I've done it !!

Well, I've passed my final written exam and practical assessments to become a fully qualified UK Athletics running coach :)

I have to say that I spent more time revising for this than I have for any other exam in my life..... The exam has 10 sections and a complete fail in any one of them means that you would fail the written exam....

I don't think I appreciated when I started quite how big a step it was to go from being a running leader to a coach. Over the last 6 months I have been studying nutrition, running technique, coaching technique, creating training plans and planning sessions to cover energy systems, technique and not forgetting the health and safety ! I certainly underestimated the amount of paperwork involved....

After the first weekend away training (two very full days) we had a break of about a month to put what we had learnt in to practice. This was followed by another full day training to see how we had developed and how we had progressed our personal action plans as well as completing set tasks such as a very thorough athlete profile and training plan. It was then over to us to complete our individual coaching diaries.... this did take longer than I thought; with detailed feedback needed from each documented session. Only when my training diary was passed could I book my place on the final assessment day....

I have certainly learnt an awful lot along the way; it has helped me improve my own running as well as my coaching and I'm really looking forward to using the skills I have learnt. I am lucky enough to now be coaching at two local running clubs but if any local runners are looking for personal training plans and coaching then please contact me :)

Brighton Marathon 2014

Well,  I'm still aching as I type this. but that's hardly surprising since it is only 24hrs since the marathon.

This year it was quite a different experience for me because I set out with a goal time in mind. When I entered last year I had initially been planning on running it with my daughter again but after she had a few injuries, illness and holidays we decide to run it individually. This did mean that I was entered in the 4:30 to 5:00 time group, to be honest this didn't really prove much of an issue but it did mean the 4:15 and 4:30 pacers started in the group in front of me so I couldn't realistically plan on using them to get round the marathon !

My training didn't go according to plan either. I had an achilles injury late Oct/Nov last year so I needed to train enough but still give it a chance to heal and I will say that over the last few months it has been getting better so at least I got that bit right ! The thing I didn't do enough of was the mid-week mid-distance tempo runs but I did do quite a few longish runs...

The first 20 miles went according to plan; at the half way point I was on target for my "Gold Medal" goal on 4:15 (I normally have two goals, one I think I can stand a chance of achieving and one that if everything goes amazingly well I might just scrape in... for me my "might just" time was 4:15 and my more realistic goal was sub 4:30)

After 20 miles I started to feel incredibly sick. I found I could only just sip water without being ill and I couldn't face energy gels/shot bloks etc. The downside was I could feel I was low on energy and a bit dehydrated so I knew I really should be eating and drinking. In my training runs I had been fine on shot bloks and water so I don't know quite why this happened..... Part of me wanted "real" food rather than the mush that energy gels, drinks etc seem to be. Perhaps on my long training runs I'll start trying malt loaf or flapjacks rather than squidgy things in packets.

This did slow me down and my pace fell right off. I knew I wasn't going to make the 4:15 so rather than kill myself trying I took regular walk breaks (when the nausea became too bad to run) and tried to remember to smile and enjoy it but nothing can take away quite how hard the last 2 miles were and the main thought going through my head was that when I crossed the finish line I could stop running.

Oh, and by the way.... who hid the finish line ??? It seemed to be ages from the pier before I could see it and by that time I really did want it all to be over !

Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed it. It was just bloody hard work and knackering.

I have said that I'm not running a marathon next year. One of my goals is to run a sub 4 hr marathon and to do this I need to run faster than I do at the moment so next year will be all about getting my half marathon time down. My PB at the moment is 1:55 and for a sub 4 hr marathon it really needs to be closer to 1:45 (or, ideally, below). This will give me a realistic chance of achieving my goal.

So what did I learn this year ?

1. Water and energy gels won't necessarily work....
2. Met office weather forecasts are only accurate that morning (it was forecast heavy rain the day before, on the day it said dry and luckily it was !)
3. Possibly the most important....... Wearing your Lucky Knickers is no substitute for proper training :)

Anyway, for those of you who are interested, this is my Garmin data :)

A fine line....

Well, for me this year it has been a very fine line marathon training between doing enough training and doing too much and getting injured.

