Lochaber Marathon: Race Report

I can't tell you how much pleasure it was to type those 4 words. Four little words, 4 long months. 26.2 miles. I can't take the grin off my face either!

Yesterday I ran the Lochaber Marathon in 5h 14m (my Garmin said 5.11).  It was my first marathon. It was a marathon I really didn't think I'd start never mind finish.

The Lochaber Marathon is a must do marathon and a great place to do your first or any marathon.  I picked it because it's small, it's run by and for runners and it's in one of the most beautiful bits of the world.  It's also one of the oldest marathons, 2014 was its 30th year.

From the moment I registered, I knew this was the right place for me. I was nervous and sore from a long car journey and could barely walk. The prognosis was not good for running, but I was hoping for a miracle. As I registered, I felt so emotional I could have burst into tears. Would I make it to the starting line? Would I run 1 mile or 10?  But I got such a warm welcome, such a lovely smile and reassuring words from the folk on the desk that I relaxed. Whatever happened on Sunday, it was going to be okay. These lovely people would understand. All I had to do was get to the starting line.

The next day we did some gentle sight seeing, sampled local delicacies and did some gentle walking on the sands of Morar. No wonder they film so many films round this beautiful place.

On the road back, we saw the signs out for the race. I held my breath. Less than 24 hours time I might be here. The scenery was simply stunning, the road lovely and flat but it was a scarily long way. Lochaber is an out and back race and as we saw the sign for the turning point, I realised just how far I'd have to run. It silenced and humbled me.

The night before the big day, we had a seriously delicious carb loading at the Ben Nevis Inn with a view of the mighty mountain and a well deserved top rating on TripAdvisor (so good we went again to celebrate!). Then back to our room where I got my kit all paid out and ready then spent the rest of the evening trying to get my back into a runnable state. I'd forgotten my tennis ball, so instead improvised with... a turnip! A bit hard but needs must. Luckily I did remember my roller and trusty hot water bottle.

Sunday morning was wet. And cold. And windy. Here's the view from our  lovely B&B, Myrtle Bank. Not the best way to start marathon day with lashing rain and howling winds.

Given I was probably only running for a few miles I did wonder if I should just save us all a load of bother and turn back now. Wasn't I being a bit pig headed? But I'd come this far, and it would have been a real failure to have been put off by a  bit of bad weather on the big day. Especially as it was nothing like as bad as some of the weather I ran in when training.  I knew that at very least I had to start the marathon. It really didn't matter what came next. If I didn't start I'd never know what I could have achieved, and I might have wasted my one chance. Every single journey has to start with that first step.

So all porridged and vaselined up, we headed off in the pouring rain. I can't tell you how nervous I was. My mouth was dry. My tummy in knots. I was strangely quiet and introspective.  It stayed wet as the twa pipers piped us up to the start line on the shinty pitch. I went right to the back. I wanted to be out of the way, to run my race my way. Plenty of time to speed up over 26.2 miles.

We started off running through houses, along the canal and then onto the road to Mallaig - the Road to the Isles.  There were loads of lovely Marshals keeping us safe and cheering us on. It must be the friendliest race around, it was like chatting to people I meet on my runs on the beach (I did succumb to saying hello to a dog right at the end too!).  Even better, Ali was waiting for me at 4 miles to check I was okay. I was sore but not stopped in my tracks, which was progress on last Sunday when I'd had to stop at 4 miles and hobble home.

As we ran out of Fort William the views just got amazing and the sun came out. For the first time in months I was running in warm sunshine and having to think about hydration, but there were plenty of stops. I stayed at the back and got to know the small group of back runners. We were spread out which I really liked. It was like doing a normal long run, I felt no pressure to worry about anyone else or speed up or slow down. I was free to run my race, my way and enjoy the scenery and the people who came out of their houses to wave us on. I popped Danny Dreyer's Chi Running onto the ipod.

As the miles gradually racked up, I realised that pain came and went but it wasn't getting any worse.  Before I'd left I'd had a really good sorting out from Pam and Lizelle at Physio Plus so I knew that I would hurt but I also knew what was behind the pain and that this was pain that could be endured without doing me harm.

So the pain was manageable and nothing else was hurting, so I began to wonder if I could make 10 miles. At about 8 miles, the sun was shining, the loch sparkled and the air was fresh and clear. I felt I could run (slowly) forever. I knew then that I would get round even if I had to crawl. Nothing was going to stop me now, nothing. I was committed.  It was a good feeling.

For the first time since my hip seized up 3 weeks ago I began to think I might just run this marathon and it was exciting.

Now I had hope and dogged Yorkshire grit persistance, I had a strategy - to get to the end come hell or high water. I focussed on doing whatever I had to do to manage the pain and stop anything seizing up. Suddenly it didn't matter how long I took, or if I walked, hopped or jumped to the end. I was running the race I was in. Not the race I imagined, not the race I hoped for, but the race that was in the here and now. I started to really enjoy myself and go with the flow -  the pain and stretching were just matters to be dealt with. I thought about my sessions with Nick on Chi running and my Chi running chums on Facebook.

