tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40350526416988197942024-03-16T01:09:52.495+00:00English RunsRun CoachingFionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-23309511928078759792023-02-07T11:08:00.005+00:002023-02-07T11:08:39.083+00:00Things I didn't expect from pregnancy<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Things I didn’t expect from pregnancy:</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">1. To feel so flipping exhausted all the time</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">2. How controversial running would be if I chose to continue</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">3. How decisive phrases like ‘epidural’ or ‘breast feeding’ would be</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">4. The people wanting to touch me without my permission</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">5. How often people would comment on my appearance and how uncomfortable that would make me feel</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">6. The sensation of small feet kicking me being something I enjoy feeling</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">7. The other side effects no one talks about like reflux and insomnia</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">8. How much my centre of gravity would change and how weird that would feel</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">9. The relationship I would have with my changing body - both positive and negative</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">10. The unpredictability: how every day would feel so dramatically different</span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Grateful to my body for the miracles it’s working it’s way through right now. It’s very humbling to be on this journey.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">10 days away from being 8 months pregnant and just 21 days left of work.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj80lDkQxS4CMluIom_UjLUatpARbhAmF-LHUlbVZ9dLBkdwZUeOo65Yp6mj2iED5EoyayrEctHPrlbRHeN3aZoYVn39jg222tJ6-xA3PsowyfVlIpU5h_wVRMWvq8ZwC7ruLKDFmZJNhuB2jbVV45QVmqFUk6W6wZazHgJLK2zWILuuqz4O-GAPU9T" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1128" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj80lDkQxS4CMluIom_UjLUatpARbhAmF-LHUlbVZ9dLBkdwZUeOo65Yp6mj2iED5EoyayrEctHPrlbRHeN3aZoYVn39jg222tJ6-xA3PsowyfVlIpU5h_wVRMWvq8ZwC7ruLKDFmZJNhuB2jbVV45QVmqFUk6W6wZazHgJLK2zWILuuqz4O-GAPU9T" width="239" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-15833452705412024032023-01-20T15:34:00.001+00:002023-01-20T15:34:29.852+00:00An Open Letter to the Boston Marathon<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Dear the Boston Marathon,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My name is Fiona and I was due to run the Boston Marathon for the first time in April 2023. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbzkYF1gTYtU34inQwAHjetcsagGYVzheeQe-pQyPGu0ek70Z-8YmO9jOjsmMIA4C8wnQUDE4quKkBgEIjrb4v5wgF22d-uJRwFmRUBsht-xEAHgQvmYTbA2xG28dRsCxqZzhZm1t9vBYh6lxD5kB5mrNq2ucv7dJ1T39JUVtsYZEvSUl_z3ZHvxqZ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbzkYF1gTYtU34inQwAHjetcsagGYVzheeQe-pQyPGu0ek70Z-8YmO9jOjsmMIA4C8wnQUDE4quKkBgEIjrb4v5wgF22d-uJRwFmRUBsht-xEAHgQvmYTbA2xG28dRsCxqZzhZm1t9vBYh6lxD5kB5mrNq2ucv7dJ1T39JUVtsYZEvSUl_z3ZHvxqZ=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After 17 marathons, I amazingly, through hard work and determination, qualified running a BQ time at Paris Marathon in April 2022 running 3:27:05 and on that day, taking 17 minutes off my marathon PB in the process. It took dedicated, hard work and guts - all things I know you value and are committed to.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I put my name in the draw for Boston - knowing the cut off time was 3:30 and that it might not be enough but it felt a privilege to be allowed to even apply and a real high moment in my running journey which has seen me go from non-runner to running a marathon in 5:47 all the way through to that previous 3:27:05 BQ.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And I got in. I was overjoyed. And beyond proud of myself. And proud of all the women I could show up for on the day. Because for me one of the biggest things about my personal running journey is I can mark the path for others, "Hey girls - if I can do it, you can do it - follow me!"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Meanwhile in my personal life, at the age of 34 I'd just found out I was pregnant with my first child. During that first trimester my husband and I told no-one and I managed to still race all over the world, fighting off terrible morning sickness to run UTMB OCC, Infinite Trails in the Austrian Alps, the Maverick South Downs Way Ultra and London Marathon. Because I wanted to show up, as I always do, for myself and others. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm due to give birth 2 days before Boston Marathon in April 2023. The same day as I would have to pick up my bib number if I was running. Obviously running the marathon isn't just impossible it would be physically dangerous for everyone involved. So I tried to defer my place.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I contacted the Boston Athletics Association to ask about deferral - obviously I can't run the marathon - and was met with the coldest brick wall ever. If I'd bought insurance I could try and get my money back. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I had bought insurance. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I submitted a 'major injury' request (the only tick box I could find) and it was rejected. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVH_ek1oMVNzy7oUCmOKNSw6zH0HWzvr5KgM5YTneNwf-R9unFKh7-vHdteq9UZdDWBrxkCFlA-6iteet5F1t-QSGtSPiyIHtAIx6iQ9HieLaZKsbF4vkET3dtjb0De_GvhjnmqHA-DqlD6ixoR26s9jF8wkKVKomL9Hf6CtfLlKIHNQnFfb6K2t8p" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="1260" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVH_ek1oMVNzy7oUCmOKNSw6zH0HWzvr5KgM5YTneNwf-R9unFKh7-vHdteq9UZdDWBrxkCFlA-6iteet5F1t-QSGtSPiyIHtAIx6iQ9HieLaZKsbF4vkET3dtjb0De_GvhjnmqHA-DqlD6ixoR26s9jF8wkKVKomL9Hf6CtfLlKIHNQnFfb6K2t8p" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />So accordingly, Boston Marathon - I am unable to withdraw. If I withdraw I lose the full money I registered with including my insurance money I additionally bought. And I lose my qualifier. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">That means postpartum I will need to:<br />- find the money to replace the money lost to re-enter<br />- run a qualifier again<br />- attempt to enter again<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">All while managing life as a new mother.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The B.A.A states that its mission is to "promote a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running." So I can't understand the disconnect. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Why are you so alienating a section of the population - both financially and through archaic systems that not only discriminate against women but actively make it a costly process to be a woman.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the past year, thanks to huge campaigning support from organisations like She Races, both London Marathon and Berlin Marathon changed their policies to allow a pregnancy and postpartum deferral policy. It seems obvious. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And Boston you too have a history of being able to see you need to change old male-centric rules. After all you've gone from physically barring women from entering, to trying to rip them out of races, to now actively working for equal split start lines. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'll finish by quoting the pioneering women who have gone before me, showing you Boston Marathon that women deserve the opportunity to run - Bobbi Gibb and Katherine Switzer and urge you to not only refund me my entry fee but to change your policy: allow me to defer my place and be allowed to take up my earned place in 2024. For not just me, but women everywhere.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Fiona English</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"I ran the Boston Marathon out of love. I believe that love is the basis of all meaningful human endeavour. Yet it was a love that was incomplete until it was shared with others. I thought about how many pre-conceived prejudices would crumble when I trotted right along for 26 miles."<br />Bobbi Gibb</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“When I go to the Boston Marathon now, I have wet shoulders—women fall into my arms crying. They're weeping for joy because running has changed their lives. They feel they can do anything.”<br />Katherine Switzer</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVnSqj5MFsrCK2LnIskZqK03OiXE4A45d0JjiN2xHHgjYmiBu2A8ZDiYZ_Ykq-VkSKPb2IcXWKLRhcMv_uSGknT_FnnmZfLa05I4spF8uhLYtDQ3_CwOsXaBaPG9YmOiFmHz-8_XRAHY-ZbzV_6RVweM7GbYfZt6tqq4ljwvwYwu1RwwKaYfBjD2fO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="1752" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVnSqj5MFsrCK2LnIskZqK03OiXE4A45d0JjiN2xHHgjYmiBu2A8ZDiYZ_Ykq-VkSKPb2IcXWKLRhcMv_uSGknT_FnnmZfLa05I4spF8uhLYtDQ3_CwOsXaBaPG9YmOiFmHz-8_XRAHY-ZbzV_6RVweM7GbYfZt6tqq4ljwvwYwu1RwwKaYfBjD2fO" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-76046910110175574052023-01-17T14:06:00.000+00:002023-01-17T14:06:01.789+00:00Testing: Altra Lone Peak 7<p> <span style="font-family: arial;">I am an extremely opinionated trail shoe wearer. This comes from a number of factors: I've tried a lot, I often spend my weekends at the Maverick Race series working for a trail running brand talking about trail running and what other runners like/dislike, I run on trails a lot including having run ultras all over the world and, well I'm a Leo so that makes me quite opinionated! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When the Altra Running guys asked me if I fancied trying out the new Altra Lone Peak 7's I was excited. Altra is a bit of a cult brand in the ultrarunning community and in recent years has taken the US trail market by storm - it's now the top selling trail running shoe in the US, outperforming the Hoka Speedgoat. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But here in the UK it remains something that is still a bit of a secret and the people I know running in them, are mostly ultrarunners who swear the Altra range has changed their running experience. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxxsbJxhjp-lxAwRJPbIip-Mb-4MilT5ZQXnHtohnIbdTy5ZAITDZfJxHrBDyoAMp7PlLDJZhY3cQUf8gHDCWgPpNySh6cxcyx_icQ2uqx-izNVQlYvRhYC7MGT_KAKz3vMoKycvFzF9FUE4eCa1G1LdyugTotjNvmk8FyFN_Hflf5qA2q7Y8z3Zh/s4032/8FC85856-E2EA-4743-A82B-908EF62B80E5.JPG" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxxsbJxhjp-lxAwRJPbIip-Mb-4MilT5ZQXnHtohnIbdTy5ZAITDZfJxHrBDyoAMp7PlLDJZhY3cQUf8gHDCWgPpNySh6cxcyx_icQ2uqx-izNVQlYvRhYC7MGT_KAKz3vMoKycvFzF9FUE4eCa1G1LdyugTotjNvmk8FyFN_Hflf5qA2q7Y8z3Zh/s320/8FC85856-E2EA-4743-A82B-908EF62B80E5.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So what is it that makes Altras unique? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Altra Lone Peak 7 has three things that in particular make it a winning shoe for me:</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">1. The FootShape™️ toe box that allows my feet to feel they’ve got room is remarkable and takes away that ‘can’t wait to take my shoes off’ feeling I usually get at the end of the run;</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">2. The Balanced Cushioning™️ platform - this ‘zero drop’ base sees my foot land with equal contact to the ground from toe to heel which I found incredibly comfortable - I’m not that big a fan of big stack height shoes so these felt like the antithesis to current trends for wedge like shoes;</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">3. The MaxTrac™️ outsole with its 5mm lugs felt amazingly secure on the trails at the weekend without feeling the jarring feeling you often get as the lugs get deeper in trail shoes.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I reached out to ask my Insta followers what questions they had about the Altra Lone Peak 7s so here come some questions and my thoughts:</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Terrain/distance</b></span></span></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>For what distance do you think they would be ideal? Just asking because of their 0% drop.</i></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>What are these best for (like the distances in the trails)?</i></span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Shoes that see your feet land with equal pressure on the ground (Balanced Cushioning or 'zero drop') are designed to promote running with excellent form and aren't to be confused with 'barefoot' shoes. The Lone Peak 7 still has a signature <span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">Altra EGO™ midsole foam</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> to provide the underfoot protection you need with a responsive yet soft feel. If you're new to a more minimalist shoe it's worth trying it in rotation with your own shoes - building up over time, just as I would recommend if you were moving to carbon plated shoes for the first time. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you're ever unsure the perfect place to make transitions in footwear is on the trails as the trail surface will help reduce impact and cushion the load you put through your body.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Because of the 5mm lugs these also suit more technical terrain than other competitors. I'm exploring if these might be an excellent option for races like Ultra Trail Snowdonia 100k that I'm running next year.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp7sveB7Bux_hLxYH2_AGPVugTxBhYPmqKfexPr9Rrftk14knjOwu2ywqwNeTGgH4ATriqFucG9wcX4nOEkgUkwfvksRCzfcAYVF41oVYnDTWpEASRFVu1sp18RsyhJsLz4xox8hLcIPRkshJeEytw4gUJ3pH-ehjyPJl-T7q99YXt3vkmWKMKmB3/s4032/3393E10B-06CF-41B9-ABA7-987F25BF7620.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp7sveB7Bux_hLxYH2_AGPVugTxBhYPmqKfexPr9Rrftk14knjOwu2ywqwNeTGgH4ATriqFucG9wcX4nOEkgUkwfvksRCzfcAYVF41oVYnDTWpEASRFVu1sp18RsyhJsLz4xox8hLcIPRkshJeEytw4gUJ3pH-ehjyPJl-T7q99YXt3vkmWKMKmB3/s320/3393E10B-06CF-41B9-ABA7-987F25BF7620.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Fit</span></b><p></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Are they wide enough for pregnancy feet? </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Do they have really have a wide fit? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Can you compare it to another shoe for reference? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Are they comfy?</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I currently rotate between two main pairs of trail shoes - the Adidas Terrex Speed SG (4mm drop) - a gnarly 7mm lug bearing fell shoe that I've run everything from UTS 50k to Old Crown Round - a 37km fell race in and the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra (8mm drop) - a slipper like trail shoe I use on drier and less technical trails as the lugs limit them - a tiny 2.5mm.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I would place the Altra Lone Peak 7s bang in the middle of these two shoes - low to the ground with decent lugs like the Speed SGs while having a gentle cushioning and comfort of running in that the Speed Ultra fans will love.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">They really are impressively wide without feeling like your feet are drowning. My feet feel like they need more space at the minute, due to pregnancy, but this is true when I run ultras too (I often go up half a size to a full size depending on the distance I'm running) and I'm not sure I'd need to in the Altras as I feel there is space for my feet to expand.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">They're definitely comfy! And comfy from the first wear which can be a bit of a rarity in a trail shoe with a decent lug depth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Specifics</b></span></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">What are the colourways?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Pricey?</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As always with shoes the colours vary for men and women but I'm pleased to report there are some fun jazzy colours through to more muted options for both genders - from yellows and purples to reds and blacks. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Altra Lone Peak 7 launches today and retails for £135.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">You can find out more about the Altra Lone Peak 7 on the <a href="https://www.altrarunning.eu/uk/lone-peak-7?&utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Influencer&utm_campaign=Lone+Peak+7&___store=uk">Altra website</a>.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gPIECJ9iZOWozRGj4B_q_t1OjV8k99ecWbII0lH6Xgv2zsdaKXnCGcSwFud_n7g0vtL7BGNzgJiE7XMys7rebqoi2mpSxZGaalDhsTgPrQpBJcgSTf2yC2yzeE5jxMDcqByUVOVIxo5X8-RAIraecMAwWs4ojjeANdZXI3btO2DSjgKuRWVVkBf-/s4032/9C388D8C-E327-4910-86C5-BA66F8590EB1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gPIECJ9iZOWozRGj4B_q_t1OjV8k99ecWbII0lH6Xgv2zsdaKXnCGcSwFud_n7g0vtL7BGNzgJiE7XMys7rebqoi2mpSxZGaalDhsTgPrQpBJcgSTf2yC2yzeE5jxMDcqByUVOVIxo5X8-RAIraecMAwWs4ojjeANdZXI3btO2DSjgKuRWVVkBf-/s320/9C388D8C-E327-4910-86C5-BA66F8590EB1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>*This post was posted as part of a partnership with Altra Running. </span>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-46488972763785877662023-01-16T15:43:00.004+00:002023-01-16T15:44:20.438+00:00Running in Pregnancy: my personal approach<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Now 7 months pregnant, I've managed to continue running through being pregnant and feeling good while doing so. This however has caused quite the debate online as I've shared my active lifestyle and 30 mile weeks as being seen to be active isn't something that's necessarily the norm.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFZPB2VUZAyhrQnS-KbqjKkYMceLuK6ndaZvDqP4dFgyt1pdfflY0wRLfshMBL66aXIOCrpvjSZ4gdR8T_ZfflVTVd4DGHEDLvBcIdoJl231X-SCHvLcdUkFuwE59a81MGANpPbJ_oiupQK-LlegQrsup-8M2ot4g6l2t68w3R6Kb5f4KATsOYHHw/s4032/PXL_20230112_075252972.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFZPB2VUZAyhrQnS-KbqjKkYMceLuK6ndaZvDqP4dFgyt1pdfflY0wRLfshMBL66aXIOCrpvjSZ4gdR8T_ZfflVTVd4DGHEDLvBcIdoJl231X-SCHvLcdUkFuwE59a81MGANpPbJ_oiupQK-LlegQrsup-8M2ot4g6l2t68w3R6Kb5f4KATsOYHHw/s320/PXL_20230112_075252972.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br />I got this brilliant message on Instagram this week and I thought I'd share it more publicly as this was so well worded and I thought my approach might help others:</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Question:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Hi Fiona ! I’ve been following your content for a while now and I just wanted to share that you’ve been extremely inspiring! I love that you’re so open about being active during your pregnancy and I really feel that it’s important to talk about this! To be honest I feel that there’s this weird stigma and preconceived notion that you should be not active during your pregnancy other than maybe some short walks etc. And prior to your stories I was convinced that it’s the only way to go 🤷🏻♀️ I never questioned it really, I’m not a mum, but I feel like your active pregnancy really opened my eyes and I’m so grateful that your so vocal ! Can you share more details about your approach for this if you’re comfortable? Like whether you train on a feel or monitor your hr? If you’re uncomfortable with this just ignore my question and I again respect all the things you do for the women running community ;) I hope that you’re still feeling great :)</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Answer:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Hi X, it's so very kind that you reached out - THANK YOU. There is 100% a weird stigma (I keep joking everyone appears to be a qualified doctor and/or midwife when it comes to their views on pregnancy!) and it's so hard to be questioned for doing it but it's so encouraging when I get messages like this.