Pretty posters & things

 

So, I discovered a pretty funky new website & had a play & made a poster :) and there we are..... I am far too easily pleased sometimes. Today I am continuing my lazy streak, so I guess fidling about with random poster websites is one way to keep my mind busy. Well, I guess technically I am 'tapering' for the Grand Union Canal Race next weekend, but really I'm never really sure what you're meant to do with the whole tapering thing...I'm a bit clueless, so I'll just be lazy in the sun!

Hills, adventure & ponderings

An ultra adventure and lots of thoughts from the last couple of weeks.

A year has passed…. *sniffles*

It seems surreal that an entire year has passed since I took on my biggest challenge to date: Brathay Challenge of 10 marathons in 10 days around one of the toughest road marathon courses in the UK. The Brathay Windermere Marathon course is beautiful and inspiring and I love the Lake District. But it is tough and hilly and emotional and the uniqueness of this challenge and what makes it so challenging is that you must face your demons every day. If you grow to dislike a part of the course then you must face that enemy every day and it becomes a huge mental battle as well as a tremendous challenge of physical endurance. I must admit, I have felt all week that a part of me is there somehow. Last Friday when this year’s class of 2012 commenced their magnificent journey I thought of them intensely and recalled me drive up to Windermere the day before I started mine. I recalled the emotions, my hopes and my fears and how it all played out as the days rolled by. This event becomes a part of you and I don’t think it ever leaves but I think those memories have often lain dormant until now, reading this year’s blogs and feeling the raw emotion detailed within the words therein. I feel quite emotional and I intend to venture to Windermere for Sunday for Day 10 and the annual Windermere Marathon. It’ll be 3 years to the day since my very first marathon at Windermere and its going to be an emotional one. But it’ll also be a proud one and a happy day of celebration for the runners of 2012 and their magnificent achievement. 

My biggest challenge of late was heading back to the Malvern Hills Ultra to conquer my demons and a lot of unfinished business left over from a DNF at 45 miles in 2010. It was certainly very hilly and most definitely a big challenge…

Malvern Hills Ultra – 53+ miler, Saturday 5^th May 2012

Now, the course was really very different from when I last attempted this ultra in 2010, but the hills remained the same. I’m pretty sure a good chunk of the course has changed since 2010 anyway, however significant rainfall in the weeks leading up to this event made the route uncertain until the week before this year’s event. The River Severn had experienced serious flooding and consequently the route had to be drastically altered. Normally we would be heading out towards the Malvern Hills and looping back around to the start at Holt Castle. However, as it turns out, the amended version of this route was to prove even hillier…we were to run out-and-back. Navigating towards and over the Malvern Hills, we then needed to retrace our steps. Navigationally, this seemed easier but –achy-leg wise all I could think was, ‘I wonder which way around the hills are going to hurt the most?’ The answer was to be conclusive: no matter which way you tackle these hills and even the lesser hills on the course, hills will still be hills and legs will still be achy going up them and therefore, every way hurts the most ;-)

So, with a 4am wake up call to make it to the start line for 7ish am we headed towards Malvern and of course, despite leaving early we were late. Well, when I say late I mean we got lost and our satnav couldn’t quite work out the entrance to the start. Fortunately with a bit of guesswork and a turnaround we managed to outsmart the satnav and reached the start line. Leaping out of the car and scrambling for my map-case (to be used for keeping things dry rather than mappage…I am the most useless person with a map, but I did have some written instructions…), bag and banana I jogged over towards race HQ and got my number, attempted to listen to the brief whilst fiddling with my bag and number and ultimately did the most important thing and got to the front of the loo queue…I always worry about this because there is nothing worse than starting an event when you are bursting to go to the loo and when your mind should be on the task at hand but is instead whirring with uncomfortable thoughts of how you can go for a pee…well, it is just distracting.

 
 
Luckily there wasn’t a long queue and I had a few minutes to spare as I made my way outside and turned on my Garmin. I was really doubtful that my Garmin would behave itself because it has been temperamental for months upon months and the screen will often become a mass of random pixels or blank and stop working. However I can’t afford to do anything about it right now so I just have to wing it and hope it plays along.

