Enigma Chrismas Marathon

The morning of the Enigma Christmas marathon was upon me and I wasn't feeling ready for it at all, I had not really ran over 5 miles at a time since the Rutland Water Marathon and not more than 10 miles per week so was slightly dubious about running up to 26 miles in one go...still off I went tinsel in my hair and butterflies in my stomach.

Arriving at the pub (which is the headquarters for the race not a place to get drunk; well today anyway) I met up with Dawn, Ria and Brenda, Liz and Mel who had all ran the first marathon the previous day... you see why I choose to run on the Sunday is in the hope that I wont be last as everyone else has already ran the day before and should in theory be knackered and achey.... not the case at all!

It was nice to meet up with some new people whom I had gotten to know on Run for Fun and Run 2012 miles/km in 2012 (shameless fb group plugs) Brenda was lovely happy and smiley and ready to face her first double marathon along with her husband Andy who had slipped the day before and was injured but attempting to run anyway.

We made our way to the start line and I decided to stick my mp3 player on, something I hadn't done in a long long time but thought it may see me through and make the run a bit easier. The route had been changed at the start slightly due to some recent flooding and we started just past the large Tesco that I was previously fed up of seeing on the Enigma 30 mile Ultra, thinking about that run scared me a little as I knew I was faced with 7 1/2 laps around the lake which is mentally challenging. Before I knew it I had completed the half lap and came through the checkpoint where Karen and the other supporters were waiting for us, running straight through the checkpoint I went on to start the first loop and was going quite well knowing it was around 3.7 miles until I cross through the checkpoint again. Soon enough I was through the checkpoint and made the decision not to stop for anything and to keep going, I didn't feel I needed anything to eat (even though all I had stomached for breakfast was half a banana)

Three quarters through the second lap I began to regret not stopping as I had started to feel very weak so with the checkpoint in sight I stopped ate a banana and noticed some lovely iced fairy cakes in a tin on the supplies table, a quick decision had to be made and a very important one.... yellow icing or pink icing!? In case you're wondering I went with yellow....

Food was just what I needed and I decided to go back out and do some more laps of the lake. There were alot of people out and about taking walks, cycling around the lake but the one problem I had that day were dog walkers... if you can see a runner or a few runners running towards you with around quarter of a mile to go until they reach you, surely that is enough time to un extend your dogs extendable lead so it's not 4 miles long and going right across the path of others. Or if you have a massive dog and it goes gallivanting up to a runner why not either call out to the dog to get it under control or try to reassure said runner that the dog won't hurt you??

At one point I had a massive dog the size of a bear stand length ways in my path...luckily I was walking at this point as it was up hill and I had to practically leap frog over it's back! Maybe having to run through a constant assault course like that made me not realise how fast the miles were ticking off I was up to 18 before I knew it and hadn't hit the wall. I had decided to take some electrolyte drink as felt water wasn't enough at this stage. I had kept a container full of freebies from previous races, magazines etc and had a nice water melon flavour which was really refreshing and seemed to do what I wanted it to do. When I found myself struggling I also decided to keep my brain active by decided what colour icing cake to have at each checkpoint, the cakes turned into my checkpoint treat something to keep my moving forwards.

The last two laps were very hard I had resorted to run walking the penultimate lap as after a few steps my left foot had a searing pain through the top of it and I told myself that although I was booked into the Enigma Winter Double Marathon in January and another three marathons after that, that this would be my last marathon as anything over 14 miles I simply do not enjoy this spurred me on a little knowing this would be the last time I would have to go through the pain and mental torture of thinking I can't do it!  I walked some of the way with a nice group of runners who were on their final lap they got me around my least favourite part of the course where it is all zig zag gravel paths round some flash apartments (the bit where it's possible to cheat...but I never have!) It's funny how parts of the course changed from being my favourite to least favourite and vice versa from the Enigma 30. I came through the checkpoint for the final time and kept going... I had one lap left to complete and still hadn't hit a wall... yes I was hurting though not as much as before and yes I had decided I didn't want to do another marathon but I hadn't hit the mental desperation wall that I usually do, I think cakes and music helped. The last lap was pretty much walked the whole way as putting my left foot into any kind of running motion was painful, but at the final straight I was determined to sprint and sprint I did through the finish to my wonderful spinning medal and a pb of 5 hours 31 mins (yes I know I am wishing I could have beat the 5:30 mark but hey ho) That's a massive time off my previous marathon of 5 hours 57 mins!

At the finish I got to meet up with fellow runners who had finished before me majority of which were double marathon runners! After a nice curry with Brenda it was time to go home and within two hours of being back I had already decided I am going to continue running the rest of the marathons I have booked... after all I found this one easier going on the way around and I could walk pretty normal the next day and even walk up and down stairs properly...which is a first after running that far :-) I may not attempt the double in January but will certainly run and finish the first day and may get another pb to start 2013 off with a bang!

Rutland Water Marathon

I wasn't sure if I would even make it to the Rutland Water Marathon as the few days leading up to the event I had been suffering with a cold and a stomach bug but me being the stubborn person I am was determined I would at least get there and see how I felt. I woke up at 5am the morning of the 4th November and a chilly morning it was.. I started getting ready telling myself I felt well enough to try to run and at 5.30am I was in the car starting the 2 hour drive to Rutland.
This was technically my first "proper" marathon, I had twice before ran up to and over marathon distance in the two Ultras I had ran but was excited to see how well I would do knowing I could stop at 26 miles and also having the extra boost of my fast half marathon time two weeks earlier.

Is it Enigma? Grimsthorpe? No it's Rutland!!

Arriving at the car park I decided I must stop choosing races where you run around lakes...or big areas of water! If I lost concentration slightly I found myself looking out at the course of Enigma Gold in Milton Keynes or even the Grim Reaper in Grimsthorpe!

I met up with the usual suspect at all races Ria and we made the short walk to the starting point where I soon met up with my running buddy for the day again Stewart and some of his friends. Ashley who had also ran the Grim reaper and Anna and Mark both of whom were running this as their longest distance. This was to be both mine and Stewarts first marathons and it was nice to be in it together. One thing I might add in at this point is how bloody cold it was, I was sporting my black long sleeve top with my purple vest top above, running gloves and my woolly head buff. I could barely feel my hands or feet. Before we set off I was approached by a lady that turned out to be Liz who had also ran the Grim. We had probably ran best part of 8 miles along side each other in that event but hadn't spoken a word to each other but later made friends on facebook. It was nice to finally meet and talk and it shows what a small place the running world is!