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Ok some things I've done to get me to a place where I am confident in how I'm working out:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">I've read... a lot. I've read 6 books on pregnancy fitness/running (that's literally all that is on the market) and weighed it up with the doctors and midwifes that I (importantly) trust. NHS advice is varied still so if in doubt I've gone for the overall signed off public NHS opinion because interestingly, as with much of sports science, there are hugely conflicting research papers</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">The biggest and most helpful book I've read isn't actually about fitness in pregnancy but in assumptions made without research - Emily Oster's book <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/books/expecting-better-why-the-conventional-pregnancy-wisdom-is-wrong-and-what-you-really-need-to-know-9781409177920/9781409177920">Expecting Better</a>. It's helped me navigate with confidence a lot of the strong opinions, often not based on any research that are out there</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">In terms of my actual training there are 2 things that I've particularly used to set my own framework:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">1. <a href="https://www.sophiepower.com/blog">Sophie Power's blog</a> series (supported by a physio) where she writes about being an ultrarunner and the journey through pregnancy</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">2. <a href="https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/chris-lundgren/runner-s-world-guide-to-running-and-pregnancy/9781579547479">Chris Lundgren's book on Running and Pregnancy</a> has a scientific way of using pre-pregnancy heart rate fitness to calculate your own proposed max - for me that works out about 160bpm and I follow that pretty confidently (so I do tempo and strides but I personally don't do 5km effort reps for example).</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Hope this is helpful and totally here if you have more questions!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIrRPT867nqqE4OzlM7gwAHFNQg3TdoeRrmbFDAu65Ar_HaSCcImOxNBRJ0N1kRDBn_I3TxURE67zeiLDzxznKWG4aSEdRUs_6I8tnC88-fuhaTpQ1_Q0ehBMUBEjTgch8tA4OUR5mna7hwc6kW5rNKYVwQxDU6HdvSrkShGxmYEUCMjG8yo_adP7/s4032/PXL_20221222_084931808.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIrRPT867nqqE4OzlM7gwAHFNQg3TdoeRrmbFDAu65Ar_HaSCcImOxNBRJ0N1kRDBn_I3TxURE67zeiLDzxznKWG4aSEdRUs_6I8tnC88-fuhaTpQ1_Q0ehBMUBEjTgch8tA4OUR5mna7hwc6kW5rNKYVwQxDU6HdvSrkShGxmYEUCMjG8yo_adP7/s320/PXL_20221222_084931808.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-42237849091173098722022-12-21T21:38:00.002+00:002022-12-21T21:39:17.937+00:00UTMB OCC 2022<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="tahoma, sans-serif">I've spent 5 years trying to run UTMB OCC - I first qualified in 2017 and again qualified and put my name in the ballot in 2018 and 2019 finally securing a spot to run 2020. Obviously the world shut down so UTMB was cancelled in 2020 and my spot was rolled over to 2021 when guttingly the Brits got told not to </span>travel and I pushed my place back again to 2022.</span></p><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;">I trained hard this year for UTMB - I took 17 minutes off my marathon time, running a BQ in April, did record amounts of elevation gain, completed some of the longest fell races in the UK and poured more effort in to strength than I ever had before.</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;">The race was on the 25th August. And on the 8th August I found out I was pregnant. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglMJuvbd6T7BE1wQq0qUgxEZWLd-JB9La8J6pgqpeFllTPPWVcYHhOR_qzZFOu-MXUwqn40LwMdBJfhY-mMPPFXunxY3BoFPQO58cHonhVULyhyh7OeeDI9cbtOijTq9Oi5a3cCAxVuVcAOzBmtm0z__jfQo5P6bkQ4Drd1g8J0cqcgTF7m2sAOdVD" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglMJuvbd6T7BE1wQq0qUgxEZWLd-JB9La8J6pgqpeFllTPPWVcYHhOR_qzZFOu-MXUwqn40LwMdBJfhY-mMPPFXunxY3BoFPQO58cHonhVULyhyh7OeeDI9cbtOijTq9Oi5a3cCAxVuVcAOzBmtm0z__jfQo5P6bkQ4Drd1g8J0cqcgTF7m2sAOdVD" width="180" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;">There is no standard midwife response for 'can I run the world's biggest ultramarathon at altitude while 8 weeks pregnant?' Apparently no one had ever asked my midwife when I tried (she actually asked 'What's altitude?') but the advice I got (and I sought out a lot) was all the same: if you were doing it before and listen to your body you'll be ok.</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqgiNc0nc1heui0NVuUQpBMdImhUb3eo8U4ict1r2hl2Qg9fdQ1-sOvn5XGsTVEliHt_xVayIHwbsuS8KDaUfcpoeHr_A9SufdIlhKG2shgR7ZhyB0HBbjSgcw0Q8yg1vijG-y6XeaFjD06bMQwpGTXFFZkYwxEurJ2RNkV6L9Y3_EXr8clWzAZXuN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqgiNc0nc1heui0NVuUQpBMdImhUb3eo8U4ict1r2hl2Qg9fdQ1-sOvn5XGsTVEliHt_xVayIHwbsuS8KDaUfcpoeHr_A9SufdIlhKG2shgR7ZhyB0HBbjSgcw0Q8yg1vijG-y6XeaFjD06bMQwpGTXFFZkYwxEurJ2RNkV6L9Y3_EXr8clWzAZXuN" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;">Running 56km with 3600m elevation gain while 8 weeks pregnant isn't really done. Or if it is done - we don't really talk about it. When I laced up on the start line that day, having just hit 8 weeks pregnant, I was just so darn grateful that I get to run. Run far. Run long. Run easy. Run hard. Run strong. Run tough. Run. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_KFe2n7I8JkGZez9LdYE6YOkgPZSO4Sbvw3ZWLD_BJYc3pVrA5CyndSUxRPTfgoA-QxhUC0XsPxj2eTZ80bqc4f8wCxCEkFVBRX-Xta0pCI5nDiBeYBPmzRHEiipwm-IebvRU29Gt3litMo766G-1pF9AXRIw6xu1Xf-ovNuCtmcXxYKB1509O8Ur" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_KFe2n7I8JkGZez9LdYE6YOkgPZSO4Sbvw3ZWLD_BJYc3pVrA5CyndSUxRPTfgoA-QxhUC0XsPxj2eTZ80bqc4f8wCxCEkFVBRX-Xta0pCI5nDiBeYBPmzRHEiipwm-IebvRU29Gt3litMo766G-1pF9AXRIw6xu1Xf-ovNuCtmcXxYKB1509O8Ur" width="140" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;">That race was incredible. I took my time. I ran with people, I made friends, I ran solo, I chatted, I ran in silence, I sat down a lot, I chilled, I took my time, I walked, and I also had whole hours on end of running feeling amazing. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;">Only my husband, out crewing on the course, knew about the mini passenger on board. And that made it all the more incredible.</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxAn_zoVf2LJAoBoDU7mmJip2NlIbv2-V47t8xUpDkRAiesdSUjLM4cZXh1bwdGRAeP5ML_K6HiYQluS23ZsjnB9lmNV27xCqvQT52-if6kpw53gHmZW22FvbC-TnMKkIUQtX1YKK12vPxbD3rxKHa3USLj27dlytQveFazIOEwfbNaX4NUm_BW8bp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxAn_zoVf2LJAoBoDU7mmJip2NlIbv2-V47t8xUpDkRAiesdSUjLM4cZXh1bwdGRAeP5ML_K6HiYQluS23ZsjnB9lmNV27xCqvQT52-if6kpw53gHmZW22FvbC-TnMKkIUQtX1YKK12vPxbD3rxKHa3USLj27dlytQveFazIOEwfbNaX4NUm_BW8bp" width="180" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;">Crossing the finish line of any UTMB race is like nothing in the world. The whole of Chamonix is poured out on the streets cheering for you and you alone. It's totally bananas and running through the streets of Chamonix towards that famous archway with my massive secret was incredible. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkXferxn529GVBbY-VzoXs-sP_4i10SlyM5I-dsHeGSswwAsfT8dcw1HscaOYzkIqAgDoI8PCi3kuxyVtzmAkvCyc69JOzqHdBzbafkYN1VRH73G21_ufuSFKboeMHJLK6lSjEngRCkyImF4MccVXQn9SUAeAYpVGmTMIMMCFAu7uxFpBNbtaSzMUn" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkXferxn529GVBbY-VzoXs-sP_4i10SlyM5I-dsHeGSswwAsfT8dcw1HscaOYzkIqAgDoI8PCi3kuxyVtzmAkvCyc69JOzqHdBzbafkYN1VRH73G21_ufuSFKboeMHJLK6lSjEngRCkyImF4MccVXQn9SUAeAYpVGmTMIMMCFAu7uxFpBNbtaSzMUn" width="180" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;">There will never be another run like it and I'm so grateful to have had the most incredible, inspiring and empowering run. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks UTMB 2022. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFoDzU3nOIz2_tc1lu8FxE5K7ziIp4rS2_xf6Xk36lSzi0LWzL1o4QQffOZQVg33821Rh28tXX_wWxspuCzwCvJG0U-5koVKlr4AvLxwglwZ8SiX4kZjiwIIA-1eupEvHyNOg_dzzxF3MkD4v_AzGmXTJW5_DIBjxRD6hwQPWhoSfB_0GyxgTZFAsq" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFoDzU3nOIz2_tc1lu8FxE5K7ziIp4rS2_xf6Xk36lSzi0LWzL1o4QQffOZQVg33821Rh28tXX_wWxspuCzwCvJG0U-5koVKlr4AvLxwglwZ8SiX4kZjiwIIA-1eupEvHyNOg_dzzxF3MkD4v_AzGmXTJW5_DIBjxRD6hwQPWhoSfB_0GyxgTZFAsq" width="193" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><br /></div>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-39068075567681901442022-05-23T05:12:00.008+00:002022-06-23T12:04:47.135+00:00NDW50 <p>I think we can all agree that you have to be a little bit barmy to want to run 50 miles in one go. Or maybe a little bit daft. Or a little bit foolhardy. Perhaps a combo of all three. </p><p>Somehow I had put aside sense and was toeing the line this weekend of the North Down’s Way 50 - a 50 mile foot race put on by Centurion Running. Starting in Farnham the race follows the national trail all the way until you reach Knockholt Pound. The first half of the race is pretty runnable with wide trails and minimal gradient and at halfway you get knocked sideways by the gruelling flights of stairs up and down the trail pocketed with fallen trees and tightrope thin passageways through stinging nettles and brambles. A race of two halves indeed. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszfYo2fioTjN3LZHAjX1reNUbw5Rw8bviBv-zTIWzutL1-I8j7V7PbjtbZbFvbtfnSnlSs6a1HeZAozgUO9UbTIQwJXED2hs--563okib4h7L6in3H9y_tZfM5iZ3x6qG9DxQr1O4QTyoMz4puyJ5QdVqtBcfSZFbgKfHoVllnTgP6HabJDubcBLp/s4032/E521E350-9F7F-4528-935B-D2AC2DBC77A7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszfYo2fioTjN3LZHAjX1reNUbw5Rw8bviBv-zTIWzutL1-I8j7V7PbjtbZbFvbtfnSnlSs6a1HeZAozgUO9UbTIQwJXED2hs--563okib4h7L6in3H9y_tZfM5iZ3x6qG9DxQr1O4QTyoMz4puyJ5QdVqtBcfSZFbgKfHoVllnTgP6HabJDubcBLp/s320/E521E350-9F7F-4528-935B-D2AC2DBC77A7.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: @claudi8s</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Off the back of a BQ at Paris Marathon I had just 6 weeks to be ready for NDW50 and it’s fair to say I underestimated what would be needed to do myself justice on the day. I felt amazing through the first half and, as is normal for the course, while I went out a bit fast I justified it as it would get hot later and it perfectly matched my desired splits for the arbitrary sub-10 hour goal I’d set myself. I flew through aid stations topping up on the liquid fuel Tailwind and a gel at each one and hardly pausing. </p><p>By the time we reached Denbies my legs weren’t loving the aggressive pace on the long tarmac descent but I also hadn’t taken on quite enough liquids and fuel, something rectified at Newlands Corner and I felt revived as I reached the beast of the climb up Box Hill. My ever cheerful cheer squad from We Are Daybreak were giving me all the enthusiasm as I power hiked up Box Hill and as I pushed on through the ‘6 miles of torture’ I felt brilliant. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIOueVemIZepRZPw3qklMCRM0Oujha2tYEQc9WI9WYVAS5rhTLIrt7q9iPSEmJiP_gqZkPTKsjhbLYURS0N1Gxig_O9LN65v3CBTFmslzPC-7zSQtOfsQqKBKB-Lly-dlpM-Fgj8XY4Nx86s8RKhQTif489YqkJMidQD2-bNOdGdzlKOxxl-j8aSb/s4032/10D41F81-0230-4EF5-B573-D1E94922C461.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIOueVemIZepRZPw3qklMCRM0Oujha2tYEQc9WI9WYVAS5rhTLIrt7q9iPSEmJiP_gqZkPTKsjhbLYURS0N1Gxig_O9LN65v3CBTFmslzPC-7zSQtOfsQqKBKB-Lly-dlpM-Fgj8XY4Nx86s8RKhQTif489YqkJMidQD2-bNOdGdzlKOxxl-j8aSb/s320/10D41F81-0230-4EF5-B573-D1E94922C461.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: @claudi8s</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It was all going so well until it suddenly wasn’t. As I arrived at the golf course at Mershtham I suddenly felt quite sick. It was hot by this point in the day but something else felt off and a quick investigatory prod of my spine felt that something was my back. One of the discs at the top of my spine was agony. I think I must have tweaked it ducking and diving over enthusiastically over a fallen tree (of which there were irritatingly lots). While it hurt a lot I also didn’t have the usual well of “I can suffer through this” reserves I usually have to tap in to. I knocked on that door and there was no reply. So I did what anyone does in these situations: had a good feel-sorry-for-myself cry. </p><p>After quite a bit of walking I hadn’t miraculously felt better and the pain at the top of my back was making it hard to drink from my soft flasks. It had also kicked off some sciatica twinges in my hip which were pretty unpleasant. It was a long way to the next aid station and I forced myself into a 20 seconds on 20 seconds off strategy which eventually I managed to persuade myself into 60 on - 10 off but I was moving at a snails pace. </p><p>At the 60km aid station I had a good cry, applied some Deep Freeze to my back, ate and was made to feel a lot better by the amazing volunteers. After a recovery break I pushed on confident that even if I walked it in I would make it in before the cut off but gutted to be bleeding a hard fought top 10 place. It was tough. Really tough. But some company with other runners also struggling helped and we slowly clawed our way through the miles. With 10 miles to go my amazing parents met me on the trail all enthusiasm and high energy which was wonderful. Leaving them was tough and though I pushed on I felt pretty defeated as I arrived in to the final aid station at Titsey Wood. 7 miles to go feels like a long way when everything is agony and you’re an emotional wreck. Again the volunteers were amazing and helped remove any thoughts of quitting I had but just one mile out of the aid station I was so smashed apart I thought it might be the end of my day.</p><p>With 7km to go as I was contemplating (rather darkly) how nice it would be to lie down on the side of the trail and die, the extremely cheerful Kirstin appeared behind me and the door of reserve energy I’d tapped on earlier unexpectedly opened. It wasn’t quick and it most definitely wasn’t pretty but we ran our way together to the end, clicking off signs and hedges and field boundaries as we went and suddenly I felt renewed. While in a fair amount of pain still, my head was suddenly back in the game and I loved that final section and was proud of myself for finishing on a high.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoESU1ms2_xk8DkpFKnYXRJguc9fUalX-zuI0imCCjIn4WjegUWYQbUwtNphBQ3tWfQFTy2TfrCin1M9oq30qo64eI9owMAe-PTkwO6ZK8m7wJZF508acYwhujO5mo9OeTLR7-w1ym7IxOmTkhUJc5GrIEh4ic4j8v54LQLilyGmi-tWxWhofWEcY/s4032/090067BA-5B24-477D-B049-48AA6125403E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoESU1ms2_xk8DkpFKnYXRJguc9fUalX-zuI0imCCjIn4WjegUWYQbUwtNphBQ3tWfQFTy2TfrCin1M9oq30qo64eI9owMAe-PTkwO6ZK8m7wJZF508acYwhujO5mo9OeTLR7-w1ym7IxOmTkhUJc5GrIEh4ic4j8v54LQLilyGmi-tWxWhofWEcY/s320/090067BA-5B24-477D-B049-48AA6125403E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: @claudi8s</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I ended up crossing the finish line in 10:40:24 for 24th place, a time I was in the aftermath disappointed with but on reflection I’m very proud of. This same girl would have previously spent a race like this chasing the cut offs and here I am disappointed a full 140 minutes inside of them. </p><p>66 women started of a field of 279 runners and only 56 made it to the end. NDW50 certainly isn’t for the faint hearted but my main goal today was to have an adventure and that is definitely a good word to describe running 50 miles on that course. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO8Lf9FRR7VTjNfPNDFl30DTAObUzLd5KJu8jLPp0zrYx1BWf_bS_tlrLzDxmLFbd1jc9Bix7TmE8CEZI7qBvOTOkD00XGMZZDzaTlfwLt2RRC5Ge8CrPd4mOO6mN0Pdc_EpQSHGQb2-s8DRsHNI2jtIMgPBGZsfJBnj2WMWJd6ZCbAyHpyFUnl26/s1199/D24BF082-AA02-41B8-AC92-AE88B8BD0360.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1199" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO8Lf9FRR7VTjNfPNDFl30DTAObUzLd5KJu8jLPp0zrYx1BWf_bS_tlrLzDxmLFbd1jc9Bix7TmE8CEZI7qBvOTOkD00XGMZZDzaTlfwLt2RRC5Ge8CrPd4mOO6mN0Pdc_EpQSHGQb2-s8DRsHNI2jtIMgPBGZsfJBnj2WMWJd6ZCbAyHpyFUnl26/s320/D24BF082-AA02-41B8-AC92-AE88B8BD0360.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: @stumarchphoto</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-14570760476415310142021-04-12T08:49:00.003+00:002021-04-12T09:02:30.080+00:00GFA at Dorney Lake Marathon<p>GFA</p><p>Three magical little letters.</p><p>When I ran my first marathon I had no idea that people like me could run marathons that quickly. Several years later running my first ever sub-4 marathon I just didn't know how I'd be able to go faster. </p><p>Many failed attempted later with joyous results such as heat stroke and refusing to even talk about how the race went I lined up once again for the Dorney Lake Marathon on Saturday 3rd April 2021 with the goal of going sub-3:45.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dwy3WSROHrc/YHQIo4trwAI/AAAAAAAAhoo/1_j2CRnT5ZMUwuwuq1AJJw74oEF2TbkjACPcBGAsYHg/s1650/IMG_2379.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1650" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dwy3WSROHrc/YHQIo4trwAI/AAAAAAAAhoo/1_j2CRnT5ZMUwuwuq1AJJw74oEF2TbkjACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_2379.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Training by yourself for 3 months in lockdown is not ideal marathon training. I've realised how much harder it is for long run miles to tick by solo or how different speed work feels without friends dragging you along. I was determined though and week in week out I'd turned up to my sessions, committed to strength and conditioning and tried to find some confidence to have another go at achieving a GFA time. </p><p>In recent years, my close-but-so-far results have actually caused quite a bit of trauma with road marathons. They stopped being enjoyable. So my primary goal on race day was actually to have a positive experience. Then to get a PB (3:45:47 to break) then get a GFA (sub-3:45).</p><p>I'd chosen Dorney Lake Marathon as I'd heard really positive things about the socially distanced event they'd put on safely in 2020 so I knew the chances of it getting cancelled were as low as possible and I'd feel it was a safe event on the day. Strange how our choice of marathons has so dramatically changed in the past 18 months. Active Training World, the event organisers, did an incredible job - I thought it was fantastically organised and with just 465 participants with start times spread over 3 hours it felt a good way to do a 2021 Spring marathon.</p><p>My wave was at 11am which made waking up / travelling and eating pre-race all feel like a normal long run day - no 5am alarms needed. This helped keep me calm on race morning and I kept reminding myself that 'What will be will be'. No point stressing now. Dorney itself is beautiful - a long tree lined rowing lake which made for a 4 lap but quite windy course. My wonderful coach had offered to pace me which was a delight as I knew I'd go out too fast (I did) and I'd have a meltdown at some point (I also did that) but more than anything the course could have been quite boring and Claudi helped keep the day fun and positive.