Ultimately I was to be extremely fortunate that my Garmin did decide to play the game. I had uploaded the course to it the night before and with its participation it was able to point us in a lot of correct directions when we very nearly went in a lot of wrong ones. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we did go in some very varied directions also…just not as many as we would have done. This was a very good day for my technology to be working.

I gather that because the route had to be amended in a hurry that some of the written directions weren’t so spot on or as detailed as they might have been. This caused us to get confused at a few tricky junctions. At certain parts of the course there existed ‘Punch Points’ at which we were required to punch a tally card. Failure to reach these punch points and return these cards on the way out and back would result in a 10 minute time penalty added to our official recorded finishing time. I guess this only hugely mattered if you were trying to race and win this event. For us mere mortals we reasoned that if a Punch Point were to be hard to find and take us longer than the 10 minute penalty that we would incur for missing it, then it was probably better to incur that time penalty, because spending a lot of time looking for it would cost us even more time. Fortunately, we were quite adept at finding these points. The last one was tricky, but we found it.

Hills, feeling nauseous and fuelling

The main things that will stay with me with regards to this event are most poignantly the hills! I never facebook or tweet or anything normally during an ultra, but I felt I had to facebook how hilly these hills are. And I’ve done quite a few hilly things.  For some reason they can really zap all the energy out of your legs… I really suffered on this one with a lack of energy and feelings of nausea. Hills can do that to you with regards to nausea. I find that they can affect your breathing which adds to feelings of sickness. However, I also knew that my nutrition strategy for the day wasn’t going so great. I think sometimes it’s fair to say that I almost feel self conscious for eating so early on in an event. I tend to feel quite self aware and question whether I need to eat so early on. I’m good at going for ages without eating a lot or taking on fuel during events. This is probably a better strategy to adopt in training to make you stronger rather than when you’re actually taking part in an event and NEED the fuel. I’m the same with taking on water. In the end this can have a really detrimental effect on your energy levels. I’ve experienced it before and I should know to do so by now: always eat early on…fuel up early and avoid any feelings of nausea. I think there was a stretch of around 15 miles during this ultra where I felt rag-doll like and ill. We eventually stopped at a pub for a refreshing coke, which worked wonders with my packet of prawn and cocktail crisps. I then started to take on a bit more fuel at the remaining check points in the form of peanut butter sandwiches and I really started to feel much fuller of energy and happier. I felt more raring to go at the end of what would ultimately end up to be pretty close to 54 miles that I did about 30 miles earlier. It’s strange how these things turn out. It’s all so unpredictable. I guess that’s what makes it exciting.

Dark fields, climbing gates and getting lost

 

I was really lucky on this one to come across a familiar running friend and fellow 10in10'er Noel and for him to let me and my nausea tag along really. He is much faster than me, but he provided excellent company. Sometimes these things can be lonely and with some complicated navigationally difficult bits it was nice to have that company and reassurance of going the correct way…sometimes when we weren’t…but it is a whole lot worse to be in that situation alone and not have a clue where you are, with no one to ask. I was also kept amused on route by a new running buddy, Ellie. It was lovely to meet her and I hope to see her on a lot more of these crazy off-road things. Ellie is currently undertaking ‘The Memorial Mile Challenge’ and is running a mile in official races for every service person that has been killed in Afghanistan in Op Herrick. So, needless to say I had lovely and very inspiring company on this adventure.

At some points we took wrong turns and my Garmin would beep that we were ‘off course’, but we managed to get back on the right path together. I can be pretty rubbish with maps so it was nice to have reassurance from two other people. We ended up in a few fields that were pretty hard to navigate once it had gotten dark, but we just kept moving forward and climbed any gates we had to. Climbing gates was a bit of struggle in the latter stages. You really do stiffen up. However, in the latter stages I actually did feel better in myself other that the usual creaky stiffening of muscles. I no longer felt ill and I think the fuel I had been taking on had finally reached my system and made me feel better. All was good and definitely a bit of the route that we had covered some 50 miles earlier was beginning to look familiar. Then, with only a few miles left to go, I thought I could see a figure just in front of us. We hadn’t seen another runner for absolutely hours, but sure enough here was someone just ahead of us.

