Dizzy Dancing Dope Runs Disney (comments welcome)

How are things going heading towards your POT race next week? What did you decide for your long run this weekend?
 
07/09/2015 - REST – Played Tag Rugby
08/09/2015 - 4m Run - Completed
09/09/2015 - 8m Run - Completed in splits
10/09/2015 - 5m Run – Completed & STRENGHT
11/09/2015 - REST - Completed
12/09/2015 - 12m Run – DEFFERRED
13/09/2015 - REST - Completed
TOTAL MILEAGE: 27 Miles

General

Got back from Spain early this week and back to work as normal… boo!

This training week turned out to be quite chaotic. I started the week feeling really positive after our successful 16mile. I signed up to play tag rugby with a friend and her team, I’m trying to expand my social circle in London since I’ve just recently moved. Luckily two of my best friends live here already so I’m not totally friendless! The tag rugby is great fun and there is always a trip to the pub afterwards, the problem is however that it’s the day before my running week starts and it’s a lot of stop starting and sprinting which takes a toll on my legs.

Life in London is quite hectic, there is always something happening and I’m finding it increasingly difficult to find the time to run. As a result ALL of my runs this week were at the gym.


Week in Review

Mid - Week Runs

08/09/2015 - 4m Run – Completed
I went to the gym at lunch time for this run and watched some TV on my phone to keep me entertained. It was pretty average, my legs felt tired but no major complaints. I stuck to 4:1 intervals.

09/09/2015 - 8m Run - Completed in splits
Today I had decided to go for my first run with the running club I joined recently. I wasn’t sure how long the run was going to be and when I mailed the club they said they don’t give out the details on the plan for a Wednesday because it’s not a standard run, they’ll do sprint intervals or hill training or something else along those lines. To be cautious I went to the gym again at lunch and ran about 3miles.

I arrived up at the running club feeling quite nervous but luckily everyone was really friendly. The agenda for today was a loop around the area that was about 2miles where we would jog comfortably for 60secs and sprint for 20secs. We had to run the loop twice.

WOW what a difference those 20secs made, I found this run really tough. I got my first stitch in months and I didn’t recover very well on the jogs (I normally do run/walk intervals where I recover on the walk)

I made it through though and felt pretty good for it!

10/09/2015 - 5m Run – Completed & STRENGHT
I’ve been worried about my strength training (or lack thereof) and a girl that I work with was doing a circuit class this morning at my gym so I decided to join her. I was up early and on the tube by 7AM for the 7.45AM class. There were 6 stations at the circuit class, the first was squats with a resistance band to hold up over your head like you were doing the Y from YMCA. Second was an arm workout with a long cylinder weight you held with both hands and punched out. The third was HORRIBLE you had to get down into a press up position and kick your legs up high (like a really bag handstand but kicking up with force) and kind pull your knees in and then back down. I was getting all sweaty and thought I was going to faceplant one of these! Next was stepping up onto a high block holding weights and back down. Station 5 was another arm workout that included a bend down to the floor to pick up. Last was a side plank with a twist with a weight in your free hand. I HATE THE PLANK. Each circuit was followed by a ‘tough minute’ of a cardio move which today was a side step and floor touch.

I was really feeling it towards the end but I completed the four circuits.

I completed my run at lunch as well. Again on the treadmill and uneventful.

11/09/2015 - REST - Completed
MY BODY WAS VERY ANGRY WITH ME TODAY
Stupid circuits.

Long Run

12/09/2015 - 18m Run – DEFFERRED
Part of my busy scheduled also includes a new person in my life, we’ll refer to him as prince charming, who very nicely booked a weekend away for us. I was planning on running while there but on Friday when I was packing I was in SO MUCH PAIN I just decided I’d do the run on Sunday when we got back. I had a lovely weekend and it was so nice to have a weekend with no running.

13/09/2015 - REST – Completed
So… I didn’t complete my 18m on Sunday either, It was about 6pm when I was home and I just didn’t feel up to it. I’d enjoyed my weekend and we’d actually had a drink with Sunday lunch so my body was not in the right state for an 18mile run. I decided I would run Monday instead.

I felt so guilty on Sunday night but I knew I would probably only feel worse if I went out. I was in bed and asleep by 8.30PM. It felt so good to have a break.
 
How are things going heading towards your POT race next week? What did you decide for your long run this weekend?

Thanks for checking in! It's going alright, I missed my 18mile on Saturday as you'll see from my recap but I did get a long run in Monday to compensate. I also played tag on Monday so I took a rest day yesterday and I'm still feeling quite sore today. I've got my 12mile run this weekend which is back home in Dublin and then taper for the half. I'm feeling prepared for the half. :-)

As for the marathon next month :crazy2:
 
07/09/2015 - REST – Played Tag Rugby
08/09/2015 - 4m Run - Completed
09/09/2015 - 8m Run - Completed in splits
10/09/2015 - 5m Run – Completed & STRENGHT
11/09/2015 - REST - Completed
12/09/2015 - 12m Run – DEFFERRED
13/09/2015 - REST - Completed
TOTAL MILEAGE: 27 Miles

General

Got back from Spain early this week and back to work as normal… boo!

This training week turned out to be quite chaotic. I started the week feeling really positive after our successful 16mile. I signed up to play tag rugby with a friend and her team, I’m trying to expand my social circle in London since I’ve just recently moved. Luckily two of my best friends live here already so I’m not totally friendless! The tag rugby is great fun and there is always a trip to the pub afterwards, the problem is however that it’s the day before my running week starts and it’s a lot of stop starting and sprinting which takes a toll on my legs.

Life in London is quite hectic, there is always something happening and I’m finding it increasingly difficult to find the time to run. As a result ALL of my runs this week were at the gym.


Week in Review

Mid - Week Runs

08/09/2015 - 4m Run – Completed
I went to the gym at lunch time for this run and watched some TV on my phone to keep me entertained. It was pretty average, my legs felt tired but no major complaints. I stuck to 4:1 intervals.

09/09/2015 - 8m Run - Completed in splits
Today I had decided to go for my first run with the running club I joined recently. I wasn’t sure how long the run was going to be and when I mailed the club they said they don’t give out the details on the plan for a Wednesday because it’s not a standard run, they’ll do sprint intervals or hill training or something else along those lines. To be cautious I went to the gym again at lunch and ran about 3miles.

I arrived up at the running club feeling quite nervous but luckily everyone was really friendly. The agenda for today was a loop around the area that was about 2miles where we would jog comfortably for 60secs and sprint for 20secs. We had to run the loop twice.

WOW what a difference those 20secs made, I found this run really tough. I got my first stitch in months and I didn’t recover very well on the jogs (I normally do run/walk intervals where I recover on the walk)

I made it through though and felt pretty good for it!

10/09/2015 - 5m Run – Completed & STRENGHT
I’ve been worried about my strength training (or lack thereof) and a girl that I work with was doing a circuit class this morning at my gym so I decided to join her. I was up early and on the tube by 7AM for the 7.45AM class. There were 6 stations at the circuit class, the first was squats with a resistance band to hold up over your head like you were doing the Y from YMCA. Second was an arm workout with a long cylinder weight you held with both hands and punched out. The third was HORRIBLE you had to get down into a press up position and kick your legs up high (like a really bag handstand but kicking up with force) and kind pull your knees in and then back down. I was getting all sweaty and thought I was going to faceplant one of these! Next was stepping up onto a high block holding weights and back down. Station 5 was another arm workout that included a bend down to the floor to pick up. Last was a side plank with a twist with a weight in your free hand. I HATE THE PLANK. Each circuit was followed by a ‘tough minute’ of a cardio move which today was a side step and floor touch.

I was really feeling it towards the end but I completed the four circuits.

I completed my run at lunch as well. Again on the treadmill and uneventful.

11/09/2015 - REST - Completed
MY BODY WAS VERY ANGRY WITH ME TODAY
Stupid circuits.

Long Run

12/09/2015 - 18m Run – DEFFERRED
Part of my busy scheduled also includes a new person in my life, we’ll refer to him as prince charming, who very nicely booked a weekend away for us. I was planning on running while there but on Friday when I was packing I was in SO MUCH PAIN I just decided I’d do the run on Sunday when we got back. I had a lovely weekend and it was so nice to have a weekend with no running.

13/09/2015 - REST – Completed
So… I didn’t complete my 18m on Sunday either, It was about 6pm when I was home and I just didn’t feel up to it. I’d enjoyed my weekend and we’d actually had a drink with Sunday lunch so my body was not in the right state for an 18mile run. I decided I would run Monday instead.

I felt so guilty on Sunday night but I knew I would probably only feel worse if I went out. I was in bed and asleep by 8.30PM. It felt so good to have a break.

I know that feeling you are talking about for missing a run. It's a awful guilty feeling, and it isn't any fun at all. Life happens, so I would not dwell on it much, but I would make sure to not miss many more of the long runs on the weekend. The speed work you did will do many great things for you. If possible try to do some form of speed work once a week. The short version of why is it increases your overall cardio = faster splits. Now if you are building mileage and adding speed work that you have never done before, you are entering a very dangerous area of getting injured. If you have done speed work before adding extra miles, then you will be fine. Finding a good running club is a great way to meet people who share similar interest and who can help keep you motivated. Hope things go well with the running club and good luck this week with your runs.
 


It's definitely hard to miss a run, but when your body says rest, it's important to rest. Just as long as skipping runs doesn't become a habit, I think it's okay if it happens once in a blue moon.
It really sounds like you're doing a pretty good job getting in runs despite your busy schedule.
Speed work is definitely hard at first, but it's really great for your running. And the running group should make it a little easier because there are other people suffering through it with you!
 
14/09/2015 - Deferred 18miles – Completed 12/18miles in 3parts & Tag Rugby
15/09/2015 - REST - Completed
16/09/2015 - 4m Run - Completed
17/09/2015 - 5m Run – Completed
18/09/2015 - REST - Completed
19/09/2015 - 12m Run – 8m/12m completed
20/09/2015 - REST - Completed
TOTAL MILEAGE: 27 Miles

General

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I'm feeling a little bit emotional

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Or a LOT emotional... That's probably more accurate.

