My First Ever Race!

THE ALDI ASHBY 20 ROAD RACE 2011
13/3/2011


Morning Pre-Race

6.30am  My alarm goes off and I clamber over my dad and brother who are sacrificially sleeping on the floor; eat my breakfast of Maple and pecan crisp cereal and get showered. Feel pretty good thanks to a solid 9 hour sleep; despite my blocks efforts to wake me they only managed to keep my dad from sleeping, which me and Joel found amusing, unlucky dad! Thanks so much to those who sent texts and cards of encouragement, it was really kind, and helped to spur me on and calm me down in the hours before my first ever race.

7.45am All my gear is packed, trying best to ensure I don't forget anything quite important, such as my race number or my Garmin watch. Sort out directions and wake the other two to set off.

8.45am Arrive at Hood Park Leisure Centre in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, left on my own to sort out getting changed and navigating my way to start line. Having never been to a race this was quite an experience with loads of kit to buy for cheap prices, different teams huddling together to discuss their race strategy and I've never seen such long queues for the toilets. I eventually found my way to the changing rooms, got ready, fitted my timing chip and left for the race start which was a short walk away from the centre.

9.45am We were asked to sort ourselves out in to various pens based on our expected finishing times. My aim for todays race was to complete it in 3 hours, being my first race I expected there would be a few hiccups and that I would be able to run a more efficient race on the 17th april, although my main goal was to simply finish. I put myself in the 2:30 - 3.00 expected finish time which I was a bit unsure about since there looked to be some fairly capable runners in the group with most wearing club running vests etc. But my thinking was it was better to aim high and drop off rather than start slow and as I felt increasingly tired have to try and pick up the pace.

10am Race start, didn't really anticipate just how many people were running and it took some time for the field to thin out a bit and be able to get in to my rhythm without having to run around people constantly.

The Race.

I used a couple of club runners who started nearby to pace myself with for the first few miles, my thinking being that they would be more disciplined with their pacing and help me try and resist the urge to overtake loads of people early on which is quite satisfying but entirely pointless as they would just end up overtaking me later on. The course consists of two laps, and I heard many amusing remarks after there was a 10 mile marker after only about 2 miles of the race.

The last sprint for the finish

Using my watch I kept track of each mile, and my current pace. The first 6-7 miles flew by, my pace not being as consistent as i'd hoped and was too fast, however it was quite satisfying as the first 10km I ran were faster than any 10km I had run in training. This might have been slightly due to different elevations but it was a nice little achievement. It did make me very wary however that at some point I was going to get really quite tired if I continued at this pace. I was able to keep below 8-minute-mile pace for the first 11 miles which was great and the first 13 miles (half marathon) I completed in ~1hr40mins which is far quicker than I thought I could run a half marathon as well.

The race went through some rather picturesque villages and even passed by a few farms, which reminded me of the farm my family used to visit in Capel when I was young, the smell of manure and countryside, beautiful!

I managed to soak one of the kids handing out cups of water at one of the stations as rather than grabbing the cup, I missed it and knocked it all over him, poor lad. The next kid I went to pick up the water from looked a little apprehensive as I approached which I found quite funny.

Nice product placement for lucozade.
Can't recommend it enough, and my finishers hoody.

I was using jelly beans for energy during the race, one every mile, however from about 8 miles in I started to feel really quite sick so thought it was my best to give those a miss from then on. Feeling unwell meant that I didn't drink very much either as this only went  to make me feel worse. The last 6 miles were a real push and had to keep myself mentally strong, telling myself that I would only be disappointed later if I stopped and walked for a short while. I knew my pace was good and so the temptation was also there that maybe I could walk a mile and still achieve my target time, however I kept pushing on.

The last 200 metres you could here the applause from all those watching and one of the organizers cheering the runners on as they came up to the finish. I put in a good sprint finish which is always satisfying, especially when you've been plodding along for miles and overtook a couple of people near the end which satisfied my competitive instinct. I saw my dad and brother just before the finish line and could hear them saying well done, I had missed them at the half way stage as I was ahead of my target time so by the time they were there I was 10 minutes gone.

