Sports Bra Fitting

As all women will know apart from trainers the other important item for running is a sports bra. Sweatshop have a video on YouTube about correct fitting, well worth watching. I didn't realise that your sports bra should be replaced as often as your trainers.....




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

My thought process during last weekends race....

Before the start - "Right, I know my pace, I know I can do the distance..... But boy isn't it crowded here.... I wonder how long it will take me to cross the start line... Should I have worn a shorts ? Should I have had a bit more to drink ? Should I have bought some water with me ? I wonder how warm this is going to get......

Miles 0 - 1 - "we're off ! Well, at least the walk to the start, does this count as a warm up ? It's still pretty crowded here... Hope I don't trip over anyone.... Why is the first mile so narrow.... I wonder when the front runners will come back past... Can I keep this pace up ?"

Miles 1-2 - "why is it still so crowded ? All I want is a little bit of space...I know I'm warmed up... Can I go just a bit faster ??"

Miles 2-3 - " right, I can see the half way point in the distance... I wonder if it is the theory of relativity in that the faster you run the slower you seem to cover a mile... The sun is lovely, but it's getting a bit warm... I wonder if my mascara is starting to run...."

Miles 3-4 -" ok, over half way now, why did I think this race was a good idea ?? I could be having a nice easy run over the downs, no crowds of other runners, a gentle breeze and great views.... Or I could still be in bed, yes, that's it, on a Sunday morning I should still be in bed"

Miles 4-5 -" right, that's it, I'm never running this race again. Why I ever thought it would be a good idea I don't know. I can see the pier, it's near the finish, but it isn't getting any closer.... Can I keep this pace up ? The faster I run the sooner it will be over....I hate running on roads. It is all too flat, hills are nice, you get a breather downhill... This is all too....... constant....... And I'm expected to run the whole thing ! There are people watching, and cheering, so I can't walk a bit... Of god, why did I ever take up running !"

Miles 5-6 - " I think I'm going to be sick. Think breathing, concentrate on the breathing, don't think about being sick.... Look at the sea, it's all..... blue.... And sea like..... and the pier is getting a bit closer.... Just don't think about being sick..."

Miles 6-6.2 - " I can see the finish ! Can I push just that little bit harder... A few sounds may make a difference.... Of god, I really feel sick now......deep breath, concentrate, yay, it's over !"

10 minutes later..... Great ! A new PB ! What a wonderful race.... If I train a bit harder I wonder what time I can get next year...... I wonder if I'm going to look as though I wanted to throw up in the photos.....


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Data junkie

Well, I am a bit of a data junkie. I download and look at the details of each run, looking at how I have run.

I find it fascinating to see the changes over time. One useful thing is to be able to look at split times to see how well I have managed to pace myself. Before I start a race I have worked out the pace I need to run at to achieve any target time I have. During a race I tend not to look at the total elapsed time, but I do look at my split time for each mile (my watch beeps each mile to make it easy to check) this lets me know how I am doing compared to my target.... I also try and run on feel.... So I know what the pace feels like (aka quite how knackered it is making me feel....) and carry on running on that "feel" I can tell if I am slowing down or speeding up on how out of breath I am, is it making my lungs burn... and am I about to throw up....

The other thing I have learnt is that it gradually gets harder to knock the same amount of time off your pace because proportionally it becomes far more..... To improve by 30 secs a mile from a 10 min/mile pace is a 5% improvement.... To improve by 30 secs a mile from a 5 min/mile pace is a 10% improvement. So the seconds really start to count...

I now have no races planned until Brighton marathon, I may enter something between now and then but my training will be geared to getting round the marathon. I have no time target and I will be running with Holly so our aim is to finish rather than race. If it goes well I may run another marathon, if I don't enjoy it I won't. I really quite enjoy running half marathons so I may just work at improving my time for these events... But, at this point in time who knows what I will do :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Brooks Brighton 10k

Well, it was more amazing weather today for the Brooks Brighton 10k. It is November and it was still 14C and sunny ! At home it is still foggy and 8C. Luckily it wasn't too windy and it was really only the last 3.5 km that we were running in to the wind.

There were a total of 2700 runners that started the race, and a few of them were other runners from Steyning AC...

I haven't done much running this week since last weekends HM... A mix of recovery and "taper" all in one week :)

Last year I ran this race in 60:15, in May I ran the Bupa London 10k in 55:40 and today I finished in 52:25.

I think a big part of this improvement has been down to me joining Steyning AC and running with them regularly, I know I would never push myself as hard on my own as I do at their coaching sessions, so thank you Steyning AC :)

Anyway, these are a couple of photos before the start...






Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Poppy Half Marathon

Well, I have a new personal best time of 2:02:57 for a half marathon. I didn't break the two hour barrier but to be honest I'm very happy with the time I achieved :)

Running in the dark....

I went for an interesting run last night, in the dark, rain and fog over the Downs.... It wasn't that cold but it was pretty muddy in places ! The run was partly to test quite how good my head torch is and also to try eating Clif Shotbloks whilst running.

I have tried different gels, jelly babies etc whilst running but I'm still trying to find something that I get on with. I find most gels a bit strange in that they seem to stick to the inside of your mouth... And I don't get on with chewing jelly babies (or jelly beans) whilst running. Shotbloks seem like a good compromise...

Anyway, back to the run.... We didn't see another person whilst on the Downs, not surprising really ! We did however scare several pheasants and other birds.

On the last downhill section they have cattle grazing as part of a downland scheme; this means that the paths have been really churned up and were incredibly muddy. We did walk part of this section, a mixture of mud, rain and chalk is not good to run on especially without spikes... I still ended up on my bum in the mud at one point, no serious damage done though !

Anyway, this is a photo of me, complete with head torch in the dark. The photo was taken on an iPhone and the only light available was from our head torches :)

Would I do it again ? Yes :)




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Makeup and running

I think I am like most women who run.... You find that as soon as you start running so does any trace of makeup that you have on you. At the start of the run you can look perfectly groomed with flawless makeup and by the end of it you resemble a pink sweaty version of Daisy the pantomime cow with mascara smeared all round your eyes making them sting even more than the sweat running in to them.

But not any longer ! I have found (totally by accident) some makeup that stays put..... I went out running with the club straight after seeing clients, in such a rush that I forgot to take my makeup off... And at the end of the run it was still in place ! I was still a bit pink in the face and dishevelled but at least my makeup wasn't smeared over my face :)

So, the magic makeup is by Lancôme; they make a waterproof eyeliner ( kohl pencil) and mascara that really is waterproof, and sweat proof :)

So, at the end of my next race the finishing photo may just show a hint of mascara ;)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Food Hospital - Channel 4

There was a very interesting program on Channel 4 last night called the food hospital. The program looks at how you can use food instead of medicine to help improve your health.

One person they followed was a 7 year old boy who suffers from really bad migraines; just by changing his diet they were able to stop his migraines... And this child has been on medication for them for years..

It really does make me wonder what we eat without realising it.... I know from my own experiences with my son as soon as we took food colourings out of his diet then he wasn't anywhere near as hyperactive as he used to be, he is still sensitive to caffeine and needs to avoid it if he wants to get a good nights sleep ! When you start reading the back of food packets it is surprising what is actually in them (have you ever wondered how some shop bought cakes stay fresh for weeks ??)

I'm trying to avoid as much processed food as possible. I still like the odd bar of chocolate and cake from the bakers but with our everyday food I do try and make sure that where possible the list of ingredients is something that you don't need a chemistry degree to understand !


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad