Running free: running happy

Despite the grimace on my face in the picture above (cut me some slack – I was running uphill!) I have never felt in a happier place with my running.

2018 is my marathon-less year and I have been wondering how I would cope this year without the structure that my marathon training plan brought to my running last year. I’m nearly two months into 2018 and I have to say actually I am coping pretty well indeed.

The year started with a bang. With two parkruns and a run between them on New Year’s Day, meaning that I covered 12 miles on that very first day of the year. The first of those parkruns saw me cross the line with a course PB which I was more than happy with considering I was chatting with my friends the whole way round, attempting to take it easy in preparation for the remaining 9 miles of the day. This wonderfully positive day was followed 3 weeks later by the Canterbury 10 Mile Road Race in which I flew round in 1:23:23, more than 6 minutes faster than the previous year’s time and 3 minutes faster than my 10 mile PB from 2016. Then last weekend I ran my final long distance race of the Winter, the Deal Half Marathon. Another PB bagged and faith in my running ability sufficiently restored.

Now that the Deal Half is done I have deliberately chosen not to plan in a load of races for the remainder of the year. It all got a bit much last year. I trained for one race, then the next. Never really recovering properly and never giving myself time to reflect on my performance, good or bad. Deal was an incredible experience, despite it being a tough, hilly course which was made only tougher with more than significant head winds throughout. It showed me that I am capable of so much more than I allow myself to believe. It also reinforced the idea that I get carried away on race day. I am never able to achieve that pace outside of race conditions. I still can’t fathom how I managed it, even a week later.

There are lots of reasons why I am still running loads during a normal week despite not having any races booked in. I wrote a post a little while back Why Do I Run? which explains many more reasons why running is so important to me. I like to stay healthy, I still want to lose a bit of weight and ultimately it is a brilliant leveller in terms of my mental health.

I fully intend on racing over the Spring/Summer as traditionally I tend to run better when the sun is shining but I will book in some local 10ks nearer the time. This is my new, relaxed approach to training and racing. Running for the sheer enjoyment of running rather than having to got for a run because the plan says I must. I don’t want to get all stressed out about PBs, pacing, fuelling strategy, bla bla bla. I will book a half marathon for around the Autumn time too as it will give me a reason to continue going out for my long runs over the summer months, but I will worry about that nearer the time.

I have enjoyed running so much more this year because of the lack of structure. And I don’t know if it is a coincidence or because I am fully fit now but I have noticed real improvements in my running in terms of both speed and endurance. Sure I still have the odd ‘bad run’ but these are few and far between. Ultimately I am so much happier just doing my own thing, it is like a massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders knowing that I am running because I want to not because I have to. And actually if I wake up on a Sunday morning and decide I would rather stay in my pjs and eat pancakes with my kids, that is absolutely fine! My running will never be entirely without structure and this is with a massive thank you to my incredible running club, the Canterbury Harriers, who I train with on Tuesday (speed work) and Thursday (longer runs). The Harriers have experienced coaches who are always able to offer the best advice and steer me in the right direction when needed but it is great to run with a fantastic, supportive group of like-minded people.

I am using this year to try out some new things with my training too. I have already started doing some more strength and conditioning work in the gym, something that I would have previously been too scared to do in case it impacted on my training plans for the week. I want to go out and run more trails, knowing that the runs may be shorter and slower but that is absolutely fine too because my aim is to enjoy it and there is nothing more enjoyable that being able to run and explore at the same time. Mileage isn’t the be all and end all. I am also going to use this race-less time to focus on chipping away at my home parkrun time. You never know 2018 may even be the year I break through that mythical sub 25.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support. Keep smiling!

Sammy-Jo
x

Being competitive and OWNING it

Within the space of a few days I have had more than one accusation levelled at me that I am competitive.

When I heard this my immediate reaction was to laugh it off. I mean, what a ludicrous thing to say. Competitive. Me? Of course I’m not. I’m an average speed, middle of the pack, definitely not bothered about my time, just want to enjoy it, kind of runner. I cannot possibly be all of those things and be something as unsavoury as competitive too. Or can I?

Well needless to say this made me reflect on what being competitive actually means to me. I have spent far too long caring about the negative connotations of ‘being competitive’ that I hadn’t actually considered the positives.

Let me put this into context for you to give you some background on where these “Sammy-Jo you are so competitive” comments came from. The first was in a chat with some running buddies who alluded to me being competitive because I am obsessed with achieving a parkrun PB and when I do manage to run one I want to shout it from the rooftop. I was very quick to defend this. We all have our motivations for running, (see my earlier post Why Do I Run?) but achieving something that you once did not even realise was possible makes running that much more special. The second ‘accusation’ came from a friend who I will sometimes go to a group a spin class with. This particular spin class starts at 6.30am and the studio is kitted out with technology that will rank your bike’s performance and this is displayed on a screen for the whole group to see. Only you know your bike ID but I turn up to every class determined to rank in the top 3. Which when you read it back is clearly extremely competitive. Once again I was very quick to defend myself. But let me tell you if I am going to set an alarm for 6am the morning after interval training you can be sure that I am going to be in that class giving it my all because if you are not giving it your all then what is the point?