I know you read all that stuff and nod sagely, but this was serious road to Fort William enlightenment. Run the race you're in. Of course dumbo!!

As we headed past the end of the loch, past the loos and more merry Marshals, the rain began. Just light enough to be refreshing at first, a few miles later it was soaking and gusty. I quite liked the rain, I'd trained in rain, sleet and howling gales so it felt totally normal.

At the half way turning point I got a real buzz. I have a thing about getting to half way and heading home, it gives me a big psychological boost on my runs, so Lochaber suited me nicely.  I hit half way 1/2 hour quicker than my training long runs so I felt pretty positive, I know I can run 20 - maybe I could do it in 5 1/2 hours.....

A mile later everything went strange and I began to worry that I wouldn't finish. I have no idea where it came from, but about that time I experienced my own mental wall (my legs were ok).  That's when I started run/walking and when I started to wonder what was happening in my body. Had I fuelled enough, had I drunk enough? Things I never worry about when I run normally. I ate a jelly baby or two and told myself I never had to eat them again after today. I thought about my Dad. The reason I started running. Whose Parkinson's meant he was robbed of the choice of movement. Who'd be so proud of me and who would move heaven and earth to get me through.

Gradually as the next mile marker came into view and I realised I was still running (and still in 1 piece!) I got a grip. The skies began to clear and I was stretching every mile now, but every mile was a victory,  every mile was a mile I hadn't thought I could run. Every mile was nearer that finishing tape.  As I hit 20 miles I knew I was entering the unknown. At just after 21 miles, my calves started doing very strange things. It felt like a sort of popping cramp type feeling. I flashed back to my calf injury of last year and slowed right down and basically walked and ran to the end. It was frustrating, I had energy left in my legs and I had trained to speed up at the end, so a slow finish just felt wrong.  Somehow I managed to run over the finishing line 5 hours and 14 minutes after I left it.

I got a lovely hug from the woman who gave me my rather lovely medal and then from Ali along with the best cup of tea I"ve ever had. One marathon finished, against all odds.

I never thought I'd finish that marathon. For most of the last few weeks I couldn't really see much point in even starting it, but I knew that I had to at least try.  My life never goes to plan, and once I accepted that this marathon wasn't going to plan either I realised I had a choice. I could wait until everything went smoothly, or I could just make the best of what I had in front of me. I am so glad I didn't miss my chance because things weren't as I wanted them to be.

I could have done none of this without Ali who gave me support and space in just the right amount and who believed in me. Thank you Ali.

Pam and Lizelle and everyone at Physio Plus have been amazing at patching me up and keeping me going. I really thought I'd no chance until Friday morning when Pam said I'd nothing to lose by just trying. How right she was. Thank you!

And I couldn't have picked a better place to make my debut. It was the friendliest, best organised event I have attended, set in the most stunning scenery. It was small - 363 folk went over the starting line and I came 353rd.  I liked the small scale, we were real people not numbers. It was running as I love to run - doing my own thing, running along through beautiful scenery, at my own pace, not running with elbows and MAMILs shoving me out of the way.  I could wear my iPod and sing along as I ran.  It was just like doing a really long run in a beautiful place, the lovely Loch and the magnificent Ben Nevis. And I got a medal, a wee bottle of whisky and food. What more can a girl want?

So it is done. My life will never be the same again. I've started thinking about what next. I quite fancy working on my 10k time for Race for Life and I want to do some walking and cycling with Ali. I haven't ruled out another marathon, but for now I'm just savouring the delicious delight of being a marathoner. I like the sound of that.

Good luck to everyone running London next week and Manchester's coming up soon. If you can possibly get to the starting line, do it. You never know what might happen. If your race turns out different to what you'd hoped, don't despair. Run the race you get, not the one you would have liked. That way you might just find you get further than you ever thought possible.

Mileage this week? 26.2. YES!!!!

Take care

Suex

Proceed until apprehended: Going to the wire

Well here I am, one week to go til the the Lochaber Marathon. It's been another roller coaster - can I run? can't I run? - kind of week. Less than 7 days to go and I'm still not sure.

The best news is that I know what the problem is, thanks to my Physio Pam. Something happened to a nerve in my mid back and it's triggered all kinds of mayhem in my hips. I've had a bad back now and then for years. It comes on when I'm stressed and sit too long on uncomfortable chairs.  Ironically, the last time I had it was in Barcelona (watching instead of running the marathon last year) when the airplane seats tipped me over the edge.

Not great news, but it does mean there's a chance I might run next week, so I'm not giving up just yet; hope, as they say, springs eternal. In that spirit I hit the treadmill on Friday morning before work.

