tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20061070127453394832024-03-13T13:00:25.642-07:00Running with my BabyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-8676121208834563322017-04-18T12:13:00.001-07:002017-04-18T12:13:03.875-07:00Making The Excuses<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24OG3zVCPDI2hhkzcUgywQTM4qHy-f5baOvkxII6lwSJHQuY_i8pi-1qzcCsrkKNmI40tWucNXT7pXD_IhuuZW6Zut4mY-CL-7KeFJWqmTdGZAB2PN6fysa1Etik1XAXifhWDxrSwkyYG/s1600/IMG_3974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24OG3zVCPDI2hhkzcUgywQTM4qHy-f5baOvkxII6lwSJHQuY_i8pi-1qzcCsrkKNmI40tWucNXT7pXD_IhuuZW6Zut4mY-CL-7KeFJWqmTdGZAB2PN6fysa1Etik1XAXifhWDxrSwkyYG/s320/IMG_3974.JPG" width="320" /></a>In my 'spare' time I write coaching plans for athletes wishing to normally accomplish something that scares them. They all come to me for different reasons, but underneath the different backgrounds, running experience and life commitments is one shared goal. They want to achieve the best they can do on that day or over that series of races. I am often astounded how 'amateurs' like this who are paid no money, receive no accolades for their performances apart from maybe a medal, a t shirt and a plate of chilli at the finish are so dedicated to their training and commitment to their goal and dreams. No stone is left unturned, I write plans which are hard, they are challenging, but they are also realistic and I am realistic with what you can do with balancing work,family, training whilst still trying to have a resemblance of a small social life and not burn out 12 weeks into a plan. Its a tricky combination to balance, they have to trust me with their dreams and in return I hope I give them the tools to carve their dreams, toeing that start line with no excuses, but the one mantra that they did everything they did to get here here and they will give their absolute best on the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefS6uuiWg0ZrU9IP6klRmGKkXaIPqEEeh_06yVdqMGFmIYv2XCx6sKAPIdWo5QgH3GSRNLO0KGDXTXU7p41ctxu6LaHnEbJbMy97uDpOd_NHVdvJ6ZTVoYn7NA8cvuJ3yDMIFWfpcfapx/s1600/IMG_3629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefS6uuiWg0ZrU9IP6klRmGKkXaIPqEEeh_06yVdqMGFmIYv2XCx6sKAPIdWo5QgH3GSRNLO0KGDXTXU7p41ctxu6LaHnEbJbMy97uDpOd_NHVdvJ6ZTVoYn7NA8cvuJ3yDMIFWfpcfapx/s320/IMG_3629.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm just adding the icing to my first winter training in the Alps as I race The Highland Fling next weekend. I'm super excited to race as it seems an age since I last put a number on and this winter has seemed a very very long time of lonely miles. But I have no excuses. Running here in Winter is the hardest thing I have ever done; the cold, the snow, the dark, the ice, the black ice, the slushy ice, the monotony of running the same trail day in day out, sometimes the same patch of trail for 400m for 10 miles, the treadmill miles, the loneliness. Next season I will do things differently, but the reality of living here is that conditions are hard, for the breathtaking beauty of the mountains comes the harshness of the seasons, the frozen eyelashes, the white fingers, the constant stream of snot. I questioned myself many times (as did quite a few skiers!), but in a strange sort of masochist way I enjoyed running through Winter. I enjoyed ploughing uphill in thigh deep snow, cutting my legs on razor sharp ice, slipping and sliding along trails and for the first time in my life feeling what proper cold feels like on your heart and lungs. It was exhausting, but also so exhilarating. You come through that, you run, you hike, you go out day in day out when its dark,cold, every single run is an effort and you come out stronger. Stronger in the mind and body. No excuses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUZ4c6aeVOHtg9jj-LTc85-fBmmAOrCeKvKKHMrf97ykLcWlZEm_hUAEF2qyuNZWd7BTpgbwV3Ww3Q_dP_ZIXt8oi5zCuoG7CSqozOWH3j63gQdpusWayv74LXgiztXXWAOF2CO7qhniP/s1600/IMG_4030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUZ4c6aeVOHtg9jj-LTc85-fBmmAOrCeKvKKHMrf97ykLcWlZEm_hUAEF2qyuNZWd7BTpgbwV3Ww3Q_dP_ZIXt8oi5zCuoG7CSqozOWH3j63gQdpusWayv74LXgiztXXWAOF2CO7qhniP/s320/IMG_4030.jpg" width="240" /></a>My clients know I don't have time for excuses, I have time for juggling work, life, family with goals and dreams, I have time for illness and injury and resetting expectations and conquering fears. I have Last year I had excuses, I had just had my third baby, we moved house, we moved country, I was busy, I didn't have time. I'm not making any excuses this year. I have worked as hard as I could in some of the worse conditions I have ever faced this winter. My husband has helped me tirelessly juggled, family, school, ski school, childcare, jobs, life and alongside that the exhaustion that comes with training and young kids. Ive dug myself into a few winter training 'pits,' not respecting the effect of the cold, the effort it takes to run in snow/on ice/on the treadmill plus the pull of my little family. But instead of getting frustrated or just ploughing through, I have tried instead to reset the frame, look at the picture of my life and training at a different angle, take a breath, not make an excuse, but see all the little setbacks as part of the process and part of what will make me stronger in the end.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt-bs2QmAnHB8zXgRTGn_B3MaTp3JDXRwgl3KtyYfD05MHBaWmkzPnwqu1XnUybYylE-XFnrcwsTotwEFwB3QRhBnsBiFOAotGfk7HyYuMLXg3I0UD0vB9oIw7a9oaoNcFd8WL68Z5vFc/s1600/IMG_3895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt-bs2QmAnHB8zXgRTGn_B3MaTp3JDXRwgl3KtyYfD05MHBaWmkzPnwqu1XnUybYylE-XFnrcwsTotwEFwB3QRhBnsBiFOAotGfk7HyYuMLXg3I0UD0vB9oIw7a9oaoNcFd8WL68Z5vFc/s200/IMG_3895.JPG" width="150" /></a>Here I am, ready to race, with just a handful of runs to complete till I see that if running through snow and ice for 5 months really does make you stronger. I think I already know the answer. So, if races and life don't go quite as planned this year, well just how its meant to be. As long as I stand on that start line or put my kids to bed every night knowing I did the best I could on that given day that is all I can ask. Sometimes its just not going to work out and I'm good with that now.<br />
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So out on the trails this season when the going gets tough, don't make excuses, think of everything you HAVE done to get there; the suffering, the sacrifices, the day in day out grind. Answer the doubts head on, draw on their power and fling it back down the mountain. For me, when the going gets tough I will close my eyes for a second and imagine myself back on the icy trail, eyelashes frozen, heart pounding, silence all around apart from my footsteps. No-one out there, but me. I have left my excuses somewhere high up in the hills. You do the same. Go out there with nothing but a heart full of thankfulness and your spirit full of life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuq3zGDeiI48hFshDknmqupMdpMyVZI9vym_gEfnQuzpXQRpt5q3BQBnxoTlsTaTuz7uN_3Eh_0S2a-j9yLmgFncF6ta9HBjKuj5GDhEj8LIhtVakrro3u73l0FpXNMsA2dvesMtD1f9p/s1600/IMG_3991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuq3zGDeiI48hFshDknmqupMdpMyVZI9vym_gEfnQuzpXQRpt5q3BQBnxoTlsTaTuz7uN_3Eh_0S2a-j9yLmgFncF6ta9HBjKuj5GDhEj8LIhtVakrro3u73l0FpXNMsA2dvesMtD1f9p/s200/IMG_3991.jpg" width="150" /></a>Don't let races determine who you are, results do not give you a value as a person, you determine who you are, you are your destiny. Instead race with honesty, respect and resilience, we are a lucky few that get to do what we love day in day out. Make every moment count, do your best and you will get the result you deserve. Don't make excuses go out there and make them proud, those that believe in you, make them proud.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-25345652578508885902016-08-11T02:03:00.001-07:002016-08-11T02:03:39.850-07:00A New LifeWe sleep with the window open, we can hear the river running, the cow bells, the occasional dog barking, a bat rustling in the eaves and that's it. Silence. Silence for some can be frightening. Time to be with your thoughts, to face your fears. I love it. Days in our house our loud, voices shout over each other to be heard, the mountains take no notice, at night we are shrouded in peace. <div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMVrVm80hzFvHftVWL11Fna68sHlVDbID90RJdjmNml2tCUnLd6DEBgAUIYa1Nclb0Eik9WHuHCTDeLdNd_rUzshJJqfIPkLG3pLM32LH8_WbZF01FtOlErRjcvK603ivtGSyXnwKZFYj/s1600/HSNJ1897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMVrVm80hzFvHftVWL11Fna68sHlVDbID90RJdjmNml2tCUnLd6DEBgAUIYa1Nclb0Eik9WHuHCTDeLdNd_rUzshJJqfIPkLG3pLM32LH8_WbZF01FtOlErRjcvK603ivtGSyXnwKZFYj/s320/HSNJ1897.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><div>
The sun rises behind the mountains on our left and when I set out early for training the valley is shrouded in mist, low lying clouds offering a glance of a glorious day to come. Straight out of our door I can climb up 1,500ft within a mile. My legs often feel tired, my calves especially have had a brutal introduction to the alps. As I begin the switch backs through the forest I break cobwebs, listening to the dog bustling around as slowly my breathing steadies and I get into a rhythm as we rise and rise up to the first summit of the day, feeling the sun touch my skin as we rise through the trees, sweat beginning to drip off my face, down my arms, 1,2,1,2 I count as I switch to a hike. Running here is not easy, its brutal. My feet feel battered from the rocks and stones, my knees ache from descending, sometimes my shoulders and even fingers hurt from climbing up rocks, but I love it. I never thought this move would intoxicate me so much. The air. The water. The people. The space. The peace. The simplicity of life and training. Most of all the unrelenting mountains. The unjudging mountains. They beat me every day. But they are becoming friends, I am beginning to know their curves, their undulations, where to stop to gather my breath, to have a moment to think without a child. I tell them my worries and they reassure me that the world continues to turn, the seasons will come and go, stop your worries I hear them whisper. Enjoy this time, embrace life, stop, look, feel, take a moment, don't rush, breathe, breathe, breathe. They are helping me to get stronger both physically and mentally and both as a runner and as a mum. If I can do this I think, I can do anything. My boys love nothing better than pointing up the mountains and saying 'My mum runs up that! Soon she is taking us too!' (No rush I think!!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif__sWKoU2-1OR4Z13Ps7pxKZPT26UJrDnAAx4JO9wkIIw3dqrAWaBP4JifoUZiTaJhqdCZZSSDqAqSCq3hzGbG3tj9ZuGf0CA5JSiH7Rh36LToJUpC_fJrRIg3r_PrcXpSuamtPmYlAj/s1600/DIQZ3983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif__sWKoU2-1OR4Z13Ps7pxKZPT26UJrDnAAx4JO9wkIIw3dqrAWaBP4JifoUZiTaJhqdCZZSSDqAqSCq3hzGbG3tj9ZuGf0CA5JSiH7Rh36LToJUpC_fJrRIg3r_PrcXpSuamtPmYlAj/s320/DIQZ3983.jpg" width="320" /></a>I have already learnt so much from living and running in the mountains. I feel like a completely different runner from the one that ran the ACP in March. I wont lie, the training and the constant race broke my spirit a little. It was so so hard to get fit for that race with a newborn, I focused so hard on that one outcome that when it was over I felt a bit lost and that I had given up a lot of time and effort for not much reward apart from being really tired, sore and disheartened. It took me about 2 months to feel my energy levels rise again and to even think about running over a couple of hours. The thought of following a training programme, counting the miles, watching the pace, fitting it all in alongside a busy life just didn't excite me. I was offered a chance to race 100km aboard, but I couldn't face it. Somehow that 100km had stolen my love for running which had never happened before. Alongside this we were selling our house, moving our whole family to a new country which wasn't just a new life, it was a new life in the mountains with all the challenges that brings. So much learning, so much moments of huge doubt, of fear, of sadness, but alongside that the epic thrill that we are doing something so exciting. Many times I thought why are we doing this. This is too hard, this is too unsettling, but just like running, I focused on the end goal. Took it lap by lap, mile by mile. The journey is never easy, even harder with three small children in tow. But we both felt very much that this was right for our family, for the life we wanted to live- teaching our children to understand the seasons, to read the weather, to move in the mountains with ease and respect, to be strong, healthy and confident. So much of what running has already given me I wanted to give to my children. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1p8ZlyschC3qWtHbGJk0k1-eDbdrbYbdC3a3xLTP6A_URfsaxFgI71Qb7yKKIyybCV4jiNbRB9meHbqIslRatU2xvRO0rDGUihuMJ9puUVFrDnvgpHG8ZPlTjV7w0cwWA1Yak2zyjPmW/s1600/ressachaux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1p8ZlyschC3qWtHbGJk0k1-eDbdrbYbdC3a3xLTP6A_URfsaxFgI71Qb7yKKIyybCV4jiNbRB9meHbqIslRatU2xvRO0rDGUihuMJ9puUVFrDnvgpHG8ZPlTjV7w0cwWA1Yak2zyjPmW/s320/ressachaux.jpg" width="320" /></a>In the last few months we have often felt like we have 'escaped' reality, are we 'cheating' our way out of life, by hiding behind the hills? But more and more now I think this is the real world, this is not man made, computer generated entertainment. Life here is simple, its quiet, its content. No one cares who you are, what you look like, what you do. The children are embraced as part of life. Being outside, running up hills, sitting at a cafe sipping a cafe au lait, its all normal. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnikx2b5CF-bLvKs_jj3dm1bzvGufZkcT48eGNnzivvEj3dVk2CM7kLhhFnieoynjqNjV0vwV9VbDdxzQIbmT_cWv1q1JhzgHBjqMyFLTpq-G-6PecBEO8kGl-t8JEuDflBTAUU5sPLAeW/s1600/r+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnikx2b5CF-bLvKs_jj3dm1bzvGufZkcT48eGNnzivvEj3dVk2CM7kLhhFnieoynjqNjV0vwV9VbDdxzQIbmT_cWv1q1JhzgHBjqMyFLTpq-G-6PecBEO8kGl-t8JEuDflBTAUU5sPLAeW/s320/r+2.jpg" width="240" /></a>So the summer time is passing, the sun is rising a little later over the ridge, the chill in the air lingers a little longer, the paths are well worn from hikers, I can bound up climbs now that I struggled to walk up a few months ago, I feel content in the mountains rather than out of place. I still have so much to learn, but feel I am a different athlete already. Every morning I take a breath, listen to the mountains and turn up the trail. I feel the strength seeping into my spirit This is real life, its hard, its relentless, its breathtaking, but the view at the top is always always worth the effort. I take a breath, pat the dog, turn and head down the trail. I am truly happy. We already call this place home.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-29128808865961743962016-04-08T05:15:00.000-07:002016-04-08T05:15:07.824-07:00An Interview for Centurion Ultra Running Team after ACP 2016<div class="grid_11" style="background: rgb(0, 0, 0); border: 0px; color: #e0e0e0; display: inline; float: left; font-family: proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; margin: 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 640px;">
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AN INTERVIEW WITH EDWINA SUTTON. 2ND AT ACP100KM IN 2016.</h1>
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2 DAYS, 1 HOUR AGO (WEDNESDAY 11:28, APR 06, 2016) BY <a href="http://www.centurionrunning.com/blog/2016/04/06/an-interview-with-edwina-sutton/author/JamesElson" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153); background: transparent; color: #0e76bc; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">JAMESELSON</a></div>
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No time, but no excuses. Debbie Martin-Consani talks to fellow team runner, Edwina Sutton who won silver at the British 100km Championship – only nine months after having her THIRD child.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Tell us a little bit about your running background? </span></strong></div>
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I was a jack-of-all trades at school and represented the county at netball, hockey, athletics and cross-country. The 800m was my speciality, thanks to the geography teacher used to drag me to the track to train. I’m so glad he did, as I have never lost that bit of raw speed.</div>
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When I went to university I played hockey for three years and still ran, but just recreationally. Once I left university I realised I wasn’t going to play any better hockey, so started dabbling with triathlon. The dabble turned quite serious and I competed at a high level for a few years. Even from with a running background it was my bike leg that proved to be my strength, with not many women – or men - being able to match my power. The 25-30hrs a week of training plus a full time job as a PE teacher was a real juggle, but I loved being an inspiration to the kids I taught. Two of them who used to join me on recovery runs are now professional triathletes.</div>
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Practising time management from a 16-year old at school has stood me in good stead for having a family and trying to achieve my athletic dreams.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">What would you say are your greatest sporting achievements?</span></strong></div>
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Tricky, I think I have lots of ‘moments’ during races when I think ‘yes this is the best moment ever’: Paddling in the Pacific Ocean at the start of the Triathlon World Championships with 2,000 other athletes; dropping the ‘hammer’ along the canal during Country to Capital 2014 and reeling in all the boys; laughing my head off at Paul Navesey as we shoved cliff shots into our mouth at Downslink Ultra after he went the wrong way (it’s a straight path); and winning the SDW50 after spending the previous three weeks with my foot up. </div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DMC – I should also throw in that Eddie was 15<sup style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">th</sup> in her Age Group at the Ironman World Championships 2009 in Hawaii with an impressive time of 10:48. Her Ironman PB stands at 10:07. </em></div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Eddie Post Race with the Family</em></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">You got back into training quite quickly after having Evie in July. How did you physically cope with that?</span></strong></div>
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Firstly I do not advocate getting back into training straight away after having a baby, but to listen to your body and getting proper advice from a qualified personal trainer.</div>
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With my first child I took much longer, but I was much more confident third time round. I knew what I was doing and how to mend my diastasis recti (split abdominals) and juggle feeding and exercise. I also committed to weekly osteopath and massage appointments. My body was very much a constant work in progress, but I listened to it very carefully. I can’t say I rested when I was tired, because I didn’t, but I didn’t push it and did heaps of easy running.</div>
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I also worked very hard on my core by myself and also with my osteopath. It wasn’t till the week before the ACP that I had my final appointment and she said my pelvis was level again. She pushed me hard and often 2-3 days after appointments I would feel absolutely battered, this did hamper training, but I have tried to constantly think of the long term project and that this year is really just about getting fit again and hopefully at the pointy end of races.</div>
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The first three months were brutal, as I felt so unfit and was carrying about 20kg of baby weight. It was slow progress, but it was always progress. Every session was part of the bigger jigsaw and I tried to not be overly concerned with one session, but take each week as another step forward.</div>
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I didn’t bother with dieting as I needed the energy and I knew the weight would have to come off in its own time. </div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">How did you find training around feeding a baby, running after two exuberant boys (Finlay 5 and Rory 3) and working as a running coach?</span></strong></div>
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There is literally not a moment in the day when I am not doing something. I breastfed the baby for seven months and that was even more a juggle as running had to be fitted in with her feeds, as she wouldn’t take a bottle.</div>
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I would have my kit on before she woke up, feed her, throw on back pack and run for three hours till she needed feeding again. Sometimes I would run around the block until she needed feeding again. I found it very tiring feeding a baby and looking after the boys. Although I am big advocator of breastfeeding and I think you can train and feed a baby at the same time, sometimes something has to give and it’s usually the Mother’s energy levels that are the first to go. </div>
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In the final month of feeding I was definitely starting to feel that I had given all I had to give. When Evie was weaned, the difference in my training and energy was huge. Plus I didn’t need two sports bras anymore, which saved me some washing too.</div>
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As for the boys, they are mad. Being boys, as long as they are fed and are out playing in the fresh air, they are happy. I am very lucky that they both love being active and also love watching me race.</div>
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I absolutely love being a running coach and personal trainer, after spending 12 years as a PE teacher. I have a real core of fantastic athletes. They are all different, all hard working and I feed off their enthusiasm and dedication. Often this means 2-3 hours of work in the evening after training and putting the kids to bed, but it keeps my brain active. I get to give back to the running community and seeing and helping others achieve their dreams is just as important to me as achieving my own. </div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">What did your training week look like? How did you manage to find the time?</span></strong></div>