As I posted lasts week I missed my 18mile and then tried to catch up on Monday. I'm feeling the weight of our first marathon next month. My legs felt heavy last week and I figured with the rest taken over the weekend that I'd have fresh legs but come Monday's run they felt heavy again.

Fast forward to our long run this weekend and we don't manage to complete it. I generally try to stay focused on the positives with this training and I feel like so far I've done pretty well with the mental battle of this tough training and in particular during our long training runs like our 16miles two weeks ago. Right now I'm questioning whether or not I'm going to be up to this. I'm getting so frustrated with my legs and confused about what I should be doing for the best. I feel guilty when I miss a run but then when I run and my leg is hurting I wonder if I should be resting to avoid injury but then if I rest I miss more runs... :confused3

Just to explain a little further about the issue I've been having with my right leg.

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Originally my issue was with the Gracilis muscle on the inside of my leg. It was really tight and causing discomfort in my right knee. I went for physio and had several rounds of dry needling (Myofacial Trigger PointDry Needling) which is NOT A FUN EXPERIENCE PEOPLE but it really did help. I wasn’t able to run the day I had treatment or the day after but I was able to continue running on other days and just not increase my mileage so it didn’t impact too negatively on training. More recently I've had the odd tighness in the same muscle and some similar issues with a few muscles in my right quad. I had further dry needling before our 10mile and since then I'd felt pretty good. The last two weeks that tightness is back so I'll be going back to physio this week.

I have my POT next weekend so that was also playing on my mind this last week. I would've just liked to have a positive training week.

Anyway... it is what it is. We still ran on Saturday and I'll hopefully get the right treatment to loosen my muscles for next weeks half marathon.

Do any of you have advice for when you're feeling this frustration? The emotional side of it is more attached to the purpose behind all of this. It means a lot to me to raise funds and awareness for the cancer support centre my mam attended and on top of that there are other people I worry about disappointing.


Week in Review


Mid - Week Runs


13/09/2015 - Deferred 18miles – Completed 12/18miles in 3parts & Tag Rugby
I was up early this morning and off to the gym for the first portion of my long run. The weather in London has been pretty grim lately and I'm also still not all that familiar with the routes around my area in particular the longer ones. I'm not really enjoying these threadmil runs though so I think I need to sort that problem out. On the plus side I can watch some TV while I run so that's a nice distraction. I ran about 5miles in the morning. I came back at lunch and ran a further 4miles and then 3 more after work.

15/09/2015 - 4m Run - Completed
Another run on the threadmil. The weather is KILLING ME. I got through it but my head just wasn't really in it.


16/09/2015 - 5m Run – Completed
Same as yesterday. On the threadmil, watched some TV and legs didn't feel great. I foam rolled and stretched as usual but just felt pretty tired and heavy over all.


Long Run

18/09/2015 - 12m Run – 7m/12m completed

This run was TOUGH. As soon as we set out I didn't feel right, my legs were really heavy and it felt like so much effort. We were running 5:1 intervals and got about 4 intervals in when I started to feel some more discomfort in my right leg. We took a longer walk break while I debated turning back but I really wanted to see the miles out. We continued on and about 2 intervals later Rachel's hip was hurting so we took a turn that would shorten our run. From then on it was a struggle. We took several longer walks break and I had to cut our runs short a few times when I felt some pain in my leg.

FRUSTRATED


 
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I know that feeling you are talking about for missing a run. It's a awful guilty feeling, and it isn't any fun at all. Life happens, so I would not dwell on it much, but I would make sure to not miss many more of the long runs on the weekend. The speed work you did will do many great things for you. If possible try to do some form of speed work once a week. The short version of why is it increases your overall cardio = faster splits. Now if you are building mileage and adding speed work that you have never done before, you are entering a very dangerous area of getting injured. If you have done speed work before adding extra miles, then you will be fine. Finding a good running club is a great way to meet people who share similar interest and who can help keep you motivated. Hope things go well with the running club and good luck this week with your runs.

Ye the guilt is not fun. I haven't been doing speed work up until now or a whole lot of strength training either and like you said introducing that sort of thing now is dangerous on the injury front. This is where I get frustrated because I've been told I need to do the strength training exercises. I'm going to skip the running club this week as I've my POT on Sunday and don't want to take any risks. Thanks for the luck!
 


It's definitely hard to miss a run, but when your body says rest, it's important to rest. Just as long as skipping runs doesn't become a habit, I think it's okay if it happens once in a blue moon.
It really sounds like you're doing a pretty good job getting in runs despite your busy schedule.
Speed work is definitely hard at first, but it's really great for your running. And the running group should make it a little easier because there are other people suffering through it with you!

That's the balance I'm finding hard, listening to my body versus getting the mileage in! Ye the speed work was tough! I'd like to stick with it on a Wednesday but I may consider missing it in the few weeks leading up to my marathon.
 
The leg problems sound rough ... I hope going back to physiotherapy helps. Can your physio give you any at-home exercises to do to help you feel better in between sessions? (That's what my doctor is having me do - go for a few sessions, but mostly get at-home exercises so that I don't have to keep coming back).
In terms of the emotional side ... I tend to run through the pain, which is not always a good thing. It's definitely hard to stay positive when things are so rough, but you just have to keep trying and not beat yourself up when things go wrong. The goal of Dopey (and all the races before and after) is to finish, but you don't want to finish and hurt yourself permanently. All you can do is your best, and you just have to hope that's good enough. And if anyone is disappointed that you didn't make it even though you tried your best, that's not someone who should be in your life.