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osclh7fGUAs/YHQIkKYjahI/AAAAAAAAhok/Jgb3XF03xXUyGWr5e623hQ3eGlZvGT-TACPcBGAsYHg/s1925/IMG_2378.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1925" data-original-width="1284" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osclh7fGUAs/YHQIkKYjahI/AAAAAAAAhok/Jgb3XF03xXUyGWr5e623hQ3eGlZvGT-TACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_2378.JPG" /></a></div><p>We set off at a decent, albeit a bit fast pace, but I felt brilliant - marathon pace felt super easy. I didn't drink until about 7.5k which in hindsight was probably a bit long and I definitely need to practice with cups/bottles on long runs as I've been spoilt with the ease of drinking from a hydration vest. The thick salt stuck to the side of my face at the end showed this is a definite future point to work on. </p><p>Because training in lockdown isn't ideal I had developed a bit of a niggle caused by a tight achilles - something a sports massage or two could have dramatically helped - so I was in my workhorse shoes not 'the' shoes that every other runner seemed to be wearing. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LFm7XL1D06Q/YHQIwDKzRUI/AAAAAAAAhos/ucxkFN59WLgiJ-miWcncARyJffnnQJyJQCPcBGAsYHg/s1925/IMG_2373.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1925" data-original-width="1284" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LFm7XL1D06Q/YHQIwDKzRUI/AAAAAAAAhos/ucxkFN59WLgiJ-miWcncARyJffnnQJyJQCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_2373.JPG" /></a></div><p>We passed halfway in 1:47:15 which is a good time for me (my PB is only 2 minutes faster) but I felt great although the repeated laps and the wind was starting to grind me down a little mentally. My pace started slowing a tad and at about 28km the relentless laps and the prospect of having to keep my pace up broke me a little so I stopped and walked for a pathetic little cry, some electrolytes and a good old fashioned pep-talk. </p><p>Feeling suitably sorry for myself but acknowledged off we went again. About 32km I'd found some rhythm again and while not at quite the blistering pace of the first half I'd done the maths and realised it was still enough for the sub-3:45 time I so desperately felt I deserved. So we gritted our teeth and dug in. That last 10km lap was so hard but I was grateful that I'd brought more gels than perhaps I expected to use and I switched to taking gels every 30 minutes which helped mentally if nothing else. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GxjU0yA4Gsk/YHQJDYTpE0I/AAAAAAAAho0/QB3tcD14c_YxEk3nd7buUOTUWdGAv3BOQCPcBGAsYHg/s1440/9D19BA02-08E8-41D3-B8E5-2B8290B595D2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GxjU0yA4Gsk/YHQJDYTpE0I/AAAAAAAAho0/QB3tcD14c_YxEk3nd7buUOTUWdGAv3BOQCPcBGAsYHg/s320/9D19BA02-08E8-41D3-B8E5-2B8290B595D2.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The km at 40km we hit the head wind and it was really hard to keep pushing but I was so determined for that PB that as we rounded the windy patch at 41km I was determined: no matter what: I would finish strong. My wonderful pacer Claudi was almost screaming at me with 500m to go, as were my legs, but I fought hard and pulled off what must be the best sprint finished of my life with my average pace in that last 1/2km dropping to 4:11/km (faster than my 5km pace!). </p><p>Over the line I collapsed in a heap on the floor and let myself finally give in to the waves of tears. 3:43:50. I'd finally broken 3:45. </p><p>More than that I'd broken it after 3 months isolated training. I knew there was more. And I'd broken the horror of the marathon. As I crawled my way to the nearest patch of grass to rip my shoes off and continue to cry my eyes out I could hardly fathom it. </p><p>3:43:50. Good for age. Finally - I'd done it!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DW5XBmu6Xmk/YHQI4lxVzRI/AAAAAAAAhow/-j_aWIGIasMpNxOcmEcpdkbt9oObLSGbwCPcBGAsYHg/s1440/3BB1749E-2A4A-4A09-BCD3-919761A36BDD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DW5XBmu6Xmk/YHQI4lxVzRI/AAAAAAAAhow/-j_aWIGIasMpNxOcmEcpdkbt9oObLSGbwCPcBGAsYHg/s320/3BB1749E-2A4A-4A09-BCD3-919761A36BDD.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='https://www.strava.com/activities/5062050777/embed/cca5abe0d49ce1d2fa2ca16249b7012d8d5f8168'></iframe>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com2London, UK51.5073509 -0.127758323.197117063821153 -35.284008299999996 79.817584736178844 35.028491700000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-17902919288935939752021-01-03T19:09:00.007+00:002021-01-04T12:01:12.084+00:00Autumn 100: The English Edition<p>It's not big and it's not clever but I've just hung up on the guy from Track and Trace. I didn't really mean to. And it was definitely not the grown up response but I cannot process what just happened. Three days out from a race I have trained for two years for I have been told I cannot race. All because I went to a coffee shop where someone had Covid19. I find this news out while packing up my kit. And I sit in the remnants of my kit for a really long time. Frozen. Unable to move. To process. To cope. To breath. It's over.<br /><br /></p><p>Two hours later my friends have swung in to action. It's not over. They tell me. We can make it happen. We rearrange. Reimagine. Plan like crazy and reschedule the race for one week later. We don't do it lightly. To try and run a solo hundred miles seems utterly ridiculous. But it's the big dream. Run 100 miles. Not that race. Not UTMB points. Not the buckle (you earn buckles rather than medals in hundos) but the experience of that journey and of testing myself against my limits. After two years of hard work I still have no idea if it's possible. But race lines won't affect my desire to try.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Peu-XSlj64k/X_H07EqeDpI/AAAAAAAAfPY/egvlV31SrUc8n_coSgEdtEiY5uQMPwXnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Peu-XSlj64k/X_H07EqeDpI/AAAAAAAAfPY/egvlV31SrUc8n_coSgEdtEiY5uQMPwXnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2.JPG" /></a></div><p>So one week late I'm standing on the start line of the Autumn 100 race, Goring Village Hall, with my friends Claudi and Cathy socially distanced cheering me on and my partner in crime Graeme ready for the first pacing duty. So I load my watch, 3-2-1, off I go. We head out on the exactly same route as my race the week before and my amazing friends and family have come together to set up aid stations where they would have been using bags I've packed for them. This means as I start running I can mentally easily break down the terrifying 161km in to just the next X until the next aid station and I focus on only trying to be in the present moment. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESCoYvc3RBk/X_H1Dva72II/AAAAAAAAfPc/lljYMiqXO1Q3uMidd2ygn3T1TcSy1znkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESCoYvc3RBk/X_H1Dva72II/AAAAAAAAfPc/lljYMiqXO1Q3uMidd2ygn3T1TcSy1znkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/3.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>The Thames Path is beautiful and the weather couldn't be better: it's cool but not cold, bright but not sunny, and it's a bit damp underfoot but not too muddy (ideal as the ground is softer). I happily chat away to Graeme as we head north and after what seems a very short 10km Graeme has turned around and I run in to the pretty riverside village of Wallingford to cheers from my Dad who has run out to meet me. I follow him in to my first aid station set up by my Mum and after a quick natter and some fuel I'm off north by myself for the first time. The quiet as I run north past boats and dog walkers and a couple of comments of "I thought that race was last weekend?" is blissful and I feel so blessed to be here able to run. Having the race not happen but being on the start line anyway has made this more of an honour to be fit enough and well enough to be here running.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztH_KKoKK80/X_H1L19E2xI/AAAAAAAAfPk/0Js52aD-NcU-rxdMu2CV1PdV6BsA5H_TwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztH_KKoKK80/X_H1L19E2xI/AAAAAAAAfPk/0Js52aD-NcU-rxdMu2CV1PdV6BsA5H_TwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/4.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p>As I come towards the final north stretch I hear the screaming voice of my friend Cathy whooping across the fields as I approach Little Wittenham and we run in together to the back of her car that she's set up as Aid Station 2. The joy of the A100 is it's 8 sections in total comprised of 4 out and backs from Goring so it's actually quite simple to try and recreate if you've got friends willing to be your aid stations along the way. So after refuelling we head south back towards Goring and Cathy runs me all the way back to my parents aid station where I pick up my lovely friend Martha and we head south again for 5km together. About 35km Martha leaves me (after much clapping from her gorgeous baby Ava - best cheer squad member of the day) and that final section back to Goring I feel not quite brilliant. I'm over warm, my stomach feels a bit unhappy and I treat myself to a couple of mostly hiking kilometres. Rather stupidly I've just let myself get too warm and after stripping off several layers I'm feeling much better and I run in to Goring to my lovely campervan crew. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIv60s2Jm-w/X_H1SHQGRxI/AAAAAAAAfPs/WHPa5xmIgfQdyLRGfssH45dSkeiU4j5mQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIv60s2Jm-w/X_H1SHQGRxI/AAAAAAAAfPs/WHPa5xmIgfQdyLRGfssH45dSkeiU4j5mQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/5.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FouXR2tOdLY/X_H1RybxZ0I/AAAAAAAAfPo/GcxsSJ10-W4o5-GW2ge4tEO9lha2ZHNEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/6.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FouXR2tOdLY/X_H1RybxZ0I/AAAAAAAAfPo/GcxsSJ10-W4o5-GW2ge4tEO9lha2ZHNEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/6.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I'm so excited as we head out for leg 2 to have picked up two inspirational running friends who don't know each other - my rapid, long distance queen Nicola, and my equal rapid parkrun friend Thom. Together we chat away as we head North East on leg two, following the Thames on the other side of the first leg. This section is the hilliest of the four but it's good as it encourages me to keep a steady pace and I'm feeling so upbeat. We pass 50km and I feel all the hairs on the back of my arms and neck stand up. "I'm doing this. I'm actually doing this."</p><p><br /></p><p>One of the sections I found hardest while out on practice runs by myself was Grims Ditch - a long section that on a map looks like a straight line but in practice is narrow and extremely undulating with lots of tree roots and twists and turns. However, with my friends it's great fun. I pass another aid station manned by Martha and baby Ava and after a fair bit of hiking uphill but still lots of decent running sections we make it to the turnaround of leg 2 with another aid station brilliantly provided by Cathy. As I arrive in she's kindly set the aid station up right by the church in Swyncombe but I know there is a final short climb up to a car park for the aid station on race day so I stubbornly run a quick out and back before refuelling. If I'm doing it: I'm doing it properly! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bi3BGVsCggM/X_H1boMHPcI/AAAAAAAAfP4/bM3W0_X2nVwIK1Q1u-D29XoZgwScHF3bgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/7.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bi3BGVsCggM/X_H1boMHPcI/AAAAAAAAfP4/bM3W0_X2nVwIK1Q1u-D29XoZgwScHF3bgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70c_3_tCs7o/X_H1anKxhCI/AAAAAAAAfP0/DJo6cKXXkj0MW36gZTcRuxyC1aZgohLnACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/8.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70c_3_tCs7o/X_H1anKxhCI/AAAAAAAAfP0/DJo6cKXXkj0MW36gZTcRuxyC1aZgohLnACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/8.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I head back south with Nicola for the climb out of Swyncombe that had scared me in planning but on race day is filled with smiles even though it's tough. My legs are still feeling pretty good but my stomach isn't that happy. I'm feeling quite bloated and that makes running a bit uncomfortable but the company is distracting and as we get back to the river I'm joined by my friend Riz and unexpectedly my parents have hiked miles to come and cheer me on. Leaving them for the final 7km back in to Goring of this leg I hit a massive low. I think the combination of it getting dark and me being down on my predicted schedule hits me hard and I find it hard to crawl out of the hole I've got myself in to. I'm also feeling sick and it's taking a lot of energy to keep eating. Riz goes above and beyond in his pacing duties passing over his headtorch to me as I hadn't expected to need mine until leg 3. We trudge in to Goring together and I'm beyond grateful for the company that scrapes me through to the end of leg 2. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u2qltXygg6Q/X_H20hELBsI/AAAAAAAAfQU/gvGP3A59rQQauOdbGm80JjTCBhazMHoPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/9.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u2qltXygg6Q/X_H20hELBsI/AAAAAAAAfQU/gvGP3A59rQQauOdbGm80JjTCBhazMHoPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Back at the campervan in Goring my heart soars as I come across my merry band of supporters - all standing spaced out in the car park. I've got my friend Simon (covering the aid stations on leg 3), Luke (taking me through the nighttime Ridgeway sections), Matt (here for the cheers and some miles on leg 4), Gabi (here for her first night time trail experience) and of course Riz, Nicola and Graeme. I get bundled in to the van by Claudi where I change my t-shirt, shorts, socks and shoes to feel 'fresh' and am fed pizza while I complain I'm really not in to food. As I stand up after eating I suddenly know firmly I am going to be sick and seconds later I throw up violently. Over and over again. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jfyCh3paC9A/X_IAnKtHfpI/AAAAAAAAfQo/StpBawGBPh4IsbkDilGjOHbnRCHP5o2WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/10.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jfyCh3paC9A/X_IAnKtHfpI/AAAAAAAAfQo/StpBawGBPh4IsbkDilGjOHbnRCHP5o2WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/10.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDPZWkLM5xY/X_IAmwIo6EI/AAAAAAAAfQk/LUkAvuc0LTci45oCJuWyXd4ZH__Z7H03QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/11.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDPZWkLM5xY/X_IAmwIo6EI/AAAAAAAAfQk/LUkAvuc0LTci45oCJuWyXd4ZH__Z7H03QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/11.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>While this isn't the experience anyone wants to go through, especially not surrounded by your mates, about 3 minutes later I'm feeling 100 times better as my bloated stomach has gone and I really do feel like I can press on again. I clean up. Drink something. Horribly, I eat something and my pals remind me that at 50 miles, every step I'm about to take will be the furthest I've ever run. And I should be so proud.</p><p><br /></p><p>And so with my own headtorch now on we head out through Streatley and on to the Ridgeway in the dark - a merry band of Gabi, Riz, Nicola and me. This group have to put up with the snails pace of me recovering from being ill but they are happy to be helping me achieve something so crazy in this totally crazy year. The snails pace works though and we make it out at my friend Luke's car as a makeshift aid station. This section - out and back to Chain Hill will become one of three moments I look back on as the toughest of the run. I can totally understand why this is the chunk that causes people to DNF on return to Goring Village Hall on the race. The ridgeway is lovely but it's undulating, muddy, exposed and quite frankly boring in the dark. There is a joke amongst those who do A100 that both directions on leg 3 are uphill and it honestly feels like that is true. You're constantly dragged to walking as you face another rolling uphill section. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BOHAwtCG6AM/X_IBdw9ti6I/AAAAAAAAfRA/QzY_K-fKdPcxM5CztkDX_z5WckZjKqLqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/12.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BOHAwtCG6AM/X_IBdw9ti6I/AAAAAAAAfRA/QzY_K-fKdPcxM5CztkDX_z5WckZjKqLqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/12.JPG" /></a></div><p>I'm also now on the longest time I've ever been on my feet and the tiredness is eating away at me. Before the race, I thought it would be physical pain in my legs/body that would be the reason I might not make it. But by far on race day the killer is the exhaustion. My poor friends have to deal with me repeatedly needing to sit down for 60 second 'nap' breaks. I run until I want to fall over then I let myself lie on the trail for a bit and we go again. It's a horrible vicious attack of exhaustion. Reaching Chain Hill I'm treated to my lovely friend Simon who has brought soup, the first thing I've actually wanted to eat in hours and though I feel like I'm melting through tiredness Simon puts his arm on my shoulder and reminds me that there are just 3 legs of the 8 to go. 100km done. "You're doing it."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm3gjhIFs5o/X_IBYAsI1bI/AAAAAAAAfQ8/h5sQS01MVuYBuHoOZko-Zg62CeB5QQd4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/13.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="757" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm3gjhIFs5o/X_IBYAsI1bI/AAAAAAAAfQ8/h5sQS01MVuYBuHoOZko-Zg62CeB5QQd4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/13.JPG" /></a></div><p>So off Luke, Nicola and I set again in to the night. I have no idea how it's possible but the rumours are true: both directions of leg 3 are uphill. We scrape our way through the miles and eventually I make it to Luke's car as a check point halfway back where I'm granted a 3 minute nap break in the front. I'm handed over to my friend Flav and the two of us, in the middle of the night, head off in to the black. I'm virtually crawling by this time, moving so slowly I'm feeling hugely guilty. But Flav is all good temperament and positivity and we happily chat away as we clock the miles back and before I know it we've made it back to Streatley and are running through the streets on our way to the van. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSGQ5Ld2Xfs/X_IB00K2QxI/AAAAAAAAfRM/52CQo_FY6PA5gEPSm3RwI26CuDQRplmRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/14.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSGQ5Ld2Xfs/X_IB00K2QxI/AAAAAAAAfRM/52CQo_FY6PA5gEPSm3RwI26CuDQRplmRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/14.JPG" /></a></div><p>The crew back at the van are in a sorry but upbeat state having been starved of sleep but they're delighted to see me and I now know I'm going to finish this adventure. I get treated to a pacer swap again and complain non stop about being forced to eat while also being delighted my friends are making sure I take on something. At this point I pick up two pacers - the highly energetic and enthusiastic Samy, and my coach and brilliantly inspirational friend (and two time 100 miler finisher) Claudi. Claudi was due to be my original pacer the weekend before for this final 25 mile section so it feels momentous to have got to the point where we are running the final leg. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nts1j-lbKN4/X_IB8RG7SpI/AAAAAAAAfRQ/qdTYfHQrcVgC32xBYQCpgGL3o2NrK-8pACLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/15.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nts1j-lbKN4/X_IB8RG7SpI/AAAAAAAAfRQ/qdTYfHQrcVgC32xBYQCpgGL3o2NrK-8pACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/15.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>This is though, where it all falls apart a bit for me. The feeling of the end being so near, the gnawing overwhelming pull of tiredness and the fog that has descended in to the river edge we are running along is mentally exhausting. I keep seeing things that look like perfect spots to lie down "ah yes cowpat in the middle of a field, lovely" but I get cajoled in to continuing moving. I happily contemplate how if I lie down I'll freeze to death but I won't have to keep moving. It all gets quite bleak. After several hours moving so slowly we are virtually going backwards I make it to Pangbourne and my friend Matt has set up an aid station in his car. He hands me a tub of noodle soup and informs me lovingly but firmly that I'm not allowed to leave until I've eaten it. So I sit in the front of his car and cry my eyes out at the prospect of having to eat. And I mean full on snotty, sobbing, guttural tears. Sob. Sob. Sob. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4PQcb6o-B8/X_ICF_RvteI/AAAAAAAAfRc/9pQiUCEWpeAaeyoTfbJsRBXPSyc6tpIKACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/16.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4PQcb6o-B8/X_ICF_RvteI/AAAAAAAAfRc/9pQiUCEWpeAaeyoTfbJsRBXPSyc6tpIKACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/16.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lXhGa6D0KQQ/X_ICIQiMKGI/AAAAAAAAfRg/qpavSCPMf-cCgezCQxksaFUfG6Nrb_6xACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/17.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lXhGa6D0KQQ/X_ICIQiMKGI/AAAAAAAAfRg/qpavSCPMf-cCgezCQxksaFUfG6Nrb_6xACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/17.JPG" /></a></div><p>But hey. That's what friends are for. And through the snotty tears I shovel some food in to my nauseated self. Released back in to the fields we continue our crawl towards Reading and the turn. Suddenly we're running towards my friends Heidi and Stu, who have cycled from London to set up their aid station at the final turn and I am treated to sugary hot coffee and gingerbread men. As I sit there eating the tiredness suddenly dissipates and I discover a bit of a breakthrough moment. I check my watch. I calculate if I push on I can finish in under 28 hours. I look from my watch up to Claudi. "I know," she says. "But we have to get moving. It's going to be close." So I'm off.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23amlg-V8Wk/X_ICXeyWDvI/AAAAAAAAfR0/Z6yADQwGksEdZ_VeqyKqbXnM0Q7_N2DuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/18.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23amlg-V8Wk/X_ICXeyWDvI/AAAAAAAAfR0/Z6yADQwGksEdZ_VeqyKqbXnM0Q7_N2DuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/18.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5nVOdfZ3hG4/X_ICXcqCvFI/AAAAAAAAfRw/AcL810hucDAGOMsAl8_MJMJh2BwTCu3xQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/19.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5nVOdfZ3hG4/X_ICXcqCvFI/AAAAAAAAfRw/AcL810hucDAGOMsAl8_MJMJh2BwTCu3xQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/19.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UrgysSREIbo/X_ICXHBglXI/AAAAAAAAfRs/L5f5bmgpUBsryIuSwRVZY7Zjvqvo2z0zwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UrgysSREIbo/X_ICXHBglXI/AAAAAAAAfRs/L5f5bmgpUBsryIuSwRVZY7Zjvqvo2z0zwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20.JPG" /></a></div><p><br />And suddenly I feel like I'm flying. I cover the section from Reading back to Pangbourne over twice as quickly as I did on the way out. On the approach to Pangbourne my parents are standing in a field cheering me on. No one wanted to tell me they'd be there in case the very first train of the day they'd managed to catch from London hadn't been running. "We're so proud of you" my Mum says. I cry. In fact I'm crying writing that again in my race report. My parents are bloody brilliant. More friends are scattered around the fields by Pangbourne cheering me on. It's almost overwhelming but the clock keeps ticking and I push on. My friends find me sugary fizzy drinks and we run out of Pangbourne and on to the blasted final section back to Goring. At one point I am forced to sob as I have to hobble my screaming legs down a flight of trail steps. But I keep moving. "It's going to be tight" Claudi says. It's the energy I need and I'm off again, trying to push forward down the trail as quickly as I can.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bas3U77Wl34/X_ICk6-1rdI/AAAAAAAAfSA/pEVAwiBHeYUWIRyS2Aoi2-j43SUAQBbcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/21.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bas3U77Wl34/X_ICk6-1rdI/AAAAAAAAfSA/pEVAwiBHeYUWIRyS2Aoi2-j43SUAQBbcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/21.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p>During my training I've developed a mantra song, a song that empowers me and lifts me up when times get rocky and Claudi plays it out the speaker of her phone now as my little merry band of pacers help push me along the trail:</p><p>"I am a giant. Stand up on my shoulders, tell me what you see.<br />I am a giant. We'll be breaking boulders underneath our feet.<br />Don't hide your emotions, you can throw down your guard.<br />And feed from the notion we can be who we are. <br />You taught me something: freedom is ours.<br />It was you who taught me living is togetherness."</p><p>It is impossible to imagine how I could have been running towards Goring now without that crew of friends. My crew. My togetherness. They've let me stand on their shoulders to get to this point. In return I've given absolutely every ounce of myself until rubbed raw in to my emotionally destroyed but still determined state. And so we run on.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DzxFpZrtix8/X_ICseRRbUI/AAAAAAAAfSI/QB802Hg4WBgwjwdaLjEDkCIj1ZZ3LLd2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/22.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DzxFpZrtix8/X_ICseRRbUI/AAAAAAAAfSI/QB802Hg4WBgwjwdaLjEDkCIj1ZZ3LLd2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/22.JPG" /></a></div><p>Having run this section before I know when we are just minutes from Goring. The clock informs me time is running low but I know I'm going to make it and the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention as Matt whispers for me to finish well. So I round the corner from the river path and ignoring the uphill back to the village hall and the screaming in my legs and the hours of tiredness and the nausea I somehow start sprinting throwing everything I possibly have at the last stretch and just like that, I reach the front door to Goring Village Hall which I touch and then burst in to guttural sobs. It's over. I did it. 27:57:01. I turn to Graeme who has just run me in with our friends. "We did it," I sob. "You did." He replies. For days afterwards the poor boy will have to carry me round the flat and help pull me from lying down to sitting up as I deal with the consequences of putting your everything in to something. But really: I think that almost-breaking-point was what I was always looking for.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cs5aB_3Tyb0/X_ICydE0DbI/AAAAAAAAfSQ/5rjOCcC_Q04r-kxZQI9nnF6ocRM2w_HwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/23.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cs5aB_3Tyb0/X_ICydE0DbI/AAAAAAAAfSQ/5rjOCcC_Q04r-kxZQI9nnF6ocRM2w_HwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/23.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p>So there you have it: I did it. Or more accurately we did it. Because the real thing I learnt on this journey is, just as they say it takes a village to raise a child, the same is true of an ultrarunner. And I have the most incredible badass village around me. </p><p>27:57:01. 100 miler debut. Still cannot believe it. But proudly: we did it. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6nBD3_0o91E/X_IC6SDSTBI/AAAAAAAAfSY/zY0kLjQMQtUe2CqqqKcZCLtkFF_wHX6zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/24.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6nBD3_0o91E/X_IC6SDSTBI/AAAAAAAAfSY/zY0kLjQMQtUe2CqqqKcZCLtkFF_wHX6zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/24.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/4213438864/embed/279891785fc21d2b01b077082ebe08810007cc80" width="590"></iframe>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-42966897297533183412020-10-11T10:38:00.002+00:002020-10-11T10:38:12.331+00:00DNS at A100<p>I am sitting in my spare bedroom surrounded by the carnage of packing for my first 100 miler. A 100 miler that I have decided not to start at. I can't quite believe it but as I was packing this morning I got a call from Test and Trace telling me that as I had been in contact with someone during the last two weeks who has tested positive for Covid-19 and that irrespective of the negative test I have since had, I was by law required to isolate until the Tuesday after my race.</p><p>Two years ago I decided to do my first hundred mile race. I'd just completed Ironman and I knew that that had always been a stepping stone for me in to the misty world of ultrarunning. I run these races because I want to pursue a deeper sense of who I am: to understand myself further and to overcome whatever darkness I might find on the road. I could try and keep secret that I have been told to isolate. Pretend it hasn't happened. Observe that if I'd tested positive I'd be allowed to race (I would be only forced to isolate for 10 days - which would end this Friday rather than 14 days as I tested negative - next Tuesday) and that seemingly makes little sense.</p><p>But I run ultras to help prove the kind of person I am: true to myself, honourable, determined. And therefore it is with heartbreak I won't be starting at Autumn 100. My bags are packed, I have had the most wonderful block of training, I've tapered well and I feel so ready to take it on. But Covid-19 has taken far bigger things away from people this year than some UTMB points and a finishers t-shirt.</p><p>I've got plans now to tackle the same route a week later. Amusingly the dry weather forecast due on race weekend is replaced with torrential weather the week after. I won't have the same level of support from access to toilets and aid stations to cheer points from the volunteers. I'll get no buckle for completing it, receive no t-shirt, no UTMB points and won't be on the official finishers list. But again: that isn't why I run Ultras.</p><p>I am crying my eyes out. But I "forget what is behind and strain towards what's ahead." I'll see you on the other side of this weird, wild ride.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jRZl7byY-Ro/X4Lgjm-sgMI/AAAAAAAAeMc/6xcN6aQKhFYabs8NgN9NXK-xdkryHNg2ACPcBGAsYHg/s2724/B0BB6C3D-A92F-4CD7-A76C-08F60160C64E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2724" data-original-width="2724" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jRZl7byY-Ro/X4Lgjm-sgMI/AAAAAAAAeMc/6xcN6aQKhFYabs8NgN9NXK-xdkryHNg2ACPcBGAsYHg/s320/B0BB6C3D-A92F-4CD7-A76C-08F60160C64E.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-79851172377360109412020-08-07T12:04:00.008+00:002020-08-07T12:04:44.214+00:00Racing | My race is cancelled: now what?2020 will surely be defined by two words: unprecedented and cancelled. Due to these unprecedented times, every single one of the world marathon majors has now been cancelled for everyday runners. Runners up and down the country who've got used to a pattern of training from race to race are suddenly left wondering, now what?<br /><br /><div>After I chose to drop out of my A race this year due to restrictions on training during lockdown, I've been thinking through quite a lot of alternatives about what training, racing and running looks like for me in 2020 and here are some of my thoughts of how you could answer your own 'what now' questions.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8YIYxOMacyc/Xy1DJmRjt5I/AAAAAAAAcas/909ylRc8jo46x-wqbCWs_yyBMo81goZfgCPcBGAsYHg/s2677/A4F67DD6-0E6A-4ED4-8FEB-A2E321D13D3F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2677" data-original-width="2677" height="410" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8YIYxOMacyc/Xy1DJmRjt5I/AAAAAAAAcas/909ylRc8jo46x-wqbCWs_yyBMo81goZfgCPcBGAsYHg/w410-h410/A4F67DD6-0E6A-4ED4-8FEB-A2E321D13D3F.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>1. Virtual races</b></div><div>There are still lots of virtual races happening around the country - why not sign up for one of these and train with the same dedication you would for your usual race? The great <a href="https://www.runthrough.co.uk/">Run Through</a> offer virtually every distance up to marathons and their races cost just £20 to enter. You can still show off your #medalmonday and feel like you are part of the racing community with their bubbly online Facebook community and lovely hand written notes each finisher receives in the post.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>2. Seek adventure</b></div><div>Who said running required finish lines? This summer the number of people chasing <a href="http://www.runningroundup.com/home/august-03rd-20203786670">FKTs</a> (fastest known times) is proof of how there are plenty of alternative ways to set a target and work towards it. Take the path less travelled, explore more, try the things you don't usually: road lovers - why not try trails? trail queen - why not try track? Slow down, take a whole day hiking, get in to wild swimming, pick up cycling - remember that adventure is out there for those brave enough to seek it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>3. Go wilder</b></div><div>While many races are cancelled lots of the smaller, often more wild ones are still happening! I'm a big fan of <a href="http://www.maverick-race.com/">Maverick</a> and from next weekend they are back with mindful Covid-19 returns to racing. The 5km PB might not be on the cards, but you are bound to have a brilliant day on new exciting trails, hanging out in a race village and soaking in the festival style atmosphere.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kSVm4BcHL0I/Xy1DJo8zRMI/AAAAAAAAcas/TTTEZAWboqMBWzlNite7JHIdZOfFybOtACPcBGAsYHg/s1543/E9326EC3-E9B4-40C9-AB38-B401909C5380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1543" data-original-width="1543" height="410" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kSVm4BcHL0I/Xy1DJo8zRMI/AAAAAAAAcas/TTTEZAWboqMBWzlNite7JHIdZOfFybOtACPcBGAsYHg/w410-h410/E9326EC3-E9B4-40C9-AB38-B401909C5380.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>4. Go faster</b></div><div>This is such a great time to dedicate some effort to getting your shorter distances faster. If you don't fancy hitting the trails, why not work towards a new 5km PB? Follow an 8 week training plan, even work with a coach if you are saving your usual gym/race entry money, and see what you can achieve at the end of a dedicated training block.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>5. Go further</b></div><div>The road racing community might have abruptly stopped but there is plenty going on in the ultrarunning community. Always fancied a longer distance? This could be an amazing time to work towards a longer goal: train mindfully, build up slowly but why not work towards a longer distance while the number of races you usually would be smashing round are on hold?</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYeMaCrabGM/Xy1DJnboO3I/AAAAAAAAcas/wHArhLF0TysK0hG6ORCJfUeQxpa2fGwMACPcBGAsYHg/s3264/IMG_7915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="307" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYeMaCrabGM/Xy1DJnboO3I/AAAAAAAAcas/wHArhLF0TysK0hG6ORCJfUeQxpa2fGwMACPcBGAsYHg/w410-h307/IMG_7915.JPG" width="410" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Whatever you decide is next: stay safe, train mindfully and work hard and you never know what you might achieve.</div>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-89932555475822511272020-06-19T17:20:00.000+00:002020-06-19T17:30:50.226+00:00Trigs | Fan Brycheiniog, Carmarthen Fan, Brecon Beacons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just 6 days before Christmas, I had managed to persuade my Dad to take an impromptu trip to Wales, thanks to some annual leave I swiftly needed to use up before the end of the year.<br />
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While I've spent time in the Brecon Beacons before, I had managed to miss off many of the major summits and was keen to explore some of the higher, but still not so touristy, tops. And so with that we drove deep in to the national park, parking at the Tafarn-y-Garreg pub and headed for an incredible ridgeline.<br />
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On a clear day, I am told the views from the Carmarthen Fan ridegeline are some of the best in Wales. I, however, was instead treated to misty rolling clouds, with occasional sunlight piercing through the clouds and sudden glimpses of the valley beyond.<br />
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That, and not seeing a single other person in our 6 hours out. And that, is why I love winter hiking.<br />
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From the pub, for 5km we followed a wide uphill path that lead us to the ridgeline. From here, we followed the ridgeline over multiple tops: quiet Fan Hir bleeds in to Fan Brycheioniog, and the highest point and trig on this summit ridge (802.5m), before blending away in to Fan Foel.<br />
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From Fan Foel, the path veers West leaving behind the glacial lake of Llyn y Fan Fach,<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span>taking you down and back up before you hit the summit of Bannau Sir Gaer (known also as Picws Du) before dropping down off the ridgeline via the final summit of Waun Lefrith.<br />
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Mountains are temperamental things and as prepared as you might be, the weather can change in an instant. As we begun to descend off Waun Lefrith a sudden icy rain storm blew in and all the layers in the world could not protect us from the biting water that descended.<br />
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I'm a pretty decent endurance distance athlete because I'm fundamentally pretty stubborn and don't like giving in when things get tough. I get that trait from my father. And as such, we went traipsing off, leaving the comfort of the paths behind, through the now hail-storm in search of Garreg Las, a Nuttall which is characterised by two distinctive Bronze Age cairns on the summit. It's hard to marvel at a prehistoric pile of stones when you're being whipped sideways by icy blasts of freezing cold water though and we scarpered as quickly as we arrived.<br />
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Now with quite some pace, we headed back towards the valley and the rain that had fallen made the formerly easy to jump river crossings swell. As such, we were forced to wade through 7 rivers on the way back, the freezing December Welsh rivers getting the last laugh on our way down.<br />
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Suddenly the boggy, pathless monster of a route was transformed by the best Christmas present a girl could ask for: a wide, beautifully laid path. Bliss. As we plodded back dreaming of what we might order at the pub, we were treated to passing four wild ponies who looked more miserable about being out in the rain than I was.<br />