I started slowly and focussed on the feedback I was getting. I made myself stretch every 2k. My legs felt heavy and my running style lumpen and leaden. Was that the outcome of my extreme tapering or nerve/muscle stuff?  I went into Chi Running mode and focussed on form and tried to run smoothly. Mentally this was great, it distracted me from the experience of pain and kept me feeling in control, but I couldn't find a way of influencing the pain through posture (which surprised me).   The pain came and went and moved around with no clear pattern; it certainly didn't get worse as I ran, but it didn't ease off either. Just as I thought things were settling down, it came back and kicked in hard. Stretching usually helped, but not always, sometimes it seemed to make it worse.

I realised pretty quickly that the pain itself wasn't the main problem; the real danger was that I would let the pain affect my form and I'd do some serious damage. I took myself back to me training with Nick last year and used the different Chi form focusses to make sure that no matter what the pain got up to, I was running right.

Having a proper diagnosis and knowing that I wasn't damaging my body helped a lot and gave me the chance to get into my running head again.  As the pain came and went and sometimes (worst of all) got stuck,  I remembered the early days of my training. When I started marathon training, I struggled with sore knees, ankle tendonitis and ITB strain until I got insoles to compensate for my gammy feet and lop sided pelvis.  Using my Chi thinking and through experience, I learnt not to freak out when I felt  pain but to go with it and see what happened. I learnt the value of relaxing my legs and running from the core and letting my body accommodate and adapt.  In those early days, I learnt to observe the pain and use my mind to keep me relaxed and focussed and my form to let me keep running. I'd been running so well and so free of pain in the latter part of my training that I'd forgotten how determined I'd been in those early days.

After the run, I felt fine and did loads of amazing yoga and Pilates thanks to Stacey, Richard & Kate at VirginActive gym. I've also caught up on Coronation Street and Prisoners Wives whilst rolling around on lumps of foam and sitting on tennis balls. Everything felt good, so this morning I was stiff but decided to try another run.

It wasn't too cold, but I wanted to give my muscles total care so I wore compression and thermal tights and headed off along the beach. It was so wonderful to run by the sea again. It was drizzly and cloudy but not busy (I avoided all dogs!). This time my running felt smooth and fluid. I felt my legs switch from feeling sleepy and lazy to starting to work properly, not surprising given my extreme tapering. The rain on my face, no wind (NO WIND!!!!), the sound of the waves, it was bliss. I felt great.

I went slowly and focussed on body-sensing. I was fine until about mile 4 when pain began to surface.  Stretching sorted out the butt pain, but it came back in the next muscle. I eventually worked out how to stretch that one, but by mile 5, it was getting seriously tight, too tight to run without limping so I stopped (one of my rules). I walked back briskly, the pain went if I pressed on the muscle but any running set it off again.  Gradually, the leg calmed down helped my heat, ice, stretching, rollering and Napier's miracle muscle rub (thank you Janice!).

So, I'm less confident today that I'll be up to 26.2 miles next Sunday, but I'm not giving up hope just yet.  I've been inspired by Facebook chats with Pam, Leah and Celina and the other Chi runners. We've been talking about how every run is a training run. That made me think that I could just see next Sunday's marathon as a training run, not for doing 26.2 miles, but for just starting a marathon.

I don't know what it's like to start a marathon; to line up, to keep a very slow pace and not be rushed by the excitement and other runners. I would learn an awful lot of useful stuff as prep for a marathon and no learning is ever ever wasted.  I might only manage 5 miles, but that wouldn't be the point of running.

Is it daft (or worse selfish) to even think of starting a marathon I almost certainly won't finish? Or would it be a wasted opportunity not to give it a try?

 I have my boundaries:

I won't run if Pam advises me not to, I run to be stronger and fitter not damaged and I'd miss my real runs - the ones on the beautiful beaches of East Lothian - if I got an injury.

I might run with pain as long as it's not damaging me. My experience on Friday showed me that pain and damage are not inextricably linked and then I read a great blog on pain and running by Tom Goom, which totally confirms my (very limited) experience on pain and running.

I won't run if it looks like I'll have to walk most of the way or take 6 hours. I want to run a marathon not walk one, walking 26.2 miles is not meaningful to me, plus I don't want to keep the marshals away from their tea! I'd sooner stop at 5 miles

You probably think I'm mad and I should just accept I'm not going to run and get over it. But I know it's not yet time for acceptance. I will not accept something's impossible when there is still hope, however faint. I plan to proceed until well and truly apprehended, chained and shackled. That's the only way to tackle the hard stuff and the only way that I will feel good about not running.  I'm pretty sure I can run 26.2 miles, I'm not sure I can do it next Sunday.

Clocked 10 miles this week (hooray!) and more yoga and pilates than you'd think humanly possible.

Hope you've all had good weeks and are running, walking, cycling, living happy and healthy.

Fingers crossed for next week....

Take care!

Suex

Where there's life there's hope!

(photo from Lochaber Athletic Club page)

Day 99 in the would-be marathon runner house. Sue has been training for her marathon now for 14 weeks and 1 day. She's been in enforced taper for the last two weeks. Mileage this week - a big fat zero.