Also ... have you tried shortening your run intervals? I find that my pain isn't as bad with shorter intervals (I usually do 3:1), so maybe that will help you a little.
 
As for the thought of disappointing people...I've had thoughts like that more than once. Here's what squashes them...sometimes.

If I never started running (or in your case running & fundraising) then there would be no one to disappoint. BUT there would also be no one to be proud of me for what I am accomplishing right now. And no matter what you do...you are accomplishing FAR MORE than if you did nothing at all.

I'm proud of you and I'm just an internet stranger...I'd imagine the people in your life are far more proud since they know you personally.
Keep at your goals! But don't beat yourself up either!!
 
The leg problems sound rough ... I hope going back to physiotherapy helps. Can your physio give you any at-home exercises to do to help you feel better in between sessions? (That's what my doctor is having me do - go for a few sessions, but mostly get at-home exercises so that I don't have to keep coming back).
In terms of the emotional side ... I tend to run through the pain, which is not always a good thing. It's definitely hard to stay positive when things are so rough, but you just have to keep trying and not beat yourself up when things go wrong. The goal of Dopey (and all the races before and after) is to finish, but you don't want to finish and hurt yourself permanently. All you can do is your best, and you just have to hope that's good enough. And if anyone is disappointed that you didn't make it even though you tried your best, that's not someone who should be in your life.

Also ... have you tried shortening your run intervals? I find that my pain isn't as bad with shorter intervals (I usually do 3:1), so maybe that will help you a little.

Thank you for commenting, I was feeling pretty rough at the weekend. Yes I was back on Monday and it helped, I should be back running tomorrow. I’ve been given some stretches to do that should help. I’ve got private healthcare in work now in London (I had been waiting on that to be set up in my new job) so I’ll book in for regular treatment.

I generally tend to run through the pain as well as you’ve said, I get more careful coming up to big runs like this weekend and my Dad and boyfriend are very much on the ‘don’t run if you’re in pain’ side so they convince me to take it easy when needed.

You’re so right about the goal, we keep talking about this at home when we get stressed about it all. Our ultimate goal is to finish Dopey. I think I’ve been putting a bit too much pressure on myself. The run this week is just my POT, I already have my 10mile run anyway so worst case scenario I use that one. That’s not the end of the world. Also with my training, I’m on a marathon training plan that ends next month with my first marathon, if I compare what I’m running now to the equivalent week if I was on the Dopey training plan finishing in January we are running a LOT further so we’re in a good place to switch over to that plan after the Dublin Marathon. My Dad made a good point to me the other day reminding me that the Dublin Marathon is part of our training, we only signed up for it as part of our training, our goal is to finish Dopey.


As for the thought of disappointing people...I've had thoughts like that more than once. Here's what squashes them...sometimes.

If I never started running (or in your case running & fundraising) then there would be no one to disappoint. BUT there would also be no one to be proud of me for what I am accomplishing right now. And no matter what you do...you are accomplishing FAR MORE than if you did nothing at all.

I'm proud of you and I'm just an internet stranger...I'd imagine the people in your life are far more proud since they know you personally.
Keep at your goals! But don't beat yourself up either!!

That’s some pretty good thinking! You’re right and I’ve already had several ‘I’m so proud of me’ moments along the way so I (or we) have achieved so much just to get this far in our journey.

Thanks!! :D
I really appreciate you saying that! It is great having the extra support on here of people going through similar ups and downs....
 
21/09/2015 - DRY NEEDLING
22/09/2015 - 4m Run - Unscheduled rest taken
23/09/2015 - 3m Run - Unscheduled rest taken
24/09/2015 - 2m Run – Completed
25/09/2015 - REST – Completed
26/09/2015 - REST - Completed
27/09/2015 - Ealing Half Marathon - **Completed with PR**

TOTAL MILEAGE:
15 Miles


General


So…. After struggling at the weekend with our 12mile run I got myself back to physio on Monday and I had needling treatment again. I was feeling really nervous about my half coming up on Sunday as it was proof of time race for Dopey. My Dad and Sister ran their half in 2hrs25mins so I really wanted to get that time or beat it so they didn’t have to drop back for me. My Dad flew to London on Friday so that he could run with me, it was really nice having him over for the weekend. I moved to London two months ago so it was his first time visiting me. I struggled mentally again this week. I was frustrated with my injury and concerned about running my half without my mid-week runs but I knew that in order to be in the best shape for the run I needed to rest after treatment.

I’ve spoken about dry needling before and I’ve found it very affecting for quick recovery, I came home Monday after treatment with my leg hurting quite a bit and then I did something really stupid. I stood on a nail. It went right into my foot and I had to pull it back out. Luckily it wasn’t a rusty old one but my foot was sore and tender afterwards. NOT the way I want the build-up to my half to be going!!