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As we arrived back at the pub we threw ourselves in front of the tiny roaring stove and ordered a mountain of piping hot food. After a plate of gammon, egg and chips, a bowl of sticky toffee pudding and custard and a glass of red wine I began to feel my drenched toes again. Sitting in front of the fire, my wet clothing strewn about the fireplace, I was filled with such contentment that only a truly wild mountain experience can give you. Don't get me wrong: I love a beautiful sunny day with clear views and wide paths. But there is nothing like the raw, visceral, wilderness on an untameable day to make your heart beat faster and your spirit truly soar.<br />
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"High up in a hollow of the Black Mountains of South Wales is a lonely sheet of water called Llyn y Fan Fach.<br />
In a farm not far from this lake there lived in the olden time a widow, with an only son whose name was Gwyn. When this son grew up, he was often sent by his mother to look after the cattle grazing. The place where the sweetest food was to be found was near the lake, and it was thither that the mild-eyed beasts wandered whenever they had their will. One day when Gwyn was walking along the banks of the mere, watching the kine cropping the short grass, he was astonished to see a lady standing in the clear smooth water, some distance from the land.<br />
She was the most beautiful creature that he had ever set eyes upon, and she was combing her long hair with a golden comb, the unruffled surface of the lake serving her as a mirror."<br />
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<i>The Lady of the Lake is a folklore story from the 13th century. The authors name has been long forgotten as the story has been passed down verbally through generations. She has always been associated with Llyn y Fan Fach. She appears also in the stories of King Arthur. </i><br />
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-64902132695630009342020-06-15T18:34:00.005+00:002020-06-15T21:44:48.060+00:00Trigs | Ben Hope, the Highlands<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My father is without a doubt, one of the best hill walkers I've ever met. His passion for the hills has lasted since he snuck out of a school trip to 'nip up' Robinson in the Lake District at 16, to his now inspirational long weeks out in the remote highlands traipsing up and down pathless routes at the age of 70+.<br />
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In May 2019, my Dad planned a 30 day trip through the Highlands and I was fortunate enough to be allowed to tag along for chunks of time. While Dad was ticking off new Marilyns, we detoured a couple of times to allow me to tick off Munros.<br />
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A short history for you now on Munros: a Munro is any mountain in Scotland over 3,000 feet (roughly 915m) and the approved list is held by the SMC (Scottish Mountaineering Club). There are 282 Munros and a further 227 Munro Tops, lesser peaks of other primary mountains that are still over 3,000 feet.<br />
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Munros are named after Sir Hugh Munro (1856-1919) who produced 'Munro's Tables' in 1891 the first list of these hills. As of today, over 6,500 people have climbed all of the Munros.<br />
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We woke up on what has to have been the most perfect Scottish May morning: the sky was shockingly blue and the air was warm with no threat of rain. So we headed to the most northerly of Scotland's Munros, Ben Hope, a beautiful lonesome 927m peak set in the most incredible remote Highlands.<br />
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Parking at the bottom of the main route by the Strathmore River at Muiseal, I was bemused that a simple sign states 'WAY UP BEN HOPE'. Not one for a navigational challenge then. The route is cut beautifully in to the mountain and consists for a huge part in a series of almost steps, winding up past waterfalls and incredible rock formations gaining height quickly and easily. Once you leave the small river behind, the steps fall away to leave a more exposed flatter final ascent that weaves through spiky rock formations and up grassy slopes.<br />
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The problem with having such a fantastic hill walker as a father is that I, a rather fit 30-something ultrarunner, am often slightly shocked that I can't keep up with my pensioner of a father! He requires no breaks and just the occasional biscuit to keep him going. Our pace therefore up Ben Hope was enjoyably tough as this simple route gives you the full ascent in your legs thanks to starting at near on sea level. Up and up we climbed.<br />
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Towards the summit we were treated to beautiful snowy plains, thick snow crunching under our boots as we continued to gently snake up. As we crossed the final snow field, the summit trig poked out and as we hit the top itself the view to end all views opened out in front of us. Because Ben Hope is the highest point for miles, Scotland seems to open up before you - the weaving coast, the awesome sea, Cape Wrath to the North West, lochs dotted around and miles of rolling landscape. It is quite possibly the most incredible view I've ever been treated to from the top of a mountain.<br />
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As it was quiet on the top, we ate our lunch while leaning up against the trig point before having to tear ourselves away from the summit to make our way back down the way we'd come.<br />
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If you are looking for views to take your breath away, Ben Hope is the mountain for you.<br />
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Syenite, mid-way between Granite and who knows what,<br />
Proud above the Loch of the same name.<br />
Jagged, distinctive multitude of rocky summits,<br />
Each ideal to survey the wise expanse of flow,<br />
Always the same,<br />
The roaring stags of October are King here,<br />
The true Loyal residents.<br />
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It was not always so, Ribigill, Mharraich<br />
and Bronze age settlement so old no name remains,<br />
but the circle in the moor and the clearance carins,<br />
Speak loud in the silence,<br />
Stone Rows, now buried in the peat,<br />
Peak tentatively out at a world,<br />
That no longer understands their meaning.<br />
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Hope springs eternal, smooth to the sunrise,<br />
Optimistic above the loch of the same name,<br />
Falling vertically and catastrophically towards the sunset,<br />
Cliffs tumbling so far they will never end until,<br />
You look towards sunset at the Wrath,<br />
Where the mightiest cliff on the mainland stands,<br />
And beyond Wrath there is nothing.<br />
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Crouching down on Hope, I brace myself,<br />
Against the West wind from nothingness and Wrath,<br />
And turn back to gaze upon the rocky security,<br />
Of multi-headed Loyal,<br />
I listen for the Stag's roar,<br />
And await the next sunrise.<br />
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<i>Loyal Hope ends with Wrath</i>, Stuart Graham, 2017</div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-76192557298640367382020-06-11T11:36:00.001+00:002020-06-15T21:02:01.458+00:00Trigs | Noss Head, Shetland <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am sitting in my running kit on a generously named ferry with a large lifejacket around my neck. Now I respect that this is not what most people request for their 30th birthday present but I was clear: I wanted to go to Shetland with my family and I specifically wanted to participate in Bressay parkrun and climb the hills of Shetland.<br />
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Quick detour in case you don't know what parkrun is: parkrun is a free 5km run/jog/walk that takes place around the world every Saturday morning. I love the instant community feel of arriving at a parkrun anywhere in the world and the joy of being outdoors regularly so parkrun is a real home for me. Bressay parkrun, on Bressay island, is a short hop on a ferry over from Lerwick, the main town on Shetland and because it's run on such a tiny island, you run down the main roads on a Saturday morning finishing with coffee and cake in the local community run cafe. It is a total joy.<br />
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If you find yourself on Bressay, you can then take another ferry over to the tiny protected island of Noss, a national nature reserve known for phenomenal bird life. And that was why I was, on the weekend of my birthday, I found myself sitting in my running kit on a tiny boat being taken over the Noss Sound to a minuscule island.<br />
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Subject to sea conditions, the ferry runs from 1 May to 31 August (you can check if the ferry is running by calling 0800 107 7818) and costs just £5 return per person. On arrival the little visitors centre gives a thorough list of sightings of wildlife recently and we are given an in depth warning about Bonxies (also known as great skuas), a huge sea bird known for dive bombing anyone silly enough to get near their nests. The message is very clearly: stick to the path.<br />
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We head out East, following the coastal trail south that in just 9km takes you round the entire island. The sweeping sea views and phenomenal cliffs that are so remote and wild yet well protected are like nowhere in Britain I've been before and it's not long before we've stumbled upon hundreds of puffins, flying in and out of the island between fishing trips. In this protected paradise, they have no qualms about us sitting metres from them and watching them get on with their day.<br />
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After nearly an hour happily sitting in the early August sunshine watching these beautiful birds we carry on round the costal path coming to the dramatic cliff of Charlie's Holm and what looks like a speckled white cliff. Upon further inspection these white dots are thousands of gannets, nesting on the sea cliffs. They drop in and out on their quest for fish and maintenance of their nests and the sea seems almost alive with the continual movement caused by diving birds.<br />
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Charlie's Holm continues uphill to the main destination of the day, the Marilyn of Noss Head, a 181m summit and amazing view point. This trig point is a beautifully rounded shape, known as a Vanessa pillar, and sits proudly at the top of this phenomenal little island. Standing at the summit, islets and islands forming pinpricks on the horizon, this remote trig point feels like the most remarkable place in the world.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRqLFDIwR7g/XuITw3NNMSI/AAAAAAAAbjw/eHs85H1tYf08XcfYmnWld7XyyDG0JZGkACEwYBhgLKs4DAL1Ocqw-z_Bxy11lMSdixbFgZTLmSYkSWFJg7hVHIrrw_FzqKewCFdWFELAtMyo5SMqwkVVTQCabnLbeMxrPcHSIlnd8AOuxN7HXnZeY2Gpd8HAGRfPW_PenlVvueMA_h7xkx9XlFYv79qTJ5gXkU2MU0jo-DU2H9sMsoKUQp_2AsqpRSUGFkQ6Az6vzAnFmaBhsBvmtAl0cuOzhijnACoREIiIWNPKww0voTUZlF-Un0GBQQdBQ0Mv3fdJb6n7KjzyjKUX6Puei2B-X6EJKY_u-8j-XcvjMWWZ7YmZJKG6_KvmeeAVlbQtXWOEOugQlBDsIBHblZfcExbYO__N05IkR72FjEkyRz6Xtt7Jg0Om3FcpdK9_N8aKkvVwLjiwapHCeQPyjEiyrOMDKPktr1LIipwgnhdgK_UKF-jYuqSFprnFXttJ2SvR6nbIvarrtC8JWg1jhta03rRY-aIh8Zk3-ksA1ksVEMF-xkiV2MXD4fIMh1DZQolnn6rpsydBbzSUPv_SlvwWPwwK8y37TaSL6qmLWGCL4cQKpr6RrBJDTAoV8HbSj8iVjyUhKQ9-80FPPepKD5N12duqv_wEreASf6OZjPoT8fzbbXpPUMNCsiPcF/s1600/IMG_7212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRqLFDIwR7g/XuITw3NNMSI/AAAAAAAAbjw/eHs85H1tYf08XcfYmnWld7XyyDG0JZGkACEwYBhgLKs4DAL1Ocqw-z_Bxy11lMSdixbFgZTLmSYkSWFJg7hVHIrrw_FzqKewCFdWFELAtMyo5SMqwkVVTQCabnLbeMxrPcHSIlnd8AOuxN7HXnZeY2Gpd8HAGRfPW_PenlVvueMA_h7xkx9XlFYv79qTJ5gXkU2MU0jo-DU2H9sMsoKUQp_2AsqpRSUGFkQ6Az6vzAnFmaBhsBvmtAl0cuOzhijnACoREIiIWNPKww0voTUZlF-Un0GBQQdBQ0Mv3fdJb6n7KjzyjKUX6Puei2B-X6EJKY_u-8j-XcvjMWWZ7YmZJKG6_KvmeeAVlbQtXWOEOugQlBDsIBHblZfcExbYO__N05IkR72FjEkyRz6Xtt7Jg0Om3FcpdK9_N8aKkvVwLjiwapHCeQPyjEiyrOMDKPktr1LIipwgnhdgK_UKF-jYuqSFprnFXttJ2SvR6nbIvarrtC8JWg1jhta03rRY-aIh8Zk3-ksA1ksVEMF-xkiV2MXD4fIMh1DZQolnn6rpsydBbzSUPv_SlvwWPwwK8y37TaSL6qmLWGCL4cQKpr6RrBJDTAoV8HbSj8iVjyUhKQ9-80FPPepKD5N12duqv_wEreASf6OZjPoT8fzbbXpPUMNCsiPcF/s320/IMG_7212.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q9DU_4z2LB0/Xufhv8uPTbI/AAAAAAAAbsk/QgIDPPzE6YwKwl1tq_l1crRg5AyqB8xFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-06-11%2Bat%2B15.37.23.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q9DU_4z2LB0/Xufhv8uPTbI/AAAAAAAAbsk/QgIDPPzE6YwKwl1tq_l1crRg5AyqB8xFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-06-11%2Bat%2B15.37.23.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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We descend along the northernly side of the island where we are treated to a seal lazily bobbing around in the water. On other days it is possible to see killer whales and minke whales as well as dolphins and porpoise all of whom make the most of the warmer pockets of water that form in the shallows around the islands.<br />
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Before we know it we are back at the ferry, slightly shellshocked by the beauty of the island we have just discovered.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLQeASZ87_g/XuITv0Zw-WI/AAAAAAAAbjg/XrmEDzig1MAwWi3R_8o-Upq1GwubuKg7wCEwYBhgLKs4DAL1Ocqz02axjjUgcyOGR7KYieKliS7j4ym0h6ILRwoT6St9pafWOj2em-aZ_Tf4mqwbxNqBSiH8ZgMayOWtANS9oUH2GUYh1RhglRN3JfWzrewtOP8n9YijFLprQG8IKa-BDykVaVNNlyrkIvl16nwWnJjpftsnsIrnc4BchPd203P3R6Rk5lxhrOPK7yUZ22KLbANhd3GYxNENq494346bM_vkhqecEiV4rO7sejwdkmNIoIIkbvDfe9OqEH9FxpXOlVLh9puIO-JAU9dty3pRwcWKlFo3QW3f9Tm48npG4eFG7dzx8cxhxg8Sil5-doiaI7wAdum3P7ZFKfFEhJSGWszNa1329Dd-lXuSf8ITXg63a5RzCYgGVCSJ33Ry7tSk95lDCEYgRYeVeOqldJONUv4AhGPw4ZrMvarsCvEODJobZQtxFVxXCVU_yHO5waI44gZDATNf4gf9tUo7p_kHvNNfF3SOdFjFmnaC_cOCXelrYDx7eW089yjF1ttlq4P3US4Fq1sXB9JZnzuaKCBBovJTw8p1gV_9c6vpRTBzH0atuwhL3yO_jUl4opQQBHncFf1x0XvF5SQJLMlGw9ZXlfObE_eDSG8pJ6OSxMNisiPcF/s1600/IMG_7199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLQeASZ87_g/XuITv0Zw-WI/AAAAAAAAbjg/XrmEDzig1MAwWi3R_8o-Upq1GwubuKg7wCEwYBhgLKs4DAL1Ocqz02axjjUgcyOGR7KYieKliS7j4ym0h6ILRwoT6St9pafWOj2em-aZ_Tf4mqwbxNqBSiH8ZgMayOWtANS9oUH2GUYh1RhglRN3JfWzrewtOP8n9YijFLprQG8IKa-BDykVaVNNlyrkIvl16nwWnJjpftsnsIrnc4BchPd203P3R6Rk5lxhrOPK7yUZ22KLbANhd3GYxNENq494346bM_vkhqecEiV4rO7sejwdkmNIoIIkbvDfe9OqEH9FxpXOlVLh9puIO-JAU9dty3pRwcWKlFo3QW3f9Tm48npG4eFG7dzx8cxhxg8Sil5-doiaI7wAdum3P7ZFKfFEhJSGWszNa1329Dd-lXuSf8ITXg63a5RzCYgGVCSJ33Ry7tSk95lDCEYgRYeVeOqldJONUv4AhGPw4ZrMvarsCvEODJobZQtxFVxXCVU_yHO5waI44gZDATNf4gf9tUo7p_kHvNNfF3SOdFjFmnaC_cOCXelrYDx7eW089yjF1ttlq4P3US4Fq1sXB9JZnzuaKCBBovJTw8p1gV_9c6vpRTBzH0atuwhL3yO_jUl4opQQBHncFf1x0XvF5SQJLMlGw9ZXlfObE_eDSG8pJ6OSxMNisiPcF/s320/IMG_7199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The sound of water on a shore.</i></div>
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<b>Robert </b>I have noticed that something draws us towards outlying islands. Some force pulls. A quiet bay, an island in its middle - we take a small boat and we row out from the land. We circle the island, looking for a beach. We pull up the boat and light cigarettes. We walk the island's boundaries. We make a fire.</div>
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We sit on the beach and drink beer.</div>
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We cast our eyes back to the far shore from which we've come.</div>
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Night falls and the mainland slips into darkness.</div>
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We listen to the waves.</div>
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The island claims us.</div>
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<i>The crash of the sea on rocks.</i></div>
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<i>A cliff. </i></div>
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<i>A thousand seabirds.</i></div>
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I have noticed from the study of maps,</div>
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The more outlying the island - </div>
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The further out it is in the remote ocean -</div>
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The stronger the force that pulls us towards it.</div>
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<i>Outlying Islands, David Greig, 2002</i></div>
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-4965935255101165582020-06-10T19:43:00.002+00:002020-06-10T20:32:59.035+00:00Training | How to conquer the self-powered commute<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As lockdown starts to lift here in London I've seen more of my friends than ever before realise that our city can be pretty easy to navigate by foot or pedal and is a brilliant alternative to taking public transport.<br />
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I've been cycle and run commuting for many years now and love the freedom it gives me as well as it being a great way of clocking sessions when you have a busy work week.<br />
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With that in mind, here is my guide to take on the city as a self-powered commuter.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1MmQBSAejxw/XuE3CFWadrI/AAAAAAAAbh0/PwenF3tTlbYoeWqDvyxd67UUCjPsAESIACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DSC01863_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1MmQBSAejxw/XuE3CFWadrI/AAAAAAAAbh0/PwenF3tTlbYoeWqDvyxd67UUCjPsAESIACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC01863_1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>1. Be Safe </b><br />
City traffic is pretty notorious, if you're planning on commuting by running/walking or cycling make sure you are safe. Be cautious at traffic lights and if you are cycling wear a helmet. It isn't about your cycling skills, it's about those around you - if a driver has a lapse in concentration a helmet could save your life. I've got a nice one from Decathlon that's comfy and fits my head (another important thing!).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cr_50YAS_D4/XtlDEHGLz0I/AAAAAAAAbS8/n3vH0wQJcAE_ol6nw8AuO63Ay8YoqYSSACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cr_50YAS_D4/XtlDEHGLz0I/AAAAAAAAbS8/n3vH0wQJcAE_ol6nw8AuO63Ay8YoqYSSACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_7513.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>2. Be Seen</b><br />
I also wear a high vis both on my bike and if I'm taking on particularly busy intersections, while running. I've got a snazzy one from Proviz and you can use my code BBFI for 20% off their stuff: <a href="http://provizsports.com/?ref=bb-1p9wb8">Provizsports.com</a>. Finally make sure you've got some lights if you are cycling - it's so easy to think you won't be out and about after dark and then suddenly the sun sets and you're stuck not able to get home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IaUbr7EaQKU/XtlCqILCUhI/AAAAAAAAbSw/6XVGpHGaKksJNjYweK2MK292RYaWN-0SACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_7529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IaUbr7EaQKU/XtlCqILCUhI/AAAAAAAAbSw/6XVGpHGaKksJNjYweK2MK292RYaWN-0SACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_7529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My funky running high-vis was gifted by Proviz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>3. Pick a better route</b><br />