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Every week is different. I normally set out with a plan and then mix it around as the day/hour dictates. Being flexible is absolutely key. Don’t get me wrong I always get all my training done, but sometimes that means two runs a day, going out super early, going out at lunch time, getting someone to watch the baby for 45 minutes and running on the treadmill whilst the kids play around me. My biggest training saviour is my running pram.</div>
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About 25-30 miles of my easy running Monday to Thursday is done pushing the pram. Not very easy, but I just wouldn’t be able to fit it all in otherwise. I have run with all my babies and do enjoy it. Everyone I meet in our village calls me “The crazy lady who runs with the pram”.</div>
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I run with boys the mile up to school and nursery every morning and go from there. It’s a set in stone routine, which means I get my first run of the day done. I have thought this often means my recovery runs aren’t very easy, but I like to think none of my competitors are pushing their babies around whilst they are training. Marginal gains people.</div>
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After having Evie, it took a while just to get my weekly mileage back up to a decent level. I managed about 60-65 miles whist I was feeding and held 75 miles for a couple of months before ACP. I also did 3-4 strength sessions a week, which really helped my running form and power without adding in extra mileage.</div>
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I was able to introduce one tempo/interval session into this. Sometimes two, plus a long run. But I found I was still adapting to the mileage and the long run was still causing some muscle damage even as close to four weeks out from the ACP.</div>
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In a normal week - and how my training will go into May - will be one rest day a week, two interval sessions (one long rep marathon type effort and one shorter paced effort) a long run of up to 3-4hrs and the rest all easy running. I probably won’t go over 85 miles a week, as I don’t have the time and don’t see the benefit. It’s all about quality. </div>
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<img alt="" height="585" src="http://www.centurionrunning.com/assets/components/phpthumbof/cache/608.3cb4d2ae701098c21dd5e208ba8ea73a3145.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Eddie Mid Race at ACP</em></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">You a big advocator of strength training – and planking. Do you think that helps with endurance running?</span></strong></div>
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Absolutely. There is no way I could have got through the 100km on my cardiovascular fitness alone. At 50km it came down to strength and form. Holding myself correctly from the tip of my head down to my toes allowed my body to work at its most efficiently. Plus when the wheels started to come off, I had my strength to fall back on. I concentrated on holding myself correctly, driving the knees and using my arms to propel forward. Focussing on this killed time over another three miles.</div>
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I am very proud that I got my body back strong, functioning well and injury free. I do mainly body weight movements and exercises, which mean means I can do them around the kids. Heaps of squat, lunges, holding my body weight in movements and kettle bell work to mix it up. I think runners who don’t do strength work leave themselves susceptible to injury.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Your first post-baby A-race was last weekend’s Anglo Celtic Plate. Was that always the plan?</span></strong></div>
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Yes I looked at the ultra-calendar during labour, counted forward 8-9 months and there it was. It also helped we knew Perth well, as my in- laws live just up the road. It excited me as a distance and I thought the relentless pace would pay towards my strengths. </div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">You hadn’t run a qualifying race, so how did you make the team? </span></strong></div>
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I entered the open race, thinking I wouldn’t get selected. I almost didn’t want to, as I knew it was a big ask to get fit again in the tight timeframe. I also knew every week I was making huge gains in fitness and there would be a big difference between my running at end of Jan and end of March. </div>
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However I got an email from the selectors saying they were going to announce the team, which I had been provisionally selected for, but had to prove my fitness in a 50km road race by the end of February.</div>
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Of course there aren’t any road races of that distance in the depth of winter so Walter Hill, the England selector, offered to come and watch me run up and down outside my house on a 2.5 mile loop. I toyed with this, but decided I would regret it if I turned it down so I agreed.</div>
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Walter set a target time of 3.50 and I cruised it round in 3.38 and got my selection. In hindsight I ran it too hard. Who wouldn’t? It was the furthest I had ran in two years and my legs were destroyed for 10 days after. But we live and learn. It did give me a good confidence boost and was very thankful for the special treatment and my personal makeshift race.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">How did the race go? You were leading for quite some time.</span></strong></div>
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In my head the race was a massive disaster, but in my heart I am so proud with what I achieved. I think I am capable of something with a 7hrs in, but looking back I just didn’t have that back end of endurance training to maintain the pace that I could hold for 5-6hrs.</div>
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I made a catalogue of errors, which I’m not ashamed to share with you. I’m not perfect. To start with I hadn’t left the baby for the night before and I didn’t sleep a wink the night before worrying about what I was doing. Could I run 62 miles? Should I be running? Shouldn’t I be at home with my children? What sort of mother was I?</div>
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Of course, it was all pre-race massive jitters, but 4am came round with no sleep and I was literally sick to my stomach with fatigue and worry. I managed a few mouthfuls of soaked oats. Normally I eat a massive bowl of porridge, but every mouthful was coming back up. </div>
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Then I got my period. Sorry guys - skip the next few sentences - but it’s a major issue for us ladies. It was truly awful. I had cramps, portaloo dramas and my legs just didn’t have any spark. When I knew I was going to get my period on race day I did seriously think about not starting the race. I always run terrible at this time, but I tried to convince myself it would be ok and I do think I managed it the best I could.</div>
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The first four hours of the race went to plan. I didn’t feel particularly great, but I was trying to just trot along and enjoy the scenery/headwind/seeing Bryn/three step incline and then simply repeat.</div>
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After probably 4.5 hours my quads just blew apart. I have felt that pain before in ironman marathons and it didn’t scare me, but I had hoped it would be 6-7hrs into the race when I had to battle down the hatches and work hard, but it was 35 miles or so into the race. The prospect of almost 30 miles of that pain made me want to weep.</div>
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Through all my training, I had focused so hard on getting to the start line that I don’t think I had allowed myself to face the truth that I just didn’t quite have the endurance to perform at the level I wanted to. Having an international vest on was a huge pressure and in hindsight meant the race probably became more important in my head than in the long term it really is. </div>
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I spent the rest of the race thinking about my kids and concentrating on moving, when all I wanted to do was lie down on that sweet soft grass. I went back to basics and repeated left-foot-right-foot and for the last 10 miles, I simply counted to 100. Literally not thinking about anything but counting to 100. </div>
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Melissa Venables crept up on me and went on to win. I knew she was coming, but I was so scared that my legs would just give in completely, so I just concentrated on getting myself to the end.</div>
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I was bitterly disappointed, but I didn’t deserve to win that race. Mel ran the better race. </div>
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<img alt="" height="450" src="http://www.centurionrunning.com/assets/components/phpthumbof/cache/606.e703467e78ade248c7b16bb5e65653193145.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Eddie and Mel at the Finish</em></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">How did you deal with mental aspect of running 42 loops of a park?</span></strong></div>
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The laps didn’t bother me. I almost enjoyed it. I totally zoned out of the lap number and concentrated on my splits and pace. Although in the last couple of hours, I wasn’t really comfortable with everyone seeing me suffering every 12 minutes, but James Elson kept shouting at me, “one lap at a time” and that’s what I did. I just focussed on one lap at a time. Though the moment my lap counter shouted: “one lap to go, Edwina”, I could have kissed her. </div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">It looked like your support (Husband Bryn) was struggling to get you to eat. Do you think that effected your race?</span></strong></div>
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I wasn’t struggling to, I just wasn’t. I guess as my race plan went out the window, I lost where I was with my feeding. Not having a proper breakfast set me into a negative balance to start with and although I tried to shove in more calories at the start, I started feeling hungry within about 30 minutes. </div>
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My stomach cramps meant solid food wasn’t working and really all I wanted was coke. By 50 miles I was literally downing litres of the stuff. Bryn still hasn’t recovered from every lap trying to make me take a gel and me just shouting ‘COKE’ in his face like our 3yr old. So many errors, but we both learnt a lot from the experience and that is invaluable for going forward. </div>
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And we now have a new term in our household for anyone having a major tantrum. It’s called a lap 32-er.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Do you have a recovery plan?</span></strong></div>
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With the kids there is no recovery. It’s brutal, but it’s life. The week after an ultra I massively fail at parenting as I struggle to change nappies, cook meals and household chores take forever. But being busy and active – carrying scooters, pushing swings, lugging about car seats and walking the dog – get the blood flow going. A lie in past 5.30am would be nice, but I try and focus on the controllable things in my life - lots and lots of good food and water, early to bed, family walks and fresh air.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">What’s next for 2016?</span></strong></div>
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The million dollar question. Obviously when a race doesn’t quite go to plan then you immediately want to set another goal, have another crack at it and get training again, but I am mighty aware of the big picture and know I need a bit of down time. As do the family.</div>
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I don’t have any other races entered, but will either head back onto the trails and have a go at getting selected for the GB world trail team or will focus on running a decent 100km. Though I didn’t put the race together I thought I could on Sunday, I definitely enjoyed the distance and think six months down the line I would be in much better shape probably both mentally and physically to put in a decent performance.</div>
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Though I am desperately disappointed with the outcome of the race, I am very proud of the process it took to get me there and so grateful to my husband and the Centurion family for all their help. I’ll take a deep breath, let the race and all I have learned from the experienced sink in and go from there. </div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Would you like to have another go at 100km?</span></strong></div>
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Watch this space.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">What are your top three would-love-to-do races for the future?</span></strong></div>
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UTMB, Comrades and Western States </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-20736685967398026332016-03-16T07:06:00.001-07:002016-03-16T14:16:00.229-07:00Bringing home the baconI awoke early last Sunday for my lift to the Steyning Stinger marathon. All my kit was ready on the table, oats soaked, gels packed. On top of my bag was a Mother's Day card, inside was written- "Bring Home the Bacon Mum" and three kisses from my three children. No pressure then. 8 months pretty much to the day I had stood in the same place feeling very uncomfortable, feeling that something wasnt right and anxiously waiting for my husband to come home so I could go to hospital to have my third baby. I was in a lot of pain. Things escalated very quickly and within 3hrs I was holding my little baby girl. I was right to feel worried. My womb was rupturing and was being held together by a thread, had I left it any longer neither of us might still be here. After some heavy blood loss, I was left feeling very very battered, shaken and weak. A complete and utter shell of my former self. So from there, here I was 8 months later, fit, healthy, strong and happy with the hopes of my little family behind me off to do what I LOVE doing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYxsKtUL_eWuciJ8x-VJwA_42U3Y2bqwubzTyMBGonSrWf0GLLCiAUa48KNAuFLFKrlK0rE3tgl6Xrr3o3J37RblJLpe-xsM2xnAAW_9LhoGToEKXY3oMaOn3dfgKhV0FWVU_B16TOban/s1600/IMG_0879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYxsKtUL_eWuciJ8x-VJwA_42U3Y2bqwubzTyMBGonSrWf0GLLCiAUa48KNAuFLFKrlK0rE3tgl6Xrr3o3J37RblJLpe-xsM2xnAAW_9LhoGToEKXY3oMaOn3dfgKhV0FWVU_B16TOban/s320/IMG_0879.JPG" width="240" /></a>Its been a long and bumpy road back. But I am where I am and that is all I can ask right now. I am happy, injury free, strong and have a great base in which to go forward. Its not been easy. Anyone who looks at my strava page can see how I have to juggle life and mileage. Day in, day out running with three kids to look after, feed, wash, keep alive, plus run a business, occasionally clean the house and also just keep 'life' going is relentless. You have to want it badly, take a few risks, a few knocks, set backs and a massive swallow of your ego. Fitness is not something you acquire overnight, it takes weeks, months even years to get. Throw in having an injury from April 2014 and having a baby in June 2015 and I felt very out of shape and very rusty coming back from baby 3. However, just like anything, our body and mind doesnt forget and though its taken me a long time to get back into 'running' shape I have been amazed how quickly the body took to being hammered on the road and trails again. I suppose third time round it knows the ropes, you settle into feeding the baby a little quicker and of course Dad at home is an old pro by now so can be thrown the baby with no instructions or manual required.<br />
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If you would like to read a little more detailed and emotional (!) report on my coming back into fitness have a look at this great publication which I wrote a piece for in this issue<a href="https://www.ultra-magazine.com/" target="_blank"> https://www.ultra-magazine.com/</a><br />
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But if you are just coming back from a baby or have a young family at home or just a high maintenance husband/wife/ partner here are my handy tips on how I managed to get my running back in gear whilst not losing my sanity or husband (sort of- the sanity, not the husband he a keeper):<br />
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1) COMMIT - commit to something, anything. Breathe. Take a step in the direction you want to go and keep taking steps till you reach your goal. Sometimes the steps are forwards, sometimes backwards, sometimes you are not sure if you are going the right way. But fortune favours the brave, you want it enough, you'll get it. And if you dont, you either didnt want it that bad or it wasnt yours for the taking. Harsh, but true. Right from the offset I wanted to run the 100km in Perth as my first 'race' after baby. 9 months post natal was going to be a push, it meant training all winter, it meant running between feeds, whilst the baby napped, to and from school drop offs, late in the evening, before dawn, A juggle, all day every day. But I wanted it, so I made it work. I wont lie, sometimes I have stretched myself very thin. But it has worked, just taken some gumption and more energy than I often even knew I had. Thats often the case with motherhood though isnt it? Finding the strength you never knew you had.<br />
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2) MAKE A JOURNEY PLAN- you know what you want, now how you going to get it? I am a big believer in working backwards....start at your goal and work back from there, first by month, then week, then days and then the minutiae of those days. You just know with kids, family, life, work its all going to go tits up most of the time anyway, but by having a plan you know what you wanted to do and fitting in a session, core work or even, shock horror a rest will normally happen if its in the 'plan.' Almost every day something happens which means I have to change what I have planned, the timing, the session, the duration, but by keeping an eye on the overall plan and that end goal nearly always by the end of the week I have achieved what I set out to do running wise and everyone has been fed,watered, bathed once or twice and dressed, most days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5lgzaXPhBI5oQLg0W9Vq_hlKS16Rt9KRuQNZ22qLK0jRihkHa9yHPc2TthAZ8VMG5cpu2oRsHzqpObUkqqPVnBMx0iEnO1VR99HLaf3zaecTMoQYdzZNQxf1U12GMac4wUrMoyP0hSL-/s1600/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5lgzaXPhBI5oQLg0W9Vq_hlKS16Rt9KRuQNZ22qLK0jRihkHa9yHPc2TthAZ8VMG5cpu2oRsHzqpObUkqqPVnBMx0iEnO1VR99HLaf3zaecTMoQYdzZNQxf1U12GMac4wUrMoyP0hSL-/s320/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The A team- Dex and Baby, many miles together</td></tr>
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3) RECRUIT YOUR PACK - Support is crucial if you are to achieve anything in life, in fact I have found that the bigger the solo adventure the more back up you need in the planning. Negative people can do one. I dont have time to hear or talk about why I am running again, or how I fit it all in or arent I too tired? Isnt 10km good enough for you? I have surrounded myself by positive people,; from my amazing husband, who I know is the true unsung hero of my story, a wonderful friend who offered to push baby round the village in the morning so I can do speed work or run off road, the Centurion Team (and wannabe Rick Ashton) and especially James Elson who keeps me on the straight and narrow and tells me to slow down most days. Kelly who has accompanied me on many many muddy long run adventures and didnt laugh when I couldnt keep up and was 10kg overweight and was also the co founder of the St Piers Lane Ultra when the England Selectors asked me to prove fitness so I ran up and down the lane outside my house for 30 miles. Liz the osteo who has put me back together- its only taken 9 months to have a level pelvis again, Rachel who has battered my legs into working order most weeks. All who have been flexible around the baby, feeding and supportive. When you are doing something scary, treading that very fine line between pushing yourself to achieve and to the limit you need people who have got your back. Keeping a firm grip on where you are going when you lose your way, but most of all just being there. Its a very lonely experience being a long distance runner, you need their voices in your head and within your spirit when you doubt your own.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3mKFMu8-sErAr89Vk9NUwQwSxjk1NWSU-2UY9Z4P2pAj3G2o8e-H7jgNjceTanVrgBnrLhpKa56exLbDcfXvuesshQEY57_8-8ZGmlXRWW-NG1OsfL9VJQ7beQh8U4L3LfL8wqZ4UoaK/s1600/IMG_0883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3mKFMu8-sErAr89Vk9NUwQwSxjk1NWSU-2UY9Z4P2pAj3G2o8e-H7jgNjceTanVrgBnrLhpKa56exLbDcfXvuesshQEY57_8-8ZGmlXRWW-NG1OsfL9VJQ7beQh8U4L3LfL8wqZ4UoaK/s320/IMG_0883.JPG" width="179" /></a>4) BELIEVE- If you have been out of competition for a while, havent been in shape for a long time you can begin to forget what it actually feels like to move pain free or with ease, to feel the nervous tension before a race, the exhaustion of a long run, the effort it takes to hold that top end speed for the 6th rep. When you think of the whole journey its terrifying. Putting on your trainers when you are wobbly and unfit, need three sports bras, none of your clothes fit and you cant hold even a jogging pace is the hardest step I have ever taken. Especially third time round. I know whats ahead of me. The hours and hours of blood and sweat its going to take. I cant do it. I cant. But I believe I can. I take each day, each moment as it comes. No one can see me out there on my own, working my butt off (literally) to get back in shape. I could stop, I could go home. But I dont. Because I believe, I believe in myself, I believe I can do this. Breathe. Take a step out the door and thats the hardest part done. No one else can achieve your goals and neither can you unless deep down, rooted in your heart is that little voice that believes in yourself. Hold onto it and listen to it.<br />