Liz and I at the start

At 9am we were off! I started running with Liz and Stewart but Liz dropped back to fix her race number. I soon found I couldn't get into a good pace and was struggling from the get go, I ended up losing stewart for a little while and ran on my own, instantly I realised how hilly the course was and it took me by surprise, I did struggle with the hills and decided to walk the big ones. I don't remember too much of the route except it being on cycle paths I do remember from the second mile it started to rain. I was also struggling to run as I couldn't actually feel my feet or my legs, or my arms or my face it was so cold I wish I had bought a balaclava! The rain continued to poor down and we eventually came out onto a long stretch of pavement along a main A road, this was my favourite bit as I love road running and there were no hills. I still wasn't pacing very well but came along side a lady who seemed to be running well so I decided to stick close to her.. only thing is I think she thought I was trying to overtake her as she kept speeding up randomly.

Shortly after the pavement stretch we took a left turn to run around the peninsula back on the cycle paths. It wasn't long before Stewart caught me up and we decided to stick together. I don't remember much from there except being very cold and very wet and not really enjoying myself much at all! We spent around 20 minutes discussing what a peninsula actually was which was amusing for a short while. Then at around mile 13 I decided I'd had enough...I wasn't feeling well at all, I had decided I probably should have just stayed home in bed, I was cold and I was soaked through as it was still raining. I know you will probably say man up but I could think of nothing else but quitting. Then my saviour came along in the shape of Liz! She ran along side me and I told her I didn't want to continue but she kept me talking and made it seem like we only had small chunks to deal with, I also learnt to run up hills too! Having Liz there gave me a real boost and before I knew it we were coming up to mile 17. Liz ran on then I think she felt she had worked her magic on me and she certainly had. Stewart by now was struggling and the course had become quite frankly abit of a joke! I could post the same pictures from Grim and you wouldn't tell as it was muddy, boggy and waterlogged. This had a massive negative effect on my mood and we both agreed it was too much like Grim, we also both decided at that point we may not do the Grim next year and may never come to that part of the country again or do a Fat Feet event ever again! (can you tell we weren't happy) From mile 19 we had resorted to a power walk as neither of us could run... it was too cold and I wasn't feeling good. Our aim was to finish, then the icing on the cake was to finish in under 6 hours so we plodded on.

The route got worse and worse and at one point the whole pathway was completely waterlogged with only a very narrow muddy slippy ledge to walk over, Stewart very kindly offered to walk through the puddle and hold my hand on the ledge so I wouldn't fall.. I did tell him not too but he walked on through anyway and was horrified that the water came nearly over his knees! I felt really bad for him but it did make us giggle a little too... At this point I decided I needed to eat and said I was really hungry. Stewart chose this moment... 6 miles from end to announce he had loads of food with him and what did I want?!? Well I could have murdered a Big Mac meal right then but was just as delighted when he pulled out a chewy caramel bar... oh it was a little bit of heaven that for a few moments made me feel alot better about everything.

Then the rain kept coming and the course kept getting worse! We ended up running past a massive pile of crap (cattle pooh to the posh people that read my blog) honestly it was half the size of a house and I really wish I had taken a picture of it as it would have summed up the event really well... a massive pile of crap!
The only way to get through to the finish was to keep talking about how well we were doing and the lovely food we would eat when we got home. Stewart had a nice little image which he shared with me of me at home sat in a chair with my granny blanket over my lap eating pizza!

A theme of the day was people mentioning my corgi hallucinations from the Grim Reaper and Stewart made sure he kept reminding me of it...when we ran through a flock of sheep he had to comment saying "Oh my gosh I'm seeing things! There are sheep everywhere.. with red bums!" this made me laugh but the best part was later on in the race when we came across a herd of black sheep/goats, I actually think Stewart was being serious when he asked if they were black hamsters? But soon set him straight that they were black sheep crossed with goats.. aptly named shoats!

Eventually after nearly 6 hours of running in the cold and wet we arrived at the home straight doing the Rutland Shuffle (imagine the plastic toy soldier toys you get that rock from side to side to move) and welcomed by..... no-one! We crossed the line in 5 hours 56 minutes so had done what we set out to achieve finish our first marathon in under 6 hours but we were a sorry state to look at. We ventured into a big white tent and were handed our goody bag that we already knew didn't contain a well deserved medal... don't even get me started on that! We then hobbled to the car where Stewart presented me with a medal that he had bought and even had engraved yay!

Technical vest, certificate and medal

Back at my car I couldn't even open the door I was THAT cold my hands just wouldn't work. I finally got in and opened my goody bag to find the award...a fat feet certificate of completion which you had to fill in the details on yourself! Great.... now you see why I bought myself a trophy for the Grim reaper! When I eventually got my gloves off I was horrified to see that my hands had swollen to 4 times their normal size, I looked like the nutty proffesor! I quickly made my way to the ambulance and with my hands held infront of my face asked if it was normal? Apparently for the conditions and the amount of time I was out in the elements yes I was meant to look like a freak with balloon hands! After around 30 minutes in the car with the heaters on my hands I could just about use them to get my wet clothes off, I then ventured into the cafe and had a well deserved cup of tea and a bowl of chips with Stewart, Ashley and the rest of the gang. One thing I did like about my first marathon was meeting new and old friends again.

A quote from Stewart when asked what he thought about his first marathon  " F***ing AWFUL!"

The gang at the end

Bupa Birmingham Great Run

I signed up to the Bupa Birmingham Half Marathon ages ago and wasn't really sure how big of a race it really was until I received my race pack and I found out I'd be running with 18,000 runners! This was exciting as my largest race had only been a couple of thousand and more recent races had been nearer the 50 - 100 runner mark.

My race number arrived and all that was going through my head the week before was just how little running I had actually been doing since hurting my ankle, going on holiday and generally losing my running mojo...I'm sure it was out there somewhere I just wasn't sure where! My longest run in the last 5 weeks had been 6 miles only half the distance I would be running on the day but it was too late to do much about it without risking injury so my intention was to turn up and run and hope for the best. The best being 2 hours 30 mins and the worse anything over that....

My running buddy for the weekend was Stewart who I previously ran with for some of the Grim Reaper Ultra. As he was travelling a distance he had booked a hotel and kindly offered me a bed in his room with breakfast which was greatly appreciated.

The view of the finish line from our hotel room

The journey I suppose began on the Saturday at New Street station in Birmingham we met up found the hotel and went out for a pasta meal.. without the pasta! Nowhere that did pasta meals had free tables so we opted for half a roast chicken and chips. In bed by 11pm I thought I'd get a good nights sleep and not have the stress of getting to the race the next morning in the car... lovely.. until I was woken up by lots of noise and thought we have over slept! A quick look at the clock told me it was 5am! After dozing off again we woke at 7am looked out of the hotel window and found that the finish line and most of the run equipment and camera stands had been erected...whilst we were sleeping.. or not as the case may be!

After having breakfast and attaching my race number to my top I wondered just what estimated finish time I had put down when I entered as I was in the Pink Wave the last one to set off.. however Stewart was in the Green Wave and had put down a time of 2:28, I must have put a really slow time down but Stewart kindly said he would change down to the Pink wave so we could run together as I wasn't allowed to move up a wave.

