Ouch

Run: 17 miles / 27.36 km in 3:45:ish.
Injury check: The Knee struck early, followed by foot pain.
Training buddy: Dad, on bike*
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Last weekend I ran my longest training run. It was not fun. My new most-hated weather is the bitter, biting wind. 

We ran along the river, following the Thames Path towards Kingston. It sounds like a lovely route, doesn't it? And it probably is - in summer. It was not lovely this fine Easter. 

The wind was against me on the way out and it made the first 8.5 miles very hard work. The return 8.5 miles was cold. I've worn layers while running; I've taken top layers off as I've warmed up. I've never had to put layers on during a run. 

The pain was another problem. I've ached on long runs. I haven't hurt as much as this before. The most annoying thing was that the hurt wasn't actually caused by the extension in distance - the injuries made themselves felt far earlier than that. The Knee on the left, followed by the right instep, both within the first quarter of the run. I really wanted to get this distance down, however long it took, so I carried on. And (as you can see) it took a long time. The last couple of miles in particular were very slow, as I was run-walk-limping my way to the end. 

Grimace of pain outside Hampton Court, viewed from the river.
I think the looming storm clouds set it off nicely, don't you?

With 17 miles done, I'm now on the taper down towards the marathon. And one day, in the near future, I won't have to run any more. Oh, happy day...

*Who probably regretted his kind offer of company at least once during the route: he had to listen to me being grumpy most of the way around!

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow

Today's run: 15.5(ish) miles in the snow. Oh, and in 3 hours 30 mins or so.
Injury check: Only standard aches.
______

I planned a lovely route out yesterday. It would take us along a riverside footpath that's also part of the national cycle network - therefore off-road but still ok for a bike - and would be a nice 7.5 miles out and back to complete my planned 15 miles.

The environment

Then the snow happened. 

Remember when I thought running in the snow was fun? Yeah, it's less fun when the marathon is only a month away and you really need to be racking up the miles regardless of the weather. Besides which, if I wasn't training I could be properly enjoying the snow by, say, making snowmen.

Anyway, I re-mapped my route and plotted out a 5.3 mile loop from my doorstep, with a plan to complete it three times. I picked a route that meant I'd never be more than about 1 mile (direct) from my flat, so if it all got too much I could cut the run short at any point and just make a break for home. 

Unfortunately my support crew couldn't join me today. Road bike + road tyres do not go well with 2 inches of snow! But I am (currently) a runner, therefore I must run. So, in the snow and the ice, and the sub-zero temperatures, I set out. Well wrapped up, of course:

The gear

1. Hat. Nice, neon-bright yellow running hat. Essential in these temperatures.
2. Neck warmer. Originally purchased for a snowboarding holiday, I never imagined I'd be re-purposing it for running in the snow.
3. Top layer: lightweight jacket, very useful in keeping the wind off. Under layer: long-sleeved running top. 
4. Phone holder. With a £10 note tucked inside, just in case I needed a ride home.
5. Gloves. Also great for taking the worst of the chill out of the biting wind. These are smart gloves, with clever tips in the index fingers so I can still use a smartphone screen when I'm wearing them.
6. Watch. For timekeeping.
7. Map. Don't judge me. I planned this route meticulously and a paper scribble wrapped around my forearm is much easier to look at than a phone screen strapped to my bicep.
8. Pace band. Fairly academic today, really. 
9. Belt to carry my energy gels in.
10. Jogging bottoms, over the top of my running tights. I usually don't run in trousers but layers was the key word of the day.


I was under no illusions that I'd be able to keep to a pace today - hence the achingly slow time. I ran on the roads where I could, and in the slightly deeper snow when it was there, but I was jogging fairly slowly over a large amount of the route, and walking some portions of it, just because the footing wasn't particularly good. I was more than willing to sacrifice a good time today in preference for not injuring myself, especially as I began to tire. I walked the final half mile of the last loop because the snow and slush underfoot was starting to get icy.

But, even though I had the option of cutting today short each time I returned to my flat, I covered the whole 15 miles. I am over the moon with that, especially as I actually feel ok right now. 

My body is definitely getting more used to putting in this amount of exercise without demanding that I suffer too much afterwards. To be fair, I'm also getting much more used to how I'll feel after this amount of exercise and what I should be doing to recover: in my case, this includes cold drinks, hot drinks, chocolate, crisps and then decent food.

I've also completely given up on the idea of cold/ice baths, because I just can't sit in one for more than a few minutes and I haven't seen that produce any benefits! A hot bath is calling me tonight. And I have totally earned it.

