Better second time around!

It's taken a while, but finally I've gotten around to posting my report on the Chester Marathon. In a word - success!! Nice even pacing, no rush of blood to the head in the first half, the legs and knees behaved themselves and all resulted in a 14 minute PB! After London in April, I decided to continue with the long runs and continue with training 4/5 days per week. As the Summer wore on those 20 mile runs became slightly easier and faster. Most times the first 10 miles were a struggle then the second 10 became quicker and easier. On a nice crisp autumn morning in Chester, I managed to put all this training in to practice. Relaxed out the first 10K, popped a dextrosol tablet and had a swig or two of water (a no gel policy this time due to stomach cramping). Started running with a couple who were happy to trot along at 8:30/mile pace. Through halfway at just under 1hr 50m, popped another dextrosol and a few more swigs of water. I carried a bottle of high-5 electrolyte drink which I swigged occasionally to replace the salts. The Cheshire / North Wales countryside was very scenic and the support through the villages en-route made for a what seemed more of a training run when compared to the high intensity of London.(Having your name printed on your number was great as the supporters mentoned your name when they shouted encouragement - although running near a young attractive blonde female runner for around 8 miles meant I was overlooked by the majority of the males in the crowd!) I knew I would need to supplement my dextrosol tablets with some of the isotonic drinks but I limited it to 3 or 4 mouthfuls every 5/6 miles. The second half of the race headed back towards Chester and was probably more hilly than the first half. However, with a relatively easy first half under my belt and the psychological boost that comes from passing over 200 runners who have had their wheels come off meant I actually sped up in parts. The drag from 23 to 25 miles was a slow uphill climb, but as Chester came into sight it didn't appear to matter and I was just happy to be moving freely with just a couple of miles to go. The last mile past the riverside and into the race course was great. I had that last 200 yards on the race course almost to myself and the noise of the crowd inspired me to perform a couple of "mo-bots" in the last few yards. The organisation of the race and location made for a great day and I will try my best to be fit for next year.

Tougher second time around!

Has the Summer passed already? Where did it go? With kids holidays and the olympics / paralympics this Summer has been a blur. In amongst all this there is a marathon to train for! Only one month to go until its time to toe the line in Chester. This will be my second marathon and although I'm desperate to do well and improve on my pb, the panic and motivation levels are not quite what they were for London. Running an autumn marathon as opposed to a spring marathon brings some new challenges. The number of distractions during the Summer and the warmer weather haven't helped. Now with 1 month to go the panic is starting to set in. The training has been sporadic but I think the fitness levels from April are helping to carry me through. Well here's hoping!!

The real relay

Well the IT band injury seems to be under control. The pain hasn't gone completely but it's reduced to a slight niggle and can be controlled with some ice and the occassional ibuprofen. Back into increasing the mileage and this week I was given the opportunity to combine a long run with carrying the unofficial olympic torch. I accompanied Jonathon Steele on the Boston Spa to Harewood house leg. As the real relay is being run 24hrs/day and being carried all the way, our leg took place between 1am and 3am. In order to avoid dangerous busy roads we took a 10.5mile route via sickglinhall and a slightly overgrown public footpath. I still have the nettle stings for my sins. All in it was a great run on a nice summer evening, and it was reassuring to know I wasn't the only mad person who thinks it a good idea to help carry a plastic stick, with a gps stuck on the end, around the country. Please google the "real relay" for more info.

The heat is on

Scorchio!
What can I say. Hats off to all those who completed the Edinburgh marathon in the relentless heat. Ok by Saharan desert standards it was tame, but think about where the majority of runners were coming from. Most would reside in the north half of the UK and will have done most of their training and long runs in rain, slush or snow (or all three in one run). To then suddenly be faced with 20C + must have been hard psychologically, especially for the first timers. Just contending with the distance, pacing and fueling strategies is hard enough without also having to completely re-think it all due to the heat! It is important to remember in these situations to avoid guzzling gallons of water and still obey your thirst.
As I was nearby visiting my parents I decided to pop along and watch the runners at Port Seton as you could see them go out at 13 miles and come back at 22 miles. I was most impressed how good most looked at 22 miles. Many had obviously been sensible and adjusted their strategy accordingly. Well done again.

Listen to the (IT) Band

So my knee held up during the Leeds half, but within minutes of finishing it became extremely sore and stiff. The pain was on the outside of my left knee, running from about halfway down the knee cap to just underneath. After a bit of "googling" that evening, I discovered it was illiotibial band syndrome (ITBS). Ok, so now I know what's causing the pain how do I get rid of it and how quickly? One of the main causes of ITBS is running on banked pavements or roads, especially if you run regularly in the same direction. This seemed the most likely cause as I was guilty of doing my circular long runs in the same direction, so the left leg was constantly on the slope of the pavement. The next question was how to treat it and get back out on the road? As I've put myself through a lot of miles since January and my next big target is the Chester marathon in Oct, for once I could afford myself the luxury of taking a couple of weeks out. That was the rest part covered but what about exercises or stretches to speed up the recovery. Looking on the net and through some of the running books I've acquired over the years (The Runner's Body by Tucker, Dugas and Fitzgerald is one of my favourites and can be picked up fairly cheaply - on amazon and the like), there are plenty of stretching exercises to help loosen the IT band so that it stops rubbing on the outside of the knee. Some of the advice also suggests regularly placing ice packs on the swollen area. However, what should you do if there is no swelling? My theory on swelling (and it is supported by others) is that it is not always a bad thing and if managed properly it can do some good. Essentially swelling is the bodies way of allowing more blood cells, and nutrients to gain access to an area where damaged cells need to be removed or repaired. If swelling is allowed to persist too long (say overnight) then the presence of all those primed overactive blood cells in your joints can start to cause damage and this is where ice (and some ibuprofen) would be required. If like myself, there is no evidence of swelling, then each evening I have been rubbing deep heat into the afflicted area to encourage those blood cells to increase their flow around the IT band and do some of their good work for an hour or two. So far it seems to be working. Connective tissue doesn't have a particularly great blood supply and this is why tendons and ligaments can take a while to heal, so every now and then the blood flow needs a little encouragement. One of the main side effects of resting up on the back of marathon training is that my appetite has not reduced with the mileage, so the quicker the recovery the better, before I need to consider buying wider shorts for the Summer months!!

Spring Challenge Complete

Despite the left knee threatening to end my Spring fundraising challenge, I'm happy to report that the Leeds half marathon was negotiated succesfully. Three halfs plus the VLM in three months. Not bad for someone, up until this year, who did no more than one half per year and struggled each time to break 2 hrs. All three 1/2's this year have been completed in under 1h 40m. Even at 40+ I think we all have it in us to kick it up a notch. One of the most satisfying parts of today were that many of my colleagues and friends also beat personal records on a hilly and windy course. Well done to all who completed Leeds today.

Next stop Leeds

The last 3 weeks have flown by. When I initially signed up for Leeds half marathon I figured there would be sufficient resting time between VLM and my next race. How wrong was I? The last couple of weeks have consisted of a couple short plods around the park and putting ice on the various niggles. Under normal circumstances I would be tempted to take a rest and leave Leeds until next year but like many "sane " soles who put themselves through the joys of distance running I am also raising money for a good cause. If you have time please check out the following link www.justgiving.com/Annie-Schofield. If there was ever motivation required to get out and run, regardless of the weather, is the realisation of how lucky we are to be fit and healthy and that there are many worse of than ourselves.