London Marathon - 26th April 2009

This update has been a long time coming, for which I apologise! It seems I have recaptured my social life with a vengeance, and I haven’t sat still for long enough to write anything since completing the marathon...no bad thing, but it means I am still feeling pretty tired!

The weekend of 26th April 2009 was all about the London Marathon...the one day that I’ve had six months of hard training building towards! Saturday was spent sitting quietly in my flat, the nerves and tension building as I crammed in the carbs and started to lay out my kit, trying to conserve as much energy as possible as it was all going to be needed the next day. It took a lot of hard work to calm myself down in the afternoon into a relaxed state, but I knew it was important to do so that I could get that last good sleep and wake up raring to go.

And finally, Sunday was here. The alarm went off at 6am and I started to get ready. I’d pinned my number onto my kit the day before, and attached the timing chip to my shoe. So, kit on, clean clothes packed, breakfast downed and I was on my way...too early for the tubes, I took a bus to Charing Cross and caught the next train to Maze Hill. I’m glad I chose to travel from Charing Cross and not further down the track as I got a seat and a bit of breathing room, unlike the poor people that squeezed on at London Bridge!

The day itself was incredible – the weather didn’t do as forecasted (cool and cloudy), and ended up being a perfect day for the spectators but an incredibly hot one for us runners. I am sure I broke out into a massive smile every time the sun went behind the clouds!

The volumes of people were huge, but the organisation was phenomenal. The trucks were lined up to take our bags, there were only small queues for the portaloos, and it was easy to get to where I was meant to be, ready to run the race of my life!

I managed to start running, and do good mile splits right from the moment my foot crossed the start line – which was just under 10 minutes from when the gun went off, but thankfully we were chip timed and not gun timed.

The support along the route was as good as everyone had said, and I got an extra boost every time someone called out my name to spur me on. The Serpie support on The Highway was great, as were my work colleagues, decked out in their orange and cheering loudly...and of course the several crowds of MS supporters were awesome too – especially the group in Canary Wharf, where things were starting to get pretty tough.

The run itself went really well for me, on the whole. The first half of the race, to Tower Bridge was enjoyable, relaxed and at a perfect pace, I was hugely enjoying myself and my face was the sorest bit of me from smiling so much! The next section from Tower Bridge to Canary Wharf also went well and it was at the bottom of the Isle of Dogs that I passed a colleague and team mate who I didn’t expect to see at all (I thought I’d be chasing his heels all the way to the finish). He was really struggling with the unpredicted heat, and it was slowing him down much more than expected.

I ploughed on through Canary Wharf and headed back towards The Highway, and this is where things started to get really tough. Mentally, I was doing great. The energy levels were high, I was still smiling. From the hips up, I was awesome, from the knees down things were tickety-boo, but that bit in the middle – the quads – were starting to seriously struggle.

The rest of the race became a game of mind over matter. I knew that if I slowed down or walked, I’d never get moving again, so I kept running just as fast as I could. I know I can run 10kms, I’m less than an hour from the end, I know I can run 5 miles, I’m less than 45 minutes from the end, I know I can run 4 miles, I’m only 40 minutes from finishing, I know I can run 5kms, I just have half an hour to go... and on I went.

Finally the end was in sight. Past Big Ben and into Birdcage walk I went, almost at walking pace now. There was no sprint finish...there was no final burst of energy...there was just me, crossing the finish line, still moving...just.

And my time?
03:48:47
I had done it. I had finished. I had kept running for 26.2 miles. And I’d done it well.

My initial thoughts were truly mixed. I broke the four hour goal convincingly, and in the process took one hour and twenty minutes off my previous personal best...but I missed out on the good for age time of 03:45:00 by less than four minutes. I hadn’t had the negative split I’d wanted to run (that is, to run the second half of the race faster than the first half), and my legs, which I’d trained pretty hard, had let me down a bit on the big day.

But, on reflection, I am hugely pleased and proud of my effort. I kept going, I didn’t stop, and I achieved a fantastic goal.

After I’d had a wander around and calmed down a bit, I headed across to the MS hospitality area on Birdcage walk and got a well needed massage... except to get this massage meant going up stairs! That was the beginning of finding out just how knackered my legs were.

The next two days were far worse though, with stairs being pretty much impossible, and my legs buckling at any given opportunity. But another massage and lots of stretching meant I was on the mend pretty quick, and ten days later I was up and running again!

Since finishing the marathon and recovering, I’ve run two races in really good times, finally made it around Richmond Park (12kms) in comfortably under an hour AND entered Berlin marathon for later in the year – this time the good for age time isn’t going to elude me!

Thank you to everyone who supported me in so many ways and helped me achieve a great marathon goal and raise lots of money for MS.

Keep on running – I know I am!

The final countdown!

We are almost there – so close I can feel the excitement! With just four sleeps to go until we line up with thousands of others at the start line, the carbo-loading has now begun in earnest, and it is becoming a massive mental waiting game as the last training run passes underfoot tonight.