Reading Half Report

The run: 13.1 miles / 21.08 km in 2:22:06.
Injury check: Nothing prohibitive.
Running buddy: Katie.
______

Sunday, 17th March, 2013. My first (and last?) half marathon. There are no photos of the event*; the rain and the cold pre-empted any plans for photo opportunities, I'm afraid. 

Apart from the rain, this was a good run. It was a fairly interesting course, with twists and turns and variety in the roads; there was a bit of uphill but nothing too steep or too long; it's very nice to have people on hand offering you water and Lucozade; it finished in a football stadium with crowds watching and cheering. And I got an awesome time.

But the rain... oh, the rain was horrible. 

Also, I had to get up before 6am. On a Sunday. (Yes, 6am does exist on a Sunday morning - who knew?) I drove to Reading, ate a second breakfast in my car before scoping out the area and meeting up with Katie, and then popped back to the car to change. 

I then wore a bin-bag to the start line. With a hole cut out for my head. I know: so stylish. I'd actually been advised (by my dad) that many serious runners do this on wet runs. I was ambivalent about the idea, until I was actually out in the cold and the rain in my running gear, and having to bimble around in the 'race village' and behind the start line for some time before we could actually run enough to warm up. 

(As Katie remarked, seeing dozens of bin-bag-swaddled people bobbing on the spot to keep warm, in the rain, in the queues for the portaloos, really brought home the ridiculous nature of what we were about to embark upon.) 

The running itself wasn't actually too bad, once we'd got going and warmed up. Allow me to present a recap of the key points (I'm not promising they're all entirely in chronological order):

• Mile 3 provided the only real gradient in the whole race - a bit of a slope but it wasn't a killer, and we were still relatively fresh at this point.
• The church along the route into Reading centre that was playing pumping dance music was definitely a surprise. But a welcome one. If I was going to join a church, it would be one of the kind that plays pumping dance music to bedraggled half marathon runners. 
• My parents were watching for us between the Mile 6 and Mile 7 markers. They'd printed (and laminated) a sign with our names on it, and were waving it proudly on a five-foot bamboo pole. (This was to help us pick them out from the expected crowds. Due to the unrelenting rain, the watching crowds were somewhat reduced...) I may never have smiled so much while running as I did when I saw that sign. 
• Only slightly further down the road we passed Katie's family, although I was looking in the wrong direction at the time and more or less missed them entirely. Apologies and a belated 'hello' to them.
• Throughout the course of this race I splashed myself in the ear with Lucozade. Twice. Note to self: re-cap drinks bottle properly when running. 
• Mile 9: Katie leaves me behind. Up until now I'd kept up with her pace but at this point my bad knee was twinging and I needed to stop, fiddle with my knee support and walk for a few minutes to work out the niggle. I was a little afraid that this might mean my pace would start to slip - not actually because of The Knee, but because I no longer had Katie pacemaking for me! However,the splits (oh yes, Reading Half emails you the splits as well as your final time) don't show much of a drop off, which is brilliant - especially given that I was running a little faster than my usual pace up until this point. 
• During Mile 10 I chatted briefly to a guy called Simon, encouraging him back up to a run from the walk he was at as I passed him (I was having an enthusiastic, let's-talk-to-a-stranger moment). We didn't really get into introductions, but I learnt he was called Simon when he got the random "Go on, [insert name here]!" cheers from some onlookers who spotted him approaching. He pulled away from me, then I passed him a bit later, then he passed me, then I passed him... Eventually I passed him when he was walking again and that was the last of that game. 
• Musing: the number of people I saw with their name on the back of their shirt thoroughly confused me. If you've already passed someone before they can read your name then a) they are no longer looking at you to cheer you, and b) you're less likely to hear the cheers anyway. Put it on the front, guys. But also: I am absolutely having my name on my marathon shirt. Well, a version of my name that people can pronounce at a glance, anyway.
• Mile 11 was a long, boring, straight section of A road. By this point I was just trudging through the metres, picking random people out ahead of me as either pacemakers or 'you're the person I'm going to pass next... and now you're the person I'm going to pass next... (and repeat)'.
• Either side of the Mile 12 marker was a dogleg along the north edge of the stadium. This was my lowest point, and luckily it lasted a very short time: I got caught out of breath again and had to slow to a walk, breathing deeply. At which moment Katie - who was now a little ahead of me and already on the return section of the dogleg - spotted me and shouted some encouragement! I took a few more deep breaths and started running again...
• And finally I entered the stadium. Finally, the end was in sight. I put on a sprint over the last few dozen metres, put on a grimace smile for the cameras, and gave a high five to one of the cheery volunteers as I crossed the finish line. And fantastically Katie had waited for me a few yards over the line, at which point we soggily celebrated our survival. 

