The end of another year......

Well, I'm sitting writing this with a glass of wine in front of the log burner with the two dogs asleep by my feet. To be honest I can't think of a better way to see the New Year in !

This year has been quite a year, in total I have run 1,092 miles lots of them off road in all sorts of conditions. At the start of the year we had snow and ice.. And the end of the year mud and rain ! There have been lots of beautiful sunrises, sunsets and gorgeous runs over the South Downs.

I think that I'm really lucky to live where I do and get out and take advantage of it. I don't ever want to turn round one day when I can't run any more and wish that I had tried; I want to turn round and remember what it felt like even in the mud and rain, it just makes to u feel so alive !

This year I have qualified as a Run Leader and I'm well on the way to become a fully qualified endurance running coach, something I would have never thought possible a few years ago.

So, as one year end and another begins I think it is fair to say that none of us knows what tomorrow holds, all we can do is live life to the full today :)

It has started....

Marathon training that is..... Ok, so this week hasn't been brilliant; trying to fit runs in the week before Christmas never looked easy but I will have done most of them and at the moment the mileage is no different to the amount I've been doing for the last few months, it is after Christmas it increases.......

This is always a reflective time of year as one draws to a close and another is about to start.

One thing I have learnt is that you will never really know what life will throw at you but for me running helps keep me sane. It is my therapy.

As I sit here listening to the wind and rain outside I know this afternoons run will be very muddy and a bit tough in places (the running in to the wind places) but I also know how exhilarating that feels.... You may not be able to see far on the top of the Downs some days but I do know the routes I run very well now so the chances of getting lost in bad weather are quite low.

In theory today is my last day of work before Christmas, I then have a week off. I still have Christmas shopping to do and loads to sort out at home before people come and stay so I'm sure I will be busy. I'm also arranging a club run for Christmas Day so I need to get that sorted.

Then, if I have a spare half day I have all the work it need to do for my Cirf course. I had the last weekends training last weekend so now I need to knuckle down and get the coaching diary written up and the sessions planned for the next few months so that I can get my assessment booked for the first half of the year. Oh, and did I mention that I'm away again in January ? The best part of a week in London speaking at Europes largest annual photographic convention.... and I still have my presentations to finish...

Best get on with it all and hope you all have a wonderful Christmas x

A real milestone....

Today a group of the runners from the group that I started just after Easter took part in the Worthing Running Sisters Christmas Cracker run. This is great because they have a 5k and 10k run at the same time so the slightly more adventurous in the group could run the 10k :)

Our first ever group member Judy ran the 10k, she was the only one in the group to do this so I ran with her the whole way talking gibberish half the way round with Judy trying so hard she couldn't always reply ! This is a massive achievement for someone who couldn't run at Easter this year to complete her first 10k in just over an hour, especially as the first half was running in to wind. I must admit I'm so proud of all our runners, turning up, giving it a go and they all made it to the finish :) There was the incentive of mince pies.....

I have just finished putting my marathon training plan in to my calendar on Garmin Connect; it looks like a lot of running... I haven't totalled it up yet so I'm not sure how many miles I will do, I may leave that as a nice surprise :)

I do have a target this year. Based on my half marathon time in theory I *should* be able to achieve a 4:03 marathon time but to be honest I do feel that is a bit optimistic so I'm aiming for 4:15 to 4:30 which based on past performance should be achievable. All I need to do is the training, especially the mid week pace runs which historically is something I'm quite bad at doing. Looks like I will have to program my Garmin to nag me !

I must admit it is a bit scary actually admitting what I want to achieve. It isn't something I do that often but I do have this hidden ambition to run a sub 4hr marathon, maybe not next year but hopefully sometime soon after that :)

Wow !

I found out at last nights training session that I had been awarded Club Member of the Year and Most Improved Runner at last Fridays annual awards dinner. Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the dinner because I was working..... The first one I have missed for a couple of years !

The Club Member of the Year was for the work I have done setting up the beginners group and getting it going and growing ! I must admit this is something I have really enjoyed doing and I am really enjoying the training that I'm doing towards my next coaching qualification.

So, all in all it has been quite a good running year for me. I have beaten my half marathon PB ( something I really wanted to do this year) and in each race I have beaten my previous course time...... I'm now starting to plan next year, my marathon training and setting some targets for races later in the year :)

PS as soon as I receive the trophies I will no doubt post a photo !

Found it !

Well, not long after giving up all hope of finding my head torch (and about to order a new one) it magically re-appeared..... Right at the back under my desk....

I'm not sure quite who the culprit was but it was one of my two four legged friends....

Anyway, it's back and I'm running !

A new half marathon PB

Well, yesterday I got a new half marathon PB of 1:55:50 at Gosport. I think we were really lucky with the weather, it was cool but not cold with a slight breeze rather than the gale we had for the Great South Run.

I hadn't had the ideal race preparation; I had spent the previous two days photographing weddings. This isn't as glamorous as it may sound. It is normally 12 hours at a time, most of it on your feet with quite heavy kit, not eating properly and not drinking anywhere near enough.

What with that and I had still been running with the dogs over the Downs each morning so they got their exercise I wouldn't have been surprised if I hadn't beaten my PB.

On the drive down there I gave myself a good talking to. At each race this year I have beaten my previous course best and at the Great South Run I had proved that I could run the pace I needed to for 10 miles..... I just hadn't done as many long distances as I had wanted and really wasn't sure if I could maintain it for another three, I was worried about running out of energy as much as anything.

I took my own water, I just can't get on with running and drinking from cups, I gave it another go but for me it just doesn't work. I also had some Clif shot bloks with me and had these at miles 5 and 7.

The course is just about as flat as you can get although if it is windy and raining I don't think the sections through the airport would be much fun !

I had planned to stay just below 9min miles and apart from a mental wobble at mile 7 I managed it. I just have to stay focused, not let my concentration drift and tell myself I can do it !

Anyway, here is the Garmin data



And here is the medal :)

Lots to learn !

Last weekend was my first two days training for my Coach in a Running Fitness qualification... this is quite a step up from the Leader in Running Fitness course that I did in March and goes in to an awful lot more detail about the technical model of running as well as learning how to coach.

I now have my homework to go and complete as well as making a start on my coaching diary before my next training day in December. After that I then have a sixteen week supported practice period and then both written and practical exams (after my training diary has been assessed).

I think I'm only just realising quite how much work goes in to this. As well as the planning aspect I'm busy learning more about nutrition and energy systems as well as the biomechanics of running.

I now have the "curse"; I can't pass another runner without assessing their technique in my head !

This has been fascinating so far and made me assess my own running technique (I need to be able to demonstrate the "proper" way!). It has also made me look at the coaching techniques that I use with the existing group that I run as well as looking at each individual's ability and where they fit on the "Athlete Pathway".

As far as actual running is concerned I have been out and doing some ! I still have a slightly sore Achilles after the Great South Run so I have been doing some specific exercises for it... I have also been back out over the Downs in the mud and rain with the dogs :) I really love running off road, the speed doesn't really matter, it is just the feeling of running through the woods and fields and when you get to the top you really feel as though you are on top of the world.

On the downside I've managed to lose my head torch somewhere so last nights run through the woods in the dark was a bit dodgy...... I keep hoping it will turn up somewhere but I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy another one...

Anyway, this is what it looked like once the rain had cleared earlier today...