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5) BE KIND- And this is almost the hardest thing to do when you are a driven person, especially a first time mum or used to being successful in your chosen field. Having just had a baby not only is your body a train wreck, but there is the added factor of no sleep, hormones flying around the place, a few extra kgs and where you once had abs a flubbery mess. Dont punish yourself if your body doesnt do instantly what you want it to do, or is slow, unyielding. It will remember how to move, how it works, but it needs daily reminders and it needs kindness. If something hurts or niggles, stop, if tiredness overcomes you cut yourself some slack, those jeans dont fit quite yet, they will. Everything worth having takes time, patience and gentle perserverence. And thats something I learnt much more third time round, I let me body come back into shape at its own pace, I definitely put it on the right road, but I was a lot less bothered about how I looked or losing baby weight. I knew in the long run if I wanted my body to come back stronger I had to nurture it along the way. I feel much more in tune and relaxed about my shape post three babies than I did as a twenty year old triathlete! I have learnt that what you put into training and life is so much more important to how you look. Looks mean absolutely nothing once that race starts.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIqpjd-bAAfzyu7txYYxyvkhi48NJiU_ZVsZ6oaPeoOSOCFW9MSwU6w2yualcwFLPSPm6RCoR7QABF6JCgap6cEgMLTYt0sMopBYH5tGXtA4mEC6RTrDmPN4pqjm50P2bg2PVcfUCUonM/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIqpjd-bAAfzyu7txYYxyvkhi48NJiU_ZVsZ6oaPeoOSOCFW9MSwU6w2yualcwFLPSPm6RCoR7QABF6JCgap6cEgMLTYt0sMopBYH5tGXtA4mEC6RTrDmPN4pqjm50P2bg2PVcfUCUonM/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="167" /></a><br />
So I finished my first 'race' last Sunday with a huge huge smile on my face. My journey was almost complete. I was healthy, strong and happy. I now have to take a deep breathe ready for my England debut at the Anglo Celtic Plate next weekend in Perth. Nothing, nothing will be as hard as the last 6 months, and whatever happens on race day there is the knowledge in my heart that I did it. I committed, I worked and I believed. What better gifts to show my family, really the running is just the icing on the cake.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-78781695277453228292015-09-22T06:01:00.000-07:002015-09-22T06:01:01.829-07:00Facing the Reality So here we are 12 weeks down the line post the birth of our sweetest little girl. We wont go into the gory details, but the birth was, as is my forte, pretty horrendous (why do I keep doing this?!). The consultant sat by my bed after Evie had been safely delivered and made me promise not to have any more babies....though we didn't plan to have anymore I am kind of sad that there is a finality of this new born stage, every day my little baby gets a bit bigger and thats it then, no more newborns in our house. But there is so much to look forward to as they get older and I am loving the boys as they get wilder, chattier and really are becoming their own little people (or he - devils as I call them post 5pm).<br />
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Due to the blood loss I experienced and the fact the baby tried to break through my womb I was really battered after the birth. For the first 3-4 weeks I felt absolutely exhausted, weak, emotional and just like an enormous lumbering cow. Coping with the boys and feeding the baby took all my mental and physical strength and trying to find the energy to get through the day took every ounce of my mental fortitude and courage. But day by day it has got easier. My body has and is recovering. We are now getting into a routine as school and pre school has started and this gives me 2-3hrs every morning with just the baby and a little head space to work with my clients and get a bit of light training in round feeds and house wifely chores. I will never regret having baby no 3, but I wouldn't do it again, 3 babies in 4 years has put a strain on both my body and also my poor husband who has to deal with a sleep deprived wife every evening!<br />
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I started back running about 4-6 weeks post baby. I worked up to walking 10km most days tying it in with dogs walks and the nursery run and then one day i just decided to try a little jog....i managed about 50m before having to walk. The next day I tried again and this time managed about a 1km and a few days later did a 2 mile run/jog. It wasn't easy, but it didn't hurt, just felt really strange, like I had lost all my coordination and the effort it took to move my legs forward and get them up hills was huge. Slowly, slowly, like anything thats really worth having it has got easier. So much so that I haven't even really noticed that 2 miles run have become 3 then 4 and now 5 has become my daily run. The hills I had to walk I can run, the loops that took me 30 mins now take me 20 mins. Sometimes I would come home and lie on the floor, weeping, 'its just too hard' ' i have such a long way to go till Im back to fitness' and a little voice in my head said 'it would be so much easier to just stay at home,' 'this is too hard, ' ' you can't do it,.' Looking in the mirror in my sports bra and shorts I would be appalled by what I saw, my body really just a wrinkly shell of what is was this time last year. I preach and preach strength and core work to clients and I felt like a fraud as I could hardly hold a plank for 10 secs. You have just had a baby my husband kept saying to me, but I want my body back now, dreading the hours and hours of strength work it was going to take to get back to fighting form. It all just seemed too much of an enormous task, not to mention that it all had to be fitted between feeds and looking after the boys. Patience is not a virtue I possess, but this post natal period has shown me I do possess it. I have been forced to accept reality, this is your body now, this is your fitness, work with what you have, stop comparing yourself to your previous self. That self is gone. Time to rebuild a new Eddie. One who has three children, one who shows clients that you can fit, strong and manage a family and work.<br />
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People have kept asking me, when are you racing again, what have you entered? You must be desperate to be racing again to show clients you still go it! Initially I had hopes of a winter ultra or marathon this year, but thats not going to happen. Not because I can't, but because I realise have nothing to prove to anyone by turning up at a race and running on pure base fitness and brute force. My current clients respect me for the coach I am and I think will be much more impressed if I can come back next year with a strong body and mind and show the world what you can do postnatal if you follow a sensible and progressive programme. I like to think that people will be more inspired by the way I juggle my day to day life and fit running into our family schedule rather than how quickly I can get back to racing post baby. I want to be in this running game for the rest of my days now not just the next few months.<br />
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Facing reality I am. I HATE the way the media and society expect women as soon as they have had their babies to banish all evidence of it from their bodies. Dare it take you a few extra months or even years to get back into shape or perhaps you never will, but somehow I feel ashamed that three months down the line I'm still not sporting a six pack. But I know if I was it wouldn't be made out of happiness and strength, but rather heavy dieting and strict control. There is a time and a place for dedication and I don't believe that having just had a baby you should force your body into doing anything, but rather coax it back into your way of thinking! Remind it daily of what it used to do, nurture it and I do believe it will respond and work with you rather than against you. Our bodies were made to be used not to be preserved, but quick fixes and intensive programmes without a proper build up and base are a disaster waiting to happen. So, no I am not racing yet, I'm catching my breath, Im making myself strong so firstly I can cope with the daily demands I place on my body and slowly slowly I'm adding to my mileage and increasing the speeds of my twice weekly interval sessions. As a result my body is beginning to look strong again; I am truly happy and content with a wonderful family and learning how to fit training in with three kids, a busy husband, a dog and school life. <br />
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Whether I'll ever be the same runner again we will have to see, but I will be giving it my absolute best shot, facing the reality that is given to me, letting my running come back to me rather than forcing it and whatever happens and whenever that next finish line is I know I will have 4 of the best friends cheering me on a girl could ever have. Thank you Bryn for the last three months, I hope to make you and the family proud in 2016 x<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-38785042506322907672015-06-09T05:39:00.002-07:002015-06-09T05:39:38.413-07:00Pregnancy, running, the truth and all Are you still running? Has been the question most people have asked me throughout this pregnancy. I have felt the pressure to keep fit and to stay in shape, mainly because I want to get back racing as soon as possible, but after pushing myself to run for 36 weeks I am looking back now wondering if it was my most sensible decision. We will see!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqh7iip6EBwfnbhxI_A6iAgUzxNsLdYwX733mSMPGHLwy5aaUNykizmQgu_zh-YYMMg0qXOLyPyzB939tfllg5EEGMYjSbLyiKWqHFv6pmIBG_8nwbQw7R1awMBJndHc03rakCgHVZE5r/s1600/IMG_1312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqh7iip6EBwfnbhxI_A6iAgUzxNsLdYwX733mSMPGHLwy5aaUNykizmQgu_zh-YYMMg0qXOLyPyzB939tfllg5EEGMYjSbLyiKWqHFv6pmIBG_8nwbQw7R1awMBJndHc03rakCgHVZE5r/s320/IMG_1312.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black is very forgiving </td></tr>
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After the first 4 months of morning sickness this pregnancy has really been relatively easy, as easy as a third pregnancy can be. I have pushed through a few barriers to carry on 'training' (mainly to match <a href="http://debsonrunning.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Debs </a> who told me she ran to 36 weeks and she is my idol<a href="http://debsonrunning.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"> </a>). At 36 weeks I was having to wear pregnancy running leggings, plus a band and a supportive vest to try and keep my bump stable and was spending more time squatting in the bushes needing a pee than running so decided to call it a day. I also noticed my feet and ankles were getting really sore, which was probably from the slight increase in weight (ahem!) and the fact I was running funny and epically slow. So I packed away my running kit and have since then just walked the dog a couple of times a day and generally kept moving by looking after the boys. I would have liked to have swam, but getting to a pool, changed, doing a session etc in the evening was never going to happen, once bath time is over this big mamma needs to eat and watch Made in Chelsea reruns.<br />
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In the first week I didn't run I really beat myself up over being lazy and not sticking with it. Ridiculous really, my end goal of this pregnancy was always to get to full term fit, healthy and with a vague recollection of what my toes looked like. Being able to run again a few months after the birth with two functioning feet and a healthy core and pelvic floor would be a mark of this. Forcing my body into carrying on running when every muscle and fibre was hurting was not wise, but I still tried a few times. I did feel pressure to be the mum that could carry on running till her due date. But us mums need to be realistic. I have been so lucky to have come out of having two children and be able to run well again. Its NOT easy, you want those abs back, you want to have control of your bodily functions , but man alive do you have to work hard. Losing the baby weight, for me, is the easy bit, its getting the muscles and legs back working again which takes time and patience. No one tells you that or is interested in that though. As long as you are back in your jeans that is all that matters in our society, but that is so just half the story.<br />
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The 'Kate' effect has done us Mums no favours..having just packed my hospital bag with my stretchiest tracksuit bottoms, comfiest nursing t shirt, biggest pants and flip flops ready for my 'going home' outfit, knowing no one will give the slightest notice of what I am wearing, no one will care, all anyone will be interested in will be that the baby and I are healthy and safely at home. The pressure that poor girl must have been under to make a glamorous appearance hours after giving birth makes me mad. I wish, wish she had appeared in her slack pants, then I know we would have been friends for life. So the last few weeks I have been asking myself why should I feel guilty for feeling too sore, too heavy, too tired to run when I am just about to give birth? I do though and that is just the madness of the world and the pressure on women right now. We applaud those who win races 3 months post birth, who ping back into shape, who go straight back to work. Just like everything portrayed in social media nowadays no one looks at what is going on behind scenes, just at the glossy images and text that are thrown our way and projected as the 'ideal.' Take a look a little closer and I wonder if Kate cried the minute she got home or the 'mum' who is back running straight away really knows the damage she could be doing to her body?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being dropped by the kids</td></tr>
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So I REFUSE to be one of those women to lie to you about being pregnant, exercising, having kids, training with kids. Its bloody hard work. Being pregnant and running sucks. You want to do it, do. But do it on your time frame and on your own agenda. You want to sit on your butt for 9 months and eat cookies. Do.<br />
Heres my technical advice - running and exercise will make you feel better and keep you clinging on to that last scrap of fitness and muscle tone, but it will hurt, you will heavy breathe, you will pee yourself, people will make comments. It wont however stop you getting fat arms, fat legs, a fat bum. There is nothing you can do about that. There is no point fighting nature. It is the only time in life when we really can't do anything about the 'experience' apart from to sit back and enjoy the ride! I am only wishing now I had slightly sat back a little more and given myself a bit more slack for being 'pregnant' not just 'fat and unfit.'<br />
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Though I paint rather a gloomy picture of my past 9 months I can guarantee by keeping active it will mean coming back to fitness and strength post baby is easier (in my experience). I am not sure about making the labour any quicker, I am perhaps not the pin up girl of giving birth, neither so far have been my finest hour! But I know the trauma of childbirth and the consequent few days have been greatly helped by my ability to cope with pain, my endurance and determination to get up and moving again and the amazing gift from nature that you forget all the pain and swearing and are willing to do it all again!<br />
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So the last few weeks, instead of worrying about my current size or pace I have concentrated on what I can control. Feeding my body well, resting (ha ha!!), enjoying my time with just 2 children, trying to embrace slowing down rather than fighting my way through it (as is my way in most things in life!) , watching my runners and triathletes come into some great shape ready for lots of upcoming races and generally just letting everything 'loosen' up. I know the road back to where I was and beyond will be hard, but I have a great support network in my husband and <a href="http://www.centurionrunning.com/team-cr/" target="_blank">Team CR</a>. Both I know will be pushing me out the door, but also holding my hand should the journey back prove a little steep and rocky,<br />
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So thats my story of this pregnancy; I have run longer than in the previous two, did I enjoy it? Not really, but I hope that by stopping before I have done myself any long term damage I will be good to get back in a bit of shape this year. Has it been hard? Yes, incredibly. More fatigue, more aches, epic sickness, but never ever have I regretted my decision to both keep running and have a third baby. I cannot wait to be a family of 5. I cannot wait to see my children continue to grow, get stronger and develop their love for the outside and running. I cannot wait to get back into my yellow t shirt and smash up those trails with my buddies. I am very very lucky I know that, cankles and all.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-72545773212658220312015-03-25T07:32:00.000-07:002015-03-25T07:32:14.144-07:00When The Going Gets Tough<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All jokes till we actually have to start trying! </td></tr>
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Paul Navesey, Rick Ashton and I have something we laugh about called the 5km opt out...whatever race we are doing, the longer and the harder it is possibly the earlier the 5km opt out comes in. We run for about 3 miles then decide this is way too much effort and we convince ourselves that we will just 'jog it in' due to a sudden injury, leg falling off, nasty case of sudden ebola. Of course we don't, but the doubts hit pretty early, even for super sonic runners like Rick and Paul. But thats part of running, doesn't matter the pace, doesnt even matter the distance, most of the race is a battle with our mind rather than our bodies and 99% of the time its the mind that will win.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Xbxi4u8rSHI-r5o3Y9XuPBYOqvCNC7Z3VDMRP1ET2ZYzou6tS8iz0E36LIR0kQJlzA8ibn6fSZFRJkWVMs9KJfaoBXsO39-3c1jeeK3z-s4QHvelz0wqZQw5lXfqFsdkTpOzgfF-0B0M/s1600/11027953_799665663455457_9023297110170909056_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Xbxi4u8rSHI-r5o3Y9XuPBYOqvCNC7Z3VDMRP1ET2ZYzou6tS8iz0E36LIR0kQJlzA8ibn6fSZFRJkWVMs9KJfaoBXsO39-3c1jeeK3z-s4QHvelz0wqZQw5lXfqFsdkTpOzgfF-0B0M/s1600/11027953_799665663455457_9023297110170909056_n.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>I have 2 fantastic clients who have set themselves a challenge to cover 500km in 5 days on their bikes and running to raise money for cancer research after both losing loved ones to this terrible disease. We have been training together for a while, starting off with a basic strength programme and lots of easy miles and have built up their distances both on bike and feet and they are currently now undertaking their 'dress rehearsal' of three days covering almost 300km. I asked for some daily feedback of a few simple questions and 3 words to describe how they were feeling. One of them, who is physically very strong, was seriously doubting her ability to complete the challenge..where had this come from? Why was she suddenly full of nerves? What could I do? Of course we have all been there, the week before a big event or a practice half ironman, suddenly the challenge ahead seems too big, our bodies too weak and our negative mindset too strong. Her monkey (see The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters for better details! ) had well and truly jumped onto her shoulder and was being given full reign to shout 'you can't do this, ' 'this is too far' and 'you are too busy!' (They both work and have families). The questions started and they both felt tired and perhaps the challenge became bigger than it actually is...a direct e mail was sent back to said lovely lady, saying in no short terms, ....get that monkey out of its cage...think of everything negative you can, sit and just let your worries be and then, feed the monkey a banana, thank him for his opinion, lock his cage and put the key in your back pocket (or words to that effect!) I got a smiley reply back and just now as I type, they are half way through day 2, a text saying 'the monkey is ass up, flat out of the scene!'<br />
What happened? How had she turned this round overnight? Well of course nothing to with physical strength, but.. Belief. She needed her mental strength to come alongside her now physical strength. This takes practice and thats why we train, not just the body, but our brain too. Never under estimate the power of your mind. So the ladies have found their belief. Its always about belief and sometimes you need someone else to believe in you firstly before you can do so yourself.<br />
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As the UK ultra season is getting under way and I am reaching a number of 'red boxes' of races on clients plans I have been thinking what I can give them to put the final icing on their training cakes....then I heard this great piece of advice that Bear Grylllis was dishing out to a load of celebrities pretending to be tough in the jungle. Apologies to Bear for adapting his wise words, but this is how I interpreted it and after some thought adapted.<br />
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There are three parts to racing, any distance, any sport. Use the following three statements in THIS order and see if you can turn negative sessions or races around. 3 simple key words, to set you back on the straight and narrow - Think, use your Determination and then your Fitness. Don't be mistaken by thinking pure fitness will get you anywhere in life, without careful thought and even more determination you will (I promise- I have been there!) be found weeping by a trail...<br />