We ventured outside around 9am and it was freeeezzzing! and foggy! the race was being broadcast on Channel 5 but was being delayed due to the foggy conditions. I braved it with my t-shirt, after all I'd warm up later. We soon met up with May who was hungover to say the least..dirty stop out!

May was also in the Green wave and again I started thinking I'd be in with the first timers in the Pink wave! Around 10.30am we set off to find the starting pen and I was right we found ourselves amongst the charity runners and loads of first timers and had discussed the fact that a pb may not be on the cards as we would be stuck behind lots of slow people. I told Stewart that morning the race would either go really really bad or really really good I had a feeling it would be nothing in between. We were the very last wave to set off, all of the waves were split to left and right sections with left leaving last... groan! at 11.16am I finally started running! I got over the starting mat and started hop footing around people that were already walking. Looking at the garmin we were running at just over 9 minute miles, quicker than I ever run except the odd couple of miles recently but I've never kept up that pace for more than 2 miles. I decided to take what I could and maybe put some fast miles in the bank early then I could afford to slow down later. Just after the first mile Stewart began struggling with his leg, he had been running races back to back weekends for a few weeks and told me to go ahead and he would catch me up. I remember shouting to him he definitely will catch me up as no way could I carry on running this fast for long. I carried on and the second mile was done in just over 9 minutes again I felt good and told myself I would do the first 3 miles at this pace then back off abit, I wanted to run the whole distance rather than go out to quick and have to walk for miles. The rest is abit of a blur from there until I got to mile 4 and found I was still going at just over 9 minute mile pace I thought what the hell lets go until mile 6 THEN slow down... I remember running past a yellow sign saying MILE 6 and looking at my watch and looking at my watch again and again just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I had ran a 10k in less than an hour! I had never done this before, I turned to the man running next to me, a complete stranger at this point and I suddenly shouted at him that I had just ran 10k in under an hour.. he looked at me like I had told him aliens were descending and we would all be turned in giraffes. So I just pulled a silly grin at him and sped off. I couldn't believe what was happening, at this point I was so pleased with myself I had to refrain from getting teary and emotional I still had 7 miles to go and it could have all gone downhill from there.

There was loads of supporters lining the streets and as I had my name on my top every couple of minutes people would be clapping and shouting my name telling me how great I was doing.. I remember thinking to myself these people know my name... this is amazing! The cheer buses were fantastic, people sat on open topped buses at street corners playing music, there were brass bands playing the Rocky theme tune and even though I was tiring a little I still pumped my hands in the air with the other runners. It was nice to clap and cheer at these supporters too as after all they had sacrificed their Sunday morning to cheer on people they don't know in the cold.. or maybe it was to get on tv! Miles 7 to 9 went incredibly slow I kept looking at my watch what felt like every minute but I was still pleased and quite astounded that I was still doing just over 9 minute miles. I knew I would be on for a pb and started working out some sums in my head, I reckoned if I slowed down to 10 minute miles for the last 3 miles I'd be near a 2 hour marathon. (this I might add was something I told Stewart the night before jokingly would be achievable) You are probably wondering where Stewart was in all this... the truth is I didn't know. I knew he hadn't gone past me but I knew he wouldn't have dropped out and would be just behind. You may say it was a bit mean of me to not stop for him but I did feel bad. I knew he would be fine! At mile 9 I went through a mist shower thing to cool the runners down this I didn't like much as when I went through it and came out the other side I felt like I'd been put into slow motion although I was still running the same speed.. if that makes any sense?

Coming round to mile 11 and I had previously been told it was all uphill and they weren't wrong, it was hill a mile long, they even said on Channel 5 afterwards the record holder of the mens elite athletes said it killed the race for him. It was tough and I had to walk for some of it mainly to take my inhaler and to steady myself. Mile 11 to 12 were all hills and my pace went down to 11 minute miles so the 2 hour half was out the window.. still I had some ummphh left in me and coming down the last half a mile there were hundreds of people cheering and I floored it... I felt like a Cheetah on speed! Crossing over the finish line I wasn't sure if my garmin was telling me the correct time as it had lost signal a few times running under bridges. A few seconds later I received my tx message from Bupa confirming I had finished in 2 hours 8 minutes and 9 seconds that's a whole 14 minutes of my previous best. I couldn't believe it I had maintained a constant speed of 9 minute miles for 11 miles I felt like super woman... without the cape but with really achy legs instead.

I waited for Stewart and knew he couldn't have been far behind me and he came in at 2 hours 23 minutes 53 seconds he had done so well considering the amount of running he had been doing of late and his injury. He wasn't even annoyed that I'd left him.. I did feel bad but he knew it was for the best so I could have achieved what I did. So the Bupa Birmingham Half Marathon was the day I turned into a super runner. I had overtaken a lot of runners including not just those from the green wave that set off before just before me but people in orange and white that had a massive head start (they must have so lied about their estimated times to start earlier) I finished according to Bupas official results 7498th not bad considering that is out of 18,000 runners!

Finally my thoughts are with the family and friends of Kevin Paterson a runner who sadly passed away at the run yesterday. 

PB's VLM rejection and not running much

This blog is abit different... as it's mainly about me not running... but when I have run I've ran well!

Let's start with the Virgin London Marathon ballot though... drum roll please... I didn't get in BUT do have a lovely white wind breaker rejects jacket that I am keeping for a rainy day. Oh well there's always next year.

This lovely rejection magazine led me to thinking about races I can enter next year and I now have a lovely A1 wall planner with green stickers for races I have already paid for and entered and yellow stickers for races I have found that I want to enter, though I suppose I should really start getting into the swing of running again. Since hurting my ankle at Parkrun on the 1st September then being on holiday and some other things going on it has become apparent I haven't really ran in 4 weeks. Infact until this week I had only ran 6 miles since September 1st...not good. Technically I have been running a year now, I started out October last year and seem to have hit a platue with my running, either that or 4 weeks off is just too long and I am out of the running habit.

I will say one thing for not running though it can help? You think I'm joking right?... wrong!
My previous 5k pb was 29 minutes 43 seconds, on the 25th September 24 days after my last run I went out, head down, garmin watch covered by my coat, in the rain and I just ran and was totally shocked to find I had gained a new pb (or pr for those that only count pbs as events) My new 5k record is 28 minutes 45 seconds not a lot off I know but I was saying to myself the whole run that I'll be happy just to run 3 miles without stopping after having so long off so you can imagine I was rather pleased with myself.