Week in Review


Mid - Week Runs

24/09/2015 - 2m Run – Completed

Only one mid-week run and it was a short one at 2miles. I felt pain in my big toe on the same foot I stood on the nail so that didn’t really help my pre-race nerves.


Long Run

27/09/2015 - Ealing Half Marathon - **Completed with PR**

Race-Recap coming soon!
 
YIKES about stepping on a nail! I literally have spine shivers reading that you did that. I hope it was just a small nail???!!!

Congrats on the PR though...especially considering how nervous your were about getting that Dopey proof! Looking forward to the recap!
 
21/09/2015 - DRY NEEDLING
22/09/2015 - 4m Run - Unscheduled rest taken
23/09/2015 - 3m Run - Unscheduled rest taken
24/09/2015 - 2m Run – Completed
25/09/2015 - REST – Completed
26/09/2015 - REST - Completed
27/09/2015 - Ealing Half Marathon - **Completed with PR**

TOTAL MILEAGE: 15 Miles


General


So…. After struggling at the weekend with our 12mile run I got myself back to physio on Monday and I had needling treatment again. I was feeling really nervous about my half coming up on Sunday as it was proof of time race for Dopey. My Dad and Sister ran their half in 2hrs25mins so I really wanted to get that time or beat it so they didn’t have to drop back for me. My Dad flew to London on Friday so that he could run with me, it was really nice having him over for the weekend. I moved to London two months ago so it was his first time visiting me. I struggled mentally again this week. I was frustrated with my injury and concerned about running my half without my mid-week runs but I knew that in order to be in the best shape for the run I needed to rest after treatment.

I’ve spoken about dry needling before and I’ve found it very affecting for quick recovery, I came home Monday after treatment with my leg hurting quite a bit and then I did something really stupid. I stood on a nail. It went right into my foot and I had to pull it back out. Luckily it wasn’t a rusty old one but my foot was sore and tender afterwards. NOT the way I want the build-up to my half to be going!!


Week in Review


Mid - Week Runs

24/09/2015 - 2m Run – Completed
Only one mid-week run and it was a short one at 2miles. I felt pain in my big toe on the same foot I stood on the nail so that didn’t really help my pre-race nerves.



Long Run

27/09/2015 - Ealing Half Marathon - **Completed with PR**

Race-Recap coming soon!
Congrats on the PR! Did you go get a shot after the nail? Rusty or not, its not a terrible idea, even though you will more than likely be fine. The last time I got one of those shots I stuck a oyster knife between my thumb and index finger. Had just opened the first beer to... such a shame. Hope the foot feels better soon and look forward to reading about your race!
 
Race Recap – Ealing Half Marathon

Date: Sunday 27th September
Location: Ealing, London
Entry Fee: £36
Distance: Half Marathon


Having moved to London in the summer of 2015 I decided to sign up to the Ealing Half Marathon as my POT race for the Dopey Challenge 2016. My training in the run up to the race was less than ideal but I did have a lot of mileage under my belt so I knew I would make the distance, my challenge was going to be making the time I wanted. I decided about a month out that I didn’t really fancy running this one alone so I roped my Dad into coming over from Dublin to run with me!

Our goals for today's run:

New PR: My last half marathon was Wine and Dine Half in November 2014 completed in 3hrs01min14secs. I wanted to set a new PR at this run and I was more than capable of doing it by a long shot.

Goal A:
Finish the race at 2hrs25mins in order to equal the POT set by Dad and Rachel at the Dublin Rock 'n' Roll Half.


Goal A+: Beat that time! Dad and Rachel ran their half over a month before this one and actually ran a training run completing 13miles in about 2hrs21mins.

Goal A++: Under 2hrs 20mins


Part 1 - Prep and Arrival


The evening before the race we went out for Italian to get some carbs in, got back to the flat early and chilled out while watching England vs Wales in the Rugby World Cup. I lay my running outfit out for the next day and got to bed at a reasonable hour.

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We were up EARLY on Sunday morning, I had my usual bagel with peanut butter and we caught the first tube running from my area in North London. I drank half a poweraid on route and some water. The other fuel we had packed was two GU gels, cliff blocks and a banana. I had two cliff blocks before the run and my Dad had a banana.

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We were delayed on route due to a signal issue at one of the stations and arrived and Lammas Park just as the warm up was starting.

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We needed to pick up our bibs at the race so got that sorted quickly and dropped off our bag all with minimal waiting. The timing chip was attached to your shoe so we got ours secured as an official time was VERY important for us today

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We proceeded to the start line and took a quick toilet break with again a very short wait as there were plenty of toilets.


We hopped into the 2hrs 20mins finishing group and noticed that we were a VERY long way towards the back of the pack. There wasn’t really all that many people behind us.

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It took about 10mins to cross the start line and then we were OFF

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Race Recap – Ealing Half Marathon

Part 2 - The Race

Now something I haven’t mentioned already was that this was the first race EVER that I had someone I knew come along to support me! None other than Prince Charming (PC) himself

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This was a lovely little boost and he really made an effort to catch us several times along the course.

I had programmed 4:1 intervals on my Garmin for today. I decided as we started that we would run through the first walk break so we’d be running 9mintues straight which should get us to around the 1mile marker before we took a walk break. I must mention straight off the bat that the crowd support was fantastic today, there were people cheering along the whole route and it was a really positive atmosphere.