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<u>1) THE BRAIN</u><br />
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Facing a challenge, any challenge use <u>your</u> brain; take a deep breath, assess the situation, ask yourself what would (insert HERO here- whose yours? Mine is someone very close to me, very handsome, very long suffering and mentally tougher than anyone I know.) do?<br />
Focus on the goal and work or rework out your strategy. In a race if things start going wrong, instead of reaching for the panic button, take a moment, even stop, press refresh and reformulate the plan. Take your time. The goal is still going to have the same finish line, you might just need to take a different route. This is when decisions need to made using your mind, not your ego. And after doing this eat food, always.<br />
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<u>2) STRENGTH AND DETERMINATION</u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brain, determination then fitness</td></tr>
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Secondly use your determination and strength. As runners, parents and athletes we are blessed in this department, there is not one person I coach who isn't innately determined to achieve. USE THIS. Relax your shoulders, pull in your core, turn off that monkey rattling its cage in your mind and let your strength and determination do the work for you. Its a lot less tiring than fighting your mind. You have a plan, now use your strength. Determination-it's free and limitless...just make sure to keep feeding it or it will tire. <br />
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<u>3) FITNESS</u><br />
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Finally use your fitness. How many times have you seen a field of athletes racing off over the distance at a crazy pace when they have 100 miles to run? How many people use all their fitness up in the first stages of race and rather than using their brains and holding back, plough on only to suffer like a dog in the final stages. Use your fitness wisely, imagine it as a bucket you have filled up during training...every session putting a scoop in, sometimes two. On race day you only have so many scoops to use..dont pick it up and empty it all out leading for the first 30km only to find when you really need it there is nothing left in the can! Keep your powder dry...knowing how strong you are and then when the going starts to get tough, the brain has worked, the determination is in place allow your fitness to show through and ENJOY the race rather than fighting the monkey and a tired body the whole way!<br />
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Brain first, determination next and then allow the fitness to flow. I believe that is the biggest lesson any athlete can learn and something I hope to teach my athletes both in training and racing.<br />
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I hope everyones races go to plan, if anything all the hard training you have put in is reflected in the results, be that a CR, a PB or crossing the finish line. And if all fails, you are alone out in the rain, the cold, you are hungry and tired, you are contemplating the 5km opt strategy and all you want to do is lie down and sleep - use your brain, eat something, reach into that fitness bucket, take out a scoop of training and determination, pour it all over the trails and put a massive grin on your face....you are alive, you are achieving and you are amazing! Be so proud of all you have done and when you look back on this adventure with a rye smile, only you will know how hard it was and how you and only you achieved that dream. And that is something no one can ever take away.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-34004287696875570442015-02-24T03:35:00.003-08:002015-02-24T03:35:51.450-08:00Trail Outlaws PodcastI recently spoke to Tim at <a href="http://www.trailoutlaws.com/" target="_blank">www.trailoutlaws.com </a> about training and racing with kids and pregnancy. The link can be found here:<br />
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<a href="http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/0/1/e/01eb8fea811d44b5/topS01E07.mp3?c_id=8262011&expiration=1422463183&hwt=63b188935456c0c864bc047519e1e52f">http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/0/1/e/01eb8fea811d44b5/topS01E07.mp3?c_id=8262011&expiration=1422463183&hwt=63b188935456c0c864bc047519e1e52f</a><br />
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Enjoy, its quite long, you may need a cup of tea (and a snack!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-84822598513689394432015-02-24T03:32:00.001-08:002015-02-24T03:32:04.012-08:00Staying Positive Throughout The JourneyHow often do you come back from a run and are happy with your progress? How many times do you think, yes I nailed that session or that was a great run everything is working in the right direction? I have access to 25 athletes inner thoughts and feelings about their running or triathlon training everyday. It has struck me how negative the majority of them are towards their bodies, their sessions, their performances. Unless its a PB they are not happy, if they have a niggle or need an extra rest. life is over and they might as well quit running now. (Thats a slight exaggeration, but you get the gist!) The ability to look at the whole jigsaw rather than a single piece seems a very tough lesson to learn and one even as grown adults we find very hard. If we don't hit the exact figures in training we have failed, if we don't win a race or perform exceptionally, we have failed. The endless questions start, what have I done wrong, why does my body not do what I want it to do. Of course, as a coach, it is so much easier to take a step back, find the positives in sessions, races and every day training. To give reasons for tiredness, niggles and prescribe rest. To assure athletes that it is the consistency of training combined with quality sessions and adequate rest that will make them stronger, not constantly racing or bashing their head against the training wall session after session.<br />
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We cannot roll out perfect session after perfect session, but that is not the point of training. In my opinion if the session was perfect you weren't working hard enough or you are 5-7 days out from your A race and in fine tune for a cracking performance! Every session you do should come with both some negative and positive feedback, what went well, what didn't, how did you feel and what can you do to recover before the next session. If things didn't go to plan give yourself time to reflect, but not to punish, learn from it, reassess and move on. Make yourself a better athlete very simply by believing you are a better athlete. Expect good performances from yourself, but only what you are currently capable of, don't limit your dreams, but know that the stepping stones towards them may go up and down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErKCj9YT59K2zsnRND-XB9DcExU8AafNh09JgyxApNQ1H43kIvj6li0bKa50aJ8ZbfKZVCy7HPD3cWGXXQWvAGeuwq1AvXAeho6VMwCAO44d3FgsibuacEqtk4x_ybtz5bUiNc1dYOEQQ/s1600/IMG_0710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErKCj9YT59K2zsnRND-XB9DcExU8AafNh09JgyxApNQ1H43kIvj6li0bKa50aJ8ZbfKZVCy7HPD3cWGXXQWvAGeuwq1AvXAeho6VMwCAO44d3FgsibuacEqtk4x_ybtz5bUiNc1dYOEQQ/s1600/IMG_0710.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Competing in my last 'race' at 16 weeks </td></tr>
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Now at 6 months pregnant I have had to take a big step back in my progression towards becoming a really quality ultra runner. I thought this year I would be hopefully racing for GB, having a crack at some international mountain races, qualifying for some exciting races. Building on my strength I gained from the beginning of 2015. However a long term injury and then deciding to have our third child has put a halt on all this. A huge mass of disappointment fell on my shoulders as I spent 4 months suffering from hyperemeis gravidarum. Alongside epic sickness came quite a lot of depression as my body changed from the strong runner it had become to a home for our third. Delighted to be having another baby of course, but I did find the first months tough as I saw my fitness ebb away. I have some perspective now. I cannot wait to be a mum of 3, it will in no way stop me getting back to running, if anything I am more than motivated to get back racing in 2016. I am also aware (and of course slightly bitter!) that most of the women I compete against don't have kids. They have more time to train, more opportunities to travel and most importantly more rest. But nothing fuels me more than my family. I have one big dream to try and complete in 2016 and the thought of doing it with 3 young kids at the finish line totally inspires me. I want to show other mums (and Dads) that having a family doesn't and shouldn't stop you from doing what you love, yes it may take a little longer, you may have to be patient, take a step back, cope with higher hurdles, spend mrs time looking at the bigger picture, but it is possible.<br />
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So now when I read my athletes daily reports from their sessions I try and get them to constantly think of the sky rather than focus on the minutiae of each rep or interval. So you fell off the pace on the final rep, or you didn't hit the target time when you got tired. As long as you did the best you could thats all you or I can ask, reflect, be negative if you need to be and then take a positive, hold onto this into the next session and progress. And that is what I am doing for the next 3 months whilst I jog around the fields with the dog. Getting slower and fatter rather than faster and stronger, but I am looking it all now as a positive. Every step is for my baby and my future, for a healthy delivery, for my dreams that I am chasing and to inspire my fellow mums and my children, that they too will never be scared to challenge themselves beyond their limits, to not be scared to look at the sky and constantly challenge their place in this world.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-31415664171694049892014-10-23T04:57:00.001-07:002014-10-23T04:57:32.463-07:00The IcebergI recently read this blog from one of my favourite triathletes Catriona Morrison. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/(http://www.catmorrison.com">(http://www.catmorrison.com</a>) It struck a real chord with me, especially after spending the day helping (checkpoint food testing) at the Winter 100. Winners, losers, death marchers, everyone is in the same boat when push comes to shove. Ultra running is a true testament to character strength, there is no hiding from the real you at mile 75 as you bare your soul to the trail, leaving a little part of you at every race when you dig into your inner resolve.<br />
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What we see in life of people and people's performances is really just the tip of the iceberg. Underneath the water, where no one sees and only you know, is where the work is done. Your base, your support, your breadth of confidence, this is what makes up you performance, not the tip everyone can see. The tip is merely the icing on the cake and should never be used to rate how you value your work and belief in yourself.<br />
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For some this season their races will have all gone well, their PBs improved, their confidence grown and their twitter followers doubled, their icebergs will be impressive. For others their seasons won't have gone to plan, their races been disappointing, not reflecting their hard work, or thier body plagued with injury or illness, leaving them frustrated and with nothing to show for all their hard work. I know how it feels to be both .I started this year so well with a record breaking run at Country to Capital, topped up with another course record and win at SDW 50, then a joint first and 7th in the world at Wings for Life and a 50km win at the Weald Challenge...my iceberg was tall and strong, but underneath the water things weren't what they should have been. From March I was running in pain, the cracks were beginning to show in my base and slowly they got bigger and bigger until there was nothing left to hold me up and I came crashing down. I had let my running become bigger than myself. I had believed my running to be a judge as to who I was. When it was taken away, I realised that I had done nothing to support this running habit, I had nothing else to show for my hard work apart from trophies and t shirts. Running had not given me real confidence or belief in myself, instead as my body said 'woah there slow down girlfriend,' my mind had fought against it, totally believing that if I didn't keep running the world may possibly end.<br />
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Without an iceberg the last couple of months I have had nothing to show for my efforts. No wonderful feelings of winning races, training runs with Paul and Rick or filling out my training log. Instead I have had to go solo, build myself up slowly, brick by brick. In the end, I have learnt, no one can help you overcome injury, but yourself and that relentless determination you used to push yourself in training and races. If you want to compete in running and like me you want to compete for years, not just be a flash in the pan for a couple of seasons, you must make sure you heal the cracks before ploughing on. Your running must not be all about the good stuff, the glittering iceberg that shines so bright and everyone wants to see and be part of. Your running must be bigger than that. It must come from a base so strong, a belief in your ability and a foundation of strength and solid movement. There will be cracks, there will be storms, but if you can weather the rough, just imagine how good it will be on a beautiful day.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdeNaRzA-9jgXQPoG5r_2WoXt6PtgnDjuB2flpDppsz1qbn2WZA5Xcd3eCG5_zKiKWyPwSEXAc1nNLLYUW5b34mFBAPriIO7iK1CsoFnYih5VoHt8ARPv7mPtswXty0DjPOa-ByFTaQT6/s1600/Sunset_icebergs_11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdeNaRzA-9jgXQPoG5r_2WoXt6PtgnDjuB2flpDppsz1qbn2WZA5Xcd3eCG5_zKiKWyPwSEXAc1nNLLYUW5b34mFBAPriIO7iK1CsoFnYih5VoHt8ARPv7mPtswXty0DjPOa-ByFTaQT6/s1600/Sunset_icebergs_11.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><br />
It may take me a while to get back to where I was, but without a doubt next year, the next decade I will be a runner again. I will never take for granted again moving through the fields at dawn. I know I will moan that I am tired, that I can't be bothered, but I know that putting on my trainers and heading out the door will never feel quite the same. Underneath my running I am a different person, I am me with strength, with belief. I know me better than I thought I did. So come on. Check your foundations. Check your strength. Only you know how hard you work, make it count and belief in yourself. Bad races, seasons come and go, but you, well you, you last a lifetime.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-7563931514882255762014-09-11T11:33:00.002-07:002014-09-11T11:35:06.026-07:00Pressing RestartAt the beginning of the year I flew around the Country to Capital course, I was in great shape, not super fit, but really good, strong winter fitness, I hadn't run over 60 miles in training, clocked a couple of 20 mile long runs in the mud, but mostly had been doing lots of steady runs with some short intervals thrown in. I felt that this was going to be my year and was so pumped at all the races I had planned. And then slowly this pesky injury creeped up on me, taking over my normal life, then my running life and it has now completely taken over every waking moment of my day.<br />
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Last week, after finally getting back into some running, building my mileage up from 1.5 mile jogs to a couple of pretty decent grass reps session and I was feeling OK. The foot wasn't pain free, but it wasn't hurting like before just aching and a bit stiff....then BAM, I woke up and couldnt walk. The pain was so bad it hurt sitting down, I had been hiding this from my husband as I didn't want him to be cross or disappointed and in truth I had been hiding the pain from myself. Getting so used to the fact that I was always running in pain, but this was exhausting. I am so drained from juggling clients, kids, life and simultaneously trying to force my body into shape because I am so desperate to race.<br />
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This week I finally asked myself why? Why am I doing this? How long am I going to go on pretending this is all ok that I can manage this all until I crack. The foot needs your attention, it doesn't need to be swam, biked, strengthened into submission. It needs rest, sofa time and a bit of listening to. Stop slamming the door on what you know is the truth and listen to yourself. Jump off this merry go round you have got stuck on, trying to hold onto fitness, trying to get fit for a race, trying, anything to be back to how you were. Because you are never going to be that athlete again. You are never going to be the athlete who had never had an injury, who bounced back from having two kids and ran ultras whilst stopping to feed the babies half way through. Who didn't need to do strength work, stretch, could run and run with barely a niggle. Life is different now and its time to adapt. Stop and Listen.<br />
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So this is what I have told myself. Start to become the athlete you are going to be next year Now. The athlete who has hit rock bottom, who without running has felt an irrational sense of loss and identity. Stop letting the person I was self destruct the person I can become. There is no going back I need to restart somewhere different and be someone different.<br />
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This someone different needs to start by listening and learning. Being patient and most of all being kind to myself. Instead of seeing this injury as a sign of weakness that requires me to punish my body, I must see it as a sign that my body needs a little time to heal. It doesn't need to be pushed in other directions, forced into submission. It needs a little bit of nurturing, it needs me to stop and let it refresh all by itself.<br />
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I have talked before about believing in myself, but somewhere in the last few months I have lost that belief, convincing myself that without my running I am worth nothing, merely a cleaning, cooking, clearing up machine to two very demanding children. Without races and competition to reinforce this believe I have somehow got swallowed up in the day to day mundaneness of life at home and lost my identity as a person. Believing that without my value as a runner I have no place in life. The desperation to get back out there competing has completely overtaken the sensible part of my head telling me that the world will not stop if I can't go jogging round the fields. I had totally underestimated and misunderstood that the mental side of injury in someways is way more powerful, painful and destructive than the actual physical damage you have inflicted on your body.<br />
The same mental toughness that we find out on the trails, that pushes us to limits that most normal people will never achieve is capable of allowing us to drive ourselves into holes and then keep on digging because we don't let the sensible side of our brain pipe up, if it did we wouldn't do what we do.<br />
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So mentally I am forcing myself to heal. I am forcing myself to face life with NO exercise whatsoever for the next couple of weeks. And you know what? The world still goes on. I still wake up every morning, the kids still love me just as much, the husband still asks me a 100 times where something is before he looks, life just carries on. Really who cares if I am running? Only me. My kids don't want me sad, limping and spending my entire time on google trying to diagnose my injury. They want a Mum who is fit and healthy and happy. So I am pressing restart on 2014, starting to get ready for 2015 instead. Beginning to create the new athlete I am going to be. Yes stronger, but mentally so much tougher. The ability to suffer has never left me, but the desire to achieve which I know sometimes faltered will never leave me now.<br />
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So when I see you, please don't tell me I will come back stronger, that rest is the thing I need and that all the best athletes carry injury at some point. I will want to punch you in the face. Please don't ask me how my foot is or whether I am running. Instead I want to hear all about your running adventures, I want to hear how you smashed out your hill session. I want to hear how you ran through the dawn and into the dusk. I want to hear how you have found a new trail for us to run on, that you have races planned and goals to achieve. I want to know that the running world is out there, waiting for me whenever I am ready, just let me get set and I will be there again, pinning on that number, kissing the kids goodbye and getting ready to fly.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-28704104339019145282014-07-28T12:46:00.002-07:002014-07-28T12:46:27.654-07:00Believing in your Belief<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhhyphenhyphennigkbxo1rx99raFujODfmRTpl0nysexPgCCkbGl-sWBS1TMeqT7_WZ_vKJqQ4FKhwlunQ-0kyEHmSGMzm-D7Bs2WcERs-IcZUyl235udywna-4n7zPMqwoal8QshbV83ItMQ8ZTOQ/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhhyphenhyphennigkbxo1rx99raFujODfmRTpl0nysexPgCCkbGl-sWBS1TMeqT7_WZ_vKJqQ4FKhwlunQ-0kyEHmSGMzm-D7Bs2WcERs-IcZUyl235udywna-4n7zPMqwoal8QshbV83ItMQ8ZTOQ/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On me bike in the playroom as you do</td></tr>
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Tough, tough, tough few weeks in the Sutton household. Morale has teetered on low to dangerously low. Teeth have been gritted and words spoken in frustration that weren't needed. The smell of a grubby gym, ingrained sweat and blisters on my hands are all signs of a runner who has nothing to do, but repeat endless strength work. Very soon if I cant get out of the gym I may actually find myself wearing a lycra one piece and turning up to body pump with Rick Ashton. <br />