Maybe I can get back into this running malarkey after all... or maybe not. Two days later I went for a run thinking I need to build myself back up to a decent mileage as I have a 10k coming up then a half marathon the week after that then two weeks after that I have my first (proper) Marathon... I managed to run 2.14 miles and went home. At the moment I am feeling like my legs and arms (for some reason my arms keep going weak and heavy when running) belong to someone else, I cannot seem to engage my legs and head to work together. Still I am trying with another 1.14 mile the following day, I know it hardly seemed worth going out!? and then a 3 miler I knew I had to get something half decent in so yesterday I put on my trainers and camel bak and went out the door, back to basics with my heart rate monitor on I thought I would try to go 7 miles at half marathon HR target. Once again legs felt dead, arms felt dead heck even my brain felt dead and I just couldn't be bothered but I ploughed on anyway ran up every hill and didn't stop once by around mile 4 I had given up trying to keep my heart rate down it was working at 185 bpm majority of the run so I changed my strategy to run a 10k and see what my time would be though I didn't intend to look at the timer until just under 6 miles. Coming up to 6 miles I changed from HR to timer and was pleasantly surprised that even though I was feeling dreadful all the way around and would rather have been sat at home doing nothing I was going to get a pb...if I really really pushed the last bit. So I did, forgetting the fact I was going to finish over a mile from my front door and hadn't bought my inhaler I just went all out and got a new record! My old 10k time was 1 hour 8 mins and 21 seconds... my new 10k record is 1 hour 3 minutes and 31 seconds!!

I then walked the rest of the way home trying not to have an asthma attack! I really do need to build up some sort of running base now before Rutland Water Marathon start of November else that isn't going to be a good day as I have heard the course is quite challenging.

Here's an update on future races though I do have lots of yellow stickers at the ready for Feb - March 2013

October 14th      Tamworth 10k
October 21st       Birmingham Half Marathon
November 2nd    Rutland Water Marathon
November 25th   Kingsbury Park 10k
December 1st      CATS 10k Charity run
December 2nd    Run For Fun Christmas 5k
December 16th   Enigma Christmas Marathon
January 5th & 6th Engima Winter Double Marathon
April 14th             Brighton Marathon
May 6th               Milton Keynes Marathon
June 2nd              Severn Way Ultra (58miles)

The View From The Other Side

Today was my first day seeing a race from the other side. The side of the kind people that give up their time to put on such fantastic events and give us runners something to look forward to!

I decided I wanted to be involved in the running of events and helping people get into sports and now I am an official fully fledged Sports Maker.... well after today and doing my bit I am!

After my first Park Run last week and the fact I can't run at the moment due to my ankle still not being 100% I volunteered to marshall at Park Run. Turning up to the field I wondered where was the field? It was totally covered in fog! So much for the 27 degrees we were promised today. I soon found some of the organizers James, Sally & Richard and started to help set out the start & finish markers, whilst chatting away it was apparent that the event has been growing and growing with a record number of 176 runners turning up to one event.

After setting out the markers a quick check was done to see if a marshall was needed on the far end of the field to show people the way as in all honesty you could barely see a meter in front of you. I was then paired up with a nice lady called Sharon who was also injured and helping out whilst her friend and daughter ran the course. High Vis jackets at the ready and off we went a short walk to the point we would spend the next hour standing.

We were stood a couple of feet away from each other so able to have a natter in between the runners coming through. Sharon placed herself at the top of the hill in the wood and I was positioned just out side of the wood directing the runners to the right although I knew 99% of them would know where they were going I felt really important none the less.

I've always found marshalls funny on runs, you get some that just stand there like they want to be anywhere else in the world at the point, then you get some that are really amazing clapping and cheering you with words of support. I wasn't sure how I was going to be but knew I would smile at everyone and hope for the best. It wasn't long before we saw the first runner and boy was he going some! It was amazing.. one of the things I really enjoyed was seeing the people at the front the quick ones as I'm usually able to see their backs then they disappear! The thought crossed my mind whether he needed or even wanted a clap and a well done as he seemed to be a pro, it didn't matter much anyway he was past me like a bolt of lightning and  that was that!

It was near on two minutes later that the next runner came by we couldn't believe how far in front the leader was.. saying that the next 30 or so runners looked just as good. I half thought about slipping one of them my barcode so I could get a sub 20 minute finish!  I will say one thing though they looked terrible, flob swinging everywhere! and thats when I realised I really do not push myself hard enough especially on the shorter distances. I look picture perfect (well sort of ) at the end these people look like they are about to collapse but hey if thats what gets you a sub 27 minute 5k I'm in!! So watch this space!

The rest of the runners were brilliant too each one thanked me for ..well just being there I guess... I was clapping, cheering, saying well done, telling people not far to go now. Although I know some of these things may have seemed condescending to some runners who have ran the course like 100 times over. The children running with parents did amazing and always said thank you on their way past. One thing I love about park run is no matter how fast or how slow you are whether it be an 18minute finish or 45 minute finish..it's a finish and the marshalls are still there for you.

Job done and I had a brilliant time, alot of work goes into putting on events like this and more so the bigger events and I really respect the fact that they should be acknowledged now for the hardwork.

Bring on the flob and hopefully some pbs at future park runs.

My First Park Run

I found out about Park Run through people's statuses on facebook saying they got park run pbs. I wondered if it was a silly question to ask what a park run is incase it's just someone running around a park.

Turns out that's just what it is but organized by volunteers that runs every Saturday morning at 9am and it's a measured and timed 5k course. I got registered and printed my barcode to take with me everytime I run, then I didn't run. A few times I said I was going to go and never did. I either had other things to do or didn't want it to interfere with my long run on a Saturday.

I finally decided to run Park Run this weekend and as I was volunteering as a marshall next Saturday for my sports maker course I thought I'd best run it first!

I'm very lucky that my local park run is only a mile drive from my house and although it said the race starts at 9am I got there at 8am to make sure I got a parking space and established where the runners meet. Sitting in the car I was really nervous, I felt exactly like I did at Blymhill for my first 10k and couldn't understand why.  I have attended a few of my races on my own now much bigger events/races and with no one I knew. It then dawned on me that this would be my first 5k race. I have run 5ks as often as I eat in training but never ran in an event against other people. The fact all my training so far has in all honesty focused on distance rather than speed I was terrified the race would start and I would be left standing! My 11.30 minute miles were not going to do me much good here....so I made a decision....

I decided to go back home! What??? Exactly it took me 10 minutes to convince myself this was nothing different to what I have done before, why was I so scared of taking part in my local community park run of 3 miles!?

I bit the bullet and left the car I ventured out onto the field that we start in and soon started speaking to a nice lady who explained she runs every other week alternating with her husband as they have small children. Already I was beginning to feel more at ease I just needed some slow looking people to turn up so I wouldn't be last. I made my way to where the group of runners were forming and there were hundreds of people, not what I was expecting at all for a local Saturday run.

I met another nice lady who runs there regularly with her son and grandson who was in fact running his 10th park run and would be receiving a junior T shirt. Everything seemed so well run and organized. I was told the race starts with a lap around the perimeter of the field then into the woods for two laps and back out onto the field to the finish.

Easy Peasy....