As soon as I stopped running I felt very dizzy and knew I wouldn't be able to hold back the sick feeling and one of the kind St Johns ambulance team took me to one side where I was sick, lovely end to my first race. Once I'd drank some fluid, got my goody bag and been given my finishers hoody I certainly felt a lot better. And a big hug from my old man was nice.

Distance: 20 miles

Time: 02:40:59

Position: 308th out of 865

I feel very satisfied with my performance, my dad put it quite well when my brother asked whether I enjoyed the race. With some things in life you work hard at them, push to complete them, you don't enjoy doing them to an extent but it is worth the satisfaction when you know you have achieved something.

The data from my garmin watch is below:

Recovery

Having found 20 miles incredibly tough, I have a better idea of what marathon day will be like, and have a more focussed idea of what training I'll do between now and the London Marathon. I need to have a look at and research why I was feeling so ill, need to practice using carbohydrate gels for energy during my training so that I'll be able to use them on race day and I can make a better kit choice, two top layers were unnnecessary. I had a sports massage from my good friend Jenny yesterday, which was SO painful but really helpful at the same time. So thanks for that, especially the other girls in her house deciding to come laugh at me in my pain!

Only 32 days to go now until the London Marathon, so please dig deep and sponsor me if you are able. The work which HOPEHIV support is life changing, your money will really make a difference in the lives of children and young people in sub-Saharan Africa. You can follow this link here to SPONSOR ME! You can give anonymously if you wish, you can also sponsor me by cash or by cheque written out to 'HOPEHIV' which I can then pass on.

Many thanks for reading, hope you have a great week.

Long overdue, worth the wait!

Well this is a long overdue update, and I know you've all been on the edge of your seats just to hear how I've been getting on!
Recently I've been out running with a few people like Steve, Ricardo and Warburton, the last one providing key motivational phrases like "The mind fails before the body" which will be important for developing mental toughness during the last few miles of the marathon! I'm probably the least popular person at Nanpantan reservoir, the fishermen there do give me some proper dodgey 'serial killer' looks as I run laps round there on a friday afternoon. If anyone would like my full opinion on those strange fishermen then please do accompany on a run someday. I also saw on a friends twitter the quote "You don't win gold on the first day", not that I'm trying to win the marathon but training is a gradual process, you don't always see immediate improvements, thanks to Jess for that one.
Some noteable runs recently have included a good marathon pace half marathon a week ago, which I felt rather comfortable after and was able to go out for a 5 mile run the very next morning; I've also been doing some speed endurance sessions round the reservoir which I've really enjoyed, although I'm sure these will help my football more than my marathon running, its still nice to have something different in the training program. My half marathon from last week is shown below:



Next weekend I have my very first race, the Ashby 20, its a 20 mile road race which was voted in the top 10 UK races for last year. I really have no idea what to expect, but am going to be taking training easy and tapering for the race. My Dad is coming up to watch which is really exciting both to see him and to have someone there to cheer you on! I'll let you all know how I get on as well as my garmin watch stats for the race.
My fundraising has hit a big milestone as over my birthday weekend the sponsorship broke through the £1000 barrier, with some very generous donations. Please continue to dig deep and support HOPE HIV who are a fantastic charity, the money will make a real difference transforming lives and communities in sub-Saharan Africa who have been so damaged by the HIV/Aids virus, you can sponsor online using this LINK. I will be bucket collecting to raise money at Euston tube station on the 5th April (in the easter holidays) if anyone is interested in coming and helping please let me know, it would be great. Also if anyone wants to go out on some easy runs this week, let me know would love to have some more company.
Have a fantastic week!

Watching out for complacency

Its been a mixed week, its been a while since my mood has changed so frequently; I don't like it but I think exams are just a major stress at the moment, as I know they are with many of my friends studying. My training has been fairly inconsistent as well, on the one hand I ran two of my fastest 10km times, and on the other I did not run the 40km I set out to do at the start of the week.  I need to ensure that I don't get slack on my training as I see improvements in my speed over shorter distances. I need to keep putting in the miles and really stretching myself; however it is difficult trying to fit that around exams, but I will do my best to run further this week, remembering I'm training for a marathon which is over four times further than a 10k!
My two runs were great, the first one on Tuesday I really felt I was pushing myself a little bit harder and managed 10km in a respectable 46:30, I was really pleased with that. The next day I had company for the very first time on one of my training runs, Ricardo came along and it was nice to talk and run at the same time; I'd fully expected to run slightly slower given I thought I'd pushed myself the previous day but we managed to go round in 45:35.
I purchased a Garmin Forerunner 305 Sports watch this week, which is rather exciting; it uses GPS to map my runs, showing the routes I've taken and the incline. It also records my Heart rate and as I run will give my my current pace which should help to avoid complacency in the middle sections of my running; as I have tended to drop off the pace slightly without realising, so the watch should help me to improve my consistency. However it does make me look like I should be on Star Trek.