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I have made peace with my inability to run at the moment. In fact when I do try to do a few steps of jogging it feels quite alien to me. The ability to run long distances and run fast seems a mile a way from where I am now. This seems to be the minds way of coping with, what in my head, is a sort of bereavement. Denial of the injury at first, guilt, anger and eventually facing the fact that the one thing you really love doing you cant do. My mind has now taken the running me to the back of my conscious , occasionally to be painfully touched, but then pushed back again. So I have been focusing on what I CAN do. Gym challenges have taken over my training time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8N9L-DCfRrrtzRliTuQwkQagZ8mhEH12ChsSmHNSjefQDYs9xBZmUSLehOSWtgyjYHQ9McpdgQC6AIeLh2WR4vLyVcMEeTqgVNSrAEBPUbcCeG64qqOrhahMtS7-3mEeqD5wIET73MTMI/s1600/photo+2+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8N9L-DCfRrrtzRliTuQwkQagZ8mhEH12ChsSmHNSjefQDYs9xBZmUSLehOSWtgyjYHQ9McpdgQC6AIeLh2WR4vLyVcMEeTqgVNSrAEBPUbcCeG64qqOrhahMtS7-3mEeqD5wIET73MTMI/s1600/photo+2+%25283%2529.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Do you know how much fun you can have doing endless squats, calf raises and single leg balances in an empty school gym all by yourself? Well you can! I am a person who is totally motivated by competition. So I have driven myself through this period setting myself challenges, falling over backwards trying to lift weights I shouldn't, doing press ups till I face plant and triceps dips till I fall through the stack. Seeing a stronger body emerge from what was really a very weak shell has been more satisfying than I could ever have imagined. 2 babies in 2 years left me chronically weak and this injury was only a matter of time happening. You cannot build a house on dodgy foundations. Too many people get injured and dont find the real root of their problem. Many runners tell me they have 'no time' for strength and conditioning work either they dont believe in it or miles are more important than muscles. Unless you are freakishly lucky you will get injured in your running career. I am absolutely certain that adding some core conditioning work into a programme will save yourself heaps of heart ache and it will also very quickly highlight your weaknesses.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gym bunny</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ04O7qeNSTDkUvo8D06GId83MIk8HPUFdsoccbQmlpdpYu3WiQSlDFBKATJ2S1LbxLhjMJf7u2xBxXeWL-NsQcc2gX9KOLDX6gkXeBkLbIBRHNkEsMRYbUEeXnBmGwTJpCdS2mZ_wDBK6/s1600/photo+2+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />Hitting a rehab programme hard takes some dedication, life can too easily get in the way and getting out the door to get to the gym is not easy when you have a troop of mini dwarfs following you everywhere, two of which insist on peeing and pooing everywhere and keeping you up half the night. But it is this dedication I know which will make me into the runner I want to be. I am sure once I am running again I will gain my fitness back quicker by providing my heart and lungs with the soundest structure I can. Well this is what I have to tell myself. That all these hours of lonely work are worth something, that my dedication to this mini crusade will pay off, that one day I will be running again and these rather bleak days will be a thing of the past. You have to have faith like all things in life with the path you choose, be it smooth running or rather bumpy and that is half the battle in any challenge-keeping the faith.<br />
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">So my mantra of 'belief' which I have used so powerfully over the past few years I have now employed in a new phase of my life. When I first had kids, I HAD to believe that the sleepless nights, the sore boobs, the saggy belly and endless nappy changes would end and they did. When I married my husband I had to believe that what we felt for each other was the real deal and this person was the man I wanted to be with for the rest of my life and he is. And so every time I toe a start line I have to belief that my body can do this. If you dont belief in yourself and the path you choose it will be too easy to listen to those that 'cant' rather than those that 'do.' So through this injury I have learnt not to listen to the negativity, remove those around you, who pull the 'pity' face when they see you and instead surround yourself with the Paul Navesey's of this world who can find joy at the bottom of a jar of a nutella (it means you get to start a new jar! Simple things). To believe that you will be healed and the joy you find in both life and running will be back sparkling and new again. </span></div>
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So keeping the faith I am. Faith in my body and in my mind. Storing up every ounce of sweat, grunt, last rep in the gym till the minute I toe the start line again. And in the meantime I am enjoying spending more time at home, appreciating the smiles of my children, the early morning chats over tea with my husband and taking our new addition to 'puppy school.' There is always joy and faith to be found in life, it sometimes just takes a little time and belief to appear. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqdQWO-xuNZ1gTGju4CYTAcfgxbGPIaGUgwS5-uP91_fM4jd4dqn3MLLiX2YwhPSYGD815yGU5gIzRJvsAJRp2V3tfL4-Lnq02fJi4Is3a1VdjpcJQ-ja5U-bcuKX9t0RDCZ7LSE7Wyu4/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqdQWO-xuNZ1gTGju4CYTAcfgxbGPIaGUgwS5-uP91_fM4jd4dqn3MLLiX2YwhPSYGD815yGU5gIzRJvsAJRp2V3tfL4-Lnq02fJi4Is3a1VdjpcJQ-ja5U-bcuKX9t0RDCZ7LSE7Wyu4/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A snapshot of a new addition to our family!</td></tr>
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I cried in the doctors surgery last week. Frustrated that after 4 weeks of limping around I am still yet to have any proper diagnosis of my injury. I am very lucky to have some financial support so have been able to fund some physio work, but after fainting when she tried to manipulate my foot the physio did the right thing and said I think you need a scan and an x ray now. I have seen three physios in the past month, each one prescribing something different, everyone has their own opinion and ideas. So I went to the doctor to get a GP referral letter for an MRI scan. How long will this take I ask? 6-8 weeks she said. But I can't carry on like this for another 2 months! I need to move for my job, I have two children under 3. I am a serious runner which is also partly my livelihood and I am in pain 24/7. I am having to get up at night to ice it or take pain killers. I am worried I am doing myself long term damage. Yes she replied, continuing to type in her computer, that's tough. I left in tears. This seemed so unfair here I am an athlete, a personal trainer, a mum, I spend everyday helping cut costs for the NHS by encouraging people to bring activity into their daily lives and no one will help me!<br />
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The last month has been so hard knowing my fitness has been creeping away, missing that feeling of running, moving, seeing the summer season and the harvest on late evening runs and misty fresh mornings,with the promise of a glorious day ahead. No running means very little break from the kids, there are on me and at me from dawn to dusk. Some days I just want to hide behind the sofa. But slowly and almost noticeably I have come to turns with no running, and I think this is the first stage of healing. I can't run and I won't run till I can walk around for at least 10 days pain free.And so I realised as I walked out of doctors surgery nobody is going to heal this injury apart from me.<br />
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There is no quick fix, no wonder physio or amazing pill to take. I need time, patience and rest to get moving again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I have thrown myself at other projects that always get pushed aside when running takes over my being. I have finally got my web page up and running. (<a href="http://www.edwinasutton.com/">www.edwinasutton.com</a>). I am building my personal training client base and have about 16 online athletes, who I love coaching, though am getting a little bitter that some are now faster than me! I am spending more time with the kids, not exhausted, but able to be a little more patient, a little more fun and a little more understanding to their needs. I have been riding my bike and swimming as much as I can plus spending the time I would be running in the gym, working on what was my epic weakness my core. After two babies in close succession I suffered from diastasis rectus, separated abdominals. At its worst I could almost fit a fist straight through the separation. I knew I was running on borrowed time with a weak core, but wanted to spend all my time getting the miles and quality sessions done not doing gym work and I am absolutely sure that is a large part of my injury. </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bfLARb2HbaP8ffvHZaN0LCUrKJCuPidZFBhufjQQMHdm_G6MhivcufsUbR3GKvly2oMi_8uO2Zb7f8BDsUdW3UHEexJTQMIz91CNKr7lsnPGak4LsS2_12jUJFeayHi05qpYB_ffpgg_/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bfLARb2HbaP8ffvHZaN0LCUrKJCuPidZFBhufjQQMHdm_G6MhivcufsUbR3GKvly2oMi_8uO2Zb7f8BDsUdW3UHEexJTQMIz91CNKr7lsnPGak4LsS2_12jUJFeayHi05qpYB_ffpgg_/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="320" width="117" /></a>So, I have embraced my 'kids free' time in the gym. Not being able to put much weight through my foot means adapting and adopting some strange exercise techniques, but in a strange, cave woman sort of way I am starting to enjoy seeing the strength appear. Seeing a strong foundation being built, knowing this will half the time it takes me to get back to running fitness.<br />
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So whilst other things have been occupying my time I have found that I can live without running. As long as I get my shell sweating at least once a day I can feel 'exercised' and less like kicking the wall in. Running is an obsession of mine, but in order for me to come back and stay injury free I can see I mustn't let the mental side dictate what is sensible and reasonable to demand of my body. I can now see I don't need to run miles and miles to be strong, actually by cutting out the running I have become stronger. Now for the tricky next few weeks whilst the injury plays less and less on my mind and I start to feel the itch to run again. But I wont. Who wants to talk to a moaning injured runner, its so boring and its too tough on my poor husband who has to witness my epic tantrums and finally its no good for business no one wants to hire a limping, grumpy personal trainer.<br />
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Morale of this tale of woe so far is, listen to your body, feel a niggle, back off, rest, go to the gym, jump on your bike, lie on the sofa. Don't take it out on your loved ones when you are injured, they are your crew and your support without them you wont be running again they are the ones you need most now embrace the rest and the time with family, come back with new dreams, a fresh approach and maybe even a little idea of a new distance to tackle!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-5741813513850516832014-06-25T05:36:00.004-07:002014-06-25T05:36:28.652-07:00The ObstacleHello my name is Eddie, I'm a runner and I'm injured. I have finally faced the fact that finishing everyday hobbling, running in constant pain and eating painkillers in order to run is not healthy and not sustainable in the long run. <div>
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From the middle of March, I have noted in my training plan- foot hurts. I carry on training, couple of days later, foot hurts more. And from then on every single session, the foot is mentioned. I had 2 weeks off before SDW 50 and ran that in pain, but it was manageable pain. After that I took another week off, got back to running, it was sore, but I wanted to get training again. I raced Wings for Life on road, it hurt, but I carried on. After Wings for Life I had an easy week, then ramped up training again. Holding high mileage week in week out, 3 quality sessions, training like a pro, but running constantly in pain and not running to my potential because every step had to be managed. Why didn't I stop? So easy to say now. Why didn't I just stop the moment I felt the first twinge. Because part of what makes me a gritty and determined runner also makes me a stubborn and single minded athlete. I can take high levels pain, I can take high levels of pain for hours on end. I almost enjoy the painful part of racing and training, I live for the lactate burn....and so I don't accept my body being injured. I cannot accept that it is showing signs that I am over training, overstretching it. I am completely focused on being the best runner I can be, plus working, looking after the kids, the house, I do not have time to rest and face the truth that this is going to end in tears. I push and I push until I crack. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sad hobbit foot</td></tr>
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On my second recce weekend at the Lake District, having made it through one with the foot strapped, but feeling every flex of the foot over the rocks, I go over on my ankle and almost feel the plantar fascia give one big sigh and finally just give up on me. The pain is now at a new limit. We get round the course, but my ankle is pretty swollen and descending brings tears to my eyes. I refuse to acknowledge it. Don't even look at my foot, for fear of what I see, I set out the next day to cover the last 16 miles and I cant even bend the foot. I cant get any flexion off the floor and am grimacing in pain. My husband is concerned. This is real now, I cant hide anymore. I have to stop. I stop. I sit on the floor and weep. Knowing that its my fault. I wanted this so badly I have run myself into the ground. </div>
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<div>
I have never been injured. I have never had to cope with the disappointment of missing a large block of training or a big race. I have pushed my body training for triathlons to the absolute limit. But when I was training for Ironman I had rest. I slept. I had lie ins. I had time to stretch, to warm up and cool down well. I had time to listen to my body. My life now has become so hectic, rushing from this to that, a constant background noise of other things needing to be done. My training happens, but it means very limited rest, recovery and down time, vital components of a programme when you are working hard. So in some ways this was a train crash waiting to happen. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZwe1OOmVx5IvZFX1_5si0ZeI9wwZQQtEWXV6JEiHxHeuW4qKcKNPMq5NTns-bCgW-57_ob7iKmWdaIXxvACn14Ak772gWBjgEuXWrvmZPF8uza27mYDWY_edodZ2oZm1MCMQxHWA_0Rh/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZwe1OOmVx5IvZFX1_5si0ZeI9wwZQQtEWXV6JEiHxHeuW4qKcKNPMq5NTns-bCgW-57_ob7iKmWdaIXxvACn14Ak772gWBjgEuXWrvmZPF8uza27mYDWY_edodZ2oZm1MCMQxHWA_0Rh/s1600/034.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful service at Profeet, <br />showing me how to tape my foot <br />and checking my trainers and gait </td></tr>
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<div>
So, 3 weeks no running, after 10 days I tried a jog, felt ok, but not entirely pain free, the next day I tried another jog, I tried to pick the pace up a little bit, felt ok, pick the pace up a little more, just try a mile rep, see if its ok. Felt ok. Try another one. Starting to hurt now, stop now, just do one more, might as well finish the set (you see where this is going). End of the session. Hobble home. Next day, running client at 6am, cant get to clients house because the foot is so sore. Am so angry with myself. Am I learning nothing . I refuse to be one of those athletes who is constantly injured, comes back to training, gets injured again. I am not that person. So I have a self inflicted ban in place now. Not a step of running until I can feel no pain in the foot. Not a step of running until I can go about my daily life without 'feeling' the foot. And when that moment comes I will give myself time to build back into running. Running may rule my life, but it will not dictate my health and happiness anymore, that is my responsibility.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtJS8G0QyqCgt86MU5hkAwJDdy8j_pUvxT7O0o-u_OTLD-99JIMo4KFtbqNhGzK-0DSIAG3qbQrhRk7-6BGSmZ0b1oOE4SsylFkgXGhBExKFKkI9FQ-rSi4EvxJ2-tE9Lv7FUPfQYzBHs/s1600/155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtJS8G0QyqCgt86MU5hkAwJDdy8j_pUvxT7O0o-u_OTLD-99JIMo4KFtbqNhGzK-0DSIAG3qbQrhRk7-6BGSmZ0b1oOE4SsylFkgXGhBExKFKkI9FQ-rSi4EvxJ2-tE9Lv7FUPfQYzBHs/s1600/155.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pain face, Nice.</td></tr>
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<div>
Many many tears have been shed. Not for the injury really itself, but for the disappointment in myself, why didn't I just rest when I felt the pain? Why didn't I do more rehab work? Why this and why that? Many whys of which I cant answer. But what I can answer is my need to get stronger. The need to improve my functional strength, my resistance to injury and holding form whilst fatigued. I can still do all this. I can swim and bike, I can swim and bike hard. I can match the sessions I would have been doing running. Its fun being back in the pool and on the bike. Its fun training with new people and using different muscle groups. </div>
<div>
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<div>
This battle is not one which will be rewarded by a trophy, a course record, a flurry of twitter followers, it will be won by a quiet, steely determination. Hours of listening and working with my body, not against. Not punishing it for showing weakness, but working with it, using my inner strength to scaffold a structure of formidable mental and physical strength. Or as my husband says, its just a foot injury, get over yourself and come back stronger! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cbRGFycrObGMnjQw9Pt-koDKOsPwZtdtlYWCPUw8uClOXrPqkBXEX_kX5FlTbngFHU171SBg3B8P2a2_CKvKyWjMdtHstOdC6Vq3IL0NXg6KFCERJFREyXh5JTF3qBPCRogSjarvTbdG/s1600/159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cbRGFycrObGMnjQw9Pt-koDKOsPwZtdtlYWCPUw8uClOXrPqkBXEX_kX5FlTbngFHU171SBg3B8P2a2_CKvKyWjMdtHstOdC6Vq3IL0NXg6KFCERJFREyXh5JTF3qBPCRogSjarvTbdG/s1600/159.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture by James Eric Elson</td></tr>
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<div>
So I am using every ounce of my positive self talk to remain optimistic. I am working harder than ever in the gym. I am using the time to make sure I rest a little more, I am trying to smile when inside I am crying a little, I am trying to not let my life revolve around my foot. I am more than that. I will not spend another 4 months in pain ever again. I will show my foot who is boss. I will have abs of steel that could climb 5,000m by themselves. And then once my body is strong, I will begin to plan again. I will never run the miles I just have without adding in some cross training, without adequate gym work and without listening to when I am tired and need to rest. I think I got a little lost in my running, in my need to achieve and to prove myself, but I'm finding my way out again.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-43534611595656650102014-06-02T12:37:00.004-07:002014-06-02T12:37:45.428-07:00The Fear<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tKoVKahKBchGX2QQ7RQM0ziOaQORimSe_dQSSWebIxLNPsLvslNYe2FbD0oh1Gv7D75ENVAE_LaZTwi53bOnfIAme1qnKSjj6GJ2t2zPbUQm3zD9Ih6fi2RwbNonCJb37DTIec5xPwr4/s1600/GOPR1645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tKoVKahKBchGX2QQ7RQM0ziOaQORimSe_dQSSWebIxLNPsLvslNYe2FbD0oh1Gv7D75ENVAE_LaZTwi53bOnfIAme1qnKSjj6GJ2t2zPbUQm3zD9Ih6fi2RwbNonCJb37DTIec5xPwr4/s1600/GOPR1645.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>I am just back from an amazing three days of running with The Centurion Team. I covered 59 miles, climbed a lot, ran down hills a lot, laughed too much, ate even more and spent some real quality time with the amazing Debbie (<a href="http://debsonrunning.blogspot.co.uk/">http://debsonrunning.blogspot.co.uk/</a>) Martin -Consani who I am just in awe of (she carries lipgloss in her running pack whilst smashing apart 100mile races) and Danny Kendall the coolest and fastest GB man in the desert having recently finishing 4th at the MdS. Esteemed company. <br />
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The trip was a chance for the Centurion Team to get together and for those of us who are racing over Lakeland 50 and 100 to recce the course. My idea of heaven, running, friends, tea on tap and hills out the back door. I am very much at the lower tier of the Centurion running pile and still feel that I need to earn my place amongst such athletes. These guys and gal are epic, I spend most of my day to day life cleaning porridge off the floor and making cars out of sofa cushions, sometimes it feels so surreal to have to switch to the part of me that runs till I cant run anymore.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEznHGAxod3SlAa3JilO4v8fJtaATN7Oys0hB2yJAkk7BB-dCUV93MG96QTkfvKuRrudM1BYswNW6euDvOmy8HvHJSe6yvCvvjXw3GOsctQBBCwppFVyustiGQyvC_wvFaL5c3jTRYU32T/s1600/GOPR1670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEznHGAxod3SlAa3JilO4v8fJtaATN7Oys0hB2yJAkk7BB-dCUV93MG96QTkfvKuRrudM1BYswNW6euDvOmy8HvHJSe6yvCvvjXw3GOsctQBBCwppFVyustiGQyvC_wvFaL5c3jTRYU32T/s1600/GOPR1670.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>On the Friday James, Paul, Robbie and I ran the 3rd leg of the Bob Graham round. Saturday we ran from Pooley Bridge to Ambleside and by about 2hrs into this run I started panicking. We were running super easy, but my legs were feeling it. I was scared.<br />
<br />