We were off! I was running and I wasn't being left behind, I nestled in quite nicely with a pack running around 10.30 min miles and knew I could maintain it as my fastest 5k is 29mins 4 seconds. I desparatley wanted to beat this but very cruelly at just over 1 mile in the woods were there were tree roots and stones ( after all it was a trail run) I slipped trying to dodge a muddy puddle and rolled my left ankle straight round on itself so all my weight was leaning over it, I heard a pop then tried not to be sick! Oh it was agony I was walking like a limping dog holding my poorly foot in the air. Then made the biggest mistake ever... I put my foot down and tried to run and ran to the end. Yes silly I know!

I finished in 30 minutes 43 seconds not bad considering what had happened. I was given my finish token and promptly took it to the desk to get that scanned for my time and then my park run ID card scanned. I wanted to stay and meet the lady I had spoken to at the start but was in so much pain with my ankle and if I'm honest trying not to cry. I hobbled to the car and lucky for me it was only 1 mile to get home as I could barely use the clutch without being in agony.

Closer inspection at home shows my ankle had ballooned and bruised, I know the drill so RICE was needed, my ice pack helped and some anti inflammatory gel. A tubey elastic bandage kept on overnight and today seems a bit better. Still bruised and swollen but I can put a little bit of weight on it. I'm just pleased this happened on the start of my planned two weeks off!

Final results -

Finish Position       130 out of 176
Finish Time           30 minutes 43 seconds
Age Grading         48.18%
Gender Position    35
Finished 2nd in my category.

Enigma Gold 30mile Ultra Marathon

The Enigma Gold was my chance to redeem myself from the Grim Reaper although it took a while to get the balls to do it!

I originally signed up for the 20 mile event knowing it would be reasonably comfortable, over a half marathon but nothing like pushing for 35-40 miles. Then as the cogs started turning in my head I convinced myself maybe the 30 would be better as at least I can finish an Ultra in 2012! Having been offered the chance to swap to the 30 I declined after a lot of thought as I was too scared to fail...again!

Two weeks to go until the event and I had run 20 miles in a training run on my own in 4 hours 11 minutes I did struggle though from mile 15 onwards but made it non the less and I started thinking that I should go for the 30 mile distance. This seemed unlikely as there were no spaces free and I couldn't help but feel disappointed mainly in myself for not having the balls to grab the chance when it initially arose. My disappointment didn't last long with Mr David Fox on the case a space became free and I was in for the 30 no going back!

As the event drew nearer I also gained a new pair of trainers Brooks Glycerines sounds ridiculous but running in them is as though they have tiny wings attached carrying me along and I was putting all faith in them on the day as I hadn't really broken them in but throwing them in the deep end with an ultra.

The night before Enigma Gold I had very little sleep thanks to my lovely cat. I woke at 5.30am feeling very nervous and could hardly get my breakfast down. Still the weather looked more promising than the Grim and off I set on the two hour journey to Milton Keynes. Upon arriving at the pub which was the headquarters for the race I met up with Ria whom I first met at Grim and I knew May would also be there, it was nice to have some familiar faces around as I had travelled up on my own  although Ria saying she would throw me in the lake if I didn't finish this time didn't sound much like fun. The scenery was just like Grimsthorpe with a big lake to run around and I couldn't get it out of my head this was my second chance!

The 30 mile runners set off first starting with a half lap of around 1.5 miles then eight laps of the lake at around 3.55 miles per lap. The 20 mile run started half an hour later which meant there were always runners passing you on the course which was nice as they were all very supportive, I did get lapped quite a lot by the fast runners but everyone of them told me how well I was doing and to keep going.

The first 10 miles flew by I don't remember much except trying to remember my way around the course from following May & Rias directions on the first full lap. Every time you came through the start/finish/checkpoint there would be a group of supporters and helpers including Dave Fox who organises the events and Karen the race director. You couldn't wish to meet nicer supportive people, although the event is nothing like the large road races with chip timing etc it was a lot more pleasurable and the banter and beers seemed to keep everyone going!

A few more laps of the lake and I found myself forgetting where on the course I was... sounds familiar?? I don't think running around lakes is good for my little brain! At mile 15 I was bang on 3 hours and half way through, I imagined what it would feel like to finish in 6 hours but knew I had no chance as I was starting to slow down a lot and hurt too... so a quick phone call to my mom was needed. A pep talk later and I was still going around the lake, at one point you go under an underpass and are literally 10 meters away from the underpass on the other side with lake in between. The amount of times I thought about swimming across rather than run the 1.5 miles out the way and back again was ridiculous but I'm no cheat and certainly no open water swimmer plus I didn't have my goggles.

At mile 20 I was back on the phone again and the usual rubbish was spouting out my mouth "Why do I do these things? I'm never doing this ever again. I'm sticking with half marathons" The usual I'm in the middle of something really good yet really challenging type blurbs. I did walk a complete lap of the lake as the back of my left knee started pulling and feeling quite weird. I thought well my aim is to finish in 7.5 hours and I was on course to do it so didn't push myself...lazy I know. Every time I went through the checkpoint I had Karen there spurring me on and when the 'school playground' bell was rang it was the start of my last lap... joy!

Only 3.55 miles to go, sounds so easy, as easy as thinking 3.55 miles in training would take me around 38 minutes whereas I was hobbling at 16 min mile pace. The song I sang to myself every time I started walking was Keep on Running - The Spencer Davis Group http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6LVI1gDswg it seemed to work too and before I knew it I was 2 miles from finishing, 2 miles sounded so easy too but seemed to take forever until eventually I rounded the corner to the final straight. The tent for runners equipment had been taken down as everyone one else had finished, there was only me, Ria and May still to finish, the Grimsthorpe girls sticking together at the end.

 Karen came to join me and we ran the final 200 yards together I finished in 6 hours 50 minutes, and would you believe my feet were completely blister free!

 I had done it, I had finished an Ultra Marathon, yes I went further in the Grim but barely ran any of it where as this time I felt I had done it right and got my golden trainer trophy to prove it. The mad moment of saying I never want to do it again was forgotten pretty much an hour later and I'm already on the starting list for the Enigma Christmas Marathon on the 16th December and helping to marshall and support the runners on the 15th December Marathon.

One of the things I loved about Enigma Gold is how friendly everyone was and I made some new running companions too including Karen, Dave, Ruth, Dawn & Annabelle all of whom made me feel very welcome and I look forward to seeing again at future Enigma runs.

Back in the game

Today spells the end of my first week of the Hal Higdon Novice 2 Marathon Training plan.

Started the week of with Monday being a rest day which I took great pleasure in even though I had had plenty of rest the weeks leading up to it, Tuesday saw me completing a nice 3 mile run which I struggled with a bit as my body was getting used to properly running again, still with my training plan stuck to the fridge I knew I would do it as I like a regime and feel like I am acheiving something if I am following or completing what I am being asked to do.