But why am I so quick to defend my competitive spirit? In all honesty, until recently I haven’t even been able to admit it to myself. Now I can see it is obvious that I am competitive but not in the literal sense of the word. From the outside looking in it may appear that I am out to win but the truth of the matter is that the only person I am competing with is myself. A PB is exactly that, a PERSONAL best. And in the spin class I have no idea what everyone else’s bike ID is. All I care about is that MY bike is in the top 3.

But with competitiveness we all tread a very fine line. Sometimes competitiveness can come across as cocky or intimidating and all those other negative things that come to mind. So you have to get the balance right in order to encourage others without putting them off.

Whilst pondering how competitive I am I have often wondered if it was this determination to better myself that has spurred me on when training has not been going to plan or when I have been ill or injured. It drives you to be a better runner, makes you strive to continually improve, moves you to greater achievements and pushes you to run that little bit further or faster. Without competition, without races, without parkruns, without milestones, without personal bests, what am I even training for? Maybe without this competitiveness I would not be half the runner I am today and would not have achieved the milestones I have on my running journey.

So I am sure you are reading this now and contemplating if you are competitive too. Take a good look at yourself in the mirror and really consider that question. The answer will always be yes! You are competing. You are competing with that person staring back at you. Don’t worry about anyone else, you are trying your hardest every day to be better than the person you were yesterday. Be competitive and own it.

Reflecting on 2017 – a shed ton of miles!

Wow! What a crazy year of running 2017 was for me. My husband bought me the Strava print (in the featured image above) as a Christmas present and it allowed me to reflect upon all the running and mileage I have completed in 2017. I have also been keeping a running diary for the whole of 2017 which has allowed to track all of my runs – 1300 miles and countless races, including my first marathon. Regular readers of my blog will know the ups and downs I have faced this year which only makes my achievements feel so much more significant to me. 2017 is definitely going to take some beating!

I am happy to report that I finished 2017 on a major high by running a parkrun PB, something I have been chasing for a while as I hadn’t had a PB on that course since February 2016, further proof that I am finally getting back to full strength after the various ‘health hurdles’ I have faced since my marathon in May.

It would be impossible to go through everything that has happened this year but here is a little recap of 2017:

January:
– The start of my marathon training, brimming with positivity.
– My first race of the year -the Canterbury 10 miler (can’t beat a race in your home town). Freezing cold conditions and a challenging hilly course but I still managed to bag a sub 90 minute time.

February:
– Deal half marathon – surprised everyone with a 1:58 – taking over 12 minutes off my previous time – clearly marathon training was paying dividends.
– Ran my first ever sub 26 minute 5k, on a flat parkrun course but it did wonders for my confidence.

March:
– Dramatically ramped up my marathon training mileage – averaging 40 miles a week over 5 days of training. I was absolutely exhausted and the marathon doubts started to creep in but I completed some long solo runs.

April:
– More training woes including an abandoned LSR. But helped through by some incredibly supportive friends.
– Started listening to podcasts rather than music for my long runs and this proved to be much more successful in taking my mind off the boredom/pain.
– Gave up alcohol in preparation for the marathon (this is more than a big deal for me!)

May:
– BEWL WATER MARATHON completed. Absolutely amazing experience. Helped round by my awesome mate Paul. Spent the remainder of May experiencing a true ‘runners high’ and the odd slightly lost feeling but I was assured this was perfectly normal.
– Start of the inter-club summer relays – discovered that my legs were no longer able to run fast or short distances. Fantastic.

June:
– Charing 10k – significantly slower than the previous year (blamed the marathon) but still enjoyable.
– More feeling like I was lost without a rigid training plan to follow.
– Paced the hubby around his first 10k race – made it over the line sub 60 minutes – very proud wifey.
– Further summer relays – started to enjoy them more. See slight smile in photo below (but it could easily be a grimace).
– Did a 14 day run streak in an attempt to get my running mojo back – didn’t work, wish I hadn’t bothered. Blamed the marathon again.

July:
– Increasing whininess that my legs won’t move fast despite completing a marathon 6 weeks ago.
– Lost the mum’s race at the school sports day – that was a particularly low moment in 2017.
– Thunder Run – 24 hour relay race – 4 laps of 6 miles over a very technical course on quite possibly the worst weather weekend of the year. My first camping experience too! A brilliant but challenging weekend spent with friends, creating memories I will never forget.

August:
– Aylesham 10k, a hilly local race. Beat my 2015 time but it still wasn’t a particularly fast 10k.
– Canterbury half marathon – possibly the worst race experience of my life. I walked huge parts of the course and achieved a personal worst HM time.
– By now I had come around to the idea that I will be slow forever.

September:
– Reached the 1000 mile mark – contemplated giving up running forever.
– Decided not to be stupid and to persevere with this running lark. However while out on a long run I was so tired and my legs felt so heavy that I took a bad fall. Started to question why I was still bothering with something I was so rubbish at.
– Received some game-changing advice from my running club buddies.