For the first time in a race I decided to wear earphones, I was listen to MickeyMiles podcast as recommended by others in the marathon forum.

Shortly after we started my Dad felt something in his shoe, it felt like a stone so he decided he was going to have to stop. He told me to leave him behind and he’d catch me to continue my run walk breaks as normal. I pulled my phone out and saw that PC was watching along the course already and told me he was by an ambulance. I had originally said to him to go to the out and back at mile 6&10 but he’d apparently crossed the course when looking for somewhere to park so got out in the hopes of seeing me and wouldn’t you know just after I checked my phone I looked ahead, saw and ambulance and he was right at it just after the 1mile mark. I ran up towards him waving and saying that my Dad was behind me somewhere and he shouted lots of encouragement as I went passed. Well I continued running and came round a corner and he’d managed to drive the car round and was beeping and shouting for me some more so I had the biggest smile on my face!

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I started to get a little worried then as it had been about 5mins or so and my Dad had yet to catch me up (he’s way faster than me when I’m not holding him back). I thought maybe when I’d pulled over for PC or been distracted by the beeping he could have went past me and he’d no phone on him either! Luckily he caught up with me around then and we continued on with our intervals.

One thing I hadn’t been prepared for this race day was THE SUN. It had been cloudy leading up the race and when I checked the weather report I saw nothing about sunshine but the sun was already up and although it wasn’t too hot it was really bright and it was already starting to give me a bit of a headache. Note to self: invest in sunglasses or a good visor…. I think I’d rather sunglasses. I was careful to keep well hydrated, I had Poweraid in one of my 8oz bottles and water in the other that I refilled at every water stop. The water stops were great and we were given small bottles of volvic which were really easy to drink from. There was a stop just before mile 2 so I grabbed a bottle, drank a bit and spilled a little over my head too. Then I remembered I had earphones in... whooops.

My Dad had taken a look at the course beforehand and said that it wasn't that hilly, it apparently looked better than the 10mile we'd completed in August. WELL.... that was so NOT the case. There were so many HILLS OF DOOM it was ridiculous. I had completed a lot of my training runs since moving to London on the treadmill so these hills were super tough for me.

One of the lads I play tag rubgy with lives along the course so I text him from the course and sent my location and wouldn't you know I was only a few minutes from him house. I got a great cheer as I went passed which was nice!

We continued with our intervals and stuck pretty well to them for the first 4miles or so. Around then I had to stop on one or two hills and take an extra bit of a walk as my muscles were on fire and I didn't want to risk hitting a wall before the end. I had messaged PC to ask him to have poweraid for us that we would collect at Mile 10.

We were close to Mile 6 and had just gone by our 3rd water stop (which I again dumped over my head - not good for the earphones) when this photo was taken

22144830671_468e655059_o.jpg


I was also expecting to see PC soon so when it came to a walk break we continued running as I wanted to be running when he saw me! Sure enough we passed him soon after but he wasn't at the out and back which was further on the course, he tried to hand us the poweraid and seemed very confused when I said not now! I still had poweraid in my waist belt so we would've just had to carry the bottles. Just passed the 6mile mark we took an extended walk break to have some cliff blocks and extra water.

I HATE OUT AND BACKS. It's just hard when you're running in one direction and the people on the other side are like 4miles ahead of you. I must mention at this stage that the whole time we had been running we were in and around the 2hrs20 pace group. We would pass them when we ran and they would pass us when we walked. They were never out of sight. Also the people cheering for us would cheer for our group like 'yah go two twenties' and stuff like that which was fun. Also another thing to mention was that we passed A LOT of people. I definitely think a lot of runners had placed themselves in higher pace groups than their natural fit but it didn't cause us any issues as the course was well able for the crowds.

I sent a text to PC explaining the poweraid situation and shortly later he messaged to say he around 10mile mark. We seemed to go pretty quickly through the out and back but there was one hill that HURT LIKE HELL. I was starting to struggle a bit to keep up all of our intervals.

21947767329_81184cbec9_o.jpg


We passed mile 10 and I hadn't seen PC so I text again and sure enough I see him in the distance as we're on a walk break but he hadn't spotted us so I took off and we ran up to him. I gave him a hug this time and took the poweraid and he shouted more encouragement and clapped for us as we ran off.

Around about mile 11 I was hurting. My legs were struggling and I felt a lot of pressure to get the time we wanted. It was probably the worst I've felt in a race. We kept pushing through and made it to 12 and that's when I full on DIED. Hit a wall like I've never hit before. I normally get a massive kick in the last section of a race but I was struggling today and I was so incredibly frustrated with myself.

The photographers on the course got lots of pictures of us and unfortunately 70% of them we in this last mile. I normally smile and wave at the camera but at this stage it was taking everything I had to get the finish. My Dad was great and was pushing me to keep running.

This is actually one of the better photos in this last section... my face says it all

21946522070_afa3778534_o.jpg


I normally run my last kilometer the fastest but I took a walk break only about 700m from the finish. I also normally sprint the last 400m but I struggled just to keep running

21513571123_b1c804b1bc_o.jpg


FINALLY I did it... crossed the finish line.... I have never been so relived for a race to be over!