2:22:06. I was hoping for around 2:30, so that's a fantastic time for me. All of the credit for that time goes to Katie, for dragging my pace incrementally upwards and taking us past the official 2:30 pacemaker - and then past the 2:25 pacemaker as well. 

13.1 miles - 2:22:06

After the run Katie went off to the kit tent to collect her bag and then to find her parents; I was so cold and wet through that all I could think about was getting back to my car. It was dry inside my car. And warm. Changing in a car is never graceful, but I did it, because I damn well wasn't getting back out into the rain again! (You know how your fingertips prune up when you've been in the water took long? By the time I took my trainers off my toes were like that.)

I sat in the car, ate some food and had a hot drink from my thermos flask while watching the rain continue outside. Eventually I drove home, had a hot bath, put an ice pack on my bad knee for a while and then rolled into bed. And thus ends my tale of the Reading Half. 

I'd like to send a final thought out into the ether thanking all those strangers who braved the rain to cheer on those of us slogging through it. The normal Reading Half crowds might not have been there, but those hardy souls who had made it to the kerb and huddled under umbrellas, shouting encouraging words at strangers, really did help. 


P.S. I have to add a word of praise for my Tune Belt arm-band phone holder: despite the neoprene and plastic being drenched for 2.5 hours, it transferred none of that to my phone, which emerged entirely unscathed - hooray!


*There are, of course, some photos of the event. But only my nearest and dearest are going to get to see them. Maybe.

Is It Nearly Spring Yet?

My friend [looking at the weather forecast for the weekend]: "But look, it'll probably be above zero. That's better than it has been some weeks recently."

Me: "I am tired of running in temperatures that are colder than the inside of my fridge."


Winter can go away already. Grumble, grumble. 


Edit: Since this conversation took place, the predicted temperature for Sunday is no longer above zero. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

And Repeat

Today's run: 6.35 miles / 10.22 km in 1:11:13.
Injury check: Toenail is tender but no pain.
Training buddy: Rob (bike + foot)
______

Note to future self: this is the right level of fitness to be at. 10k in just over an hour, with enough left for a sprint at the end. And then the ability to carry on with my day. After all this marathon nonsense is through, try and remember this feeling and don't let it get away.

A short long run today, if you will. I'm tapering down to the Reading Half Marathon on 17th of this month, so only an hour's worth of run required. 

Rob was my training partner again, and actually fancied running a bit this time, so I planned a 3ish mile loop and we covered it twice: once with him on bike and the second time on foot. I, of course, ran it all. And felt very good about it. I kept a good speed all the way around; the time isn't a record because we paused to stretch out a couple of times, but I was mostly going just a little faster than my usual pace.

The best bit of today was being able to manage a sprint finish over the last few dozen metres. Well, one of the best bits. Another good bit was the novelty of being the one coaching Rob at the end. 

Oh, and another great bit was the post-run snack: paté on crumpets. So good. 

First Casualty?

Today's run: 2.16 miles / 3.48 km in 23:52.
Injury check: Well...
______

I'm going to make a rule in the future, after all this marathon nonsense: if I can see my breath on the air, it's too cold to go out running. It's just too cold. 

Anyway.

The offending toe,
second from right.

I ran outside at lunchtime today, in the chill and the mist. Got two miles down in a nice time, given that it was very cold and there were also hills in my route. (They're unavoidable, really, since my office is essentially on top of a hill.) Oddly enough today the uphills were actually better than the downhills: my knees did not particularly like the steep slopes down.

But I am beginning to fall apart. Aside from the bad left knee and the bad right ankle, I now have a problem toe to fuss over as well. I've got a bruise or a blister or something under the nail... I didn't notice it at all during the run today, but when I put my smart work shoes back on afterwards they definitely pressed on it the wrong way and sent me limping around the office. Sigh.

You do hear stories about people losing toenails during marathon training and so on... I don't want to lose my toenail. I didn't sign up for that... >:-(

Running, eh? Bad for you. Definitely. 

Long, Hard Slog

Today's run: 12 km / 7.46 miles in 1:25:41.
Injury check: Pain. All of me. 
Running buddy: Robert.
______

This was a hard run. 

The world was not kind today. Yes, there were hills in the route - and they were nasty in places. There was one around 8km that I would have stopped and walked up if I'd been on my own (thank you, Robert). 

But it was the wind that sapped my strength today. Bitterly cold on exposed fingers for the first couple of kilometres, and occasionally gusting with the kind of power that you have to lean into when you're walking against it. Running against it was not fun at all. 