On the long and winding road to the marathon, you get training guides for the running bit, but of course the mental and emotional stuff is just as hard.  I was fine with getting out there and running and I didn't miss a single training session because I didn't feel like it.  My mental challenge was to not get carried away and over do things, to maintain and develop my form and not my speed. I had to learn to adapt as I pushed my asymmetrical body to pound the ground mile after mile. And of course to cope with the ever present possibility that at my age and with my deformed feet, legs of different lengths and iffy hips, I was pushing my body a little bit too far.

My marathon prep has been as much about staying optimistic and positive; keeping my spirits and heart lifted when it looked like my knees or my feet weren't going to make it to the end and just keeping believing that I will get there - one day.

I've had a few false starts, so  thought I'd made it this time when I hit my final training week in good form. But then things went belly up and I had to start taper early and pull out of my final long run last Saturday.

Since then I've been RICE-ing, 'resting', Pilates-ing and trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious pains that move about and appear and disappear without any clear pattern. And I've had to face up to the distinct possibility that, yet again, I'll be watching, not running, a marathon.

Hip pain is notoriously hard to diagnose apparently and I haven't bucked that rule. I had a very painful TFL immediately after the aborted long run last week, but it responded very quickly to @tomgoom's suggested treatment. By the time I hit the physio on the Monday evening I had to run round the block to get even a faint memory of a niggle.

Judith went through the possibilities. Hips sound, knees sound, nothing structural, no muscle problems. Nothing hurt except running, the one thing I really really wanted to do! This suggested something weight bearing and a few deep prods and pokes suggested the possibility of an inguinal hernia. This is a split in the ligament next to the hips. The signs were it was probably a tiny one (at the moment); the hip pain was referred pain explaining its unpredictability and flighty nature.

This was not a good diagnosis to get. I got home and googled for all I was worth. It seems that not many women get it but we can do. The male runners seemed just to whack on extra tight lycra, take pain killers (or not!) and run with it in that macho way that MAMIL's do.  I didn't even contemplate that approach. Whether I'm a wimp or not, my pain was definitely not runnable with, not least because it brought with it impaired mobility- ie a totally seized up hip and a pronounced hobble.  To add to the risk factors, I've been running almost entirely on soft sand and through woods, a weight bearing injury on tarmac was not going to feel any better than on the sand dunes. I didn't want to walk a marathon so the prognosis for making the start line was not good.

As I pondered the probable end of my hopes for Lochaber, I was sad, but not desperate. When I thought about running with a split ligament, it just felt wrong. I saw 26.2 miles; 5 plus hours of not just pain, but a worsening injury that could take a long time to heal, might even need surgery. I also know that the effort to work round the pain would put other bits of me at risk too. It was clear to me that this is as much about the quality of my running as the simple number of miles. I want to feel good when I start, I want to run (as much as I can) not walk it and I want to finish tired, sore but healthy and ready to run again soon.

But of course, without some sort of scan, I don't know it's definitely a hernia, so I kept an optimistic heart and an open mind. On Tuesday morning, I headed off to the GP with my diagnosis. He did the usual tests (lots of coughing!) and couldn't find any suggestion of a hernia. My symptoms were classic hip pain and he also pointed to a massive bruise on my hip, quite yellow by now and probably from the leaping dog. My GP said I needed to rest from running and go back if it didn't go away. The mystery thickened.

I decided to do some gentle experimentation. Judith said if it was a hernia then I'd be fine to walk and run to tolerance.  I did my Pilates class with ne'er a twinge and had a quick go on the treadmill. First I did a little slow run. I barely managed 1k before the niggle started so stopped immediately and tried fast walking and walking up hills.  Nothing hurt. Not a twinge. I was delighted. This meant I could do a bit of taper training, handy if I could eventually run and good for morale.

But that night my hip kept me awake. I was in agony.  I began to think I didn't have a hernia after all. I started to worry it was something really serious, a stress fracture in the hip maybe? That's also hard to diagnose and you can end up out of action for a long long time.  No more running, no more treadmills. I did almost panic.

But I could walk and keeping moving definitely felt better for my hip than sitting or lying. So Ali and I had a lovely long Easter Saturday walk up to Yellowcraigs and back (my short run route!).  I felt fine except for a bit of stiffness in the hip which disappeared over a bowl of delicious soup at the Dirleton Cafe.  Yards from home, after about 6 miles walking, I got that now familiar sharp pain in the hip and  couldn't walk. Ali had to run back and get the car to drive me home.

Despite the pain, I was quite pleased to have a bit more of the jigsaw, another clue.  Walking for a long time, even on soft sand made it worse. Short walks and standing were fine. The pain went almost immediately I stopped walking.  Lying on my hip made it worse. It started to look like I might have hip bursitis which is linked to leg length disparity (tick), repeated activity (tick) and a tight ITB (tick).   I'm back to the physio tomorrow so will find out more then.  Bursitis is treatable with rest and a steroid injection. I might just make it....