Wednesday was a 5 mile pace run which went fantastic. I have always had an idea of a time I would like to finish my first Marathon in which is around 5 hours 15 minutes so set off on my 5 mile run telling myself if I run every mile around 12 minute miles I will be happy and I did it!

Mile 1 - 9.47
Mile 2 - 10.27
Mile 3 - 10.50
Mile 4 - 11.17
Mile 5 - 10.43

I felt fantastic! After the effects of not finishing a race since May due to pulling out of two races and not finishing the Grim Reaper the fact I achieved what I was meant to do made me believe in myself again.

Thursday was an easy 3 mile run and I did take it easy as  my legs were feeling the effects of Wednesdays run. Friday was rest day and I was very good to rest, my previous training involved (through my own poor choice) one rest day a week which wasn't helping.

Then yesterday I woke up at 6am for my final run of the week 8 miles. As the weather had been hot all week I wanted to get out early and run in cooler conditions before the heat kicked in. Setting off at 6.45am felt great, there were no cars about which meant I could cross roads easily and there was a general calmness about everything. I then did something I have never done before in all my months of running, I went of the beaten track! I decided not to follow my usual option of two routes and to take a turn down an alley way that led out to the canal which turned out to be the best decision I have ever made!

In front of me lay miles upon miles upon miles of trail path with some nice little hills to contend with too. The canal was to the left and everything was still, I felt completely safe as not running with music means I can hear everything around me and  I was surprised that at that time of the morning I passed around ten people along the way, fellow runners, bikers and dog walkers.

This I decided is my Saturday long run route from now on, I'm sure you can see why from the picture I took below.

Dealing with a DNF

So it's a week on from the Grim Reaper and my first DNF and I still haven't come to terms with it....

The saturday after the run I woke up very sad but comforted by the fact that plenty of others DNF'd aswell though I believe many due to injury. It's hard to describe the emotions of this week as I've honestly felt completely numb to anything. The past day in particular I have finally realised just how easy it would have been to carry on!

All I had to do was stand still, compose myself understand that the hallucinations weren't real and maybe when I saw the land rover asked them if they had any 9 bars on them as I'm sure a chat and some food would have sorted me out enough to continue but looking back now it's oh so easy to see what could have happened. After not having any proper sleep since Friday but lying awake and going over everything in my head I have come to many conclusions.

I shouldn't have rushed around back at the tent. I should have eaten alot more and I should have taken my mobile phone with me to call my mom as im sure she would have talked to me for the two hours it was likely to take me to finish. I also should have pushed myself past the barrier I was up against and came out smiling the other side.

I have nightmares with me being back in the race and wake up feeling very very low, have the feeling of not wanting to do anything, although I did go for a 3 mile run Tuesday which felt good but achey which was to be expected.

I'm sure I will feel better after the 27th August after finishing my 20 Mile Enigma Gold run and I suppose this experience has spurred me on to not get a DNF again.

I have already entered another Ultra Marathon next year which is 58 miles but I know if the dates do not clash I will be going back to face the Grim and complete the 40 that has taken so much out of me!

Grim Reaper 40 Mile Ultra Marathon

So it's happened, though it still doesn't seem real. Although when I walk into my bathroom and the stench of my trainers hits me and I look at my brown bath I know it definitely was real!

The Grim Reaper started for me a good few months back when I saw it advertised on face book. I had never even ran a marathon before I entered but with nearly 6 months to train I honestly believed it was achievable. Friday morning when I woke up at 4am I began to wonder where the last 6 months had gone and it hit me that in 5 hours time I would be setting off on a 40 mile run.

Stamp card

Packing the car took my mind of the nerves, the course of that week had seen me write list after list of what I needed and double checking I had everything. Crates, bags and tent loaded into the car away we went at 5.40 a bit later than I planned to set off but Kev had a stinking cold and I felt bad for him. As soon as we set off the weather looked ominous, a completely grey sky which was all cloud and rain the whole way which made the journey there quite stressful. Add than on top of the sat nav (that had been on charge for 3 days) completely dying miles from the Castle! We finally pulled into the car park at 7.50am with 10 mins spare before the race briefing. Dumping the car we grabbed the tent and dashed to the main tent where I registered and was handed my stamp card. The concept is at the halfway point there is a flag pole with a stamper on it for you to punch the first section of your card, then another flag pole and stamper at the far end of the course to stamp again to show you have done the whole route and not cheated. This then gets checked and signed at the main tent before starting your next lap. The race briefing took place and I spotted a few people I have got to know from the Grimsthorpe group on facebook, keeping an eye out I thought I'd find them all at the start. We had around 15 minutes to put the tent up, me tape up my feet, sort my bumbag out with supplies, put my running glasses on and fill my camel bak.... but I'd left all my pre mixed water with High 5 4:1 in the car!!! Crikey so had to quickly grab one of the bottles from the main tent and slosh it all in. I had also left my safety pins in the car so had to run back to attach my race number. I had already ran 2 miles before the race had even started. The rain was a pain in the arse but came in handy for putting on my heart rate monitor as it works better with a bit of water I just rubbed some wet leaves on it. Thanks mother nature.

With seconds to spare and me feeling not very prepared at all as by this time my feet were already soaked from being in the long grass and my oxide tape not sticking to my feet we made the short walk to the starting line.

The Starting Line

I felt quite happy and not nervous at all at this point, I met some people from facebook, Ria, May and Steve whom I had sponsored for his 70 mile run which he was running for the charity SANDS.

A little countdown and we were off, running up towards the castle then round down by the big lake which was all on pavement I set off a bit quicker than I'd have liked but was chatting away to lots of people. I soon noticed a lot of people walking as the difference with an Ultra is you have to pace yourself, if you are running 70-100 miles you don't want to go out too quick. I decided to walk every hill to conserve energy. Around the 3 mile mark I had my first energy gel which went down quite well. I then noticed just how muddy the course was and it was still raining. After the limestone trail which went past some sheep behind an electric fence we took a left turn and it looked as though we were going to start going up a large hill on pavement but were soon diverted off to the left, this I realised was the figure of eight crossing where runners half a lap in front of you would be coming down the road in the opposite direction. Following the yellow arrows I turned left into what turned out to be an assault course. You had long grass in the middle with sloppy mud track either side which was very slippy as fifty plus runners had just gone up it before me. On the right side you had the electric fence, not something I fancied slipping into if I fell, and on the left side you had stinging nettles also not too appealing but the better option of the two. So left side it was, just around the corner from the below picture I was then faced with what I have called the Mud Hill of Death!! 

The Mud Hill of Death!!!!!!!

Assault Course

       It was maybe 300 yards at around 45 degree angle of pure sloppy mud, you could see footprints and sideways slide marks in it, only way to tackle it was to go up as quick as possible and not stop. My thoughts were already focusing on how grueling it was going to be on the second, third and fourth laps baring in mind the amount of people all going up it before me.