In my head, I composed an e mail to James Elson (team manager at Centurion) telling him that I was really sorry, but I was withdrawing from the Lakeland 50. In my head, I would get to the opening gambit....Hi James, really sorry but I am not going to run in the British Trail Champs because...and that is where I got stuck. Why wasn't I going to run? I have a niggly injury which I can manage. I am getting the miles in. I am coping with the exhaustion of the miles and the kids. What excuse can I use to withdraw from this race? Whats the truth?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaI_GW3oO1u7poX9NzmB1CLBoxRMcs-_YG62av4KYI3m8tfQfa1WWnTQlVHSjoRZnpmQ96UBk3Tb-fqwHucBAXcZbfQIT0uFEeIyFtgkcCKO46OCxMQIsCyRN0YS45PrCvYOW38dq3H8s/s1600/GOPR1667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaI_GW3oO1u7poX9NzmB1CLBoxRMcs-_YG62av4KYI3m8tfQfa1WWnTQlVHSjoRZnpmQ96UBk3Tb-fqwHucBAXcZbfQIT0uFEeIyFtgkcCKO46OCxMQIsCyRN0YS45PrCvYOW38dq3H8s/s1600/GOPR1667.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
'Hi James, really sorry I am not going to run because I am scared. I'm scared of the pain I know I am going to inflict on myself over that course. I'm scared of how every single step is going to be an effort. I am scared of all that climbing, I am even more scared of the descending. In short, I'm scared.'<br />
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<br />
<br />
But on the third day out on the course the fear turned into something else. I began to find my lakes feet a little more. The uphills weren't quite so daunting, the downhills not quite so steep. The hand that had gripped my heart with fear, lessened its grasp and my heart began to beat with fight rather than surrender. I could hear my inner voice echoing off the hills, knowing, just knowing that if I didn't toe that line and smash myself over the course, those surrendering words would live with me. I would have hidden from something I knew had the potential to break me. I had ran with some of the best runners in our sport, they were normal people, but held inner strength that most would never have the courage to call upon. And so, I realised, its not the course I am scared of, its myself. Its my potential to push myself to the absolute limit. Its my ability to dig deep and then dig even further. Ive been there before, I know I can do it again. And this is exactly what this course needs. The profile may not suit my running completely, but it will suit my mental strength and competitive nature.<br />
<br />
From the start of this running adventure I have had to constantly face my fears, coming back from baby one, purely running again not hiding behind a bike split, having another baby again, putting myself back on the start line. A body pretty battered from two babies, fear it wouldn't hold up to long distance running, it holding up. Every race, every session, diminishing that fear, shouting down that voice telling me I couldn't do this, I shouldn't do this.<br />
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And so every race, every result the fear isn't getting any smaller, but I am learning to cope with him. I am learning to talk to fear, to negotiate and to use my huge doubts to build my inner strength.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KfFRYuKZd1dVz_t0T7m5COEtgXPqD77B75-5IsFw05YyA6a4pbS61goF926P5tuTMH_lMsmTQ6TcB8ChKHol0fTTLhgf6W_YaGcx-84JH6uULtkXHgRAnN8TTa4Je2AYwyjXKylSsnwk/s1600/GOPR1659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KfFRYuKZd1dVz_t0T7m5COEtgXPqD77B75-5IsFw05YyA6a4pbS61goF926P5tuTMH_lMsmTQ6TcB8ChKHol0fTTLhgf6W_YaGcx-84JH6uULtkXHgRAnN8TTa4Je2AYwyjXKylSsnwk/s1600/GOPR1659.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>When race day comes, when I am up there all alone in the hills, legs burning, heart pumping, calves straining, Ill listen to that fear, Ill let it tell me I cant do this. 'You should be at home with the kids!' I'll show fear the hills, Ill show fear the air, the purity of running over trails and Ill use the fear to make me into the runner that fear does not want me to become.<br />
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So I wrote James another a message...it said 'Thanks for a great weekend. I cant wait to smash that course.' <br />
<br />
Me and Fear we will do it together.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-16061033643396984342014-05-07T04:59:00.002-07:002014-05-07T05:24:28.192-07:00Wings for Life Run Race Report<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Red Bull Siri Core', 'Geneva CY', 'ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3', 'Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro', 'Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN W3', Osaka, メイリオ, Meiryo, 'MS Pゴシック', 'MS PGothic', 'Arial Unicode MS', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAo6_WvX3B9cgcnbbKz-3DjUYuY_X20HwT8EWqsLLj4h5cqvZdO3QZI3FIYoPVGH4mcz1xXH6T658gTjynh5xXTCJEY_MVFB7vMDe1K_bE5ukdwNbGCorxKmM0jO-HRK3wMekdDh4A4LK/s1600/wings-for-life-world-run-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAo6_WvX3B9cgcnbbKz-3DjUYuY_X20HwT8EWqsLLj4h5cqvZdO3QZI3FIYoPVGH4mcz1xXH6T658gTjynh5xXTCJEY_MVFB7vMDe1K_bE5ukdwNbGCorxKmM0jO-HRK3wMekdDh4A4LK/s1600/wings-for-life-world-run-logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_710714611"><br /></a></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;"><a href="http://www.redbull.com/en/stories/1331648995750/thrilling-finale-in-first-wings-for-life-world-run">http://www.redbull.com/en/stories/1331648995750/thrilling-finale-in-first-wings-for-life-world-run</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;">Funny enough as I go on enough about not drinking water...spot me drinking water!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;">"The scale was global, the ambition truly great and the party one to remember, as more than </span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 30px;">35,000 people</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;"> in 32 countries took part in the inaugural Wings for Life World Run in pursuit of a cure for spinal cord injury. " </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 30px;">Final Global Results: Women’s race</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">1. Elise Molvik (NOR)/ ran in Norway 54.79km</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">2. Nathalie Vasseur (FRA) France 51.26</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">3. Svetlana Shepuleva (MD)/Turkey 48.29</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">4. Mfunzi Ntombesintu (RSA)/ South Africa 47.57</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">5. Lea Bäuscher (GER)/Germany 46.23</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">6. Haley Chura (USA)/USA 45.61</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">7. Joanna Zakrzewski (GBR)/UK 45.39</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">8. Edwina Sutton (GBR)/UK 45.38</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">9. Maria Lundgren (SWE)/Sweden 45.24</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 30px;">10. Daniela Ryf (SUI)/Switzerland 44.44</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;">What a day! I had no idea of the global scale or the magnitude of this run, really until I had finished and friends were texting and calling saying we have been watching you running over the live feed it was so exciting!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;">I had been invited to this race by Simon Freeman of Freestak (</span><a href="http://www.freestak.com/" style="line-height: 30px;" target="_blank">http://www.freestak.com/</a><span style="line-height: 30px;">). I was a little unsure about 'racing' as only a month after SDW50 and I like to have at least 10 days rest and then get back into training slowly after a race and let my family have some mum energy! But as my good buddies Robbie and Paul were going to be running and there was the offer of a hotel room the night before (like a pro, into room at 9pm, asleep by 9.01pm, up at 7.30am. BEST night of sleep for almost 4 years!) I couldn't resist. I replied to Simon that I would run and just see how far I got.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxEIThgF1g-qIOmD0eEUMq_6azr4of1NNzw6lgOiqkgP-CAo7H8cP7g4d9K-ZoQw7_DlNgA86s2krYQ6ACXQhgatbHPIpp05RHmFuuDO9RacUACNFJkRJSHJC5gcx8K7SaDjiu3VKzu_b/s1600/081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxEIThgF1g-qIOmD0eEUMq_6azr4of1NNzw6lgOiqkgP-CAo7H8cP7g4d9K-ZoQw7_DlNgA86s2krYQ6ACXQhgatbHPIpp05RHmFuuDO9RacUACNFJkRJSHJC5gcx8K7SaDjiu3VKzu_b/s1600/081.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;">So I had a really solid week of training, 2 big hill sets and lots of good miles, so on Saturday when I volunteered to check the marking along the start of the Thames Path 100 I thought it would be great to stretch my legs out for 7-8 miles. I felt AWFUL, my legs were heavy, I couldnt get even near a 7min mile. Oh dear, this is going to be a disaster tomorrow, but just focus on the hotel room Eddie all will be ok. Paul very kindly drove us round the country whilst we checked the markings at various point of the Thames path and we eventually got to Silverstone around 7pm. Paul and Robbie instantly started channelling their inner Jenson Button and Mark Webber whilst I gripped the back seat shouting 'I need a wee, Ive had 2 children, please stop swerving!!' We met up with Tracey Dean and Joasia </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;">Zakrzewski neither who I have met before, but Tracey is British Ultra Champion and Jo has finished 4th at Comrades (TWICE!) and 4th at the World Trail Championships last year, so illustrious company. We had a meagre buffet, the lady serving refusing to give us more than I would serve my 3 year old and then not allow us pudding as we had had a bowl of soup...I tried not to cry and went back to my room and gorged myself on a Torq energy bar.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;">The next morning we met up with Simon and Jules who looked after us so well and got us numbers, showed us where to go and took us for 'media' interviews. Us girls were very coy, both Tracey and Jo claiming they werent here to race, which truthfully they werent, I wasnt really, but I wasnt here for a jog either! We had to be at the start 30 mins before the race, it was cold, I suddenly realised there were 900 people behind us, a camera crew and a lot of motorbikes. This 'easy' long run just got serious. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;">At 11am with the rest of the world we set off. I felt ok, in fact I felt pretty good. we completed a 5km lap of Silverstone, someone offered me a banana and red bull, I refused and oh how I dreamed of that snack at mile 23...I was running quite comfortably with 'Dennis' a motorbike rider. After 6 miles I asked Dennis if all the roads were closed. Yes he replied, its just you and me I'll look after you! I would have liked to have taken Dennis home. Every so often a camera crew would appear and film me for what felt like hours. A fun experience and I tried to look like a pro, till I had to ask them to go so I could go for a wee. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 30px;">The course was very undulating, hills were short, but sharp, but I felt ok. I had set myself a goal of getting to a marathon in 3hrs ish then seeing how I felt. All was fine till after 20km (when they predicted about 90% of the field would drop out) and though the roads were all closed there were no more water stops. It was a hot day. I asked where the next girl was, she is about half a mile behind, has she got a grey top on I asked? Thinking if it was Jo I would slow down and we could run together. Dennis duly went and looked and it was! I was delighted as I hadnt faniced another 15miles plus on my own and I had a feeling Jo could be coerced into running further than she had planned! So I jogged for a little and waited for Jo. Dennis was a bit put out that we were now going to chat the whole way round, but it was so brilliant to run with another girl and one with such a fine pedrigree. She taught me a lot, I quizzed her about her training (full time GP, managed the qualifying</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;"> marathon time for the Commonwealth Games and had won the Scottish Ultra Championships the weekend before!). Due to the incessant chatting I didnt really notice that we hadnt had any water till I began to feel thirsty, really thirsty. At this point we started to see Robbie jogging ahead (big race next week, Ill only run for 90 mins, yeah, yeah , yeah ) He had covered quite a few decent miles with Paul. Robbie was onto it straight away stealing Dennis's packed lunch, asking everyone watching for water, water , water. He, being THE Robbie Britton, seemed to be able to source nourishment pretty quickly and we were able to quench some thirst and eat some crisps. But I feel the damage had been done, we had got to the marathon, I had covered 95 miles this week and I was done. i would have happily jogged it in from then, but Jo was keen to get the 3rd placed man ahead so we pushed on, with her and Robbie screaming at me to run harder. I have never wanted to punch two people more. But we overtook him and as we did the outriders for the car caught us. 'Its coming!' They were shouting, 1 mile away, ok I can do this, I can run for another mile, its 2km away, WTF? You just said 1 mile, pleeeeeeease I want water, I want food, I want to lie down. Then we hit a hill. Jo literally became a woman possessed and skipped up it, I could hardly get my legs to bend. I worked super hard on the descent to catch her again and as we rounded the corner, the car, the DJs, the ambulances (yes please) caught us! As you can see from the video, I just wanted to lie in the hedge. Jo could have run on more I am sure.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;"><a href="http://live.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en/videos">http://live.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en/videos</a></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">(click on GB link)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;">We did some super fun interviews and I felt like Paula Radcliffe for about 1 minute, till they all drove off and we were left to crawl into a minibus (not before an emotional goodbye to Dennis), drenched in sweat, exhausted and NO water. Fortunately, again, THE Robbie Britton pulled some water out of nowhere (I think it was the bus drivers lunch this time) and we followed the car to pick up the 2nd place male. After about 30 mins, the bus driver shouted 2nd place male has just been caught. Robbie and I lept out of the bus and embraced the sweatiest, saltiest Paul Navesey I have ever seen. He too was the most dehydrated man near Milton Keynes and we gathered him onto the fun bus and went back to Silverstone.</span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKifuYGOQ4yqQvUwj7SNGe_DybtpOchef3ZbHgrIgTJtqLMVHJVDD637cHp_5B2_l0hZ91N1qL_HcZ68xQsGkVvfd4idHi3-aVn8vQFV5azVWnJoRbkBv4OvENynmELuLXDkwyNWccmR3p/s1600/101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKifuYGOQ4yqQvUwj7SNGe_DybtpOchef3ZbHgrIgTJtqLMVHJVDD637cHp_5B2_l0hZ91N1qL_HcZ68xQsGkVvfd4idHi3-aVn8vQFV5azVWnJoRbkBv4OvENynmELuLXDkwyNWccmR3p/s1600/101.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;">We met up with Tracey, Julie and Simon all who were super pleased with how far they had run. Julie looked after me so well getting some warm clothes and food. After a while we had the prize giving ceremony and I enjoyed getting over excited and spraying champagne mainly over myself not the boys and then getting paid back with spending the next 24hrs smelling like a brewery. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;">Driving home and arriving back to my sleeping babies and a very tired husband felt quite surreal. What an AMAZING experience, to be able to run, far, for the greater good was such a thrill and something I would definitely like to do more of. Red Bull and the Wings for Life charity made Jo and I feel like superstars and we truly felt honoured that they appreciated how hard we had worked! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;">Bit of a come down the next morning to be woken up being hit over the head with a car (toy not chaser, my kids arent that strong-yet) and having pancakes demanded at 6am. But thats what makes this part of my running journey so fantastic. I can go out and be the athlete and come home and be the mum. Just plain awesome.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 30px;">Thanks to Simon, Jules, Jo, Tracey, Paul and Robbie for making the weekend so much fun. I couldnt ask to be in a better team than Centurion. Onwards to Lakeland 50 now. I wonder if Dennis will come and support?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Red Bull Siri Core, Geneva CY, ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3, Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro, Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN W3, Osaka, メイリオ, Meiryo, MS Pゴシック, MS PGothic, Arial Unicode MS, Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-53031691699581976732014-05-01T05:41:00.003-07:002014-05-01T05:41:37.621-07:00Believing in my BodyI am just about to embark on 'serious' training for the Lakeland 50 at the end of July. This is the British Ultra Championships. Its a serious race with an elite field and over 9,000ft of climbing over 50 miles. I have spent the last few days creating horrendous training ideas to improve my strength both in ascending and descending. I am excited to get back in hard core, cant get legs to go upstairs, will just sleep on the sofa, kind of training. I learnt a lot from the SDW and am also really pleased that with my manic life I recovered quite quickly and am now back running fairly fluidly, just lacking a bit of bounce. You forget how fit you get in the few weeks leading up to a race and also how much damage and recovery time you need after smashing yourself for 50 miles. I ha vent pushed myself to run or train hard at all. I tend to use my energy/patience levels with the kids as a gauge, if I want to lock myself in the downstairs cupboard and hide by 7am I still need more rest!<br />
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So I want to get faster and I want to get stronger. I am a qualified running coach, triathlon coach and personal trainer. I have a sports degree, 12 years of teaching experience. I coach lots of people of different ages, abilities and dreams. But, when it comes to coaching myself, I am too often unrealistic, unrespectful of my own personal life and asking the absolute maximum of myself. One of the things I began to think about was my power to weight ratio, whether if I lost half a stone the uphills would be slightly easier and running faster off the top even quicker? I mentioned it to my husband who immediately scorned the idea. Your weight is not the issue. Your power and strength is your talent. You need to look at fuelling your machine better, rather than how you are going to deprive it. (Those were not his words, his reply was far too rude to type, but it was along those lines!). Over the SDW I took a total of 4 gels, a packet of shot bloks and a piece of fruit loaf. That is not enough to fuel any machine. I know that. But it does show that my body and mind has an amazing capacity to work on fumes, but that's because I have trained it to work on fumes. This is going to be no use to me half way round the 50. I need to become in the words of James Elson 'a human dustbin.' So I'm working on it. Stuffing down more food when training, before training, after training. Teaching my gut to run whilst also digesting, rather than running till my gut cramps because it is hungry and empty.<br />
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I have had a love/hate relationship with my body all my life. My body has enabled me to do so many wonderful things, but so many times I have punished it for 'failing' me when things have not gone according to plan. At school I starved myself down to 6 stone from 9 stone in 4 months. I literally stopped eating when the pressure of being a high performing pupil and the demands placed upon me were too much. I was a shadow both physically and mentally of myself and it was only the distress I saw in my family that pulled me from the brink of what could have been life threatening. The determination I showed to make myself thin I then challenged into making myself better. I was appalled with the person I had become and didn't want the rest of my life to be governed by food. I went to university, became a small fish in a big pond and had a blissful three years surrounded by like minded sporty people, drank a lot of beer, probably put on 8 stone, but I was truly happy both inside and out and that I realised was what mattered. It took me a long time to feel 'normal' again and to see food as fuel and something to be enjoyed not avoided. So why think of this now 15 years down the line? Because after what I classed as a bit of a disappointing race at SDW 50 the first thing I thought about doing was losing some weight before my next race. OF COURSE I know this is not the answer. The first thing I should have thought was how am I going to get stronger (and beat Paul). But our modern minds seem to be channelled into thinking that thin is strong, that womens body's should show no ounce of muscle or fat. This is crazy, I know I should be proud of what my body is able to achieve. It has given me two wonderful (ahem) boys, endured hours and hours of training and racing. It rarely breaks down and asks for nothing. Yet I feel that I am somehow embarrassed by it shapes and wrinkles. That the scars from childbirth and nursing are somehow to be ashamed of. That the fact I cant fit my calves into any normal trousers or have any need for a bra should be hidden. So my first step to becoming a stronger and faster runner is to embrace my strength. Use my strengths to make me a more confident runner rather than someone who doubts their own ability.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdxrx6nl6sfTuEJXEhTsRqKS1InJm1Bn_f9-EuSe91r8PI7OtZLU2tB1y6WHy1tbdcD0Abp15amVGgqMWesfJnLxIwkvvEVQ3bIKstq-L1UliANGCNpsuMRjU_iNvI5lLjP6j0o3gsb26/s1600/Scotland+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdxrx6nl6sfTuEJXEhTsRqKS1InJm1Bn_f9-EuSe91r8PI7OtZLU2tB1y6WHy1tbdcD0Abp15amVGgqMWesfJnLxIwkvvEVQ3bIKstq-L1UliANGCNpsuMRjU_iNvI5lLjP6j0o3gsb26/s1600/Scotland+view.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>So with my next 12 weeks of training my plan is based around lots of strength and power training. Running hills up and down, running slow, running fast, running technical terrain whilst simultaneously stuffing my mouth with cookies. Not listening to anyone or that little voice inside that tells me I am not good enough, but embracing what I have been given and loving running with a strong body and confident mind because no one must belief in yourself more than yourself.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-15849101461468390542014-04-07T14:54:00.001-07:002014-04-07T14:55:30.554-07:0010 Things I Learnt by Running 50 miles (or my SDW 50 mile race report)1. Tapers can mean no running and that is OK. I didn't run for 2 weeks before the race. I was injured and sad, I was freaking out inside my head. But I tried to trust my training. I sent panic messages to my Centurion buddies. I cant walk let alone run! I visited the wonderful Simon Lamb (<a href="http://www.sixsecondshigh.com/" target="_blank">www.sixsecondshigh.com</a>). Everyone said the same thing, calm down dear. I spoke to James Elson the day before the race, who said I know it will all be fine and it was. And as I collected my trophy from James he whispered to me, see 2 week no running tapers work! They do, but you have to be very strong mentally, not my forte, but a huge test for me and one I am pleased to have got through!<br />