It seems that there are a million and one things to think about in these last few days – when to go to the expo to collect my race number? Is my race kit ready? Do I have the gels, plasters, spare clothing, energy drinks etc ready to go? What will I eat for your last supper? What time am I going to get up? Which train will I aim for? Do I know where my supporters will be? And, more importantly, do they know when to look out for me?

Yesterday, I carefully scribed my name in enormous letters onto my delightful orange top, I’ve plotted my best and worst expected miles and sent it to almost everyone I know, I’ve begged for even MORE sponsorship (and will do so again... please click on the just giving links on the right and show me your money!), I’ve had my final massage and I tried really hard to get an early night!

It seems that there’s plenty of last minute remedial action going on – many of my running club friends are being pummelled and needled in the last few days in the hope that it will clear up the last few niggles and put us all in tip-top form. The foam rollers, sports masseurs and acupuncturists have probably never been so busy! I just hope that for each and every one of us, all this effort pays off.

I worked out that in training for this race, over 500 miles (800kms) have passed under my feet, and I’ve spent more than 74 hours out there running – that’s more than three days solid! I feel as ready and as prepared as is humanely possible and I am genuinely excited!

I really want this to be the race of my life – there’s going to be so much support en route, which is just fantastic, and I will look forward to the familiar faces of the Serpentine Running club and Bibendum colleagues at various spots along the course. The bigger challenge will be trying to pick out all the individual friends who are spectating in the crowds of supporters, but it’s hugely encouraging to know that they’re all going to be there. I’m really hoping that all the support will lift me and carry me across the finish line in the time I am so desperate to get.

And upon crossing that finish line, I am looking forward to a few things... a massage, a large glass of wonderful cold champagne, and strangely, getting out for my next run!

Simon:
Five days to go and the reality of it is truly sinking in now. Driving on the motorway the other day I decided to clock 26 miles to see how long it looked. It took ages even at 70mph!!! I don’t feel completely prepared as I’ve not done more than 20 miles before but I’m injury free and ready to give it my best shot.

I’ve got a plan in my head for the race – splitting it up into smaller pieces for me makes it more manageable so I’ll look at 13miles as a marker that I know I can easily achieve, then 20 which I’ve done before and at that point there’s only 6 miles to go!

I am worried about the weather as the forecast seems to be getting hotter and hotter which is not good news. Donations have picked up in the last week and there is still time for more. Just want to get on with it now!

Dan:
I am feeling pretty positive having run the second half of the course on Sunday. I am sure as we get closer to the day the nerves and realisation will set in but I hope to come out in one piece. It’s all down to the plan of action on the day and what preparation you put in.

Split times and fuel strategy appear to be the key to success so as long as I work those out my body should play along. It’s had all the training it needs, so as long as I don’t fall off the tube platform on the way home in the next few days I should be ok.

My biggest fear for the day is not finishing due to injury but my prep has been fine so I should be ok. The first 13 miles will be steady and then I can assess if I can push a little harder. I know there are quite a few Bibendumites coming down to support the four of us so I look forward to seeing them along the way to give the hi-fives!

My fiancée Christelle and my mother should be on the course somewhere as well, so there should be some good support on the way round. The motivation for MS should be enough though. I’ll have those thoughts in my head the most.

The thing I look forward to most is crossing that line in the best possible time I can and then heading home to my local for the first time in 4 months for a well earned pint of Guinness! Woo Hoo!

Kate:
I am completely sh*ting it! The last couple of weeks I seem to have regressed and every mile has been a battle. I think my mind and body is rebelling after so long training and telling me all it really wants to do is go out and get drunk with my friends. My nerves are a bit on edge too and I think the next unfortunate person who asks me if “I’m ready?” may get a punch in the face. Hopefully it will all go smoothly come race day...

My parents are coming from abroad to watch me and my dad has put together a route (5 stops, all of them at pubs) so that friends can join at whatever time they want and so that I know where to look out for them. I am hoping that seeing all my friends and family having a drink in the sun will spur me on to finish faster!!

Less pounding...more pounds!

We’re into serious countdown territory now, with only nine sleeps to go until race day...although I suspect it will be more like eight sleeps for me, considering how little I am expecting to get on that last night. Thankfully though, research suggests that one night of bad sleep before an event isn’t to worry about and it shouldn’t affect my performance... I hope not!

I’m struggling a bit with the taper at the moment, as I have seriously cut back on the miles and so am finding myself getting a bit twitchy to say the least! I really didn’t enjoy it at running club on Wednesday evening when everyone was setting off in the warm evening sunshine to do a 10-11 mile run around Hampstead Heath (which is fabulous in the evening!), and I had to content myself with a short 4 miles around Hyde park and Kensington Gardens. I even struggled to keep my pace slow enough over such a wee run. I suspect I won’t be saying the same thing in two weeks time, however.

In the past week, I’ve tried to vary things a bit from my usual routine to try and make the taper a bit more interesting. On Easter Saturday, I joined in the Serpentine run, which was a first for me! They do things a little bit differently on a Saturday morning, with an enjoyable social mile to warm up followed by a very bizarre experience...