I suppose the problem is that I don't take my own advice. My problems started last October when I developed an Achilles problem after the Great South Run. I had bought a pair of trail shoes off the internet (without trying them or making sure they were right for me etc) about a month before. I had opted for a more minimalist style shoe and again, thinking I would be ok, didn't increase the mileage slowly but just switched to the for all my off road runs...

So, after the Great South Run I should have rested, seen a physio and perhaps stopped running in the new trainers. What I did instead was switch to minimalist road shoes, carry on training and then go for a PB less than a month later in a half marathon. When I write this down it does seem a bit stupid really but I think as runners we do tend to believe we have the "immortality" gene or the "it doesn't apply to me" gene where common sense and advice is concerned.

I did take a break of a few days  after the half and my achilles did start to get a bit better. Then I started marathon training and on the lead up to Christmas my Achilles just gradually got worse..... and I carried on running. I did consult the internet and read lots on Achilles problems, I tried heel drops (about 100 per day) as well as lots of stretches and foam rollering. One website worth a mention that actually seems to have sensible advice is Achilles Tendon.com, I think it was at this point I realised that all this started when I changed my trainers...... So, I switched back to my old pairs (they had been relegated to dog walking duties)... and carried on training.

Early January I went for a run. I couldn't even manage a mile before it became quite painful and I realised if I carried on running then I could do some more serious damage. At this point I knew I had to take some time off (rather than just a day !)

I had a 10 day break from running and went to the Marathon Store in London (I was working up there for a week) and had the most thorough gait analysis that I have ever had. The outcome of this was quite interesting. Up until now I have been running in support shoes and had knee problems... I was advised to run in neutral shoes. Yes, I do roll in slightly on one foot but no more than is "normal" and the support shoes  were most probably the cause of my knee problems.

So, I ended up with a rather bright pink pair of trainers !

After my London trip I carried on with the foam rollering, stretching etc and started running again; taking it very easy on speed and hills and by mid-late January I was able to run without too much pain. Yes, it ached and hurt a bit the next day but I was seeing an improvement; I did follow the advice on the Achilles Tendon website as to the level of injury and what you can do....

I have continued training for the marathon but I have also been listening to my body and taking more rest days to prevent my achilles getting any worse and it has gradually been getting better. If I'm honest if I had stopped running for 6 weeks then it would most probably have been completely clear but I wouldn't have down anywhere near enough training for the marathon.

On yesterdays 18 mile run I got to about mile 12 and suddenly realised I hadn't felt anything at all from my achilles :) Yes, it aches slightly this morning but I'll continue with the foam roller, stretching and listening to my body but I do think it is all going to be ok :)

It's been a bit busy lately

I know, that is no excuse for not updating my blog but finding the time to fit everything in can be hard sometimes !

Marathon training is now back on track :) I had a bit of a wobble in Jan; I had an Achilles injury and was really worried that it was going to derail my training completely, especially as it had been going so well !

One good thing about logging my runs is that I could look back and see when it started. The first time I had problems was after the Great South Run in October.... Just before that I had changed my trail shoes to a low heel drop variety thinking I would progress to a more barefoot style. My Achilles didn't start getting any worse, it was more of a niggle at this point, until I changed my road shoes as well. Apart from them trying to rub holes in the back of one ankle they did feel comfortable but my Achilles got worse until a point just after Christmas when it was too painful to run on.

I took a week off running that coincided with a week working away and went for one of the best gait analysis that I have ever had done at the London Marathon Store. I talked through my running history and injuries and then was photographed and filmed, had my feet moulds taken and tried on lots of trainers. After everything I had read about Achilles injuries and looking back at what I had changed it seemed too much of a coincidence that I had changed trainers and then had problems.

The really interesting thing is that I have been told I'm a neutral runner. Yes, my left foot rolls in a bit when I land but not enough to need the stability shoes that I've Bennett running in for years after being advised that I need them from various running shops.....

So, I now have bright pink trainers and I'm back out running !

It has been raining a lot and it has been hard sometimes to motivate myself to get out but my long runs are now long..... I'm up to running about 30 miles a week and my Achilles is feeling better every day :)

These are a few of my recent running photos. I won't leave it so long next time !

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 :)