a meeting, even fully clothed, is a natural and obvious way to travel when a bit more speed is required (or just for fun).  Usually when I've had to run in work gear it's felt very uncomfortable, not quite natural, but this time it felt just right. I ran and walked all the way and got there in good time, a bit flushed but feeling good. It's actually a bit easier falling forward in high heels and the rucksack holds my shoulders back.  Not a marathon maybe but fine for a couple of miles.

Reading about running counts. It's sort of  like our continuing professional development. If we want to be better runners then we have to learn.  So yesterday when my train was delayed, instead of getting stressed, as befits my new laid back self (did I miss something? ed) I went with the flow and took the chance to catch up on my running reading. I read about Ethiopian runners in the Olympics. I saw a photo of Barefoot Ted and Christopher McDougall at the New York Barefoot Running Festival. I immersed myself in kit, supplements, the barefoot debate and runners. What a treat.

When the train started up again and the journey to work began again, I felt I'd been given a present - a little bit of the working day claimed back for reading about running.  I smiled and that smile stayed with me all day.

So thank you to all your bloggers, runners, writers for sharing your stories, your wisdom and experiences. Thank you for letting me come with you as you train for your first marathon, do a park run or the West Highland Way.  Thank you for helping me learn to be a runner.

Take care and happy running

Sue

Running on sleepy: eyes half shut

Okay, hands up who's exhausted? Who would really, really like to catch up on the old zzzzs but is just too busy? Sleeping time gets hijacked when we've lots to do. Up at 4am to get that run in before work. Staying up late to get the ironing done or more pleasurably, to get some time with friends. Every day that sleeping time gets a bit more chipped off it, gradually whittled away, even on a bank holiday! Long gone are the days of sleeping til lunchtime.

I don't know about you, but I've just got used to having less than my allotted 8 hours kip and most of the time it's fine. Less sleep, more time to do things. Lying in wastes time that could be spent doing things - it wastes the day. Yes I am that age and I am now saying things my parents said to me.

Because I'm practicing body-sensing, I'm beginning to understand what sleep deprivation does to me. On our trip to Barcelona in March, the clocks went forward several times so we didn't know which way was up when we got home. Then an early rise for a trip to London, a few a late finishes at work and a long 'to do list'. None of these keep me awake at night, I go out like a light.  No my problem is waking up at 4am. If I've had a long day at work or lots of travelling, that's often accompanied by a night of poor quality sleep, my body restless from sitting down all day, eating crap food and drinking too much tea.  

When I'm tired, things go awry. I struggle to concentrate, I'm easily distracted and I can't resist nibbling on rubbish, high sugar, high fat, junk food. My brain is not engaged with what I'm doing, it floats around on the breeze of random thoughts. Chocolate is eaten with absolutely no conscious input at all, cake slips past the lips barely tasted. My brain is on stand-by and those chattering monkeys rule the roost (apologies for the mixed metaphor there).

So I've been doing some digging round about sleep.  Research shows that we never really catch up after losing that hour when the clocks change. Maybe because I'm a winter baby my body clock is on British winter time, I never really feel right when the clocks are on British Sumer Time. We lose about 40 minutes of sleep every night after the clocks go forward as our body rhythms struggle to adapt. That adds up to a hell of a lot of sleep, especially if we're all paring our sleep down to the bone just to get by.

There's plenty of research that shows that disrupted sleep might not kill you, but it can certainly make your focus a bit blurred.  One study I found recently (www.occdigest.org.uk) showed that a lack of sleep can make us more prone to cyber loafing "frittering away work time on unrelated online activities". Isn't cyber-loafing a great concept,? I don't get time to do it at work (honest!) but I do lot a bit in my own time and it is good sport when you're tired or a bit hungover.

Anyway, they looked at Google's publicly available data for entertainment-related searches and found that these searches were significantly higher after the clocks went forward. The costs of cyber loafing have been estimated at £300m per year. That's a lot of loafing.

One of the theories for 'cyber-loafing' is ego depletion.  Some researchers see will power as a resource that gets used up through effort and sleep replenishes and re charges it. Lack of sleep saps our regulatory resources making us easy pickings for behaviours we need to keep control of - our defences are low. Certainly waking up groggy and out of synch with yourself is not a great way to start the day and is often associated with random thoughts about bacon rolls or muffins.