As I type this I don't know if I will be able to run 26.2 miles  in less than two weeks time. I have a sense of hope, but I'm not sure if it's realistic or not, it's too soon to tell. But I know that whilst it would be a blow, running that distance on that date is really not what it's about.

For over 3 months I have trained diligently and hard and never missed a session except to avoid injury.  I've learnt from last year's calf tear and run stronger than ever before. I've done the hard work, I've put the hours in; I've built the mileage up; I've been out in some of the worst weather we've had for years.

Training for the marathon has been an amazing experience. I've discovered the joy of the long run and my 2 twenty milers have been memorable high spots which I am so proud of. I want to do more of them in future just because I loved doing them.  I've learnt so much about myself and built up my confidence in my ability to take on a challenge, to get through the tough bits.

I will miss this marathon gladly if it means I can run along the beaches here all summer long and enjoy the warm sun (!), the colours, the sound of the waves. I will not run if I know I'm likely to harm myself, I run to celebrate health.

Finishing a marathon is just the icing on the cake, the public affirmation and the formal marker of something the world sees as significant. But inside, in me, I carry every mile, every step, every heartbeat with pride. I am changed forever and that's what I value.

I've read two very inspiring posts this week from runners I admire who have great wisdom and humility.  Their words have helped me a lot, echoing so closely what I also have found to be true.
Paul  and Tom. Thank you guys.

I'm also enjoying taper! I got time with Ali and time to help the cats learn about the great world outside.    Here's Dougal lording it over his new domain. Hamish was a bit too quick for me to capture, it's all bit scary for him.

Whatever you're up to, I hope you and yours are well and happy.  Good luck with all your endeavours.

Take care

Suex

Taper time: Treats and trembles

Well, this post should have started off with a sigh of relief that I'd finished the long runs; that the 5 o'clock rises to squeeze a run in before work were done for now. It doesn't. It starts with an "ouch!" and the sound of fingers and toes crossing firmly with the clear intention to summon a bit of luck that I will in fact make it to the starting line in Fort William in less than three weeks.

I'm not sure what happened. I'd felt a bit niggled after last Saturday's long run; sort of out of kilter. There was nothing I could put my finger on, but a swim and yoga session got me back to normal and nothing hurt so I just put it down to being disgruntled and tired and ready to taper.

So I headed off quite chipper for my middle distance run on Wednesday lunchtime. Despite the awful weather we've had, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Okay it was a bit blowy and a bit nippy, but you don't run on Scottish East Coast beaches without getting used to that! I'd dressed warm with my polar leggings (not worn for several years, it's not been cold enough); gloves and even Ali's neck warmer. It felt great and I felt good and started to think I might go for 10 miles given how lovely it all was.

I trotted along and a very large friendly (and rather tubby) dog came up to say 'hello'. Nothing untoward and he was certainly better behaved than many of the dogs you meet on the beach. I stopped and greeted the beast but he jumped up on me and his weight shoved me over on my ankle. Not a big dunt, it wasn't even sore and of course I've done the twisted ankle thing before and then run 20 miles, so I didn't worry unduly and just headed off again.

Gradually I noticed a sort of stiff pain in my outer left thigh. I've got quite used to pain over the last few months and I've learnt just to relax and wait for  it to move around as my body accommodates and adapts.  But this was different and it didn't budge, I seized up more and more.  By mile 5, I couldn't keep going, my leg just wouldn't move like it needed to. It wasn't horrendously sore, my leg just wouldn't work; some bit of me was not happy and wasn't going to play anymore. I stopped running, turned round and started walking home - I didn't want to risk an injury so close to the big day.

Walking is really slow, it takes sooo long to get anywhere, but at least I was warmly dressed and the sun was shining. The pain eased quickly over the next day or so, and luckily I'd got a general maintenance check with the physio scheduled and got the all clear. I had a massage and it all looked okay for the last long Saturday run.

Saturday came. It was baltic, absolutely baltic with snow forecast for the second half of my run. Out came the winter gear. In went the porridge. A gentle warm up of the body and mind and then off I went into the breach. It was cold and windy but how exhilarating! I started off very slowly, thinking just how good I was going to feel at the end - thanks to my Twitter chums cheering me on. After about 5 minutes I  had a sharp pain down the thigh muscle and everything seized up again. It was worse this time, much more painful and it came on quicker than Wednesday. I did momentarily think about running on but that would have been madness. I knew I had to abort my mission - this was not the time to experiment running through a new and rather ominous pain. I might be able to do that in the marathon, but now I needed to listen to my body and head home.

I got great support from physio and runner Tom Goom (@tomgoom) who helped me get a handle on what was going on; reminded me that I'd done most of my training and I had a chance if I focussed on healing. There's lots of very good advice on his website too. After two twenty mile runs I do feel confident I have it in me to do the full 26.2, but not with a gammy leg! I surrendered to taper and accepted my lot.