Funny thing was... I felt OK afterwards. I wasn't really out of breath or anything but my legs did feel a bit jelly like. I'm not sure what happened in that last mile but I do know that I managed to push through. I think I really felt the time pressure today. I find it so much easier to enjoy a run when I'm not putting pressure on myself to finish by a certain time. Luckily that's the last race I have a time goal for. The Dublin Marathon and Dopey are all about finishing.

My official finish time: 02:19:46
Pace: 10:39/mile


A new PR at the half marathon distance by 41min 28secs








 
Race Recap – Ealing Half Marathon

Part 2 - The Race

Now something I haven’t mentioned already was that this was the first race EVER that I had someone I knew come along to support me! None other than Prince Charming (PC) himself

giphy.gif


This was a lovely little boost and he really made an effort to catch us several times along the course.

I had programmed 4:1 intervals on my Garmin for today. I decided as we started that we would run through the first walk break so we’d be running 9mintues straight which should get us to around the 1mile marker before we took a walk break. I must mention straight off the bat that the crowd support was fantastic today, there were people cheering along the whole route and it was a really positive atmosphere.

For the first time in a race I decided to wear earphones, I was listen to MickeyMiles podcast as recommended by others in the marathon forum.

Shortly after we started my Dad felt something in his shoe, it felt like a stone so he decided he was going to have to stop. He told me to leave him behind and he’d catch me to continue my run walk breaks as normal. I pulled my phone out and saw that PC was watching along the course already and told me he was by an ambulance. I had originally said to him to go to the out and back at mile 6&10 but he’d apparently crossed the course when looking for somewhere to park so got out in the hopes of seeing me and wouldn’t you know just after I checked my phone I looked ahead, saw and ambulance and he was right at it just after the 1mile mark. I ran up towards him waving and saying that my Dad was behind me somewhere and he shouted lots of encouragement as I went passed. Well I continued running and came round a corner and he’d managed to drive the car round and was beeping and shouting for me some more so I had the biggest smile on my face!

22108488206_c3c286db0f_o.jpg


I started to get a little worried then as it had been about 5mins or so and my Dad had yet to catch me up (he’s way faster than me when I’m not holding him back). I thought maybe when I’d pulled over for PC or been distracted by the beeping he could have went past me and he’d no phone on him either! Luckily he caught up with me around then and we continued on with our intervals.

One thing I hadn’t been prepared for this race day was THE SUN. It had been cloudy leading up the race and when I checked the weather report I saw nothing about sunshine but the sun was already up and although it wasn’t too hot it was really bright and it was already starting to give me a bit of a headache. Note to self: invest in sunglasses or a good visor…. I think I’d rather sunglasses. I was careful to keep well hydrated, I had Poweraid in one of my 8oz bottles and water in the other that I refilled at every water stop. The water stops were great and we were given small bottles of volvic which were really easy to drink from. There was a stop just before mile 2 so I grabbed a bottle, drank a bit and spilled a little over my head too. Then I remembered I had earphones in... whooops.

My Dad had taken a look at the course beforehand and said that it wasn't that hilly, it apparently looked better than the 10mile we'd completed in August. WELL.... that was so NOT the case. There were so many HILLS OF DOOM it was ridiculous. I had completed a lot of my training runs since moving to London on the treadmill so these hills were super tough for me.

One of the lads I play tag rubgy with lives along the course so I text him from the course and sent my location and wouldn't you know I was only a few minutes from him house. I got a great cheer as I went passed which was nice!

We continued with our intervals and stuck pretty well to them for the first 4miles or so. Around then I had to stop on one or two hills and take an extra bit of a walk as my muscles were on fire and I didn't want to risk hitting a wall before the end. I had messaged PC to ask him to have poweraid for us that we would collect at Mile 10.

We were close to Mile 6 and had just gone by our 3rd water stop (which I again dumped over my head - not good for the earphones) when this photo was taken

22144830671_468e655059_o.jpg


I was also expecting to see PC soon so when it came to a walk break we continued running as I wanted to be running when he saw me! Sure enough we passed him soon after but he wasn't at the out and back which was further on the course, he tried to hand us the poweraid and seemed very confused when I said not now! I still had poweraid in my waist belt so we would've just had to carry the bottles. Just passed the 6mile mark we took an extended walk break to have some cliff blocks and extra water.

I HATE OUT AND BACKS. It's just hard when you're running in one direction and the people on the other side are like 4miles ahead of you. I must mention at this stage that the whole time we had been running we were in and around the 2hrs20 pace group. We would pass them when we ran and they would pass us when we walked. They were never out of sight. Also the people cheering for us would cheer for our group like 'yah go two twenties' and stuff like that which was fun. Also another thing to mention was that we passed A LOT of people. I definitely think a lot of runners had placed themselves in higher pace groups than their natural fit but it didn't cause us any issues as the course was well able for the crowds.

I sent a text to PC explaining the poweraid situation and shortly later he messaged to say he around 10mile mark. We seemed to go pretty quickly through the out and back but there was one hill that HURT LIKE HELL. I was starting to struggle a bit to keep up all of our intervals.