   

As it would turn out, there were actually 4 people just in front of us. They had gotten lost some miles earlier and phoned the Race Directors for some guidance. But we now knew we were on the right track and together we all ran to the finish, as the race director came out to greet us. This was the moment we had been working for all day and we were here, at the finish. Hurrah! I LOVE this feeling. I love it. Honestly, there is nothing more satisfying than reaching the finish line and feeling really pleased with it, having overcome obstacles and worked hard out there all day to make it happen. Whenever I get down with the world I think of these moments and treasure them. If I could bottle these moments I would, but then you just can’t buy them. They can only be earned ;-)

As far as finishing venues go, and starting ones for that matter (although it was even better at the finish and I got to explore the venue more) this was great. Holt Castle is lovely and we were given a HUGE medal. There was also loads of tea, coffee, nibbles and food laid on. I had a lovely pasta bake and a cup of homemade soup which was just what I needed. I was even allowed to have a shower and let me tell you, the bathroom was fantastic! The shower was amazing!

 

Elevation Gain: 6,212 ft. Elevation Loss: 6, 228 ft. Min Elevation: 89 ft. Max Elevation: 1, 363 ft.

All in all I had a brilliant day and I will definitely recommend Ultrarunning ltd …they do everything to get you to the end. They stock their check points with such a variety of food and such friendly people and they just really know their running. You can’t really ask for more than a brilliant ultra event managed by brilliant runners. It was fantastic to go back and settle some unfinished business and this time there was no rain or cows…just LOTS of hills ;-)

Running in rain and randomness

 

Things that have made me smile this last week:

My motivation has evolved/ resembles proper motivation for the first time in ages. I have been regularly getting in the miles throughout the week and I feel like my pace has been much better for it. I have also been a lot happier in myself with it. It has been very de-stressing and I have been taking in my surroundings and really enjoying being out there. I have even been watching the rain fall outside whilst and work and absolutely itching to be out there and running. I love a nice rainfall and the fresh feeling that you get whilst running through it. Also this week I have been more supplement savvy. I have been taking my vits and a new iron supplement. And I swear that taking my CherryActive regularly is also really helping me with any stiffness or DOMS that I would normally get.

CBeebies ‘Small Potatoes’ has had me giggling for the last couple of days. I happened to stumble upon it whilst switching on the TV during breakfast t’other day.

So random and so funny. I couldn’t believe that I was actually watching animated singing potatoes dancing around and singing a song about ‘Potato love’. If you ever feel a bit down, please switch this on. It is hilarious and they make the potatoes look really friendly and cute.

Things I have moaned about/ rants of the week:

 Last Sunday put a bit of a spanner in the works, but I have not let it hold me back this week. I was meant to do the Shakespeare Marathon on Sunday and knowing that the weather would be bad and me being organised for once I checked the website that very morning before we left for the long drive to Stratford to make sure it was all still going ahead. Yep. It was all still going ahead, we were just told to wrap up warm. Personally, some of my best runs lately have been in the rain. I will run in pretty much all weathers. I have done ultras up on the moors in awful weather. Yes, it can be challenging, but somehow I can’t help but think it makes the achievement that much sweeter. After all, if they were meant to be so easy then there would be no fun in doing them. 

Anyway, I took into consideration that this wasn’t going to be some crazy off-road affair where anything goes and that, because the number of runners was high and this was a city marathon that there may be the possibility of a cancellation. This would have been fine in theory, in advance. However, trusting the website and the recent update therein I set off on my 2-hour car journey. We arrived, spent ages trying to pay for parking and I didn’t even make it to the start line. I encountered some familiar faces who informed me that they had been told that the half marathon (1 loop…marathon would have been 2 loops of the same course) would now be the only event taking place. The marathon would not go ahead. I could have taken part in the half, but before I knew it, whilst wasting time trying to get some sort of information out of the marshals, everyone had already commenced running. Confused and disheartened and dead-set on the marathon distance, I didn’t do the half. We just went home. I was pretty annoyed. Of course, these things happen with the weather, but the decision and timing of that decision and lack of communication or apology is unforgiveable. I will not venture here again.