Lack of sleep certainly saps my will power and gets right at my weak spots. Women's Running magazine cites research that shows that a good sleep helps cut snacking, a real problem for me.  Folks who got less than 5.5 hours sleep a night ate larger amounts of high carb snacks than those who got 8 hours - and don't my scales know it. And this is not counting any impact lack of sleep has on your metabolism, making it easier to out fat on and harder to get it off. 

And of course it can be serious, lack of sleep can affect your running. Running Times had an interesting article on sleep and running.  Decreased sleep for even a few days impaired glycogen synthesis, meaning you're running on a half full tank and may "bonk" earlier than a well-rested individual (stop sniggering at the back). Disrupted sleep undermines our ability to repair training-induced soft-tissue breakdown. Not good if you're putting your body through serious training. 

So, freshly back from a very nice run, feeling replenished and refreshed despite my lack of sleep, what do I make of all of this?  All the advice is about getting to sleep and I don't have that problem, I am out like a light maybe because I already do all the stuff you're supposed to do. My problem is I'm wide awake at 4am wake up and then I start thinking about what I've got to do and the game's a bogie. I think I might just have to love with this for a while, so until I get a cunning plan, I'm going to take two preventative measures.  First I'm going to be limit the amount of running-related damage I inflict on my body. If I'm not repairing myself fully, then I have to watch my recovery times and make sure I take in protein immediately after a long or hard run. Second, I'm going to make the most of those early rises, that bit of extra time, and I'm going to enjoy a run, or get into work early. I'm not going to fret, just go with the flow.

Only two short runs and a spin class this week because of being away at the weekend. So I did 2 faster runs, one barefoot in the beach where I really focussed on form - both quality.  Next week I'm not going to do a long run, I fancy a break from distance, so I'm going to do more shorter ones just for a change and see how my body reacts to greater frequency. I did one today with a cheeky hill in the middle and it feels good.

Have a great week whether you're running, walking, working, playing, whatever.

Take care

Suex

Runner Reborn - Taking to the hills

You know you read all that stuff about how hills are good for you? Well they are, but I think they should give hills a health warning. Hills are hard. Hills are dangerous. Never ever under-estimate a hill, treat it with respect. I didn't, I paid the price. Now I take hills very seriously indeed.

A couple of weeks ago, I did my first hill session since 'the injury'.  It was going on for four months after the evil day, so I reckoned I was about ready.  I'd always had hills in my training before, so I decided it was time to start taking them on again.

Now I like hill work outs. I like the way they push me and the sense of achieving something hard. Hills are a great way of adding a little bit extra to a run to push you a bit, especially when you're short of time. I saw hills as more about will than muscle and as I believe that I am, deep down, a really lazy person, I see hills as character building. I never had a single twinge or problem doing hills other than the usual pain and exhaustion!

Now I'm not daft, I did take it easy. I  have a run I used to do when I first started running which I wouldn't call a hill, more an incline. North Berwick Law, that's a hill and I have run (sort of) up it. There's a few other steep paths round here climbing up from the sea, so I thought I'd be fine if I avoided those and went for something much gentler.

So off I went. About 20 minutes in my injured calf started to give me a good nipping in exactly the place where the tear had been. Absolutely no doubt, I was irritating the bit I'd injured.  A recovering injury makes body-sensing almost inevitable.  I didn't panic, but I didn't run through it either. I used my running form to control the nipping - reducing my stride, slowing the pace a bit, making sure my posture was good, relaxing my lower leg. As I experimented, I tested my leg's reaction to how I ran. What was it in my running that lay behind that horrid niggling reminder of my dark days? What did I need to do now to avoid it happening again?

I gradually worked out how to work with the injury. I found I could stop my calf hurting, I was in control. I resisted the temptation to push the distance, even though the nipping stopped and I headed home along the flat - slowly and carefully and finished off with a really good stretch and a roller session.

I know now that my calf injury was triggered by me doing a massive steep hill in the second half of my  third half marathon distance long run on a Sunday.  Another major and stupid error for which I paid the price. I'd not done a reduced mileage for ages  - why should I, I felt great!  I was bonkers. I've cycled and walked up that hill before and it's a a struggle even in granny gear; even after serious spinning training. But that day before Christmas I ran up it. I went slowly but that probably made it even worse. When that calf muscle called out to me the other day, I realised what I'd been putting my body through as I pushed myself. I'd acted like I was invincible.