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2. Pressure is a good and bad thing. A lot of were people talking about the race on twitter and facebook. I got nervous especially knowing that I had been sitting at home the last two weeks and was going to be running carrying a niggle. So I turned off Facebook and Twitter and felt much better. I made a plan. Life is always better with a plan. 1. Finish the race. 2. Win the race 3. Break the course record. 4. Enjoy the race, its what you love doing with the added bonus that every so often people appear, who you don't even know cheering your name and offering you snacks. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Centurions biggest fan (after Rich)</td></tr>
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3. Don't stress about the little things you cant change. If you have kids you aren't going to get the rest you need the days leading up to the race. I know this now and just don't get stressed over the fact that I haven't sat down for 48hrs (slight exaggeration) and am being woken up 4-10 times every night (no exaggeration). The night before the race I was battling with a 3 year old to get back into his bed at 2am and then up at 5am giving breakfast to the 1 year old. This could have stressed me out, but its my normal life and I remind myself that if it wasn't for these two little darlings I may not have the drive to be where I am today.</div>
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4. I love my great support team. My long suffering husband, who is my number one support in this campaign of mine to ruin myself over longer and harder distances. We spent the evenings before the race practising water fill ups at speed (hilarious for the neighbours) he was at every check point and he has picked up the pieces in the 48hrs post race apocalypse. My big sister who had the kids on her own for 13 hrs. My wonderful neighbours and running club friends who came to Alfiriston where I knew I was going to struggle and then drove on to the finish to all cheer me on. The wonderful Centurion Team and volunteers who run such brilliant races and really do help ordinary people complete amazing feats. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very fast boys and me</td></tr>
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5. Have a Kenyan Training pack (words of my Hero Paul Navesey <a href="http://ultrapaulo.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://ultrapaulo.wordpress.com/</a>) or just train with people who are way better than you so you spend all the time sweating and swearing behind them. If you can put up with the pain, it does make you faster. I love training hard, it was perhaps to my detriment that I trained too hard on the long runs running harder than I needed, but it was a lot of fun and many happy memories of laughing over the South Downs, mainly at Rich Ashton (who finished a very impressive 2nd place and is the funniest person I know <a href="http://icesnowfearandlaughter.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://icesnowfearandlaughter.blogspot.co.uk/</a>)</div>
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6. Know the course. I had run every inch of that course a number of times, Steyning Stinger marathon, Three Forts Marathon and three times with different combinations of really fast boys. I had even gone as far as to replicate the inclines and distance of the hills on treadmill sessions during school lunch breaks. You cant fault my drive. I knew where all the 'hard' sections were. perhaps this was to my detriment, I knew what was coming and spent the miles before dreading it rather than concentrating on what I was actually doing. Lesson learnt.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Simon Hayward</td></tr>
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7. When you feel rubbish after 15 miles don't be scared to keep your sunglasses on even though it may be slightly raining and foggy . I felt sluggish, my quads were already like blocks of wood, I couldn't maintain my target pace without trying too hard. So I put on my sunglasses. My sunglasses and I have been through a lot. We have trained and raced around the world together, they have collected more sweat than my lucky running knickers. They are my go to when I need to concentrate. I needed to concentrate on Saturday. My mind was full of, ow my foot hurts, I'm not going to finish this again, everyone is going to be so disappointed if I don't perform. I put the sunglasses on and went back to the plan. 1. Finish, 2. Win, 3. Break the course record. 4. Enjoy it and repeat</div>
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8. If I don't eat I lose my head. I didn't eat enough. 4 gels, 1 bar and 2-3 bottles of electrolyte. Once my blood glucose drops I lose the ability to rationalise the importance of eating and start to believe I am invincible. This is the time when I also drop off pace, start plodding, lose all competitive drive and want to lie down and die. My stomach kept cramping and I had to keep stopping, I thought if I didn't eat I could just hold it together for the last 10 miles, I feared if I put anything into my stomach I would end up in a bush for a long time. Instead I ended up throwing up for the next 12hrs and not drinking or eating anything till lunchtime the next day. Crash and burn. Not pretty and wont be repeated. </div>
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9. Eddie when things really hurt and you really cant wait to see that blue banner, remember why you are doing this. Because you love running. Because you love the people you meet when running. Because it inspires other to go out and challenge their horizons. Because at home are two little boys who are waiting for your medal and to put their arms around you and say 'Well done Mummy, can we watch cartoons now?' Because by reaching to the depths of your reserves you realise you are not even touching your limits of endurance.</div>
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10. Belief. Believe and you will achieve. James, Paul and Bryn kept telling me to belief in my training not only in the lead up to the race, but during the race too. Belief, I had written on my hand. And during the race I did nothing but doubt myself, doubt my body and doubt my mind. I am disappointed that I let all the fear of failure and pressure seep into my strength. But on reflection I can and will learn so much from this race. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of Drew Sheffield, who I have never been so happy to see,!</td></tr>
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And now it is all done I'll sit back, reflect, enjoy and plan to come back again, stronger, tougher, faster and definitely wiser. I learnt a lot about myself over those 50 miles. Mostly I learnt that when things don't go right in the lead up to the race, in the race and post race always go back to why you started the journey in the first place. Always go back to the reason you run and above all always believe in yourself.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-59940089846842085512014-03-31T14:06:00.005-07:002014-03-31T14:06:48.083-07:00The 50 mile Question <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"><b><i>'Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it'</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">My husband sent me this quote last week. Its apt for this week. As I face my biggest ultra challenge so far over the South Downs.(</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px;">/<a href="http://www.centurionrunning.com/south-downs-way-50-2014/south-downs-way-50-2014/" target="_blank">http://www.centurionrunning.com/south-downs-way-50-2014/south-downs-way-50-2014/</a>)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">I have a couple of confessions to make. Firstly I have never actually run 50 miles, 45 a couple of times, 48 in training once, but not 50. The furthest I have 'raced' is 43 and a bit. Secondly I am scared. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">I am scared of the pain post 30miles, of the final couple of climbs, of going off too hard and blowing up like an idiot. I am scared of feeling crap at mile 11 and knowing what is ahead. I'm scared of letting people down, of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">having a bad day, or something just going wrong. I am scared of the not knowing. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGpz5XB4FgB32M6SuMfJgLohZdGWgFe_Vfp1oNVOoEWcT_NxuWWAiFjZieGi3d2IihuFt6rN0fWUjqSM5Af9LrMWtMWBRIr0SDK67DtDyhlrE2iR624DoQ04Oid2oafDC6Wop3_K5Pihp/s1600/photo+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGpz5XB4FgB32M6SuMfJgLohZdGWgFe_Vfp1oNVOoEWcT_NxuWWAiFjZieGi3d2IihuFt6rN0fWUjqSM5Af9LrMWtMWBRIr0SDK67DtDyhlrE2iR624DoQ04Oid2oafDC6Wop3_K5Pihp/s1600/photo+(2).jpg" height="287" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Many times this week I will ask myself why am I going to do this and so many times during the race I know I will ask myself why am I doing this? This hurts too much, I could just stop now, I never want to run another step, that's it I'm quitting. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">This time last year I quit just after Southease. No </span><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px;">excuses</span><span style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"> I was just hating it. I was freezing, knackered and could see no point in taking another step. I just took my number off and starting walking to meet my husband. I cried all the way home, I cried the next day and I sulked for a long time. I was so annoyed and disappointed in myself. Why had I really stopped? Yes I was super tired, blah blah blah, but I wasn't about to die or be eaten by wolves or anything nearly that exciting. I just didn't have a plan. I hadn't thought it through and had underestimated the challenge. And the quitting hurt a lot more than carrying on for another 17 miles. But perhaps, just perhaps if I hadn't quit it wouldn't have ignited the dreams I have now. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"><span id="goog_1184916835"></span><span id="goog_1184916836"></span><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px;">I will stand on that start line for round 2 of SDW50. Its me, myself and I against those 50 miles. I couldn't care less the time I do it in, to win would be nice, but most of all I want to run strong and well. I want the hard hard training Ive done to reflect my performance and the believe others have put in me. I want to embrace the pain, deal with it and carry on. I want to push my body harder than most 'normal' peoples limitations. And why? Because I don't want to lie on my death bed knowing I hid from a challenge because I was scared of failure. Life would be so much easier if I just stayed at home looking after the kids, going from soft play to coffee shop to garden centre. But I wouldn't be me and that is not a quality I want my children to learn. I want them to always push their boundaries and question their limits. And so Im not really scared because there is nothing to be scared of. Believe in yourself, like others do, will be written on my hands. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.222222328186035px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px;">So whatever happens on Saturday, I've dreamt it, I've committed to it and now I just need a little of magic. </span></span></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-7434979123041088362014-03-16T14:50:00.000-07:002014-03-16T14:54:21.030-07:00The BalanceAn awkward question... when asked by a long lost friend over tea and cake last Saturday when she asked what our plans were for the next day. 'I'm going off running all morning,' is the answer. All eyes turned expectantly to Husband McDreamy - 'you let her do this?' 'What do you get in return?' 'Oh I'm supposed to get something in return?' he laughed as we brushed over the moment, but the comment stayed with me for quite a while. When I mentioned it to my husband when we got home, he laughed it off. Why do I need something in return? This is not a bank transaction, this is our lives and we balance the responsibilities, its not about you get this and I get that, its all about how can we make this work?<br />
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Someone get that man an award. <br />
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We have been together a long time and been married for a few years now. We have been through some tough times, job losses, job gains, house moves, commuting, serving in war zones, hard pregnancies, even harder childbirths, 2 kids in 18 months, and now busy jobs and two mad kids, but we have come through it all, together. The one thing being consistent in our relationship is that we support each other. When you have two children who can together create the noise and havoc of a small country you must stick together, never let them tear you apart!<br />
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I am absolutely blessed with my choice of husband. We are the ultimate team, he is my total confidence. He knows me, he gets me. We don't speak in full sentences, we know each others train of thought, we know how to rile each other up with just a comment and how to calm each other down with just a touch. He is my backbone and I often feel inadequate to his kindness and sharing spirit. I am a selfish athlete, we all are. I want to do my training. I want to fit that in round everything else. I WILL make everything else work. You have to make sacrifices that make your heart ache to get to be the athlete you aspire to be. And so when people say, especially at the moment, as my training has taken over family life for the past few months, what does he get in return, it riles me a little. We balance this relationship, he supports me, he holds my dreams right now, they are his dreams too. Soon enough this time in my life will be over and we will be onto a different chapter, the boys are growing fast, time will become focused on their hobbies and the balance will shift. With this shift we will move again along the scale, making sacrifices, changing outlooks and realigning our expectations of ourselves and each other.<br />
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With this balance and this total support of my personal aspirations I do have a huge fear of failure. Having put so much effort into a goal and knowing how much everyone sacrifices to let me run fuels both my training and aspirations, but it also makes me grip my trainers with terror. I so want to make sure my racing reflects not only my hard work, but also my gratitude to my loved ones. I know the result in the end wont matter in the least to him or to the boys, its the getting to the start line together that matters.<br />
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So the next person that asks what my long suffering husband gets in return. He gets me. He gets us.We are the balance, we are this scale of weights, trying to get everything to stay in place. We are a unit and he is running next to me even when I seem all alone.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-44225017273743618472014-02-24T04:52:00.001-08:002014-02-24T04:52:38.764-08:00The Slog<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach reps with a 1 year old</td></tr>
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I am slogging it out in training and life at the moment. Everything is tiring, everything is taking such an effort to get done, standards are slipping, the hoover is being pushed around with less and less frequency and shares are being taken out in Pampers wet wipes as I use these for every household chore from snot wiping to basin cleaning. This is the hardest part of training. You are in the middle of a big block of work, you are still a few weeks from your goal, you still have some big sessions to do. The focus on the race or goal is starting to eat into more and more of your conscious, but the race doesnt seem to be getting any closer. Sessions are hard work, its cold, its dark, my only constant companion for training is the sound of my foot fall and hard breathing.<br />
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I expect with the more training I do the fitter I become, but without the rest and recovery you can train all you like you wont get any faster or stronger. You must rest, you must eat and put your feet up. But how and when can I do this and still maintain everything else going on in my life? I have made a real effort to sit down at some points in the day, to try and eat (constantly) and really well. There are some days when I am woken at 5.30am and I literally cannot let my self admit how tired I feel or else I wont get out of bed let alone start the big day I have ahead. Always, always though with a cup of tea in hand and hobble downstairs I feel better and I do find the energy for the day ahead and training.<br />
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The last few weeks has definitely been the hardest I have worked post kids. As well as training like a monster Ive been flat out busy building up my client base for coaching and personal training whilst still teaching and looking after the kids. The week before half term saw both husband and I flat out busy, so much so that when he went abroad for work I wasn't entirely sure where he had gone or how long for (he has now come home, so that was a relief!). The kids have been so good, being dragged around various fields, hills, gyms, living off sandwiches and blueberries. They think nothing of watching people running up and down for hours on end and are very good at entertaining themselves which I think is a very important life skill to learn!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dream Team and me!</td></tr>
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This weekend I did my first back to back really long runs. I have been building into this really since I started ultra training post baby. Slowly increasing the length of the second long run till I can comfortably run 20 plus miles one day and then 10-15 the next day without too much pain. So this weekend, I took it to a whole new level with just under 3hrs of chasing boys over the first half of the South Downs Way. I was a bit shattered already having had a week of solo childcare, driving back and forth from Wales, plus fitting in some seriously hard hill sessions and it was hard work. On the flat and descents no problem trotting along nicely, but BAM, slight incline and I was out the back door. Legs and breathing all over the place, no power, no strength and frankly just no energy to do anything but grind. Watching the boys lollop up every hill whilst I struggled was hard. I felt horrible, I wanted to lie down and cry a little bit and just give up. This is all too hard I just cant manage all this and still try to pull hard sessions out the bag. My mental strength is shot as well as my physical strength. But that's not me. Ive been here before. Ive chased boys up mountains on my bike, been dropped like a sack of spuds, but every single step, every single grind, makes you stronger. You have to do these sessions to get better, you have to test yourself to your limits in training, if come race day you want to lollop like the Brittons and Naveseys over the Downs. The Sunday run was a slightly slower affair, but running for 3hrs plus in ankle deep mud is hard going and it was still an old slog though with lovely company of a very experienced ultra runner who I never fail to learn from, with his positivity and pure love of running.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy to be home after huge weekend</td></tr>
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Social media and Facebook makes training all look so glossy and rosy, people are all too quick to post about their amazing race results, run splits, weekly mileage and how fantastic they are feeling. No one ever posts that they feel like crap, ran like a donkey and finding training and life balance hard hard work. So here it is, this is bloody hard work, I am tired, I am having to focus totally on my family and training to the detriment of other areas in my life. But there is just this little chink of light at the end of the tunnel. Mornings and evenings are getting lighter. The winter hard miles are nearly done. I only have 3 more weeks of hard training for SDW 50. And I am managing, I am getting through the training and life. And you know what? For moaning pretty much constantly in my head about how tired I am- I still absolutely love it. I love the grind and the hard graft. Its what makes me feel alive. I love the time I am getting out on the Downs with such inspirational running pals and I am loving coming home to the best family a girl could ask for.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-17401408580537181152014-02-05T04:49:00.000-08:002014-02-05T04:49:17.722-08:00Why do you do it?'Miss?' Said a girl at school yesterday. 'Is it true you can run 30 miles?' 'Yes I said, I can.' 'Why?' She said. 'Ummmmmm', I answered in that inspirational and awe inspiring way. 'Well because really its the only thing I am good at; running a long way in a straight line, its takes a certain sort of person...' I then launched into my full athletic history, which by then she had lost interest and wondered off to talk to boys.<br />
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So why am I doing this? I know during races, funnily enough normally during the early phases I question why am I doing this? I don't enjoy this, its too hard, its too cold, I am already tired and I am so hungry I cant possibly run another mile let alone another 40. But the moment passes, like all moments and 5, 6, 7 miles will go past where I am in my element, outside, running hard, gel, snot flying and I wouldn't be anyway else.<br />