To mark the end of long runs and the start of taper, I celebrated with afternoon tea at Greywalls in Gullane. It didn't matter too much that I'd not managed the 20 that morning.  It wasn't just a reward for that one run, it was a reward for everything; every early morning, every treadmill torment, every niggle and every lesson learnt over the last 3 months. And I have to tell you it tasted every bit as good as it looks! Carb loading can indeed be fun and not too onerous!

I'm now focussed on healing with my trusty compression tights on and my fingers crossed ready for my physio appointment tomorrow evening.  I must admit I'm tired, despite (or maybe because of) not running much this week. It isn't just the muscles that get all fired up and busy when you're training - it's mental and adrenalin fuelled too; it's odd not to have my mental calculator going non stop to work out how to squeeze the runs in!

So I'm in taper. Physically it started last week, mentally it started yesterday. It's not quite how I'd planned it, but none of the training has gone to plan, and that's part of the learning.  As I sit here I've suddenly started to notice streaked windows and dusty corners. Spring is coming and I feel the urge to clean. I add a taper to-do list to my to do list!

So fingers crossed til tomorrow night when I hope to get a verdict. Will I run Lochaber or will I yet again watch a marathon?

Whatever you're up to in your training, good luck and watch out for big friendly dogs!

Take care

Suex

Marathon Training Update: The Last Push

Week 12 beckons. One more week of training runs before the taper. One more 20 miler. One more week of 30 plus miles. This week, I've been preparing for my last long run next weekend, the dress rehearsal for the big day.

I had a few kit failures when I did the the Meadows Half and that's been a really important bit of learning for me.  I hated being too hot and it is much colder running along the open beach into the wind, so I've got a couple of new lighter weight tops. My big toe-pad got sore because my socks were a wee bitty worn, so I've got Balega socks which are wonderfully soft and cushioned yet light.  I also stocked up on gels as I need a boost at about 7 miles (more mental than physical).  I'm loving the SIS berry and caffeine ones - you don't need to take them with water. And to counter the flapping i pod and melting jelly babies, I've got a neat little Nathan belt for my drinks and one for the iplayer.  I tried them all out yesterday and it all felt pretty comfortable.  I think I might need something more through, I don't travel light - tissues and lip salve are essentials!

Mentally, I've got my running head back on after the half. I'm back to normal,  I shoe up and head off and run until it's time to stop. But with a lot on the to do list and I think as I get to the end of the training, I've caught myself fighting the urge to get the run done quickly. The discipline for me is to focus on how long I run. I've learnt that if I start the run with the intention of running for one, two, three, four hours, with no thought of distance or pace then my mind just settles down and gets on with it.

It's been a massive challenge to stick to my cunning plan and I thought I'd got it sussed, but this week I caught myself at it again - trying to get out of the deal so I can do it more quickly. At about half way through my short run this week, I caught myself arguing with myself that I run for 10 k or an hour which ever comes first. I caved in (I've been fretting about my slower 10K and half marathon times) and I ran too fast. I might have saved myself a few minutes running time, but my knee hurt and niggled me on my long run yesterday. And it was harder to slip into that endurance frame of mind because I'd focussed on speed again. Grrr! Silly Sue!

But better to know this now than bombing it on the big day and I still have time to make some adjustments. I realised that this is probably what they mean by working out a race strategy. So that's on my list as well.   Up until now my strategy has been to get to the start line in one piece and then run til the end and finish with a smile.  I've also been practicing negative splits as a way to manage my speed addiction and it's taught me how much better I do if I keep it slow at the start.  So I'm going to treat Saturday's last long run like a mock marathon; a dress rehearsal. Not 26.2 miles, but I am going to give myself a treat afterwards to mark an achievement - getting to the end of another stage of the journey.

This week has been a lower mileage week - 30 miles in total (I nearly said 'only' 30 miles and then realised that was silly!). I've done my Pilates, yoga and rolling and stretching which have become as essential as the running. I even managed a Sunday swim to loosen everything up and take the weight off everything.  I'm ready for the last push.

Four weeks today til the Lochaber Marathon- if I'm spared and well. Four more weeks.

Scary.

Gulp.

Whatever you're up to, have a good week.

Take care

Suex

Delayed Onset Mental Stress:DOMS

It's been an interesting week since last Sunday's Meadows Half Marathon.  Physically I've been fine, but mentally I've had a bit of recovering to do. After the race  a corner of my brain was grumpy and disgruntled. I'd not enjoyed it and I'd been ages slower than the first time. A little voice kept whispering in my ear that Sunday was a big fat fail.  At the same time, there was another bit of me that was REALLY annoyed that I was even thinking the 'f' word when I had to focus on positive things and what I'd learnt. The inner dialogue chugged away.

Yes, I had a dose of  Doms - Delayed Onset Mental Stress.  It was like having a wee gremlin putting my positive thinking through a grinder and distracting me from important stuff.

As ever my lovely Twitter and FaceBook friends offered wise advice and helped me through. Running Lady Denise suggested I treat it as a training run - and she's exactly right. It was a training run; every run's a training run.  Colhun and Claire pointed out that running laps is mentally much more challenging and that I need to take the mental effort of lap running into account when I'm trying to make sense of my performance. And as Nick, Sharon and Alan from the Chi Runners reminded me (again!), running is not just about my legs; that's the easy bit. Running's as much about the head.