October:
– Bit the bullet and went to the doctor. After a few blood tests I was diagnosed with anaemia and given a strong dose of iron tablets for 2 months. Totally relieved that there was a reason for my terrible running.
– Royal Parks Half Marathon – incredible race with approximately 16,000 runners around some wonderful sights in London. Really enjoyed myself.
– Completed my 100th parkrun – a real running highlight.
– Picked up a niggling little foot injury. Annoyed that I had to take a couple of weeks away from running but it gave me time to work on my core strength and reflect on my training.

November:
– Enjoyed some social runs in the woods. No time pressures, just a run and chat. Perfect.
– My running mojo was slowly returning.
– Completed the 666 trail race – a very technical run (the clue is in the title). Absolutely loved it, didn’t stop smiling the whole way round.
– Bought speedy* new Asics trainers. *N.B. there is no guarantee that the shoes make me faster but they certainly look pretty.

December:
– Running gradually getting easier and faster. As a result I was feeling infinitely happier.
– Finally achieved a parkrun PB – the perfect end to an awesome year of running.

2018 onwards:
Many people are surprised when I say that I will not be running another marathon this year but I’m just not cut out for another Spring season of marathon training. So this year I am going to focus on my parkruns and 10k races with the odd half marathon thrown in for good measure. But ultimately I just want to get back to enjoying running and being healthy. 2018 is the year for being kind to myself and not taking things too seriously.

BRING IT ON.

All the gear and some idea

The irony of this blog title is that I happen to think I have all the idea and not so much gear.

One of the (many) things I love about running is that you don’t really need that much stuff to be able to do it. There is loads of kit out there to buy, some of which may actually make me faster, but I’m a low maintenance kind of girl so I like to stick to the basics (well for now anyway)!

Above is a picture of the average kit I’ll use on a typical run and I thought I would talk you through it. Starting at the top seems like a logical place:

Top: In the winter months I’ll opt for long sleeves and its always better to go for something bright if you are planning an evening run. Plus the hi-vis makes you look like a proper runner and onlookers might think you actually know what you are doing. When it is cooler I wear a t-shirt or sports vest. Just in case you are wondering that climacool or similar fabric often used for sports clothing is more than just pseudo-science, it definitely makes me feel less sweaty. For those you who were in the correct queue when they were handing out bra sizes – you will need to invest in a properly fitting sports bra. These can be quite pricey but it is worth it for a comfortable run, or so I am told!

Bottoms: I wear leggings (in varying lengths depending on temperature) pretty much all year. I am not the biggest fan of my legs because they are ghostly white regardless of how long I have been in the sun and generally not very nice looking so I will only wear shorts if it is extremely hot and I decide that feeling cool is far my important than my silly insecurities. If you are a fan of shorts try and buy the ones that have the tight extra layer underneath. I have some made by Nike that are unbelievably comfortable and don’t constantly ride up. One little tip if you do opt for leggings though is please do not run in fashion leggings. No matter how many times you have checked that they are not see through, they definitely are, please believe me.

Accessories: And no, I don’t mean jewellery. I run with my phone in an arm strap. Mainly because I run on my own and I get paranoid that I will run 10 miles from home, go over on my ankle and then be stranded forever. So it is a good habit to get into. On the right of the picture you will see my most recent addition to my running wardrobe – my bum bag (*snigger*). I bought this on the lead up to my half marathon as  I wanted something to carry my energy gels in and I realised that on the whole, women’s sports clothes don’t have pockets (which is ridiculous right? Where do we keep our lipstick or nail file?). It felt a bit odd the first time I wore it but you soon get used to it. I also have a thermal head band (not pictured) and I wear this mostly to look badass but also because it keeps my little ears warm in the depths of winter.

Footwear: I used to wear trainer socks from a ridiculously cheap high street ‘fashion’ shop that I am sure you don’t need me to name. They come in a pack of five for about £1.50, I kid you not. These were fine all the while I was running the odd 5k but when I started upping my mileage I noticed my trainers would start to rub, so I switched to proper running socks and funnily enough have never suffered a blister since. Magic! A few of my friends run in compression socks and for those of you who don’t know what these are they are the ones that go almost up to your knees. I have always wanted to give them a go but this is primarily because I think they would make me look more authentic rather than actually making me a better runner. Can you spot the common theme here? Last but by no means least are my trainers. I will probably dedicate a whole post to running shoes in the not too distant future so I’ll keep this brief. I treated myself to a new pair of trainers last week and these are the ones you can see in the picture above. I ran in Asics for years but recently switched to Nike because I found a style that worked for me (more on that later).

And now, my favourite bit of kit and the one thing I couldn’t live/run without:

My running watch. There are literally no words to describe how much I love having a running watch. This watch has transformed the way I think about running. It allows me to keep track of how far I have run, set a pace for my long runs and review my performance. So if you are dithering over whether to buy one, just do it, you won’t regret it! Mine could be described as an ‘introductory’ running watch but it’s fit for purpose.

The above is just a brief introduction into my world of running gear. If anyone has any suggestions or comments then please do let me know.

Finally, I thought I would give you all an update on this week’s training plan – I’m on target so far and even managed to add an additional core workout yesterday in addition to my spin class. I’m feeling it today that’s for sure.

Until next time friends – happy running!