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18 miles!

I did it!!! 😃😃😃

Ran the whole way and it felt good!

After my disaster last weekend this felt great! I really needed to get this distance as I think I was starting to put a barrier up in my mind to achieving this…but no more!

I changed a few things this week:

1. Different tailwind flavour. Green tea buzz is not what I would call delicious but certainly doable!

2. I remembered to take ibuprofen to ward of any aches.

3. I chose a much flatter route!

4. NO jelly babies!!

I was really pleased with my pacing too. I decided not to look at my watch at all and just go with RPE 3-5 and, despite the pouring rain (which was actually quite refreshing), it worked!! 😃

What I will say though is that my neck is really aching. I think it might be from my hydration pack but now I know how much I’ll drink I won’t need to fill it right up!

Super chuffed that David and Noah came to join on my last leg – gave me a proper boost 😃

Now, just a matter of another 18 miles next weekend and then I can look forward to tapering! Only 3 weeks to go 😱

Finally, just a little plug for my just giving page – please donate if you can!

http://www.justgiving.com/Debbie-Williams42?utm_id=26

Stats so far:

Number of times run this week: 3

Furthest distance run so far: 18.11 miles

Total distance run last week: 33.5 miles

Total distance run so far in training: 468.08 miles

Pants 😩

Training has been going so well until now and this is now the second ditched long run in a row 😔Proper annoyed that for the second weekend running I haven’t completed my long run distance 😠

Last weekend it was too hot and I got it all wrong – pace, hydration, fuelling and stopped just over a mile short of my 16 mile target.

This weekend I thought I had all bases covered for my 18 miler with hydration bag (once I had worked out how to use it – sucking with all your might on the tube won’t make the water come out if you haven’t pulled the nozzle first 😂), tailwind instead of SIS (just as gipping 🤢), eating before going out, new route…until my right thigh started hurting about 8 miles in 😖. Started walking at 9 miles and aborted the whole thing at 11 miles. 😩

Thank goodness for the voice of reason from the lovely Rose who accompanied me today. I would have been a much lonelier goat without her company! A big shout out to Richard too for coming to pick us up! 👍🏻

Now I am home (and yes I did cry out of sheer frustration) and the whole house stinks of deep heat, I really need some advice from experienced marathon runners (and anyone who wants to put in their two penny’s worth)…

Do I:

a) Knock my midweek runs on the head next week to rest and go for 18 miles next weekend (knowing this is my last long run before tapering so if I don’t make it, I’m a bit stuffed.)

b) chalk this one up as my 8 mile midweek run. Knock the 5 miler on the head and have another go at 18 miles midweek – knowing I still have a second one to do again at the weekend before tapering.

c) rest until tues then do my 5 – 8 – 5 mile runs as normal and eat into my tapering weeks to get both 18 milers in before the marathon on 20th Oct?

All advice gratefully received from a rather frustrated 🐐!

Perhaps I won’t make this marathon after all…😢

Lessons Learnt

So yesterday was a bit of a dewsey. I completely underestimated how warm it was going to be. The route I had planned was two 8 mile loops which went past my house so I could stop in and grab more water on my second loop.

First one was fab! But that was the problem. I went out too fast (for me). I think in my head I had the 8 mile route I knew well (which is quite hilly) but didn’t really consider the second loop! I also took water on my first loop and swapped it for my water with a hydration tablet in on the second loop. I’m now convinced it’s this that makes me feel sick on my long runs.

After walk/running for about 4 miles I put out an emergency call to David who came to pick me up with extra water (no more disgusting hydration drinks 🤢) just short of my 16 mile target. I felt really annoyed and frustrated that I hadn’t made it but genuinely think I would have made myself ill if I had carried on.

I then got an email from Runkeeper which put things into perspective 👇

I think it said so many miles as I had done my long run last weekend on Sunday, and this weekend I did it on Saturday. Perhaps this contributed to yesterday’s bailing out? I think I was pooped too from the first full week back to work with the children and trying to fit in all my runs. Anyway, enough excuses…

After lots of grumping and reflection and also advice from the lovely Lonely Goats I have invested in a camelback with some tailwind to try. I’ve heard lots of good stuff about it and that it’s gentle on the tum without much of an icky flavour so I’m feeling hopeful and with 1.5l of water on board I shouldn’t run out!🤞

(I need it to work as next weekend it’s 18 miles! God knows where I’ll end up running for that!)