Yes - running down the main road is 0.2 miles faster. But is it really better for your lungs than running through the park? Allow yourself enough time and pick enjoyable routes that make your commute something you love not something you loathe. Check out the local cycle routes near to you and try different routes to see which ones you like. If you are running detour routes can be the best - I always detour to the top of Primrose Hill as I cut West to East on my commute through London and those snatched moments looking across London are one of the highlights of my day.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IoDV7ugipd4/XtlDRnFrSdI/AAAAAAAAbTA/M5b9_WLzbzkmD3Pi5825q1b7ht-x0IGAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IoDV7ugipd4/XtlDRnFrSdI/AAAAAAAAbTA/M5b9_WLzbzkmD3Pi5825q1b7ht-x0IGAACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_8224.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>4. Invest in a good bag</b><br />
Your back will thank you for it. If you're cycling think about one that is bright and will keep you lit up especially if you've invested in a bright jacket or high vis - there is no point covering it up! I've got a fluro orange one that helps people see me. If you are running consider your body type: girls get a female specific one! How much stuff do you really need? Can you leave your laptop locked at work? Can you keep shoes in a locker or under your desk? Weight savings make a massive difference. I tend to try and go super light (with no need to take my laptop home and shoes kept under my desk) I wear a decathlon 10 litre vest and I pre-pack my clothes in a plastic bag to keep them non-sweaty. If I need my laptop or shoes I have a brilliant female specific Gregory running rucksack. I've owned it 5 years and it's as great as the day I bought it. Invest in a good bag that is made for your shape and needs. Your back will thank you.<br />
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Finally<br />
<b>5. Take it easy</b><br />
Don't have a shower at work? Me neither. Go slow. Take it easy. Walk if you fancy it. Try to leave a bit too much time and if you arrive really early why not treat yourself to a coffee? That £2.90 peak tube fare you saved should cover a flat white instead. Be kind to yourself!<br />
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Good luck and have fun out there.<br />
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<i>Post in conjunction with Proviz Sports. </i></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-28088631378014166622020-05-22T20:38:00.001+00:002020-05-23T09:57:31.253+00:00Trigs | Snowdon, Snowdonia <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It is less than a week before Christmas and the guy at the Youth Hostel reception desk is looking at me like I'm nuts. "You want to go over Crib Goch?" he repeats, "At this time of year we'd only recommend that for people who really know what they're doing, you know, people who've spent a lot of time in the hills." This should annoy me but actually it makes me laugh, what does a person who spends a lot of time in the hills look like? I'm evidently giving off the wrong vibe as I hold my beer and quiz him in the bar the night before my planned ascent.<br />
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I love the idea that people think hill baggers are still 'anoraks'. Obvious in the daylight. I continue to shock new friends that I can bore them for hours with my supposedly needless trivia about trig points. I confirm to the guy on the front desk that I definitely fall in to the camp of "know what I'm doing", hence the quizzing. "I'm just trying to ascertain how much ice is up there: is it crampons and ice axe kind of weather or not? Happy to carry stuff I don't need just in case just thought I'd ask your opinion." I then find out the route of the problem: he's not actually been over Crib Goch himself. Ever.<br />
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There are many routes up Wales' highest summit, Snowdon, and many are wonderfully friendly to beginners. Personally my love of the hills doesn't involve snaking up behind hundreds of other hill walkers so for me the natural route of choice is Crib Goch, in deepest winter. On the 20th December I make my bid for Wales' summit. Heading out of the YHA which is happily perched at one of the highest starting points for Snowdon, Pen-y-Pass, this crisp morning leads the valleys around me to be lit with the most phenomenal ethereal light while clouds trap the sunlight above me. I follow the easily marked Pyg Track until it splinters off to it's much unfriendlier elder brother of a route, the Crib Goch climb.<br />
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Crib Goch is a knife-edged arête which translates as 'red ridge' in Welsh. As I slowly pull myself along the ridge I'm delighted that while there is fresh snow, there is no ice making for really enjoyable climbing. On the day I'm there the ridgeline opposite, along with the famous Miners Track and the lake, Llyn Llydaw, keep swelling in and out of the mist and I feel like I have been lost to a dream world. It is believed that much of J R R Tolkein's vision for <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>came from the time he spent in North Wales and you can see why. For hours I see no one, which surely is not a statement many can say on their ascent of Snowdon.<br />
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Once over the knife blade of Crib Goch's summit, the kind-of-path threads it's way onwards before curving over Garnedd Ugain's trig point and continuing round to the left and the giant of Snowdon makes itself known with the surprising path convergence of my route and the railway line. There are no trains at this time of year and a smattering of other walkers pass cheerily but with hurried pace as the chill has started picking up and it has begun to snow. The mountain is reminding me that winter is here.<br />
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At the summit itself I gaze longingly at the cafe and dream of hot chocolate I could buy on days other than a wintery December before climbing the final twisting stairs that lead to the trig point itself. This trig is of special significance, as the highest point in Wales it was crucial in the triangulation of 1802 that led to the first accurate map of Wales by the Ordnance Survey. The Surveyor's work on top of the mountain, using a 200-pound theodolite they had had to carry up the mountain, was hard going due to the tapered nature of the summit but the discomfort they faced in triangulating from such a point was offset by the view, described by a witness at the time; 'Snowdon lies right in the centre of the British world, and commands from it's summit, views at once of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and of the intermediate islands of Anglesey and Man.' (This quote is taken from Rachel Hewitt's wonderful <i>Map of a Nation: A biography of the Ordnance Survey</i>).<br />
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The view from Snowdon (1085m) has the potential to be as astounding today but on the day I reach the summit I'm nearly blown off sideways by the snow that is now attempting to lodge itself in any crevice I have failed to cover with waterproofing material and the sky is a thick white of snow drift which doesn't lend itself to great views. I quickly skim off the summit and head South down the Watkins path to cross the summit of Y Lliwedd. This amazing ridge line gives views back of Snowdon and Crib Goch that make this longer route down worth the effort and I eventually drop back down on to the Miner's Track which feels like a motorway compared to some of the paths I've ventured on today.<br />
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The Miner's Path drops me back off at the Youth Hostel and inside I order a whisky from the same guy at the reception desk. He's slightly impressed and slightly surprised by my order but as I settle down in front of the roaring fire of the hostel bar and pour over <i>The Mountains of England and Wales (Volume 1: Wales) </i>by John and Anne Nuttall I think he starts to realise that underneath my rather sheep-like appearance, an anorak of a wolf lies.<br />
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"A week ago, when I left home,<br />
I little thought that I should come<br />
To Snowdon's châlet - thence to see<br />
The sun in heavenliest majesty.<br />
Moonlight and mist at night-fall threw<br />
A veil o'er all; - one argent hue<br />
Enclos'd the earth, while far above<br />
Gleams of a brighter world of Love<br />
Wafter the soul beyond the sky,<br />
Far, far, into Eternity!<br />
But when the morning broke, and day<br />
Once more resum'd his brilliant sway,<br />
I saw - but words can never tell<br />
That fire-line on the horizon creeping! -<br />
At once upon my knees I fell,<br />
And, for my very joy, much weeping!"<br />
<i>Written on the Summit of Snowdon, September 11th, 1845, Rev Henry Wellington Starr, 1845</i><br />
<i>Tragically, on the Rev Starr's second ascent of Snowdon in 1846, he had an accident on the descent. The weather had been poor and he'd chosen to climb alone something rarely done at the time. His body was discovered by a huntsman in 1847.</i></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-32103427798601772882020-05-21T13:55:00.000+00:002020-05-21T13:58:58.666+00:00Trigs | Pitch Hill, Surrey Hills<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's a beautiful 25 degrees in May in the UK today which is obviously an absolute rarity. I've spent the morning at the more famous 'true summit' of Pitch Hill's parent, Leith Hill, the second highest point in the South East of England having great fun attempting to run up and down the steps that lead from the Windy Gap car park to the tower that sits proudly at the summit.<br />
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While Leith Hill is an amazing viewpoint, it holds nothing to it's much less well known child of a hill, Pitch Hill. Just further up the road, I have parked in 'Hurtwood Car Park 3' and while the name is less than inspiring this area is far from. The Hurtwood is an area of 2000 acres of privately owned Common land in the Surrey Hills that feels like it has been pulled straight out of a Lewis Carroll novel.<br />
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Rather than following the most direct line up to Pitch Hill, I head out West along a narrow footpath and past The Warren, a small summit with a privately owned windmill sitting proudly on top before turning left to lose some height as I descend South down Horseblock Hollow, picking up an access only road and footpath that cuts back across the Warren lower down with beautiful views all the way across to eventually the South Downs.<br />
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At the end of The Warren a network of tiny incredibly steep paths lead me up towards Pitch Hill. These routes up crisscross and snake up the hill in such a steep manner I feel like a naughty schoolgirl creeping in to the woodlands along long forgotten paths. At times I am almost crawling, dragging myself up the path through the dense woodland until I suddenly hit a clearing that opens out to my right and the summit of Pitch Hill. After tapping the trig point at the top I continue to the far corner and the main Viewpoint where a small information board has been built in memory of the founders of the Long Distance Walkers Association, Alan Blatchford and Chris Steer. You can see why they would have chosen to put a memorial here of all places. I catch my breath and take in the 270 degree vista that enables me to see all the way out to the Shoreham gap and the channel beyond.<br />
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South East England opens up before me and in the beautifully quiet woods, I feel like I am a million miles away from London - just 30 miles away as the crow flies to the buzz and hum of Canary Wharf and the centre of town. Here I find myself in a moment of true serenity, caught between the rays of the sun, the dense wood and the eye wateringly beautiful views.<br />
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"The heathland earth enmeshes secret glass, come see through this<br />
cyclists flicker and echo down braided greensand paths,<br />
their hunt in the forest ripping new wounds<br />
in land enriched by scars. Lightening, flash-bulb blue,<br />
ghosts the moment, lost voices alive in birch and oak,<br />
at hide-and-seek inside the fort's enclosure.<br />
A grasshopper's shed skin clings to a stalk - what's flown,<br />
flies here still, its breath a maze of insect shadows."<br />
<i>Greensand Way, John Wedgewood Clarke, 2016</i><br />
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-60869408516423689512020-05-19T12:20:00.000+00:002020-05-19T14:21:09.002+00:00Trigs | Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm standing on top of an ancient volcano in the middle of the second largest city in Scotland. Arthur's Seat is a glorious central hill summit with fantastic views over the city and out to the sea.<br />
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At 251m this sleeping giant is a must do while visiting Edinburgh. I find myself in Edinburgh every August for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world and I will at least once every summer therefore make the ascent to the top of this sleeping giant.<br />
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Arthur's Seat sits within Holyrood Park and my favourite ascent involves tacking on a climb of Salisbury Crags as well.<br />
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Starting at my favourite arts venue (which also has a fantastic cafe) Summerhall on the edge of the Meadows, I make my way down the majestic former fronts of Edinburgh's beautiful old houses on East Preston Street passing the old Commonwealth pool as I continue down Holyrood Park Road. I've snuck out at lunchtime in the middle of a busy festival day packed with seeing shows and the festival atmosphere spills on to the sunny streets with music and laughter filling the buzzy atmosphere. While there are many things to adore about the fringe festival, the overwhelming volume of people is not one of them and I start to break in to a jog as I hit Queen's Drive, the circular road and footpath that runs around the edge of Holyrood Park. I head away from Arthur's Seat itself, skirting the park to the left first and watch the looming Salisbury Crags rise to my right as I leave behind the crowds and the noise. As I pass the Scottish Parliament on my left I start to hug Salisbury Crags following Volunteer's Walk before turning almost a complete U-turn to start to follow the line that takes you directly over this summit.<br />
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As I start to hit the expanse of cliff that forms the Crags I am hit with my first really proper view of Arthur's Seat rising up to my left. I follow the Crags all the way over to rejoin one of the main ascents to Arthur's Seat itself, Pipers Walk. In 1778 soldiers from the Seaforth highlanders mutinied in this very spot and the regiment's piper paced the path playing hence the name. Today I can make out some of the pipers playing for tourists back in the centre as I follow the curling path up towards the summit, my run now reduced to a walk due to the gradient. As you hit the summit itself there is a final scramble to get to the top and my quiet escape suddenly finds me once again surrounded by tourists, selfie sticks in their hands throwing quizzical looks at my heavy breathing and even heavier running style.<br />
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I climb the final few steps to the trig itself from where you get the most amazing 360 degree view all the way over to the sea and beyond. I quickly touch the trig and I'm gone, flying down the most direct route, heading East towards Dunsapie Crags down the grassy slope that eventually leads me back on to Queen's Drive. Heart pounding I slow down from a wild fall to a gentle jog, as I skirt Holyrood Park once again on Queen's Drive before exiting the park the way I'd come. Back at Summerhall I'm salty and sweaty and shot with even more quizzical looks as I queue with my running rucksack for the tiny bathrooms. I'll change from my secret hill bagging ways back in to an arts professional just in time for the next show to start: heart full once again of the joy of the hills.<br />
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"I visited Edinburgh with languid eyes and mind; and yet that city might have interested the most unfortunate being. Clerval did not like it so well as Oxford; for the antiquity of the latter city was more pleasing to him. But the beauty and regularity of the new town of Edinburgh, its romantic castle and its environs, the most delightful in the world, Arthur's Seat, St Bernard's Well, and the Pentland Hills, compensated him for the change, and filled him with cheerfulness and admiration."</div>
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<i>Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, 1818</i></div>
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-59612281508715340502020-05-18T21:38:00.000+00:002020-06-03T12:59:45.164+00:00Trigs | Stiperstones, Shropshire Hills<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The light has just started slipping down the sky and the sunset over Wales is opening out in to the most beautiful array of colours.<br />
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I've parked at The Bog visitor's centre, a lovely little former mining village that now is a tiny hamlet on the edge of the Shropshire Hills. The Shropshire Hills are wonderful because while they have some of the wilderness and feel of other national parks in the UK, by being slightly lower they are far less visited and the evening I've come to Stiperstones there is a beautiful stillness over the village of The Bog.<br />
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Stiperstones is part of the group of hills in Britain known as Marilyns, hills with a 150m drop on all sides. Amusingly they were named Marilyns by Alan Dawson in his 1992 book <i>The Relative Hills of Britain </i>as a counterpoint to their Scottish mountain cousins, Munroes. Marilyn. Munro. Get it? </div>
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From the main car park, you cut across a field slowly climbing until you hit The Shropshire Way, a bridleway that climbs through punchy pockets of heather before opening out on to a glorious long ridgeline with multiple forked up quartzite stones. These jagged outcrops in total run for an incredible 5 miles causing a dramatic summit for its modest 536m. One of these outcrops is even poetically named Devil's Chair. </div>
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As you open out on to the summit ridge you see in the distance one of the most remarkable placings of a trig point ever: on the highest jagged quartzite, known as Manstone Rock, amazingly a trig has been cast at the very top. A scramble to the top later and you can cling on to the narrow depression in the centre and lean back in to nothingness.</div>
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The night in question I scrambled up bravely, thinking myself somewhat impressive in the half light of the evening. After I'd summited and gingerly made my way back down, through the twilight a fell runner came peeling out of the skyline and after a swift acknowledge of "Evening" threw himself up and back down in less than 10 steps. It rather put my cautious clamber to shame. But locals loving their hills has always been one of the joys of a truly great summit: loved by many, in many different ways. Loved through seasons, times of day, stages of life. The mountain is always there for you when you need it and no matter how you arrive or depart.<br />