It would be fantastic if you were able to sponsor me this week, my total is progressing well and I look forward to breaking the £1000 barrier! I was speaking to some friends over dinner the other night and they were unsure of the options available when sponsoring; the Giving page does allow you to donate anonymously if you so wish so that your name cannot be seen by others, or it allows you to hide the total money you have generously sponsored. Please do not be put off by thinking that because its supporting online that you cannot remain anonymous; of course I would welcome you to let me know If you have sponsored me as I would really love to thank you!
Hope you all have a great week.

Hit the ground running.

This is to be a slightly shorter blog than usual as exam season is well and truly here! Since being back at Uni the time has flown by, I cannot remember a week which has passed by more quickly; exam preparation, running, football and job interviews  all in a few days. I managed to get out running a couple times at the start of the week, managing 8.6km and 10km in consecutive days, not a great week but there are other things which I've needed to concentrate on in the short term. I travelled up to Birmingham for a job interview on Thursday, which proved to be worth the travel, being offered the position; so if I manage to attain a 2.1 degree I will be a Brummie from September! I played football on Saturday and apart from that I've been preparing for my first exam which is tomorrow, so lets hope it goes well.
I hope to run 40km in the week ahead, and may even have some company for a run which would be a first!
Please consider sponsoring me, your money is going to a fantastic charity, HOPEHIV, and it will help to save and transform lives and communities in Africa! So I urge you to dig deep and be generous today. I have heard back about the bucket collections at London tube stations, and it looks as if we will be given Euston station on 5th April which will be very exciting.
Wishing you all the very best of weeks, and to those others sitting exams or with deadlines, good luck!

So what should I spend my student loan on?

So, most of our student loans have now arrived (for the students among us obviously), and that pay packet for all your christmas overtime is due to come in any day now. So the age old question of what to do with all that money that has appeared in your bank account arises, there are a number of possibilities.

Save it for a few big nights out after exams?
Buy five dresses from ASOS.com as they have free returns policy and you'll probably only like two?
A few new DVDs or games?
A mint condition polaroid camera?
Pay the rent and a big tesco shop to start the term?
A 24 carat gold macbook pro?
How about giving some of that money to a cause which will really make a difference?

Now i'm not suggesting that you all starve and get chucked out of halls/home for not paying your rent. However I know in the past I have used a chunk of that money just to splash out on some of the items which were on my christmas list but didn't quite manage to fit in Santa's sleigh. Please consider sponsoring me and giving to HOPEHIV, it really will make a world of difference to young people in Africa, the projects you will support don't just provide care and support for those affected by HIV/Aids, but also enable individuals to live out their potential, through training and education, transforming both their own lives and their communities! Changing communities for generations to come, making Africa's future one of HOPE, rather than despair.
My trainings gone very well this past week, I managed to run 15.6 miles on Wednesday which I was super pleased with! Its well over a half marathon and I was relatively happy with the time. My lycra shorts are so comfy and am having to stop myself wearing them all the time, they are strictly for running. I'm back in Loughborough now and my disciplined regime starts back again, early starts, eating better and regular running (and revising). My resolutions haven't gone well as I keep forgetting about them, I had 1 beer a few nights ago for a meal round at a friends house and accidentally ordered the fudge cake tonight at spoons. However I will not give up, I'll not just give in simply because I have failed once or twice, but will keep trying to be healthier. Hope you have a great week, and thanks for reading!