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Why do I this, how can I answer that question both to those who ask, but also in my head?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My second home</td></tr>
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I recently wrote out my rough plan leading into my next big race South Downs Way 50. Looking at all the running I had to do made me feel slightly sick. The effort it is going to take to get out the door, the energy of then coming back and looking after the kids, plus the house all the cooking, cleaning, washing and working made me question, just for a second whether I can really do this. Of course, its the training and training harder than you are ever going to race that makes the races easy (well sort of), but for me its managing that fine balance of very nearly training as much as a professional athlete whilst holding down a job and a young family.<br />
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No one is making me do this, I could stop running tomorrow and no one would die. But a part of me would. Running is a part of me and it is what enables me to do what I do, to the best I can be. Running inspires me to be a better person, to push my boundaries both physically and mentally and it inspires others around to question their boundaries too. Maybe to get up off the sofa and see what they can do with a pair of trainers and a strong dose of Eddie motivation.<br />
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So this is why I run, not for prize or glory or money or kit (well that's nice). I run for those around me who inspire me, who have come into my life through running and who I have inspired to take up running. No names mentioned, but...<br />
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My family who think nothing of their mum going out running everyday and to my dearest 3 year old who now can run a mile home with me after a session. To my husband who never gets a chance to go running himself, apart from during his lunch hour. To one of my lovely marathoner to be, who this week ran 18 miles at the same pace she used to run 5kms at and then messages me straight after with her delight. To the 'Friday ladies,' who after just a few weeks are out sprinting and out planking each other, having found a new lease of life in running quicker. To all those at my local running club who have smashed PBs in the last 6 months and turn out week in week out to run in the dark and rain and never question the crazy lady with the head torch. To the kids I have taught, those I took from non runners to national title holders, those who I encouraged to keep doing sport when they left school and still send me messages of their athletic feats. And most of all for a few friends who have had a tough time in life, but who still encourage me, message me with luck and congratulations, this next 8 week block of hard core training is for you. If you can do what you are doing, I can put on trainers and go for a jog. Check out this very special lady (<a href="http://charlotteeaston.blogspot.co.uk/">http://charlotteeaston.blogspot.co.uk/</a>)<br />
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So that is the answer for the school girl, who quickly lost interest in her dull PE teacher, I run to inspire others, I run because I feel it is what I am good at and I believe if you have a talent you should use it, not just for your own personal gain, but to help others achieve their dreams. I am never going to make a living out of running, I am never going to achieve world peace, but I hope by just inspiring a handful of people to run, their lives might too be improved like mine and that is all I can ever ask.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-28363991556273551452014-01-13T05:51:00.000-08:002014-01-13T05:51:08.396-08:00Country to Capital 45<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf_0XW_ZRg7St0X8htK8kjfUaQ13dEfeubUQkQbYmmK-4ug2Yw-v_y8WtTa8ZWuCO00c6ar_ORcPbF2GOFpnWxa6AxYp5qni_vF0lTAQ_s_r9ovgufdZbdiVndTPFRl9GxLuP_SMvS7y5/s1600/IMG_1189_resized.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf_0XW_ZRg7St0X8htK8kjfUaQ13dEfeubUQkQbYmmK-4ug2Yw-v_y8WtTa8ZWuCO00c6ar_ORcPbF2GOFpnWxa6AxYp5qni_vF0lTAQ_s_r9ovgufdZbdiVndTPFRl9GxLuP_SMvS7y5/s320/IMG_1189_resized.jpeg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race to the Gate....I didn't contend, Im on it next year</td></tr>
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There is nothing like a plan coming together. There is nothing like the weather gods having peed all over you for every single training session, turning their spouts off and letting the sun shine on the beauty of a hard earnt effort. There is nothing like joining a team who look after you, encourage you and will sacrifice their own races to help you achieve their goals and there is nothing like working so hard and bloody achieving what you set out to do. How often does that happen in life? Once or twice? When you can sit back and say, I did everything I could and everything I did was rewarded. And I wont lie to you it feels so fantastic!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjQBjuyIpJNSRDSPnNZGQD02sxqw2xdENQLPwaoWRAMO2Xj4R9pFI7fOYtLZ4xAFQmmM6fOmkaUt-t684mscL8bT0U_BYw_JTVxkYbgztnCXKMIdMFncZNDg1z7VWLD6SzL58cA4onUvz/s1600/GOPR0110_1389561397781_low_resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjQBjuyIpJNSRDSPnNZGQD02sxqw2xdENQLPwaoWRAMO2Xj4R9pFI7fOYtLZ4xAFQmmM6fOmkaUt-t684mscL8bT0U_BYw_JTVxkYbgztnCXKMIdMFncZNDg1z7VWLD6SzL58cA4onUvz/s320/GOPR0110_1389561397781_low_resized.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the Team....</td></tr>
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I had a week taper leading up to the race, but was still mad busy, going back to school, organsing the kids, coaching, writing training plans, plus making sure everyone was fed and had the right pants (or at least clean) on. I did one sneaky speed session of 6 x 400m on the Wednesday and I was flying- I didn't even tell my husband, not wanting to jinx how great my legs felt or how quick they were going. Of course I did a little jog on Friday and felt like a complete slug so there goes my smugness.<br />
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James Elson and I had swapped a few e mails with my race plan on. I live in the countryside so running knee deep in mud is what I do most days, but I knew I could easily go out too hard and pay for it by crawling along the canal. I ran well at Downslink in October by running the first 20 miles super easy and then building from there. I then had a shocker at Beachy Head Marathon, so I was a little scared about my ability to run well over a period of time. I also had not run over 19 miles since Gatliff in November. Rather spending all my energy and time getting my speed back, which had never really returned between babies. I was turning out some pretty fast sessions, they hurt really bad andrelearning how to hold onto pace and dig deep when it hurts, hurts real bad. So I am living proof you don't need to run a long way to run fast in ultras, you just need to be really stupid and enjoy immense pain.<br />
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So back to the plan, the aim was to get to the canal in the best shape not spending even an extra ounce of energy worrying about anything apart from running well, tall and strong. I was very fortunate that Tim Adams very kindly ran the first part with me, he knew the way back to front and was great company, we were joined by Alfie, they knew each other through BMF, and they enjoyed flexing their biceps at each other as we went through gates. Through the first check point in bang on an hour. Tim was a bit nervous saying I normally go through this in 1hr 15, but the pace felt good and we were ahead of the rest of the pack which is where we wanted to be so as least we stood some chance through the knee deep mud.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7Peff-H6-OyWKXxUcfJJsIgBabW8bJSI1zn6k-GTJ2TV6IFCJPwRh8_pEAH7FHtdJ6mhXgNX0Nx7l2q9IbIeS_dP96-aQ-z0QVsHNxKPOGYbS1NXSxtL_kx7_2nFO5pxOTFkQAi79iog/s1600/IMG_20140112_220804_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7Peff-H6-OyWKXxUcfJJsIgBabW8bJSI1zn6k-GTJ2TV6IFCJPwRh8_pEAH7FHtdJ6mhXgNX0Nx7l2q9IbIeS_dP96-aQ-z0QVsHNxKPOGYbS1NXSxtL_kx7_2nFO5pxOTFkQAi79iog/s320/IMG_20140112_220804_resized.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim the Train- look at the view (and the mud)</td></tr>
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By the second check point we had been over taken by another female and a few other runners, who then continued to keep disappearing in the distance only to reappear behind us after going the wrong way. Eventually they gave up and joined the Tim Train. I was feeling good, though aware that we were just slightly pushing the pace, but I sat at the back of the group, trying to just focus on eating, relaxing and not falling over. I had a chat with Bonnie, I try to be friendly, but I am really sorry during a race I am just too competitive to start exchanging anything but a pleasant greeting.<br />
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So we reached the canal in just under 3hrs. After a quick pee stop and a hug with Tim (the train), Alfie and I ran on. 8 mins miles was the advised pace, we dialled this in and started the long slog home. We were in 8th and 9th place. I took one sneaky look behind and couldnt see Bonnie. I vowed not to look again. It was my race to lose now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsMz-Y5eDrPcU31CNecWcTtWY7tMfLXDmMH3GC4D6HnFm00EL8g1H_s7XKgKJjSiC6jYqTWrvDnkgIh-5nBajNS-5qgnPnS0U9VKsmPzEjhusjXND7BLcK5SevXYTiI4-8d6PvhJnUJKz/s1600/999917_10151961969338371_1361045970_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsMz-Y5eDrPcU31CNecWcTtWY7tMfLXDmMH3GC4D6HnFm00EL8g1H_s7XKgKJjSiC6jYqTWrvDnkgIh-5nBajNS-5qgnPnS0U9VKsmPzEjhusjXND7BLcK5SevXYTiI4-8d6PvhJnUJKz/s1600/999917_10151961969338371_1361045970_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes I am crying.</td></tr>
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After a few miles, 8 mins miles felt good, easy if I can say that and we were gradually increasing the pace and reeling in 7th place, 6th place, 5th place... 7mins 15 mile pace and I felt good. Legs were hurting, hammys were tight, quads were burning, but really nothing too bad and nothing that I wasnt secretly quite enjoying. I was totally absorbed in the task of getting to Paddington, I dont think I looked up at the canal once, I did not let myself have one negative thought. My strength in Ironman was always the relentless pace on the bike, I could sit for hours grinding out a hard pace and I feel I have found that momentum in ultra running now. So we got to 39 miles, Alfie was beginning to suffer. He had been such a fab new friend, but he shouted for me to go on and I ran with all my heart over those last few miles, overtaking one more boy to finish 4th overall. Weeping as I rounded the corner to see my husband, knowing that all my hard work had paid off will perhaps be one of the best moments of my life. Not only had I won and broken the course record, but I had proved to myself that me, the athlete me, was still capable of some exciting achievements and having kids hadn't spelt the end of my dreams. 4th overall, 1st woman, 5hrs 42 mins, 25 mins off the course record.<br />
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Sitting down, mumbling incoherently, downing sugared tea and cake and then being wrapped in a blanket all felt a bit surreal. Husband is unbelievably proud, which touches me hugely as he has seen all my athletic achievements, we left the kids down the road with Grandma and Grandad knowing that when I finish they instantly want attention and right now I am not able to even stand up. We both savour the moment, chatting to new and old friends, Alfie finishes strong-he is one to watch, Tim comes in pleased, but having tired a little. We have a little trophy presentation sitting on chairs (love it!) and then I start shaking and needing warmth so we head off to the car. Back to the kids, chaos and real life. And its all over.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhDrtocCi5jcJMI5gEVo5DTHHXEEfgQdVU90-mX_6R5JW4rkAOfc17QLpXA1kshRRJoTINJeBpAxHRyZeh4jAEqK4h0Oe25s6iwxIv8FQ8fvBfL7UGIvVT4DVoNL8b1eeqtxAiuN6xxfM/s1600/1503300_10151961969298371_1863896738_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhDrtocCi5jcJMI5gEVo5DTHHXEEfgQdVU90-mX_6R5JW4rkAOfc17QLpXA1kshRRJoTINJeBpAxHRyZeh4jAEqK4h0Oe25s6iwxIv8FQ8fvBfL7UGIvVT4DVoNL8b1eeqtxAiuN6xxfM/s1600/1503300_10151961969298371_1863896738_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
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I dont feel too bad, legs are stiff and I am tired, but we manage to drive home without a 'nappy bag' incident (see previous blog posts), force kids into bed for 6.20pm (paid for that on Sunday morning!) and lay on the sofa for the next 4hrs coming off a post gel and cake high and eating my own body weight in chips. But I dont mind the pain, I dont mind the chaffing. I would do it all again tomorrow. There is something about this long distance running that has me hooked.<br />
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I cant thank Tim and Alfie enough for being such fun running buddies and to Team Centurion for all their support. This is just the beginning.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-68935147250045616062014-01-07T03:22:00.000-08:002014-01-07T03:22:43.347-08:00Chasing TimeThe biggest shock in my life came after I had my first child. Bam! There you go Mum-yes that's you now, here's the child, oh yes that's Daddy, but he is about to go back to work, to his job, his friends, his routine, here you are, this is you now. Sorry-did you want to go out, no the baby needs feeding, sorry did you want to go to the loo? No you must take me with you. A shower? You are joking? And now you want to go running? Are you having a laugh?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteab5qLMqdX9yg_TH9lAU3W4R7IVbiWOxPwzAcBJmz5KrEjFQ_4-4ZP7NChAFf4fLSK7cyafPDg4EBRYsLxJi2AASlD9Y3SRmkntcDZSoRaBfVVoI04jnRKOm-HtQ-fQviOXZzUitOxtJ/s1600/102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteab5qLMqdX9yg_TH9lAU3W4R7IVbiWOxPwzAcBJmz5KrEjFQ_4-4ZP7NChAFf4fLSK7cyafPDg4EBRYsLxJi2AASlD9Y3SRmkntcDZSoRaBfVVoI04jnRKOm-HtQ-fQviOXZzUitOxtJ/s1600/102.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a><br />
But I really want to. And anything I really want to do I do (ask my sisters!)!<br />
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Hang on you are you just getting the gist of me? I know lets have another one! Woooooohooo, now you really don't have time to change your pants lets alone get out the door without 2 small helpers. But slowly, like everything in life you learn to cope, you learn to adapt, you see life as changed not ruined. Your inner self isn't changed, it just is seen by others in a different form. Most of my Mum friends don't even know I run-why should they? Its what I do as my hobby, the fact it dictates my everyday living is my choice, its an addiction which feeds the Mum side of me, enabling me to cope with the demands of kids with strength, power and courage.<br />
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So now my children are still wee, but we are coming out of the baby stage. Huge milestones like not needing a pram all the time, a highchair or endless food options makes life so much easier (and palming them off on grandparents way easier!). And in return I really feel like am finally back to my pre baby self both physically and mentally. Its been really hard. Ive fought, mainly against myself, to get out the door and get fit again. Feeling guilty and sad leaving them, but knowing if I don't I will be dragged down with the endless chores and the monotony of staying at home.<br />
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Running wise I think I am in the best shape I have perhaps ever been in. I am putting together some great training, but just don't get the important rest I need to really make the training count. But, that's my choice, I know in two years time the kids will be at school and I will get some more time to rest, to develop my personal training business and tidy the house! I am not a patient person, I want everything now, I want to be the best I can be now, but this form of me is the best I can be at the moment. As I tell the athletes I coach you can only be the best you can be at the moment in time and that is me now. Ive done every session I have set myself through a pretty rough few months with endless sick kids and no sleep. Ive eaten the best I could and been to bed ridiculously early.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWzryM-sFOli_6W_71Hcjs51PPYbxuQXAKEorx3tcfBXImKn3TwF4pJoWNnoKtbDHqy9UCaF1-rDR6sfNbxsLEJQmgGYVHmg9O7rq0IOKGtUNR3ARVvCQzDzQLoFNhbNG80nGyKi1iEak/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWzryM-sFOli_6W_71Hcjs51PPYbxuQXAKEorx3tcfBXImKn3TwF4pJoWNnoKtbDHqy9UCaF1-rDR6sfNbxsLEJQmgGYVHmg9O7rq0IOKGtUNR3ARVvCQzDzQLoFNhbNG80nGyKi1iEak/s1600/008.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>So the start of 2014 season is upon me. This Saturday I race Country to Capital which I did last year as my first ultra; then I was still feeding the baby, had just done about 3 months running and was keen to just get round. My goals now couldn't be more different. What a change a year makes. So, though I am impatient to get my life back. to achieve all my dreams, I know and am learning to wait a little longer, time flies and we will never get back these precious baby moments. This Saturday, whatever the result, I am a different person to the one who lined up last year. I am proud of what I have achieved and as always immensely grateful to those who support me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSji2e2SM5ayKRob2XDohN5jDzMhUGUQgiA-jDJAEqD1eF5SfvLdfpCmZLi7vRXRfCEieBabH8byyIaT5MRi1qRqajPAP4pFfUvqWQqCgRbDY4CJg4xQf1gCo6CX4x8HQFWtfhfoVsRXEc/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSji2e2SM5ayKRob2XDohN5jDzMhUGUQgiA-jDJAEqD1eF5SfvLdfpCmZLi7vRXRfCEieBabH8byyIaT5MRi1qRqajPAP4pFfUvqWQqCgRbDY4CJg4xQf1gCo6CX4x8HQFWtfhfoVsRXEc/s1600/041.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Chase your dreams in 2014,<br />
don't accept anything but your best. Saviour every moment, even those which are hard, for its these that make us strong. Enjoy the good times, call friends, sit and listen to silence. I'm learning life is too short to wish away.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006107012745339483.post-1365132043142485462013-11-25T04:30:00.000-08:002013-11-25T04:30:09.302-08:00Gatliff 50km or 56km or maybe even 60kmYesterday I did the Gatliff 50km,. I had heard epic tales of mud, rain, cows and hours and hours of following descriptive directions. I have done three other LDWA events this year, I like their informality, friendliness and the chance to get some easy miles in with good company. The ' lunch' stops are also pretty awesome, hot soup, sandwiches, pies, cake. I think I consume more calories than I burn. It didn't disappoint. I set off on my own and was happy running at my own pace, following directions. I was pretty tired from a big week of training plus one child with chicken pox, so was quite relishing being in my own company, knee deep in mud. I was making good progress till I hit Ashdown Forest, here I met some nice guys from Norfolk and we wandered back and forth a bit trying to find some heather or bush to turn right at. We then. of course, fitted the description to our location and off we trotted. After about ten minutes, we realised we had gone wrong, but we weren't sure about the way back either. So about 25 minutes later, 2 car parks later and a lots of hilarious conversations with dog owners we found the check point. Here the walkers shook their heads and plastic cups at our idiocy, all fun though. I cracked on and enjoyed the rest of the day with only a few minor mistakes (ahem!). My legs held up well and though they were struggling with stiles at the end (I reckon there were over 1,000) I was pleased with how used I am getting to running on sore legs and it is phasing me less knowing that once they really start to hurt, it doesnt get much worse so you might as well crack on and stop moaning! In total I did 35 miles, about 56km which I think was what a lot of people recorded, apart from the guy who wrote the instructions who always seemed to be at every check point munching on a mars bar/milky way and looking suitably smug.<br />
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That's my last 'event' now till Country to Capital in January. I have a busy few weeks ahead, with end of term, kids nativity plays, Christmas fairs and coaching sessions. One of the guys I ran with commented on how the hell I fit in all my training and kids and that is down to two things. Determination and my husband. Firstly I really, really want to be the best I can be at ultra running, and it doesn't come easy. I have to get up and go out in the pitch black day in, day out, I only have a few slots I can run in, so however much sleep I have had, if I want to train I cant faff about I have to get out and get on with it. When my husband comes home I often have to be waiting on the doorstep to head out, exchanging quick instructions about tea or washing to go out and I am off. The minute I am out the door though 9 times out of 10 I am focused on the session and wouldn't want to be anywhere else, even when its mile reps. Secondly my husband plays a huge part in the amount of training and racing I can do, in fact he positively encourages it. Some may think he wants me out of the house, so him and the kids can eat bacon sandwiches and watch the rugby, but I think he sees what a huge amount of enjoyment and satisfaction I get from running. I know I am blessed with the support I get, yesterday I got home to a clean house, happy kids, a lasagna in the oven and then he took the kids to sweep up the leaves (I know our kids are very lucky) whilst I had a shower and 15minutes power kip. So here's to you husband and determination, please carry on working so well together over the next few weeks and lets see what we can deliver on that canal post 20 miles in January. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06730894536134002553noreply@blogger.com0