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"They came at last, trotting in file along a narrow track between heather, along the saddle of the hill, to where the knot of pale granite suddenly cropped out. It was one of those places where the spirit of aboriginal England still lingers, the old savage England, whose last blood flows in a few Englishmen, Welshmen, Cornishmen. The rocks, whitish with weather of all ages, jutted against the blue August sky, heavy with age-moulded roundness. </div>
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[...] At length they stood in the place called the Chair, looking west, west towards Wales, that rolled in golden folds upwards. It was neither impressive nor a very picturesque landscape: the hollow valley with farms, and the rather bare upheaval of hills, slopes with corn and moor and pasture, rising like a barricade, seemingly high, slantingly. Yet it had a strange effect on the imagination."</div>
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<i>St Mawr, D H Lawrence, 1925</i></div>
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-52339578622677726242020-03-24T09:40:00.000+00:002020-03-24T09:41:26.608+00:00Finding motivation when the going gets tough<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Motivation is a funny thing. It seems to come and go like the wind and I tend to find I'm motivated at really useless times (think 11pm at night I'm dreaming of that long run or stuck at my desk I'm fantasising about a core workout I want to nail).<br />
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Home working can be tough and being constricted by external limitations can really cause motivation to run away scared. Here are some tips of how to stay motivated when times get tough:<br />
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1 Plan<br />
Sit down at the start of week and make a plan of when you're going to workout and what you are hoping to do. Planning in advance helps you prioritise the time and forces you to think through when things won't work (planning a 3 hour long run the same day as you're due to be working a long day - probably unrealistic).<br />
As well as simply planning I really recommend you write it down - this makes it more likely to happen. Personally I use a journal and go old-school but you could do this online or on a calendar app if that works better for you.<br />
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2 Be Accountable<br />
Community is so useful in helping us get through the hard sessions. I also have found my running transformed since being coached by someone as this has enabled me be accountable for the sessions I'm going to attempt and how they did or didn't go.<br />
Text a friend and ask if they fancy doing a session with you remotely this week - you could both commit to doing an interval session on Tuesday say or to doing the Tempo Thursday set. Check in with that person afterwards, share what you found hard and what you're proud of for yourself for.<br />
Accountability is such a powerful tool in helping get a session in when motivation is waning.<br />
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3 Find Positive Inspiration<br />
Inspiration is everywhere around us from those we find positive influences on social media (note positive influences: if they're not uplifting - unfollow!) to stories you can read from heroes of the running community (now is a great time to read that book you've always wanted to) through to documentaries and short films and of course from those around us. I particularly find the people in my everyday life really inspire me: the colleague who did her first 5km run in the park yesterday, my parents getting out for a daily walk, my We Are Daybreak friends committing to their workouts and finding strength and resilience.<br />
Channel that positivity and let it fuel your workout.<br />
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4 If you're struggling<br />
Sometimes life can be quite overwhelming. At times when I've been really struggling I've committed to the simple tool of completing three things a day. Just three things. When I've been in a really tough place that might be as simple as shower, eat one proper meal and get outside once today. When I'm doing well it might be bigger things: laundry, a running session, pay that nagging bill. Write it down. Celebrate each thing you complete but remember if things are tough that you can do small things. Sticking to just three helps keep it manageable and gives you create a positive outlook to approaching tasks throughout the rest of the week.<br />
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5 Set goals<br />
My recent coaching qualifications focused on the importance of goal setting but not perhaps in the way that social media has led us to believe. Firstly don't worry about medals or even times. And while it's great to have something big to aim for (I've been working towards a race in August for over a year now), it is also really important that we set bitesized smaller goals and review our progress. So try setting a fitness based goal of where you would like to be in 8 weeks time and then benchmark your current ability. That could be improving your balance by 20% (try standing on one leg with your eyes shut and time yourself). Or how about improving your core strength through completing regular strength training (try holding a plank for as long as you can).<br />
Goals don't need to be about races or medals and smaller fitness goals will have long term impacts on your running that you will reap for years to come.<br />
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6 The 'zero to hero' fallacy<br />
With so many opportunities to take part in exercise at the minute don't overcommit and try and do everything. What does your current average of exercising look like? We would always encourage that you don't step up by more than 20% in a week so that might mean if you regularly take part in 5 running sessions a week adding in an additional yoga class. Start slowly and remember that the phrase 'zero to hero' is a lie. Zero to "Ouch what is that sharp pain?!" more like. There is power in rest days. Since I've introduced two rest days a week, I've got 20 minutes faster at the marathon. Get stronger, stay fit and sane yet move mindfully and allow your body time to recover.<br />
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Finally: remember the power of the simple things. Eat mindfully, get some time outdoors, reduce your screen time, exercise, call your friends and family, don't overdo the caffeine.<br />
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We're online and connected if you need us. </div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-30664644265872303952020-02-26T09:26:00.000+00:002020-02-26T09:37:07.393+00:00Race | Seville Marathon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
11 marathons in. 4th attempt at achieving a 'Good For Age' time - the time needed to run the London marathon. On paper that means sub-3:45 but in reality this year 3:40:45.<br />
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First two times they were more fleeting thoughts rather than hard work plans (Copenhagen 2018 - destroyed in the heat and Chicago 2018 - PB of 3:52:58). The last time in Stockholm I'd worked super hard and it didn't come to plan but thanks to the amazing Speedster pacing me round the hilly course I lowered my PB to 3:45:39.<br />
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In the last 10 weeks I've worked harder than I've ever worked in a marathon training cycle. I've achieved a new 10km PB, run virtually my half marathon PB after a 10km warm up and clocked paces I've never seen before.<br />
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I was ready.<br />
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But this was not the blog I was hoping to write.<br />
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Seville was the most wonderful course. Beautiful, flat and early on in the year - perfect for the ultramarathon lover in me to race then get back to the trails.<br />
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I've also been struggling with lots of other stuff recently including high levels of stress and little sleep and going in to marathon week I wasn't my usual self but by recognising it properly early on in the week by the weekend I was feeling ready to attack the marathon. I clocked a little shake out on the Saturday and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little shocked at quite how warm I found it. After training in long, cold, wet English winters, and being known for my love of shorts and t-shirts regardless of the weather, I was shocked at quite how warm it felt in Seville.<br />
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I made a panic trip to Decathlon and bought a great emergency <a href="https://www.decathlon.co.uk/kiprun-care-tank-top-w-id_8573946.html?iv_=__iv_p_1_g_84919629806_c_403932335474_w_pla-849014694860_n_u_d_c_v__l__t__r_x__y_15177021_f_online_o_2920509_z_GB_i_en_j_849014694860_s__e__h_1006886_ii__vi__&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqNPyBRCjARIsAKA-WFyOfX69x1xID4BHLGKgCrxTES9xaEBQ-WO8nXwfFGByRHpNVwZ32scaAp0YEALw_wcB">vest</a> for just €15 to wear on race day. Nothing new before race day slightly out the window but it was definitely the right decision.<br />
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On the day itself I felt great. The Speedster had wonderfully offered to pace me and as we set off I felt amazing. I was so ready. Congestion at the start made the first km slow but that felt useful to get us in a groove. We went through 10km in 51:15, on track for 3:35. The next 5km flew past but 17-19km were a bit tough but I still went through the half marathon in 1:48:55, on track for a 3:37 finish. 20km-24km I was back on it but as I got to 25km my chin started repeatedly popping up and I realised I was started to get really uncomfortably warm.<br />
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Between 25km-30km I managed to hold my pace for some kms and others started to slip but I was still well on track for a GFA time. But then around 31km something just snapped in a way I've never experienced before. My heart rate soared over 190bpm and I was convinced I was going to pass out/throw up. The heat got to me. And then my calves started cramping horribly (again something I've never had before). I desperately poured cup after cup of water over my head desperately trying to cool myself down but the damage was done.<br />
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My brain was screaming to stop. I'd lost all my goals. I felt so unwell. I just desperately wanted to stop.<br />
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But somehow I kept moving forward. I walked through the water stations for 10-20 seconds every time to try and give myself the chance to get in fluids. It was agony to keep moving especially as around 35km my by now wet and salty feet were causing me agony (3 blood blisters under toenails and a massive blister on my arch would explain that later) and I felt like I was barely moving.<br />
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When the 3:45 pacers passed about 39km it really hurt me mentally. I desperately tried to go with them but my legs were screaming with cramp.<br />
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Looking at my splits now for the last 12km I actually see I was still holding a decent pace. But it's hard to come to terms with goals versus paces you formally ran.<br />
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I convinced myself for the final 3km I wouldn't walk a single step. Finish well. Flipping heck it hurt. The Speedster was amazing and stuck with me through all of my meltdown. As we approached the finish line it was so overwhelming to not be running towards at least a PB.<br />
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Crossing the line I cried. And cried. And cried.<br />
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I don't think I've 'deserved' a PB more. But it was not to be.<br />
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I'm taking some time this week to regroup and come to terms with how I'm feeling. Next up I've got a trail ultramarathon so I'm excited to next week head off to the trails for mentally a bit of a break from the roads.<br />
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Onwards.<br />
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Total time: 3:48:19<br />
Average pace: 5:25/km<br />
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<i>Finishing position: </i>5454 (out of 10,299)<br />
<i>Finishing position (gender): </i>404 (out of 1488)<br />
<i>Percentage of finishers: </i>88%<br />
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<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/3126235643">https://www.strava.com/activities/3126235643</a><br />
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-76294304448948569952020-01-04T21:40:00.004+00:002020-01-04T21:52:35.972+00:00Race | Endurance Life Dorset Ultra+<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We're driving down to Dorset on the Friday evening after work before racing on the Saturday and I can think of no good reason as to why I've entered the Ultra+ over a shorter distance.<br />
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I'm fortunate enough to be an Ambassador for the brilliant Runderwear and when they suggested over the summer a team outing to their neck of the woods and a chance to explore the Jurassic Coast I thought: Brilliant! Endurancelife is a race series that aims to cater for all abilities and as such their events start at 10km and go up to UTMB qualifying races. I've got, as I keep joking, too many UTMB points so that was no factor in my decision making process. The race is also a series of laps for anything beyond the marathon so by going longer I wasn't getting a better view or route.<br />
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Simply: I was pretty stubborn about a woman needing to sign up for the hardest event. I waited for one of the other girls to sign up. I thought at one point I might have persuaded Jordan AKA <a href="https://projectmarathongirl.com/">Project Marathon Girl</a> before she instead took on Ultra X's Jordan race.<br />
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So it was left down to me, in my head, to represent the girls.<br />
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The Ultra+ is run along the beautiful Jurassic coast which, while not particularly high, is continually undulating along the cliffs. This means the 73km race manages to sneak in an impressive 3,250m elevation gain.<br />
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The race day itself was utterly beautiful: clear blue skies and incredible views. I spent most the day in just a t-shirt which given it is run on 30 November was remarkable. The course is pretty technical in places and it's definitely one to take poles on. It was brilliantly marked and bar one HORRENDOUS churned mud-bath of a farmers field where I saw someone loose both his shoes to the mud, it felt so well chosen as a route. We even passed a trig point on route!<br />
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It's slightly demoralising to be on a route that picks up and drops off those running shorter distances but it was actually really nice to be, for the first 50km or so, with the shorter 'Ultra' runners as I got chatting to some great girls on course.<br />
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The highlight of the day was my amazing friends being there to cheer me on: my friends Claudi and Matt drove all the way from London and back on the day to cheer and the legendary Speedster clocked up 30km through running around cheering and taking pictures.<br />
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Personally, I really enjoyed the loops. I didn't expect to say that but I've not run with a headtorch for longer than about an hour so the three hours I ended up in the dark was made much better by the fact I'd essentially recced the race route during the race.<br />
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As far as ultras go, it was a great day out. I personally think the aid stations could do with some proper nutrition and it seems a little unfair if you are UTMB points hunting that the race is worth the same points as <a href="http://www.englishruns.com/2018/02/race-country-to-capital-45-miles-aka-my.html">Country to Capital</a> after the Ultra+ was downgraded this year from 4 points to 3 but in terms of fantastic season closers I'd really recommend it.<br />
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Thanks to <a href="https://www.runderwear.co.uk/">Runderwear</a> for the place and kit.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Total time: 11:14:30</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Strava link: </span><a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/2902590137">https://www.strava.com/activities/2902590137</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finishing position: 48 (out of 73)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finishing position (gender): 6 (out of 24 starters, 10 finishers)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Percentage of finishers: 70%*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">*Plus high numbers dropped down to shorter distances on the day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To find out more about how to enter the 2020 race go to: </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.endurancelife.com/dorset"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://www.endurancelife.com/dorset</span></a></div>
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-25701416232470242612019-11-24T13:34:00.000+00:002019-11-24T13:34:10.555+00:00Race Report | Outlaw X<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"Well it's just a half"<br />
<br />
I'm feeling like quite a massive idiot as I say this phrase to my friend in a coffee shop the week of Outlaw X. And I'm not necessarily feeling as confident as the phrase allows.<br />
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Two years a go, I completed a long-distance triathlon - traditionally known by the brand name 'Ironman' - and to celebrate two years since I'd crossed that finish line I'd decided to take part in the inaugural Outlaw X at Thoresby Hall - a 70.3 distance triathlon that would involve swimming 1.2 miles, cycling 56 miles and running a half marathon (13.1 miles) to finish.<br />
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Being pretty passionate about ultrarunning currently means my weekends are taken up with long hours in the mountains and on the trails and my previous ability to swim and cycle has somewhat fallen by the wayside. For my birthday this year my parents bought me a 6 week 1:1 set of swimming lessons with the guys from Turner Swim. I learned absolutely loads and it reignited my enjoyment of swimming because I suddenly starting seeing improvements.<br />
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With that in mind, I decided I had 5 goals for Outlaw X:<br />
1. Complete the race in full<br />
2. Enjoy the swim<br />
3. Run a sub-2 hour half marathon<br />