Things I’m planning for:

As the weekend gets closer I’m getting really quite excited and nervous about this Saturdays’ Malvern Hills Ultra. Ironically - taking into consideration last week’s rainy no-starter - the course has had to be altered owing to flooding, but will take place. It’ll now be an out-and-back route of 48 miles, rather than the 53+ advertised miles. I just want to finish. 

I have serious unfinished business with this event owing to my dnf in 2010. After having completed 45 miles we were totally lost and freezing cold and did a full circle of one section before finding ourselves in exactly the same spot. It was miserable and we had done 7 extra miles that were not part of the course and therefore, in reality, we had only covered 38 miles of the route mileage. It was most frustrating. Although, I did console myself with the Neolithic marathon the day after. 

 

 

Last year, I couldn’t go back and enact my revenge because I was tapering for the 10-in-10 (I cannot believe it has been a year already)! This year, I probably shouldn’t really because I am meant to be soon tapering for the Grand Union Canal 145 miler and I don’t want to pick up any niggles. BUT, it is still within the first week of May and WILL be my last big run…except Windermere marathon I hope, on the 20^th, just to say hey to all this year’s 10-in-10’ers (or TIT’S ;-) ) So that means I have 3 weeks or so of easier stuff. Although, really, I feel my training hasn’t been top-notch. Yet, the sensible part of me is saying: sometimes in these things you just have to train as well as you can at the time and hope for the best. Even if I’d done more, who knows what can happen over 145miles. It’s unpredictable.

So my aim for this week is to really keep up my motivation levels and organise myself for the weekend. And hope that I don’t get lost at the weekend, because this has been on my mind for the last 2 years!

Random Piccies of the week:

 

I like to think that blogs and pictures go together…so I’ll just throw in a nice assortment here to brighten things up a little ;-) In general this week has been a week with lots of tea (of various varieties), huge mugs of coffee, running past fields, contemplating the Malvern Hills, eating Graze boxes full of yummy nibbles, Mangoes and hard-boiled eggs and driving and running in rain...Oh, and singing potatoes! Hopefully, next week’s piccies will be more exciting :)

Motivating Me

I neeeeed some motivating words to get me out of the door to train, because the training part of things isn’t going so great at the moment. It’s me really. I just need to get off my bum. 

I still keep getting that weird feeling like this is all an exam I’m preparing for and every kid in my class is revising more than me and I’m stuck in some sort of mind-slump, unable to concentrate and get past the first chapter so I keep re-reading the same line again over and over but not really taking much in. I guess preparing for a big run is kind of like revision in a sense. You have to plan your strategy and remember all the key points, but you don’t want to worry too much and cram too much in so as not to cause greater anxiety and in this case, physical injury.

So, I’m sitting here at the computer again and contemplating going out for a run which I have done all weekend pretty much: contemplate. But there has been no action. And I keep finding silly excuses like people will look at me and think I’m some London marathon wannabe inspired to get off the couch by watching the race on television…ok, I don’t look that unfit, I just get paranoid I guess. Or how about the excuse that there will be loads of footie-mad lunatics roaming the streets from the pubs, having just watched Man U vs. Everton (at least, that’s who I think has been playing today?). 

Well, I guess I don’t live in a majorly rough area and even though there are some local pubs I doubt I’m about to get accosted by a bunch of random weirdoes and even if I got heckled I have my iPod earphones in anyway and I really shouldn’t/couldn’t care less because words that I can’t even hear from a stranger really won’t matter to me or have an impact on my run or my life. Soooo, the big question is what is really stopping me from going out for a run? And the answer to that is really nothing at all. Nothing. Just me and my silliness and my overly active imagination. Yep, it’s been a slow weekend. I really must get out more. And on this note, I really must get out of the door for a run more and so I will…after I have summed up what I think I am trying to attempt to say.

On a London Marathon note, I have never done ‘THE’ marathon. I’d quite like to I guess. It’d certainly be a shock to the system to run a marathon surrounded by so many people. All of the marathons or ultras that I normally do are pretty low-key and you will often spend hours upon hours alone or close to very few other signs of life, never mind runners. So it’d be quite nice to experience the buzz and overt excitement of it all.