All in all, lots of lessons learnt this weekend – and that can only be a positive thing really…can’t it?

Stats so far:

Number of times run this week: 4

Furthest distance run so far: 16.25 miles

Total distance run last week: 32.78 miles (didn’t include my long run from last week – that’s cheating!)

Total distance run so far in training: 405.58 miles

Over Half Way!

So much has happened over the summer holidays! A majority has been spent running – even on holiday! It took a bit of organising beforehand but it was really nice to be able to explore different routes. I’ve had David and Noah with me for my longer runs which has been fantastic and certainly kept me going! 💕

I’ve put some snaps below of various running locations and so far have ticked off 10 miles, 12 miles, 14 miles (which I was really excited about as this was new running territory for me!) and last weekend 16 miles!!!! 😀

My long run on holiday was great – David and Noah came in their bikes and Chester was in his doggy trailer! We went 6 miles from Bideford to Fremington along the Tarka trail and back again! There is something really good about running near water with beautiful scenery! (Noah forgot to stop though and so cycled a full half marathon distance with David trying to catch him up with Chester in tow!)

For my 14 miler I trialled Jelly Babies for fuelling. Not too bad. I remembered to start eating them early rather than waiting too long and then feeling sick and it worked!

I opted for Jelly Beans on my 16 miler thinking they may be easier to eat but oh my goodness they were rank after a while 🤢

6 1/2 times round Willen Lake got me to 16 miles while David and Noah were fishing. The big bonus was that it was FLAT! I felt proper sick when I had finished but hadn’t eaten properly before I’d started. Thankfully David’s corned beef and cucumber sandwiches were just the ticket when I’d finished. Lesson learnt there for my next one…lunch first and back to jelly babies I think!!

I never thought I’d be able to run these distances! Last week, I even ran the 9 miles home from work mid-week! What is that all about? 🤪

They say training for a marathon changes your life and I think it is doing just that!

Now…just a small matter of 16 miles this weekend and next before I hit the big 18 miles 😱

Stats so far:

Number of times run this week: 4

Furthest distance run so far: 16 miles!! 😁😁😁

Total distance run last week: 35 miles

Total distance run so far in training: 372.8 miles

Nearly half way

Well after many weeks not posting, I have finally had a chance to catch up. Training is coming on well. I’ve swapped training plans now from Runkeeper to the one in ‘The Non-Runners’ Marathon Guide’ as I just didn’t feel I was doing enough miles each week. A quick check told me I was right 😱

Now in Week 6 of the new plan and I completed 24.6 miles last week with my longest run yet of 11 miles! 😃

My first selfie whilst actually running!

I had a bit of a revelation on this run as I took my headphones off about 8km in due to sweaty ears (ewww – it is a thing!) but then left them out for the last 10km as I was really enjoying just listening to the wind through the trees. I kept focused on running at RPE (Rate of Perceived Effort) 3-5 which also meant I didn’t have to listen to my laboured breathing! It all felt pretty good 👍🏻

Chuffed to bits that I’m still running with no knee support whatsoever but ankle is still a bit grumbly after a long run – I will have to keep an eye on that!

I’m excited to have joined the Lonely Goat Running Club too – being part of a group that meets up regularly just doesn’t work for me so joined this one which is online and has a really supportive bunch of people (herd?)!

I’ve got me some new hooves too which I’m super chuffed with!

Last but not least, a quote (near enough) from the Non-Runners’ Marathon Guide:

The boundaries we experience are put there by ourselves. Once we challenge these and realise those boundaries do not exist it is really quite liberating to realise what we are capable of achieving.

Kept me going for 11 miles.

Quick stats update:

No. of runs in last week: 4

Longest run so far in training: 11.32 miles

Total distance run so far this week: 24.6 miles

Total distance run so far in training: 271.01 miles 😳

Run Forrest!

Ooh it’s a long time since I last posted but big news…I no longer need any tape on my knees!! I’m free!! Even bigger news is that today I did a 10.5km with NO knee braces on at all!!

It was like that scene out of Forrest Gump when he’s a young lad running away from the bullies and his leg braces break off…you know the one I mean:

So chuffed! There was only one thing to do when I got back – sit in a freezing paddling pool!

Stats so far for last week:

Number of runs this week: 3

Longest run so far in training: 14km

Total distance run so far this week: 17.6 miles ( oh yeah – I’ve switched to miles on Runkeeper so it doesn’t sound as far when I get to the really long runs 😂)

Total distance run so far in training: 179.49 miles