But, as a reborn runner I am starting again, rebuilding myself.  The combination of really listening to my body and not my i pod and having a method for analysing my form is transforming my running.  A small physical adjustment took the pressure off that muscle and I could run pain free. A massive mental adjustment and working on my focus meant I noticed a problem and responded to it before it got too big. A boost of discipline means I now walk up hills - unless I am specifically out on a planned hill session.

I'd never thought about hills as being high risk for my poor legs, but I do now.  I get the power of hills and how they found my weak spot.  I have to treat hills with respect and progress slowly and gradually.  Which I suppose is what I should have done in the first place - but hey isn't that life!

I've had a great running week. I am so enjoying my running just now, it's more rewarding than it's ever been. Every run has felt good and I can see progress - not just in speed or distance, but more importantly in what I learn and the type of runner I'm growing into. And as you can see flat running doesn't have to be easy or boring!

Three runs this week and one spin class. I've done another 10 miler in a slightly faster cadence than last week - pretty flat as you can see!  A shorter faster run and a recovery jog barefoot on the beach. I'll have an enforced reduction in mileage next week and instead of fretting about not being able to run, I'm going to be grateful that it it fits so well with my plans.  Well that's the theory!

Happy running!

take care

Suex

Hail the Virgin London Marathoners - We Salute You!

Well it's been and it's gone.  The Virgin London Marathon or #VLM if you're Twitterati is over for almost everyone I should think by now.

The London Marathon is special. It was the first marathon I'd heard of that wasn't an olympic sport, the first time I realised that lesser mortals could aspire to lofty goals. I remember 30 years ago when I was working in London going to watch it and wondering who was going to scrape up the Mars bars in the morning.  I don't remember any of the folk I knew training (except Guinness and pasta) but we were young.

Every year I watch the start and highlights on tv.  Every year I cry with pride and a whole range of feelings I don't know how to describe as those happy smiling optimistic human beans hit the starting gate. It's a magic mix of hope and optimism; fear and trepidation and the belief and determination that through all the tears and smiles, they will make it to the end.

There is something so totally and wonderfully human about the marathon, something so true to our humanity and our spirit of adventure, our solidarity and our courage. And maybe our wonderful and totally mad belief that we can do anything if we put our mind to it. It's also about how much we care for each other, running for almost every charity you can think of and usually in memory or celebration of someone they know and love. Runners helping each other, supporting each other.

That's us out there - hundreds and thousands of us, running a really long way. Wow!

This year was really special because I knew a lot of runners in the London Marathon. I knew what they'd been through to make their dream come true.  The personal bests, the building up the distance over the long months of preparation, the injuries, the setbacks. Everyone had their own journey to get there, their own story, their own ending now.  I also know a few folk in the crowd cheering them on - other runners who know how much that cheer matters when you're on the road.

I stand in awe of each and every one of the thousands of you ordinary remarkable people who donned your trainers and set off on an epic 26.2 mile journey.  Most of you made it more or less in one piece, some did it quick - well done. Some did it slow - really well done - much harder to run for 6 hours. The marathon is about distance more than anything else - that's the challenge.

Some of you didn't make it round, or maybe couldn't make the starting line despite all your hard work  We feel your pain and you have a much harder journey ahead, but you will be back and you will do it, honest. And we will all cheer extra loud cos your journey was even harder and longer.

To you all I send a massive hug and healing vibes for those aches and pains. You make us all proud to be human, proud to know you and desperate to get out there and run those marathons with you!

You are fab. We salute you!

Take care,

Suex

Chattering monkeys: finding focus

Photo from somerandomephoto

Focus is really not my forte. My mind is always jumping about, I do several things at the same time and I juggle non stop.  I'm great at making links and connections, love new ideas, but I am rubbish at paying attention and I just don't do detail. I've always been a fidget, perpetually distracted at school, never sure what I wanted to do or be.

So I start things with a great flourish and great intentions but finish in a bit of a state and get through life by the skin of my teeth (see my blog posts on the Barcelona Marathon for evidence!). I can get very distracted  - you wouldn't believe the number of times I've done my ankle in whilst having a good neb into a well lit window enticed by the chance to glimpse another world and not noticing a pothole (sounds like a metaphor for you life. ed). I must test the patience of himself when he has to repeat things because I've been carried away by a passing insight. Twitter of course fuels this type of behaviour, because I am a flibbertigibbet, a will o' the wisp, a dilettante with a mind that goes leaping about.