21947767329_81184cbec9_o.jpg


We passed mile 10 and I hadn't seen PC so I text again and sure enough I see him in the distance as we're on a walk break but he hadn't spotted us so I took off and we ran up to him. I gave him a hug this time and took the poweraid and he shouted more encouragement and clapped for us as we ran off.

Around about mile 11 I was hurting. My legs were struggling and I felt a lot of pressure to get the time we wanted. It was probably the worst I've felt in a race. We kept pushing through and made it to 12 and that's when I full on DIED. Hit a wall like I've never hit before. I normally get a massive kick in the last section of a race but I was struggling today and I was so incredibly frustrated with myself.

The photographers on the course got lots of pictures of us and unfortunately 70% of them we in this last mile. I normally smile and wave at the camera but at this stage it was taking everything I had to get the finish. My Dad was great and was pushing me to keep running.

This is actually one of the better photos in this last section... my face says it all

21946522070_afa3778534_o.jpg


I normally run my last kilometer the fastest but I took a walk break only about 700m from the finish. I also normally sprint the last 400m but I struggled just to keep running

21513571123_b1c804b1bc_o.jpg


FINALLY I did it... crossed the finish line.... I have never been so relived for a race to be over!

Funny thing was... I felt OK afterwards. I wasn't really out of breath or anything but my legs did feel a bit jelly like. I'm not sure what happened in that last mile but I do know that I managed to push through. I think I really felt the time pressure today. I find it so much easier to enjoy a run when I'm not putting pressure on myself to finish by a certain time. Luckily that's the last race I have a time goal for. The Dublin Marathon and Dopey are all about finishing.

My official finish time: 02:19:46
Pace: 10:39/mile


A new PR at the half marathon distance by 41min 28secs









Congrats again on a big PR!!! 41 minutes is a really big improvement and I can only imagine how much of a high you felt for reaching ALL of your goals for the race. Your hard work paid off! Good luck as you continue to train for your upcoming marathon and Disney
 
Race Recap – Ealing Half Marathon

Part 3 - Final Thoughts

22133198285_c19d262925_b.jpg


Overall it was a well organised run. There was great support on the day, plenty of water stops, baggage drop off went smoothly and the course was scenic and had lots of space.

One slight thing to note which is more relevant to being a spectator was that a lot of the officials didn't know where they were on the course, so when PC asked what distance he was at if he wasn't at a mile marker they weren't able to tell him but that really is a minor thing and I guess advice to anyone spectating is to check the course map in advance so you can let the runner know where you'll be.

The volunteers on the day were all amazing and did such a good job at cheering for us as we passed, handing out waters and even sweets at times. Apart from Wine&Dine where the volunteers were out in the rain and still cheering the volunteers here were the best I've experienced and there were so many of them too.

My Performance

21542916443_f193687cab_b.jpg


Looking at my stats from my Garmin I must have done a bit of extra weaving as my distance was slightly more. I took a good 10seconds or so to stop my watch as well after we finished.

I met all three goals that I set myself, we finished under 2hrs20mins and really all we 'needed' to do was finish under 2hrs25mins as that is the time my sister submitted so we will be dropping to her coral if necessary.

It was a HARD run for me but I feel stronger for having still achieved my goals.

I would definitely run this race again however next year I'm planning on running the Disneyland Paris Half so I'll be giving Ealing a miss in 2016.
 
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Congrats on the PR! Did you go get a shot after the nail? Rusty or not, its not a terrible idea, even though you will more than likely be fine. The last time I got one of those shots I stuck a oyster knife between my thumb and index finger. Had just opened the first beer to... such a shame. Hope the foot feels better soon and look forward to reading about your race!

Hey! Thanks again for following along with me!

No I didn't get a shot as it healed and I felt no more pain, I was planning on getting one anyway if there was any further pain or redness but it seemed fine so I didn't. It's fully healed now. OUCH that sounds painful and what bad timing with the beer too!

Congrats again on a big PR!!! 41 minutes is a really big improvement and I can only imagine how much of a high you felt for reaching ALL of your goals for the race. Your hard work paid off! Good luck as you continue to train for your upcoming marathon and Disney

Thank you!! Ye it's MASSIVE really and honestly I think a max of 10mins of that is explained by the first one being in Disney as we only stopped a handful of times and we just weren't properly trained for that run. I think the 6months of training this year earned the other 30mins and it's fantastic to see solid results for the time and effort we've put in.

Ye so our first marathon is only 12 days away! Any final words of wisdom for the next week and a half are more than welcome. I'm starting to get nervous but I'm also starting to think about crossing that finish line and like I said in my report I'm relieved to have no time pressure, I really want to enjoy this race.
 
YIKES about stepping on a nail! I literally have spine shivers reading that you did that. I hope it was just a small nail???!!!

Congrats on the PR though...especially considering how nervous your were about getting that Dopey proof! Looking forward to the recap!

It was the main nail for a picture hook, I kinda just pulled it thinking it would come right out and then realised it was in pretty deep! Ye it was spine shiver stuff alright!

Thank you! I'm so happy the stress of the POT is done now and we can just focus on the Dublin Marathon and then Dopey!!! :D
 

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