4. Remember the joy of completing that full Ironman two years ago<br />
5. Smile. Lots.<br />
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The lake at Thorseby has never hosted an event before so we were the first group of people to ever race there which was a really special feeling. The lake itself was really pretty cold, but the race is at the end of the season in September so it makes sense. The swim was beautiful and I felt so strong the whole way round. I was in an all female wave which I really enjoyed and at one point I was admiring a really brilliant woman next to me only to realise she was swimming at the same speed as me. All those Turner Swim lessons had paid off and I came out of the water in <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/2731368591">46:56</a>, the fastest I've ever swum the 1.9km distance. Massive grin upon exiting: tick.<br />
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After that it was in to transition to get my wetsuit off and bike kit on. By this point the clouds had begun to loom overhead and as I wheeled out of transition, the rain began to fall. The bike ride took us through the beautiful rolling Nottingham countryside - unfortunately the weather was filthy and I got pretty cold on the bike and found some of the hills a little scary in the driving rain. But it helped pass the time and remind me how impressive the feat was of completing a half Ironman and the gorgeous views from the tops of the climbs made it worthwhile. I felt pretty strong on my new bike, an insurance payout that was quite the upgrade after my last bike was stolen in central London.<br />
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In total I completed the bike in <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/2731368920">3:43:13</a> which I'm pretty pleased with given the weather and that cycling wasn't my key focus in training for the race.<br />
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My favourite thing about triathlon is the fact that after the swim and bike have been survived I get to my absolute favourite discipline, and get to have great fun overtaking - the run.<br />
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The 3 lap course took us around the gorgeous Thoresby Park. It was unexpectedly a light trail underfoot which given the pouring rain was tougher in road shoes than it ought to have been but did provide some cushioning to my slightly sore legs. The half marathon itself I really wanted to do in under 2 hours which once I started in the rain begun to feel like a bit of a tough ask but I got in to it and was hugely helped by my friends and family finding me on the run course and cheering me on, including the Speedster who had finished in a bonkers sub-5:30 time. I ended up overtaking 101 people on the run with the 59th fastest time of the day. Definitely shows running is my strength!<br />
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I ended up making it round the undulating course in <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/2731368709/overview">1:55:29</a> and came to the fab finish funnel smiling from ear to ear. The funnel was long which made for a really fun sprint finish and as I crossed the line I finished in my signature heel kick in a total time of 6:38:38 - less than half of my Ironman time which given I gave this triathlon just 8 weeks of specific training I'm delighted with.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CrTPMTbiUIY/Xdl2cs28ilI/AAAAAAAAVA0/xN8Q_tk0_Kk1SNm3NK1asbSxTGBFAxMaACEwYBhgL/s1600/Screenshot%2B2019-11-23%2Bat%2B20.05.26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CrTPMTbiUIY/Xdl2cs28ilI/AAAAAAAAVA0/xN8Q_tk0_Kk1SNm3NK1asbSxTGBFAxMaACEwYBhgL/s320/Screenshot%2B2019-11-23%2Bat%2B20.05.26.png" width="212" /></a></div>
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All in all I thought Outlaw X was a fantastically organised event with a wonderful course and in particular a gorgeous swim. Set at a great time of year by being later on so you can train over the summer and for a much more affordable price than an official Ironman - it's really worth looking in to if you fancy the challenge of a middle distance triathlon next year.<br />
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<i><b>Total time: 6:38:38</b></i><br />
<a href="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f3ca-200d-2640-fe0f.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="🏊♀️" aria-label="Emoji: Woman swimming" border="0" class="Emoji Emoji--forText" draggable="false" src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f3ca-200d-2640-fe0f.png" style="background-color: #f5f8fa; border: 0px; color: #14171a; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1.25em; padding: 0px 0.05em 0px 0.1em; vertical-align: -0.2em; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Woman swimming" /></a><i>Swim </i>- 46:56<br />
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<a href="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f6b4-200d-2640-fe0f.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="🚴♀️" aria-label="Emoji: Woman biking" border="0" class="Emoji Emoji--forText" data-pin-nopin="true" draggable="false" src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f6b4-200d-2640-fe0f.png" style="background-color: #f5f8fa; border: 0px; color: #14171a; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1.25em; padding: 0px 0.05em 0px 0.1em; vertical-align: -0.2em; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Woman biking" /></a><i>Bike</i> - 3:43:13<br />
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<a href="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f3c3-200d-2640-fe0f.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="🏃♀️" aria-label="Emoji: Woman running" border="0" class="Emoji Emoji--forText" draggable="false" src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f3c3-200d-2640-fe0f.png" style="background-color: #f5f8fa; border: 0px; color: #14171a; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1.25em; padding: 0px 0.05em 0px 0.1em; vertical-align: -0.2em; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Woman running" /></a><i>Run </i>- 1:55:29<br />
<i>Finishing position: </i> 151st female (out of 262)<br />
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To sign up for 2020s race - go to <a href="https://www.outlawtriathlon.com/outlaw-x/overview/">https://www.outlawtriathlon.com/outlaw-x/overview/</a><br />
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Gifted kit shout out:</div>
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Trisuit & Sports Bra: <a href="https://www.runderwear.co.uk/products/womens-runderwear-triathlon-suit">Runderwear</a></div>
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Trainers: <a href="https://store.361europe.com/en/361-nemesis-y960&productKleur=414">361 Europe</a></div>
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Cap: <a href="https://www.buff.com/gr/sport/head/caps.html?cap_style=4190&p=2">Buff</a></div>
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-3964673451313730592019-09-19T17:28:00.000+00:002019-09-19T20:09:48.255+00:00Training | How to run all year round<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad kit. So the saying goes. I've just started planning my race calendar for the upcoming months and talking to my friends they're surprised by the mid-winter race plans as well as the mid-summer ones. How do you stay cool in the heat? How can you stay warm in winter - isn't it too cold to run?<br />
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So here is my handy beginners guide on how to turn yourself from fair weather to year round runner.<br />
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<b>What if it's too hot...</b><br />
1. Carry water<br />
Get yourself a running vest that has space for liquids and take some soft flasks out with you to fill up. Alternately try a hand held running bottle or take a speed cup and plan your run to include stops at water fountains/streams.<br />
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2. Use a buff<br />
No I'm not joking! Dip your buff in freezing cold water and wear it round your neck - this will cool down your core which in turn will cool you down. This summer I got sent a UV+ one from the guys at Buff and I love it so much! It's the perfect multi-use running accessory.<br />
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3. Head to the trails<br />
Find some cover when you are running and by heading to the woods instead of the pavements you're bound to save yourself a couple of degrees by keeping out of direct sunlight. You can also find a nice lake to jump in on the way round.<br />
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<b>What if it's raining...</b><br />
1. Wear a waterproof layer<br />
Invest in a waterproof jacket that keeps you dry - test it out in advance so you know it works. Personally I'd look for tapered seams, friends recommendations and one that goes over my hips so the water doesn't simply all pool at my waist!<br />
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2. Pack dry clothes in a waterproof bag inside your pack<br />
Make sure your clothes for after your run are packed away well. I use the bags that Saysky tops come in as they're fab and waterproof.<br />
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3. Try a cap<br />
Sun hat you say? In the rain?! It sounds counterintuitive but I don't mind getting wet if I can still see where I'm going. I find wearing a trucker style caps keeps the water out of my eyes and helps me keep plodding forward.<br />
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<b>What if it's cold...</b><br />
1. Layers are key<br />
Rather than wearing one really thick top, try wearing multiple layers. This will trap pockets of air in between the layers keeping you warm and makes it much easier to regulate your temperature as you are out and about by adding/removing tops.<br />
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2. It's all about the dry sports bra<br />
The time I get really cold is at the end of a run and the one killer is the wet sports bra. You've been running, you've got sweaty now get that soggy offender off and put on a dry one from your pack. It makes the crucial difference for me between staying warm at the end and getting really chilly.<br />
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3. Heat from the inside out<br />
If you get really cold remember it's about heating from the inside out: grab a hot chocolate, drink some soup, get some tea down you just get the warmth inside you and slowly the rest of you will start to come back to reality.<br />
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<b>What if it's dark...</b><br />
1. Make it light<br />
Use a headtorch and light up the places you are running.<br />
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2. Make yourself light<br />
In cities one of the biggest dangers is staying visible to cars so wear high vis clothing, consider wearing a headtorch with a rear red light and even try wearing additional lights on your body as relevant to the safety of the place you are running in.<br />
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3. Make yourself loud<br />
Unfortunately in recent years we've seen an increase in attacks on, particularly, female runners. Consider taking a rape alarm equivalent with you on your run or using an app like Strava's live tracker so people know where you are both online and offline.<br />
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<b>What if it's snowing or hailing or there is thunder?</b><br />
1. Snow<br />
Grip is key and on pavements that's really tough. Slow down, wear shoes with big lugs, walk as necessary and consider sticking to easy trails.<br />
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2. Hail<br />
Wait it out. Hail storms don't last long so take shelter and wait for it to past - it's not worth it!<br />
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3. Thunder<br />
It's dangerous to be out in the open in a thunderstorm so don't go running. If you're out already make sure you know what to do. Simply: stay low, out in the open, away from metal. There is a great guide on the Ramblers website here: <a href="https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/safety/thunder-and-lightning.aspx">https://www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/safety/thunder-and-lightning.aspx</a><br />
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All in all: have fun, stay safe and keep on adventuring!<br />
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-81888879144244449252019-09-13T19:00:00.000+00:002019-09-19T19:02:31.893+00:00Running | Adventure is Out There<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="color: #999999;">This blog first appeared on <a href="http://wearedaybreak.org/adventure-is-out-there" style="background-color: transparent;">http://wearedaybreak.org/adventure-is-out-there</a></span></i></div>
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I have no desire to win races. For many, times and medals and instagramable pictures and being competitive is a huge driver to participating in sport. But it just isn’t for me.</div>
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I was once told by an incredible ultramarathon runner I know, that if you don’t stand on the startline of a race not knowing if you can finish it or not, it isn’t a challenge. Not because you haven’t trained hard enough, or put in the work, or aren’t healthy but because exploring your own boundaries of possibility and limits is where we discover who we really are.</div>
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When I first took up running I remember finding the idea of running for a kilometre without stopping mind blowing. Now I feel confident running for about 8 hours without needing to walk. As I’ve tested my own boundaries and limits I’ve been consistently shocked by just how much further and faster and higher I can go. Months of training, hard work and a huge amount of dogged determination has seen me complete marathons, ultras, mountain races and even Ironman.</div>
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Along the way though I’ve realised that I have no desire to stick at one thing and ‘be the best’. My passion and enthusiasm is in my desire to pursue adventure. Relentlessly. With abandon. Passionately. Adventure is calling.</div>
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Don’t get me wrong: PBs are amazing. For me personally as a coach, there are two that are particularly joyous to watch: new runners shocked at achieving things they never thought possible and runners who’d counted themselves out for a long time and suddenly surprise themselves. As we all probably have, I’ve been through both of those. I’ve cried my eyes out at finish lines for achieving times that seemed ‘too fast’ for the runner I assumed I was. And yet, when I look back at my favourite memories in running: numbers don’t feature.</div>
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There is the moment in my Ironman where my husband, an hour up the race from me, crossed paths with me and we shared a kiss before heading off to finish our respective marathons. There was the time I paced my Mum, who’d promised me she’d never do any sport in her life, to complete her first 10k at the age of 70. There are the miles and miles I’ve spent traipsing up and down some remote mountain in Scotland with my Dad talking about anything and everything.</div>
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Fear of missing out and defining yourself by others achievements is a dangerous and unsatisfying pathway. There is a fantastic old tale of King Solomon, the richest man the world had ever seen who no matter how much wealth he had still felt unsatisfied. Will that medal or time or race really give you the fulfilment you are looking for? Or are you stuck on a relentless cycle of the next challenge, and time, and distance? When you achieve the time you’ve been putting so many hours in are you satisfied? Or do you then change the goalposts and look to shave off ever more minutes?</div>
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What if we all put aside the relentless marathon cycles and 5k PB hunts and just pursued adventure? Maybe we’d miss our time goals and what our peers might consider ‘good’ times but instead we might find something our hearts had been yearning for.</div>
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John Muir, one of the great advocates for the power of the outdoors in the late nineteenth century, famously said ‘The mountains are calling and I must go.’ I feel that call. Trapped in our city lives surrounded by constant noise and busyness and progress it’s easy to feel the overwhelming rise of fear and anxiety that grips so many of us. When I am in nature, I truly feel I am in a space where I remember what matters: not my job title, PBs, finishing position in some random half marathon but connection, love, passion, joy.</div>
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<figure 610px="" class="thumbnail wp-caption alignnone style=" id="attachment_2099" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Raleway, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; transition: border 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" width:=""><img alt="" class="wp-image-2099 size-full" data-attachment-id="2099" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"4","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS RP","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1567846708","copyright":"","focal_length":"35","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.002","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Maverick" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/wearedaybreak.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Maverick-e1568099083153.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/wearedaybreak.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Maverick-e1568099083153.jpeg?fit=300%2C200" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/wearedaybreak.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Maverick-e1568099083153.jpeg?fit=600%2C400" data-orig-size="600,400" data-permalink="http://wearedaybreak.org/adventure-is-out-there/maverick" height="400" src="https://i1.wp.com/wearedaybreak.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Maverick-e1568099083153.jpeg?resize=600%2C400" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /><figcaption class="caption wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0.8075em 0px; padding: 9px; text-align: center;">Maverick Race (Trail) in Bath, September 2019</figcaption></figure><br />
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So this Autumn what if you put aside traditional goals and instead reconnected with why you run. What if we pursued being outdoors as passionately as some people pursue qualifying for big city marathons? Give yourself fully still: commit, be passionate, work hard, dig deep. But pursue something less black and white. Measure your achievements in emotions and how well you slept rather than times and medals. Run with perseverance wherever your legs will carry you. Just run. And be. And exist.</div>
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Adventure in out there and it is most definitely calling. Let’s go.</div>
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4035052641698819794.post-2824601528742673992019-08-29T11:20:00.002+00:002019-09-19T17:28:45.813+00:00Creative | Adidas Runners and community<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720519309893183557noreply@blogger.com0