Shortly after conquering the Mud Hill of Death I had the Swamped Field of Slosh to battle, a good half mile of field with long grass and some bits of flat grass which was water logged. It wasn't too bad finding a clearish route around the puddles at this point. I met Stewart Griffiths a man who had only ran a 10k before this event and like me was doing the 40, my hat goes off to him and I thought he was as bonkers as me! We started a little run / walk together and if it wasn't for Stewart I would have walked straight past the second flag post with the stamper on so thanks for that Stewart :-). Rounding the corner after the field with the stamper in we came up along side the lake again and I was sure we were heading for the castle, sure enough there the castle was, we could see it.. nearly a lap done. But then a yellow arrow pointed us in the opposite direction... surely not. But we plodded on regardless my Garmin read 9.7 miles so I knew we had to be close. We came out onto pavement in the middle of the wood and I told Stewart I could see the castle behind the trees and we should be coming up the final straight.... then we were still plodding.... and again I thought I could see the castle but again we were still no where near. I think at this point Stewart wanted to throttle the girl that was playing spot the castle! But we got there in the end. Waiting for me was Kev camera at the ready.

End of 1st lap.

Stewart and I at the castle finishing 1st lap.

A quick pit stop at the tent which involved a very pointless exercise of drying my feet and trying to sort the Oxide tape out and putting wet trainers back on, filling my camel bak (which turned out was only half filling) a quick pep talk from Kev and I was off again. My first 10 mile loop took me near on 2 hours 40 minutes well over my half marathon time but conditions completely different. My second lap started of brilliant I was very cheery even though it was still raining. I got past the sheep and had to tackle the Mud Hill of Death again and did so with a little hop skip and a jump I even told the mud hill that it wouldn't beat me. I was feeling really good and kept chanting a mantra to myself saying I was powerful and strong. By the time I got to the first stamper my feet were wet through, I didn't have much water as didn't fill my camel bak enough and I had forgotten to bring energy gels or any food with me. I was cursing myself for making such silly mistakes as I had a 26 hour time limit why the rush? Around the second lap I met up with Stewart again who was complaining of tight quads. I also seemed to be suffering with my quad in my right leg and at this stage which was around 15 miles I had given up trying to run and my mood had taken a massive down turn. Stewart and I stayed close together and chatted every now and again which kept me going. I don't remember much more of the second lap except thinking when I got back to the tent there would be Kevin, chicken sandwiches, chocolate and a cup of tea with my name on. Also the fact I would be half way through felt quite good. On the straight run up to the castle I shouted at Kev that I wanted to quit, I didn't want to do it anymore it was well past 1pm I had been running in non stop rain since 9am and I realised all I had to eat since 4am was a bowl of porridge, a cereal bar and two energy gels. Hence my low ebb.

Still Smiling!

A quick chicken sandwich later, half a bar of fruit and nut and a cup off tea and another sock change I was feeling alot better. Though I made exactly the same mistake of not taking any food or energy gels with me again. Why oh why Sarah???? So 20 miles down only 20 miles to go. Back through the gate and down the side of the lake I went I had taken my phone on this lap so I could call my mom and fill her in on my progress and get a bit of a pep talk along the way. I decided as it had actually stopped raining I would take pictures of the course to show you people at home just how muddy it was! I also took a video of me running and talking to sheep!? Think this is when I began to loose it a little. During my wade through the Swamped Field of Slosh a man came along side me who I chatted to for quite some time before we realised we knew of each other from the Grimsthorpe group on facebook. My third lap companion was Rob Bateman we walked nearly the entire third lap together as neither of us felt we could run, the conditions were now dreadful it had stopped raining the whole way through for around 15 minutes but then poured down! We caught up with Ria and eventually David Neilson caught us up and we had a little Grimsthorpe Massive group going which was really nice, all sharing stories. I walked the whole third lap as everytime I tried even a little jog my right quad seized up. My ankles were also very sore from the constant rolling and sliding in the mud. Rob left me with around 1 mile to go and said he may catch me up on my last lap and that I will do it. Rob was also with me for my 'first marathon' checking my watch at the 26.2 mile marker I was at 7 hours 2 minutes. I'm hoping to knock around one and half hours of that time for my first proper marathon!

Getting back to the tent after 30 miles was tough, tough because I really didn't think I would go back out there and start my last lap. I was three quarters of the way through I just had to do it. Seeing Kev was fantastic and I told him next time he sees me I will have finished and we can go and get warm and dry. Kev said he would wait in the car and worked out I will finish around 9pm as my third lap had taken me nearly 3 hours!! I couldn't believe it.

I decided to swap my phone for my mp3 player, my phone was getting wet and a thought some music would help in my final moments.  I walked out the white gate and got along side the lake I tried to run but couldn't I was so cold and wet it had now been raining from 9am to 6pm my hands were swollen and red. I couldn't feel my hands and my hips had locked from being so cold, I thought about turning back and giving up but just couldn't bare it so set off with a quick stomp to the beat of my music. Eye of the Tiger came on and I was really going for it there was no one around for miles in front or behind me I was punching the air "With the distance now I'm not going to sleep, just a woman and her will to survive" Yeah!! I was feeling okish I knew I would be walking the whole 10 miles and it was not going to be fast. After my songs had played over twice they were grating on me so I turned it off. I really wanted to turn back and quit but thought if I could just get to the first stamper post it would make more sense to keep moving forward than turn back as it's pretty much the same distance. I was sure I knew the stamper post was just around the next corner..... it wasn't..... the next corner.... it wasn't... nor the 4 corners after that I was constantly being faced with straight roads.