In a way, I quite like it. It's exciting and stimulating, despite the scrapes it gets me into. I have to balance lots of things in life, we all do, so it's handy that I can juggle various crises. But it was when it cropped up in my running that I began to think a bit more deeply about what all this is about and the implications.

You won't be surprised that this has all happened because of my Chi Running.  In my Chi training session 6 weeks ago, Nickwas giving me feedback and advice and I suddenly realised I wasn't really listening to him. I heard what he said but I was busy thinking about what comes next. I 'fessed up and Nick said I have a head full of chattering monkeys and I need to focus on the here and now. Yes, Nick you're right, of course I do! Now, can I just ask how many times should I .......

I forgot about the monkeys, and got on with becoming a Chi runner, focussing my attention on keeping my shoulders down, keeping my posture right, keeping my pace steady; exercising my attention and my legs.   No more listening to the iPod, letting my thoughts wander at will. This paying attention to what's going on at the moment is having a remarkable effect on my running. I've lost that sense of urgency that I have to run as fast and far as I can every opportunity because I might not be able to run tomorrow. Instead I'm focussing on my running as I'm doing it. Every time I run I listen to my Chi Running podcast and focus on the here and now.  It's paying off even in training terms - my ability to run at a consistent pace is getting much much better and I'm having fewer niggles already. I am at peace with my running in a way I haven't been before. 

Because I'm still limiting how often I run, I've started practicing my running form when I'm doing other things. You don't need to run to relax your shoulders or get your posture right.  I've been reading the Chi Walking book so I can do it when I walk about and got some really good ideas there too. Chi is beginning to seep into other areas of my life and this is good.

So I was feeling quite positive, then came the week from hell. I've been horrendously stressed this week.  I won't bore you with the details and it wasn't the worst week I've had, but I was struggling.  I'd run out of time and energy, my head was close to going ping with all the juggling. I was overwhelmed by what I had to do and guilty about what I wasn't doing.  Not surprisingly, I wasn't sleeping, so I got the early train to get a good crack at things and hopefully do enough to get ahead of myself.

As I sat on the train, shuffling a massive pile of papers, my heart sank, it was as bad as I thought. How was I going do all this? Through the fug came a ray of light - just focus on one thing. All I had to do was decide my most important and immediate priority and focus on that.  It was surprisingly obvious when I looked at my diary and then things fell into place. I could feel the pressure falling off and my mind calming as the clutter and clatter fell away.

I was in the here and now.  I'd stopped listening to the chattering monkeys reminding me of all the stuff  I had to do and getting quite agitated about it all. Those monkeys were pulling my attention in all sorts of directions, getting me agitated and holding me back. As I decided on my priority I began to feel in control and my brain began to calm down and clear.

Focus is yet another muscle I have to develop,  just like those glutes. If I am going to do a half decent job of balancing all the things I value in my life,  I need to learn to focus.

As I type, the monkeys have been distracting me -  telling me to make cups of tea, getting me to clean the kitchen and make pots of soup.  But they're not upset or alarmed, they're happily chatting and chirruping to each other, occasionally reminding me that I have other things on my horizon and that it's good to take a break. Those chattering monkeys are going to help me get balance into my life -  if I can get the little buggers under control!

Training this week fell victim to my chaos. I did half a day of serious gardening, one aerobics session, a sneaky five miler and I hope to run tomorrow, but I'll see how I feel. It's been by luck rather than design that I've got any exercise this week. A lot of the internal chattering is about when can I squeeze in a run and when can I get to the gym. I reckon if I timetable sensibly, I can cut this chatter out too.

You never know what's going to happen when you start running, or cycling or cooking or whatever thing captures your imagination. Writing the blog gives me a chance to reflect on what's going on and that helps.  My marathon challenge is firmly rooted in my head and how I organise my thoughts and my life. I think I got that in theory, but doing it is a bit different. Being a runner is never just about the legs is it?

Take care, keep well, run strong.

Suex

ps yes I know a chimp is an ape not a monkey! But I really like this photo. She's a few years under her belt and despite the chattering and jumping about, she has wisdom an experience -  and a nice smile!