   
The only race that has come close to the crowds of London was my first ever event at The Great North Run in 2008. I was overwhelmed with the emotion of it all and the crowds and the people. It'd be nice to encounter such mass enthusiasm again. Alas, I never seem to make it in. And charity places are a no-no really. I mean, it has been hard enough over the last year or so trying to raise money by running 10 marathons in 10 days and now, 145 miles in 45 hours. I can’t imagine how much harder it would be to raise so much money for a single marathon, even if it is ‘THE’ marathon ;-)

Finally, as I put my bum into gear and move away from the computer to go and find my running stuff and put that on and venture outside into the fresh air which I WILL do once I have stopped rambling on and GO outside to go and RUN, I think I shall cluster together some inspirational thoughts for the day….

Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win. Tom Fleming

Fear is a great motivator.  John Treacy, 1984 Olympic silver medallist

There is no such thing as bad weather, just soft people. Bill Bowerman

It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse. Ann Trason

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go. T.S. Eliot

Get out there and do what you love!  Kara Goucher

A Coventry Way 40

April 15th, A 40 mile meander

When my alarm went off yesterday (Sunday) morning at 4.30 am, I wasn’t best pleased and I didn’t really want to get up. I’m not the best morning person in the world and the air was cold. It has really gone quite chilly again. Brrrrr. But I like this…for sleeping. It is the best sleeping weather when it is chilly outside and your pillow is cold but you’re all cosy and snuggled down. So, I had to try extra hard to really wake up. A good strong coffee helped  a bit and in the end I didn’t actually leave the house until nearly 6am, but I had to get up early to wake myself up and get all my stuff together which I hadn’t done on Saturday, because I’m not too organised and just wanted to chill out. As it turns out, the drive down to Coventry really wasn’t so bad. The motorway and the M6 is never great, but it was as well as can be expected and my car drove well (always a bonus and always a bit uncertain).

I had signed up for this race last year, very last minute and managed to snag a place by emailing the organisers, since all the places had officially been filled. Ultimately, I was never able to make it because my car was having a few technical difficulties and I simply couldn’t get there. I was really disappointed to miss it and so, whilst planning some races on the computer around Christmas time, I decided to enter early and make it my mission to get there this year. Therefore, actually making it to the race start was a pretty good achievement for me and my car.

So, the route didn’t seem too taxing. We would be following the Coventry way footpath and way marks and had a detailed map booklet to guide us and we could start any time from 6am to 10am. I like the fact that you can really start any time. Since I was planning on running/ walking/ meandering I decided to start at about 8.40am.

I can’t believe how sunny and picturesque yesterday was. There was a cool, sometimes very chilly breeze but there were blue skies and the sun was often warm and shining. The countryside was beautiful and varied. There were a few little hills, lush green fields and all sorts really. It was so well organised. The check point were fantastic and everyone was well looked after. There were cakes, sandwiches of all varieties, coke, cordial, and sweeties…really fantastic value for money.

At around the 18 mile point, there was a little bit of drama, but we weren’t really a massive part of this drama. What had happened was that some walkers had been caught up in a field with some rather lively cattle and a bit of a stampede had ensued with the cattle/ a bull/ the walkers. A few walkers had been really shaken up and slightly injured and one of those walkers had ended up in hospital with two broken collar bones = ouch! 

  

The irony of it all from my perspective is that I actually thought the cows that I happened to come across on the route were really chilled out and relaxed and normally I am terrified of cattle. As soon as I enter a field with cows in it I am on the lookout for the nearest escape point and it doesn’t even matter if my nearest escape is a barbed wire fence…I’ll still give it a go. In fact I have given this a go at High Peak 40 when there was no other way to get past a whole herd of highland-type cattle. Luckily for me and my companions, we were diverted away from and around this field once the confrontation has occurred and so we didn’t have to deal with any moody cows! It added on a little extra mileage, probably a mile but I don’t mind.

Ultimately I had a really great day. There is some really pretty countryside here and it was lovely to experience it. Again I can’t tell you enough how friendly and helpful all the organisers and the marshals were and what a great event this is. I am so happy I got to take part this year and will definitely take part in the future. It was such great value and really very pretty.

So the run was really pretty, but my feet are not quite so pretty.....