And then there was the pain. Not actually from the bad knee - although it did twinge a couple of times towards the end. Mostly it was the other leg: twinges in my ankle, pain in my 'good' knee, aches in my thigh and hip. Since it was essentially all of my good leg that was complaining by the end, I think I can put most of this down to the fact that unless I'm really concentrating I still seem to favour my bad (left) leg in an uneven stride. And I also have poor enough posture that my lower back aches after long runs. 

Basically the last 4km were simply an exercise in not stopping - it was a very slow "run" by that point. 

Afterwards I briefly considered sitting in a cold bath to numb my various aches and pains. And then I decided not to and had a hot bath instead. Much nicer. 

Prediction: I will ache tomorrow.

The Joy of Snow

Today's run: 8.38 km / 5.21 miles in 1:02:55*.
Injury check: Slight post-run ache in The Knee.
______

Once more unto the breach...

Don't actually know where the path ends
and the frozen ponds begin...

Today was even more fun than yesterday - and I think we managed a good distance for the weather/ second day in a row of snow running/etc. 

I had Robert with me again, which encouraged me into a slightly faster pace than yesterday. The going underfoot was better as well: it had been snowing (lightly) for hours today before we went out, so there was a whole new lot of fresh snow over every surface. And it was still snowing while we ran, which was different.

That said, I was definitely tiring towards the end. Even deeper snow makes for a better running surface but it is even more tiring. I found it puts more stress on my ankles, too, with the uneven ground and the slightly uncertain footing with each step. I was never going to slip over or hurt myself, but it's more of a workout for your stabilising muscles. 

We got a few amused glances from the various families/dog walkers who watched us jog past, but we spotted one other runner out in this wonderful weather. I don't really blame the rest of the world for staying inside: the bits of my fringe that had escaped my hat actually ended up frozen solid...

If this weather keeps up, I'll soon be completely converted to snow running. In all my fluorescent gear:

Wouldn't think we were still in Luton, would you?

*Distance and time taken from Robert's app today; mine reckoned we'd only done 6.5k but then it only recorded 50 minutes when we definitely went past the hour, so I've lost a certain measure of faith in it now.

Neither Rain, Nor Fog, Nor Snow...

Today's run: 5.37 km / 3.34 miles in 43:15.
Injury check: All clear.
______

Snow!

I love snow. But, funnily enough, I've never gone for a run in it before. It's quite hard work, especially in the deep stuff ("deep" being 4 inches in this case) because it slides a little under your feet, adding resistance to every step. Plus it's bloomin' cold out. 

Perfect weather for sledging!

I didn't try and go fast - or even at my normal pace - because I figured snow running is enough of a workout anyway. I stayed off the paths and pavements because the general tread of people is already packing the snow down to a potentially slippy state, and anytime I had to cross a pavement I slowed to a walk. I mostly stuck to the deep, fresh patches of snow, leaving my footprints on the snowcape.

The overall distance is up for debate, as my app seemed to be having a little trouble finding the GPS satellites today and I also spent some time running back and forth across a small patch of ground writing 'TEAM' in the snow (small things...). Basically today I decided to have fun during my run. 

When I got back I did my usual set of stretches, made myself a hot drink and got into a bath of cold water. This is a tip passed to me by some TEAM members: after a hard run, spending a few minutes in an ice bath is good for your muscles. After all, rugby players do it, Jess Ennis does it, etc, etc... Well, I thought I'd try it. 
I lasted about a minute before giving up. And, to be honest, I even cheated a bit then: I started running the hot water for my shower while I was in the cold bath. I had to - my toes ached from the chill. And no offence, guys, but I don't think I'll be doing that again. 

Anyway: that's this week's 40 minute run checked off, despite the weather. And, actually, it was fun. Roll on the winter.

Snow!

Sub-zero

Today's run: 12 km / 7.46 miles in 1:23:48.
Injury check: Twinges in the good knee.
Running buddy: Robert.
______

Man, it was cold this morning! It was predicted to be -2 degrees and I could definitely believe that it really was below zero... It was trying to snow as we set out, although it gave up pretty quickly and was just cold. 

The benefits of this were that a) I stood no chance whatsoever of overheating, and b) the parts of the route that Robert had warned me might be really muddy were actually just frozen solid, and were therefore quite crispy underfoot rather than trainer-suckingly nasty. 

He also warned me it would be a bit hilly, which I blithely agreed to run anyway. The inclines involved weren't actually too steep, mostly, but they were fairly long and hence still quite taxing: 

Long incline was long. (Shaded grey incline = 1.5km.)