So just like an easy run can shake off the sore muscles, on Tuesday I did a run simply for pleasure to get a better running head on. I didn't think about pace or distance or even form. I went off along the beach and followed whatever path I fancied. It felt a bit like spring, so I took a new path into a bit of woodland behind the beach and just followed it round. What a delight. I found hosts of snowdrops and the earliest signs of daffodil shoots. Whose spirits don't lift at the hint of the spring flowers to come? And I found a steep path to the top of a small hill I didn't even know existed and ate my jelly babies looking at a wonderful view.

My legs were a bit heavy, but my heart and my head were light and I did 10 most enjoyable miles. I felt great; I was reconnected.

The usual middle distance run on the treadmill went fine and then it was time for my second 20 miler on Saturday. I like running Saturday mornings as the beach is a bit quieter, plus it was due to snow on Sunday.  This week, I'd practiced eating a pub meal the night before the run. I'm so glad I did.  The next morning, it took ages for my porridge to settle down, I felt stuffed. As Simon from Twitter said, in the morning of the run I don't need a big meal, I just need to top up. Eventually, I headed off into the wind and the rain with lots of positive mental attitude and looking forward to the challenge. This was excellent weather for developing my mental toughness and I welcomed it!

I have to say, though the weather was a tad inclement, I really enjoyed my run. Even though my skin was sticky with salt from the sea spray and the wind regularly stopped me in my tracks, and at times my thumbs went numb, it was great fun. The mud, very high tide and strong winds meant I did a bit more road running than usual, and for a chunk of the final 5 miles I was 'running' (in slow motion!) on the softest sand on the beach into headwinds; scrambling over rocks and dunes when the sea was as far in as it could go. But that's all great for the legs and it meant that as I ran back up to the house on a nice flat pavement, I speeded up.

So I finish the week on a high, feeling strong and positive.  I totalled just over 41 miles this week (gulp!). The Yoga and Pilates are keeping the muscles feeling good and I'm reaping the benefits of a regular sports massage. The end is in sight now but I still have some fuelling and kit issues.  I really need to get a better belt, one that will take all my bits. I'm not liking the ipod on the arm, it's too heavy. And I need to get a new strap for my Garmin as the old one's been rubbing. I have new Brooks shoes ready to break in for the big day - a day which is starting to feel very close....

Whatever you're up to, have a great week.

Take care

Suex

Meadows Half Marathon: Race Report

Well, I had my first race in 18 months today - the Meadows Half Marathon in Edinburgh.  I picked this race partly because it's perfect timing for the Lochaber Marathon but also because it's not your usual run of the mill big business marathon. The Meadows Marathon, half and fun runs is organised entirely by Volunteers from Edinburgh Universities and you can tell! (in the best possible way of course!).

My goal wasn't about muscles and cardio, it was learning about running for an event - and I'm so glad I did it, I really needed the experience. I had one of those runs that can only be described as a learning experience, despite all the great work done by the Meadows folk, I did not run my best.

I headed off with great excitement and a bit of trepidation, my tummy full of porridge and peanut butter. I had my ipod, my jelly babies, my sports drink and the usual tummy-settlers to keep things on an even keel.  I tweeted all the way in and it was great to feel the wonderful Twitter community around me.

I arrived in good time, dropped off by the sainted Ali, but I spent ages finding the registration building. There were no signs I could see, the stewards (from a security company) weren't very helpful but another runner took pity on me and took me into the building (I saw him later powering round, I hope he had a cracker of a race). It probably reflected that most of the runners knew the Union buildings so didn't need signage.

Once I got to the right place, things went like clockwork - the best organisation I've seen, it was great. Registration was incredibly efficient and swift. I really liked the way they kept things simple and cut down on waste and costs; it was a clean, lean system and it worked really well and focussed on raising money for charity not paying for admin and advertising.  By using the student facilities in Bristo Square, there were ample toilets and great facilities - best ever. I DID NOT HAVE TO QUEUE FOR THE TOILET ONCE! The toilets were real toilets, not porta loos. They were clean with all the bits and pieces a civilised toilet needs and they did not smell. With a cafe and shops round to cater for your every need, this was spot on.  What a great start to the race, especially if you're nervous. 10/10.

The warm up was great fun and really got us ready to run, but we were at the start line for a while. I stood in the wrong bit - I was surrounded by young muscled men and older lycra-d ones (MAMILs, if you take a modern definition of middle age staring at 60!).  Lots of macho stuff about times and how many marathons they were doing, oh and they just wanted to get round, probably in an hour or so (!).   Note to self - stay at the back next time! The race looked quite male dominated, and I don't recall seeing many women of a certain age running, but that's probably to be expected given it's university connections.