So, another good, long, time-on-feet training run towards my Grand Union Canal Race adventure. There were even some canals in there too. My feet have been a bit peely/ dry these last few days but that’s not really down to the Coventry Way 40 miler and more down to not getting a pumice stone out enough…they’re looking a bit better now with some soothing foot cream!

Also, I have decided to dedicate my GUCR adventure to Claire House Children’s Hospice – a local charity that does excellent work. I have uploaded a Just Giving gismo gadget to the right of my page and it’d be lovely if I could raise as much as possible.

 

118

Northampton Running Festival Marathon – Sunday 8^th April

This weekend was so disorganised of me and I was feeling the need to budget with regards to petrol and events and general living costs. But I fancied a nice marathon and so I managed to hatch a plan and get driven ‘dahhhn sowwth’ish to Northampton to do a run that I haven’t yet done.

It was laps, 12 of them and I wasn’t so much looking forward to this prospect, but the grounds around which we were running were really quite pretty and so I was able to put the dread of laps to a corner of my mind…well, for most of it. Inevitably my concentration and focus always succumbs to the curse of the laps and this time was no different but I was able to laugh about it. I was also running around yet another lake…I think I must have a thing for lakes considering the amount of marathons I have run around them (Furzton Lake, Caldecotte, Windermere….) On the completion of each lap, we collected a coloured hair bobble to show that we had completed each lap…it was almost like a little game, running around and collecting them :) Yep, anything where I’m navigating, getting stuck in mud or in some way collecting things on route becomes a game to me and adds a sense of fun.

What I really liked about this event was the huge mix of different people doing different distances, of different ages and abilities. I haven’t done any events in ages where there has been such a diverse mix of people. There was a 10k, half and a marathon. It was nice to see those attempting their first event and seeing them out on the course, tacking the hard bits and pulling through it and onto the finish. It took me back to when I first started doing events and how it was all so new and completely unpredictable. It was nice.

Despite my loss in focus in the latter stages, I felt I was running quite comfortably and I was happy with that. I do like Go Beyond Ultra, the organisers of this event. I’ve previously done their Northants Shires and Spires Ultra and they’re a bunch of really nice people. Ultimately I enjoyed a really lovely training run.

Ooooooo and before I forget, this was my 118th event of at least marathon distance :) 'Da daa daaaaa, da da daaaaa' (118 theme tune in case you couldn't guess ;-) )

Gin Pit double marathonage :)

Gin Pit Marathon –Day 1: Sat 23^rd March

I stayed up mega late on Friday night as I decided to take a peek at the Sports Relief programmes on catch-up. Luckily my running destination on Saturday and Sunday were only a short way up the motorway and only 39miles away…this is really close for me, because normally I’m travelling here there and everywhere and I’ve been known to get in the car at 3am before and drive to an event and then drive back home afterwards. It can be a bit tiring. So, I was feeling immense relief at the closeness of these marathons.

Saturday was a scorcher from the moment I got in the car at 7.30ish am. 

I’m not the best in the heat, it has to be said. I’m more arctic ultra-wannabe rather than MDS Desert dreamer. Yep, I love the summer and I don’t mind wandering around in the sun or relaxing in it, but put me and exercise and the sun together and it’s not an amazingly happy combination. That being said, I have a strange urge to tackle some of the ‘crazy American races’ in the future when I’m faster and wealthier haha… Anyway, it was a lovely day though.

The route started off on trails and after around 8miles made its way onto the canal which was really very pretty to begin with, with lovely olde-worlde Tudor buildings and posh houses. However, the canals inevitably made its way into Salford and the industrial north. I think this was the least pleasant bit. It’s not the runs fault though; it’s just the place and the dogs. I need to get over it, but I fear I never will. I’ve been petrified of ‘scary looking’ dogs since I was little. I’m ok with some dogs. I don’t love any dog jumping up at me or running towards me, but as long as they look remotely ‘cute’ in a broad sense then I’m not too scared of them. However, unfortunately for the unfortunate looking dogs, there are certain breeds and stereotypes that I just can’t shift from my mind. For all I know and I suspect more often than not, the dogs in question are just fine and well mannered, but it’s just the way they look. ‘Status dogs’ really frighten me and they seem to be rife right now in more urban areas. 