New Year, New Resolutions, New Gear

With 3 months and 7 days to go until the Marathon, i've still got tons of training I need to do and I quite look forward to being back in Loughborough where I seemed to be a more active and disciplined person (slightly) when it comes to early mornings and runs. I've completed three 10 km runs this week in a consistent time of 47 minutes, each of these runs have ended in a sprint finish as well which is always rather satisfying! I went on a run yesterday but tripped over a concealed root, then completely stacked it; I continued running for a bit but had hurt my hamstrings therefore decided to walk most of the way home, my leg will be fine given 1/2 days rest though so not to worry.
I visited Bluewater shopping centre on Thursday with Bex and Kirsty from uni, we even managed a bit of extra training by walking for over 30 minutes trying to find where we had parked! I don't like most of the clothes and fashion in the shops at the moment and therefore decided I was better off buying running gear, which I did. I have wondered about purchasing some lycra tights to keep me nice and warm on those cold morning runs for a while now; however I don't really like the thought of full length lycra tights. They would do nothing but make my legs look ridiculously long if I just wore the tights, much like one of the machines in War of the worlds, but with only 2 legs obviously. Or I could wear running shorts over full length tights, but this makes people look like they are wearing a skirt, which I equally do not wish to look like. But I found a reasonable compromise by purchasing some lycra shorts to go under my running shorts.  Along with a new running top which feels great. Below is a nice little representation of what my new gear looks like on me-ish, as I left my camera sd-cards up north. (there is definitely a career in art ahead)

I've always thought it a bit silly to set new years resolutions, many people only give in after a few days, or its something which you don't do anyway so its hardly a 'new' thing to stop doing it. But I thought one aspect of my training I'm neglecting is my diet, aside from my precision breakfasts I don't really eat well at all. So my decision is not eat chocolate (standard), no drinking alcohol (apart from on my birthday) and have only a little salad dressing with my salads, as opposed to the usual smothering of mayonnaise! I hope I can stick to them between now and race day.
The last week has seen some very generous donations from people which I am hugely grateful for, and I'm almost at the 20% mark for my total sponsorship which is a tremendous achievement considering I haven't started badgering people for sponsorship in person just yet! Student loans come in next week so it would be fantastic if you felt you were able to sponsor me, it really will make a huge difference to HOPEHIV and the work they do. Below is Tom's story, I thought I would share it as it really hit home that this is a young man, the same age as myself, and how his life has been transformed through one of HOPEHIV's projects, not just changing his life, but now also those around him.


Toms Story
Tom is 20. After his father died, his mum remarried and left, leaving him with his sister who had four children of her own to look after. Tom told us that he had to steal and work as a prostitute to survive, and that he used alcohol to help him cope. His life turned around when he was selected by Malawi Presbyterian Church Orphan Project (supported by HOPEHIV) to be trained as a carpenter. After training, he was given his own tools and is now running his own business. As well as supporting himself and helping his sister, Tom has taken on two apprentices who are orphans themselves. 


Thanks for reading, I hope you have had a great start to 2011, and that this year holds many exciting times ahead.

A Change of Scenery

So after a pleasant and eventful train journey, I was finally home for Christmas back in little old Cranleigh; all the worrying about trains not running and bad weather preventing travel were misplaced, and I was very glad. My training has been a bit hit and miss recently what with all the snow and ice which seems to have stayed beyond its welcome. I've tried my best to go running as much as I can, but after slipping in to a hedgerow and falling in to a gate I have decided to put my safety first if its looking a bit dodgey.
I've now run out and round beacon hill two times which is a run I really enjoy doing, not least for the fantastic view at the top which can be seen from the point below, although when I've ran to here it has been a bit more snow covered.

For Christmas, my wonderful brother and sister were kind enough to buy me some new headphones and running gloves, which have both been put to good use already. (I sold my old headphones to my mum for a very reasonable price!) It was even a toasty 7°C when I went for a run today so it was nice not to be shivering as I plodded on down the old railway line.
Its been really encouraging to hear a number of friends and family commit to sponsoring me in the new year, I know Christmas is always an expensive time. I've got a lot of fund raising to do between now and the big day on the 17th April as well as much training to be done! If you would like to sponsor me then please follow the link at the top of the page in the description, all money goes to HOPE HIV. Student loans comes in shortly, maybe the money you save from not going out one night during exam time could put be put to better use supporting young people in Africa, not to make you feel bad if you DO go out in January, but....just kidding. Any sponsorship would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading and I apologize sincerely for the delay in updating my blog.

ps. Now completed over 100 miles in training.