I had lost any sense of where I was on the course which was silly as I knew it like the back of my hand after doing it three times over! Finally the stamper came into sight it then took me a good few minutes to bend down and pick the stamp up, stamp my card and go on my way. No turning back now I was pretty much 4 miles in with 6 miles to go so just keep moving forwards seemed the best option. I didn't recognize any of the route after the stamp and wondered why? I kept looking behind me but there were no runners at all, there was no one in front of me which was a bit unsettling. I carried on and came out on what the other runners call Heart Break Valley. It's along stretch of pavement that goes on for miles with no bends in it at all and seems never ending. My heart did break as I got to it and I felt completely deflated. By now I could barely put one foot in front of the other it was past 7pm and starting to get a bit darker and it was still raining. I was walking along and suddenly noticed out the corner of my eye a corgi dog running along side me. I stopped and turned my head and there was nothing there, this continued to happen and I knew then that I was in trouble. I already knew I hadn't managed my tent time well and rushed everything and hadn't eaten even a quarter of what I should have done for the distance and now I was hallucinating. At this point I burst out crying I continued to walk sobbing away even wailing at times asking myself why I had been so stupid to think I could run 40 miles and why I took up running in the first place. I kept looking behind me but no one was there. I carried on walking and out of no where saw the land rover that comes along every now and again to check on runners. I was so happy to see it I was tempted to run to get to it and speak to someone, maybe not give up but just speak to someone. The nearer I got to the 'land rover' I realised it wasn't the land rover it was in fact the car parked at a random house which I had already gone past three times so should have realised what I was looking at. I couldn't believe it!! I felt like someone out of a movie that's trapped somewhere maybe on a desert island and the ship doesn't see them and turns away. I burst into tears again and at this point I realised I wanted to quit I couldn't do it, I had got to 35 miles and could go no more. I told myself what ever happens first I will take, if the land rover finds me I will get in, if I happen to finish before the land rover finds me I have finished. At this point I wish I had taken my phone with me as I could have called Kev to get someone out to find me but I didn't have that choice. At this point I got near to the cross road part on the figure of eight and a man came running up behind me I was going to ask if he had a phone for me to borrow but he had headphones in and didn't hear me. Hence more crying. Then I noticed far in the distance a man stood still in the middle of the grass off the pavement...just stood there. I thought he was having a wee and as I couldn't run I would never catch him up for help. As I carried on watching him the most amazing sight ever appeared! The land rover!!! It pulled up along side the man and stopped and he got in the back... I quickly realised I had to be seen else they would go so I started jumping up and down waving my arms (It really was like something out of a film) and I'm not even joking. As I started waving frantically like a mad woman another runner came up from the opposite direction about to go up the Mud Hill of Death. He looked at me, looked at the land rover and asked how far I had left to go. In tears I told him only 5 miles (only 5 miles! which by the way would have taken me near on 2 hours to complete) He begged me not to get in the land rover he told me I must carry on I'm so close but I had to let him go I couldn't lose the safety of the land rover so I thanked him and made my way crying like a little girl to my saviors. I was helped into the back and greeted by the man who it turns out was not having a wee, he had the sense to carry a mobile on him and had called for help. There was a nice girl in the front who was helping out and the driver who practically had to pick me up to put me in the van.

The desperation I faced and the frantic thinking of should I give up should I not... it's only 5 more miles... think of the people you will be letting down... was over. I had given up I now had a DNF to face up to and knew I was going back the main tent where I wouldn't collect my T-shirt or certificate.  I cried most of the way back, it turns out a lot of people didn't finish due to the conditions and I had apparently lasted longer than some. Arriving back at the main tent I had to be carried out of the van and placed on the ground where I hobbled to my tent to find kev, he wasn't there. I made my way crying to the car and opened the car door.
Kev thought he had missed me finishing but my sudden outburst of wailing and catching my breathe told him all he needed to know. He had sat in a cold wet tent for 11 hours on his own, and I had ran 35 miles in non stop rain for nothing! I was inconsolable to say the least. We packed up the tent packed up the car I tried to get my trainers off and assess the damage which is a massive blister between my big toe and second toe, two blisters down the side of my left heel and funnily enough a blister on the inside of my groin from chaffing. Should have lubed up but I didn't utilize 90% of anything that I had bought with me which was part of the problem.

Returning to the hotel and checking facebook I had loads of people posting asking how I had got on and if anyone had heard from me and I felt like I'd let everyone down even people I had never even met before. Stewart who I spent most of the first two laps with had written a thankyou to me for my support. Turns out he pulled out after the second lap due to a knee injury which is such a shame. It was nice to know I had helped someone on their journey even though at the time I thought they were helping me.

I later found out that quite a few people didn't finish which made me feel a bit better. Looking back on it all now I am really pleased with what I achieved, at the end of the day I ran 35 miles in mud, waterlogged fields in non stop rain. Imagine what I could do on road in dry conditions. I have learnt a few things though... don't rush, take plenty of food and water out with you and if possible a mobile phone!

I may not have finished the race or got my t-shirt or certificate but I met some pretty amazing people that day and I did also receive a trophy. Admittedly I bought it myself but I will look at it and always remember Friday 13th July 2012.

Malvern Half Marathon & Getting Ripped Off

So today is the day of the Malvern Half Marathon I should just be finishing in around 30 minutes. Instead I am sat at home typing this much to my dismay!

So this is my second race that I have had to pull out of but still need to focus on the bigger picture which is the 40 mile Ultra Marathon in 19 days arghhhh! How excited am I??

So I guess you may be wondering what the Physio said right? Well what he said was a load of old poppy cock, nice enough man and all that but he made me do loads of movements, stretches put pressure on bits and bobs and came to the conclusion it may be but he wasn't sure a problem with my back but then proceeded to put KT tape on my hamstring. Is this not the same principle of sticking a plaster on your foot to cure a headache? He then told me to go for a run with the tape on and if doesn't help go back home and do some stretches then try running again. So off I went, then at reception was told to make another appointment, Ok I thought thinking next week will be fine only to be given an appointment card with the following day on it!? Apparently me paying him £40 for him to say oh i think it's your back but not sure, run tonight and come back tomorrow so I can take another £40 off you is the way it works right? WRONG!

I went home very upset, went for a run and pushed myself soooo hard to run 3 miles, on one hand it felt great just to be back outdoors running and on the other hand I knew I was probably causing myself more damage. Frustrated wasn't the word, having been told different things by different people i.e maybe you should just give up running, is it really that fun anyway? Maybe you shouldn't run you don't want to end up in a wheelchair?!  Taking matters into my own sorry hands the next day I cancelled my appointment and  I found a different Physio closer to home and also one that has a lady who has ran a 26 Marathons/Ultra Marathons. Now this is what I am talking about someone who knows what I'm going through! So I made an appointment for that evening... yes it will be another £40 down the drain but I had a good feeling about it so off I went....

Talk about £40 well spent, the physio was amazing really listened to everything I had to say did the same routine as previous physio then said they knew straight away what it was.... wait for it.... you'll never guess.
Piriformis! exactly what I had self diagnosed myself with (though I didn't tell him that) I was then explained how the Piriformis muscle works how I would have damaged it, and yes it was through swimming, also the reason why it would have been damaged swimming but not shown up until I ran 7 miles. I also got informed on what stage the injury is at and the recovery stages, what to do and not to do. Turns out taking anti flams is a no go and heat is required not ice. I then had an Ultrasound done and some Electro Therapy which should increase the healing process by 20-24% over the following two days. Now why the first money making scheming physio couldn't have done this I do not know?

Anyway the outcome was no running for a further 10 days, hence I'm not running today but he said I will be fine to take part in my Ultra Marathon but need to build my running back up with a combination of run/walking. Who could run 40 miles anyway?  Roll on the 1st July my first official day of being allowed to run and at least now I have found a decent physio to fix me after my Ultra! I'm trying to build up my fitness levels again using the bikes at the gym (the only form of cardio exercise I'm allowed to do) and doing some strength training, It's amazing how much fitness levels can slip after doing nothing for 3 weeks. Still 40 miles is a good introduction back into the world of running and you never know I may actually feel like a runner again in mind and body!

Again here is the only memento I have for the Malvern Half Marathon, there's always next year....