After the rousing countdown we were off -  7 laps of the Meadows for those of us on the half, 14 for the full marathon.  I have to be honest I hadn't really thought my strategy through properly and that was stupid. I thought I'd go for 2 hours or so to match my time two years ago. I wanted to start slow and finish faster. So I set my starting pace at 10.  I stayed steady as the young men streaked past me, patting myself on the back for not speeding up and that was fine for 5 miles. But then I started feeling out of sorts. I was too hot, but because I had my ipod in my jacket pocket, I couldn't take it off.  My sports drink was really sticky and seemed to be leaking onto my jacket and my sticky fingers irritated me. The skin under my big toe began to feel sore and I kept forgetting how many laps I'd done. The cobbles - only a very short bit in and out of George Square - got to me, making me worry about my ankle, worry about falling and making my toe sore (on the bright side it was dry!).

At about half way round, the fast marathon runners were lapping me and I remembered how much I hate running with men (sorry guys!).  They just treat us slower runners as if we're invisible and not as important as them and I got cross with one or two who clipped me. The older ones were the worst. Is it really okay to be rude when you're running? I'm sure they wouldn't behave like this in other contexts.

And I missed the sea, I missed the views. I missed the freedom to run where I wanted. I had to stamp on that line of thought pronto - it was a really bad thing to think when you're running an event involving laps round a massive field!

At about 10 miles, I realised I'd made a serious tactical error with the jelly babies. For some reason that can only be described as insanity, I put them in the little pocket at the back of my leggings (you know the one). They basically melted or dissolved or something equally unsavoury and made a horrendous sticky mess. Yuk! I was mainly annoyed by my stupidity on that one. I know not to do that. More stickyness.

The only thing that kept me going was the lovely, smiley and supportive stewards and the crowds who were just wonderful. Those young men and women were fantastic. Every lap I looked forward to seeing that familiar smiley faces and getting a wave, it made the lap system bearable. The way they smiled and cheered as I went past, I kept thinking I must have Jennifer Ennis or Mo Farah behind me! It made the race for me, those lovely young bright faces giving up their Sundays to make this work and cheer us on. I hope they know how much we appreciated them, I tried to say thank you where I could.

The Scouts (or cubs maybe - at my age I can't tell the difference!) did a wonderful job of handing out the water - the best hander-overers I've come across. When I saw those faces eagerly proffering water, I had to take a cup every time I went past and they collected all the waste ones after. Big green ticks all round for a job very well done guys.

Most awesome were the women walking for Water Aid, they were carrying some ridiculous amount of weight round with them. Total Sheros every one of them. Respect ladies, respect.

As my big toe got more tender, I noticed that I was compensating and my form was going belly up, so I slowed down; what did it matter if I wasn't going to make under 2 hours?  When I saw the finish line however, I just went for it and ended the race with a sprint - there was more in those legs.  2 hours and 12 minutes. 13 minutes slower than my only other half marathon.

I was disappointed, I know so much more now about running now and I was fully fuelled so I'd secretly hoped for a sub 2 hour time. But for whatever reason, I was just not in the zone today and I couldn't get back to my former glory. There was no way I could have run a marathon feeling like that either, I was slow and knackered and not in good spirits and things didn't work. Yet last week, I ran 20 miles quite happily with a sprained ankle - a minor sprain to be true, but more than a blister. What is that about? But maybe I'm being unfair on myself, this was the fastest 13.1m I've run in my marathon training so maybe that's not so bad.

A massive thank you to the Meadows Marathon folk for making it such a great event, well organised, friendly and a real testament to young folk. It was a pretty good goodie bag - the highlight being the Tunnock's caramel wafer, the banana and the MM key ring. There's also a emergency blanket and a Nuffield carry bag). There's a medal but I really wish that was optional, I think medals are a waste.  I could have had a massage too, but I left that for the serious marathon folk.  To make up a few miles, I ran back to the gym, re fuelled and had a sauna and a shower before heading home with a bagel and a cuppa.

So, lots learnt. I need to do some serious reflection about my kit, especially my belt and where I keep my iPod.  And I need to re think my fuelling strategy too. I started too full and everything got too sticky! The main thing I need to work out is my race strategy. Lochaber is 13.1 out and 13.1 back along the loch, so how am I going to manage that? My strategy today was not well thought through and not sensible.

Otherwise, I've done less running this week whilst I waited for my ankle to settle down. Luckily those beach runs have strengthened my feet so there was little damage other than bruising and an overworked ankle. RICE and arnica did the trick and my physio gave me the all clear on Wednesday; I was back running Thursday dark o'clock.

A total of 25 ish miles done, my ankle works and I survived those cobbles. I ran my fastest 13.1 miles of my marathon training and I have some excellent feedback on what not to do when I finally get to marathon day. Job done I reckon and you have to stay positive or you'd give up and I can't do that.

Next week back to the physical side of things; and the beach - Hooray! I hope to got for another 20 miler and save the intervals and hills for when I cut the mileage down

I hope whatever you've been up to this week, you've had a good one and are on target!

Take care

Suex