Anyway, there were lots around this bit of the canal…it always seem to be along canals where I see the most scary dogs. And they often seem to be just left to wander around and not on a leash. I had one of my usual panics and got a bit scared. I was all alone, feeling a bit flustered in the warmth and then I had to pass a scary looking dog that wasn’t on a lead and its owner just looked at me blankly as I passed. I probably was looking like a right idiot, because I was actually really scared. So, my running was practically nonexistent for quite a few miles whilst I tiptoed down canal paths away from fearsome looking dogs. I felt a bit low. And I very nearly contemplated not doing day 2.

All was ok in the end as I caught up with some familiar faces in the last 4 miles. It was lovely to not be alone and talk to somebody. The canal paths ended, we got onto some roads and eventually back onto the trail and were homeward bound. 

I had a lovely cold glass of fizzy apple juice at the finish with lots of ice. I was frazzled.

Gin Pit Marathon –Day 2: Sun 24th March

I made sure to put my clock forward the night before and got into bed early….well I suppose I didn’t get into bed too early really because the time was changing, so hmmmm….complicated. I was awoken at 10.30pm ‘real time’ by friends asking if I wanted to go for a drink in the pub down the road, to which I replied I was in bed. So I had to explain that I was now on ‘future fake’ time in order to get up early. That lost hour really does make a difference though! Gosh I was knackered when I woke up on Sunday morning. I just wanted to go back to bed. I had to stop myself from climbing back into my pit. I reasoned that I would really not sleep much later anyway because soon the sun would be shining in through the window and it'd be warming up. I was definitely glad I decided not to be lazy and got into my car and drove up that motorway. It was a slower, but happier day on Sunday. I wasn’t running alone and there weren’t as many scary dogs around and about. Yey. 

However, we did encounter something that I have never before encountered on a run. We ran past a crime scene. A body had been found in a field and a full-blown murder investigation was in full swing. There was forensics on the scene in full body cover, multiple police vehicles, support officers, cordoned-off footpaths, and police keeping guard of the footpaths. It was all very surreal and interesting, yet obviously sad. So after we ran away from the scene of the crime (literally) we just had to tackle the last bit. And I nearly forgot, we even encountered a chicken. How could I forget the chicken that crossed the road to get to the other side? We never got to find out why exactly the chicken decided to play chicken, but it sure was funny watching Davey trying to shoo it back onto the pavement and behind a fence. Classic.

I liked the last bit a lot. There were some nice trails and evidence of countryside again. There was also the big puddle, but I didn’t mind. Overall I think it’s fair to say that a good weekend was had by all.

Garmin Update: On the Saturday it worked. It worked all day pretty much. I think it started to go a bit mental after around 22 miles, but overall its performance was ok. On Sunday, my Garmin was crappy. The screen was flickering and well before the 20mile mark, the screen had become utterly unreadable. The pixels had splattered into random flickering dots. I still managed to get satellite connection and hooked it up to my computer afterwards to view my route. However, it’s not really too great that you can’t use it whilst you’re actually running and it was only really chance that I managed to record the run, because I couldn’t read the screen in the slightest for it to tell me what it was actually doing. So this = bad. I simply can’t afford another. And I rely on it so much. So for now I’ll just have to struggle on with my unpredictable dying Garmin 310xt :(

I love back-to back marathons. They’re great training runs really. Realistically, I’m not going to get myself out of the door and run a massive run on my own. I could if I was motivated and organised enough to do so, but realistically I know I’m rubbish at planning a route and sticking to a plan of going out for a lengthy lonesome run. Therefore, these races are great for putting in some extra miles.

  

There will come a day when I focus on races again. I had only just started out running events when I hastily seemed to ditch the idea of actually racing something and bettering my time and just as I was on the up time-wise, I discovered the madness of multiple marathons and ultra’s and time seemed to take a backseat and I look upon events more as fun social training runs now. I’d be lying if I didn’t confess that it upsets and annoys me sometimes when people just presume to call me a slow runner; not that there’s anything wrong with going at your own preferred pace. I don’t know, it just gets to me how others can perceive my pace and how people can judge you. That’s not important though, I just thought I’d rant. It has been one of those weeks.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” – Ralph Waldo Emerson