I hoped to be able to manage a sprint at the end but the final up-slope home (which isn't really visible on the elevation plot, but trust me, it's there) did me in. I have spent the rest of the day being a bit achey and making old person noises when I have to get up out of a chair...

Still, a good time achieved at a good average pace, especially considering the hills involved. 

Frost and Ice

Today's run: 2.78 km / 1.73 miles in 20:00.
Injury check: Post-run twinges in The Knee.
______

Today I went for another run at lunchtime. 
There was still frost on the grass. 
I had to dodge patches of ice. 
There's a growing probability that all of my running posts through the next three months will have the 'cold' tag on them.
Sigh.

But anyway - I beat Monday's distance. And today did feel better - I kept a steadier pace and felt less haggard at the end as well. It wasn't quite as cold as Monday, which must have helped.

I felt a minor twinge from The Knee during the run but not enough to stop me (I paused, I re-arranged my knee support, I carried on). However, once I'd been back at my desk a while - sitting with my legs crossed - it did begin to ache. Could be because it was stiffening up a bit post-run, could be because I was sitting with my legs crossed. Could be because my knee hates me...

I am icing it tonight, we'll see if it bounces back to situation normal tomorrow.

Let's Do Lunch

Today's run: 2.67 km / 1.66 miles in 20:00.
Injury check: All clear.
______

It was actually quite warm in the sun today. Pity the wind was doing its best impression of a lively Arctic breeze. 

This was my first attempt at a lunchtime run, which means it was necessarily a short one (I managed the change-run-shower-change routine in exactly an hour), and not a fast one. My office is essentially on a hill - and a steep one at that - so whichever way I run it's going to involve a fair amount of gradient. 
I will not be breaking any records on my lunchtime runs; the best I can aim for is a slow, steady increase in the distance achieved. 

Plan: another lunch run on Weds and then a long run on Fri. 
Yay.

Winter Is Here

Today's run: 5.46 km (3.39 miles) in 40:00.
Injury check: All clear.
______

Cold. Really cold. It was sunny this morning, at least. But it was cold. 
I layered up and ran anyway, but I was cursing the cold most of the way round. 

I overheat like a [insert sweaty thing here] so I did warm up eventually, but when that icy wind picked up it was still so cold.

I ran the footpath again, which was actually a bit nicer than before because there weren't any damp leaves underfoot this time. I had to walk some of the way back today though, simply because the cold took so much out of me. 

I got a few stares from the cows in the field I run past, so I said hello to them (because I know that's what Em would have done). I also passed another runner going in the other direction, who looked like he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Hmph. 

Did I mention it was cold?

Winter Is Coming

Today's run: 4.85 km (3.01 miles) in 40:19.
Injury check: All clear.
______

New knee support, new running tights (given to me by another member of Team Em and Me), new enthusiasm for running - and here I go! 
Well... two out of three ain't bad. 

However, the tights are great: they made such a difference running in the cold weather, and my legs felt so much less numb/chapped/horrible during and after my run. 
Now I need to find a lightweight jacket/fleece of some kind to protect the rest of me from the chill - and then once I have that I'll be properly kitted out and the weather will have no hold over me. Mwahahahaha! 

Ahem. Apologies for that moment, but I am on a buzz after finishing nearly 5k - in the cold and the wind - and not feeling like I was dying at the end of it. 

In other thoughts, I have a JustGiving page now: www.justgiving.com/RhianChapman.
Watch this space for more sponsorship musings...

With Friends Like These

Today's run: 2.94 km (1.83 miles) in 21:57.
Injury check: All clear.
______

A shorter run today, by design. It was a bit easier today than the last run and I managed a slightly quicker pace throughout as well. It was, however, quite cold. Blustery and chilly. And the skin on my legs went numb, reminding me vividly of school PE lessons outside in the winter. It might be time to treat myself to some more snazzy running gear - to get me through the colder months. 

I'm still charting my distance with an app on my phone but I don't have it talking me through the distance any more, since I decided to concentrate on just increasing my time. Of course, if I had known my exact distance on the finishing mark then I would have managed that last 600m to make it an even 3k. Never mind: next time.

I've now started telling people that I'm running the marathon. Up until now - until it was official - I didn't want to admit that I'd signed up to something so unlike me. Here are some of the reactions I've got so far:

Me: I'm doing the London marathon next year.

Friend #1: You crazy fool.

Me: I'm running the marathon next year.

Friend #2: What would you go and do that for?!

Me: I'm running the London marathon.

Friend #3: (laughter)

Friend #4: Do you think it's a good idea, with your knee?

Me: No, I don't think it's a good idea at all!

But after the laughter and commiserations on my foolishness, there was support, and even a couple of offers to help me train. With friends like these, how can I fail?