Picture this: a large group of runners (of varying shapes, sizes, ages, nationalities) on the very public Speakers Corner in Hyde Park stomping up and down behind a man in an orange high-viz vest doing various walks, skips, kicks and arm flailing...it was incredibly Monty Python and reminded me of the Ministry of Silly Walks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqhlQfXUk7w ). I think the tourist buses enjoyed the spectacle more than I did, that’s for sure!

I also treated myself to a sports massage yesterday evening... something that I think was long overdue, and that I could have done with a few more of in the previous weeks. Hindsight is a wonderful thing! Needless to say, there were a few sore spots found and a few yelps were emitted from me, but I think it was definitely very beneficial, even more so if I persevere with the foam roller at home on my ITB and outer quad (which I have been neglecting because of how much it HURTS).

Once again, our focus turns to our fundraising. I have finally made it to the half-way point, which a few weeks ago seemed like a distant and unlikely achievement, so I am pleased with that! In fact, as you can see from the right (at the point in writing), I have just shy of £900 still to go, which is a lot, and to be honest I’m not quite sure where I am going to find it...if any of you have a few pennies (or cents, we don’t discriminate currencies here!) gathering dust, please do click on the link and donate what you can to a really worthwhile cause.

I really do appreciate your support, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society absolutely can’t do without the funds raised from an event like this.

Amy:
I still have a bit to go but I haven’t really done a big push yet. I’m nearing about £700 at the moment but have a few things in the pipeline which should hopefully increase the income. Get sponsoring readers! And a huge thank you for all the support from those who have sponsored already.

A weighty issue

I’ve had a really awesome weekend of running for several reasons. Firstly the sun was shining, which always puts me in a good mood. Secondly I began my taper, which means the end is nigh (and I have considerably more energy)! And finally, but personally most importantly, I won a silver medal in our monthly club handicap run on Saturday morning. I’ve never won a running medal in my life, so I am feeling very pleased with myself for this!

The club handicap starts everyone off at different times, depending on previous race performance, which means, all things being equal, you should all cross the line together. This also means anyone can win it, not just the fastest people (which I am nowhere near being). But it does reward the improvers. And for some reason, I have managed to improve more than I had realised...hey, I am not going to complain! In fact I am so chuffed, I’ve uploaded a picture of my medal and confirmation text.

























Sunday was also a fantastic day – I ran the last half of the marathon route with some of the runners from the club. It was great to familiarise myself with where the marathon takes us – I suspect I noticed a lot more on Sunday than I will on race day! The group I was with ran at a nice steady 9 minute mile pace, which was perfect for enjoying the route and the day.

Some of my observations from doing this included:
- Why does the marathon route twist and turn through Canary Wharf? These switchbacks must be hell on the knees of the super speedy, and are very annoying at my sedate pace!!
- The route is not intuitive! A map was definitely required to get around (and in fact the 8 min mile group added a couple of extra miles to their ‘half’ by missing a turn or two). Thankfully the pavements will be lined with supporters and there’ll be a lovely stripe on the road to follow on the big day.
- When you get to the river and you can see Big Ben in the distance, it is further than you think to the finish line as that river bend is deceptively long, plus there is the switchback on yourself around St James’ Park! Do not be deceived by this.
- Tourists seem to walk in huge spread out groups and don’t move even if you yell at them a lot. They were out in their droves on Sunday! At least they’ll be kept off the route when it really matters.

This week’s topic for discussion is all about weight – after all, it’s the reason a lot of people take up running in the first place. It’s often seen as the miracle cure for the overweight lard-ass...which is roughly where I began my marathon journey from.

This time around, I’ve managed to lose quite a lot of weight while training for the marathon. It’s actually not been massively a conscious effort to do so, but I am quite pleased with the results! I started training in November last year, and I seemed to be the only person I know who lost weight over the Christmas period rather than gaining it, so that was definitely a good start!

To give you a few statistics, I’m 1.7m tall. Before I started training, I weighed in at fairly cuddly 72kgs (11.3 stone apparently), with around a third body fat... oh yes, a third of me was all lard! That converted to about a generous size 14.

I took stock mid-February and noted that the weigh-in saw me at 65kgs (10.2 stone), and about 21% body fat, which is a massive improvement. My clothes size had dropped considerably too, and I was about a size 11...annoyingly! At that point, I noted that, in my adult life, I’d never broken the 10 stone barrier!! In fact that reminds me of a conversation I had once with a particularly lithe colleague. She explained to me that she used to do heaps of sport and be way heavier... she weighed ten stone in those days. “Honey,” I told her, “I *DREAM* of being ten stone!”. Cue slightly embarrassed silence all around...

So, where am I at now? The official figures from the scales last night tell me I am 63kgs and 19.3% body fat. I’ve seen these figures vary a bit, depending on time of day and week, and I’ve been as low as 61kgs and 17% body fat, so, by some miracle I have officially broken that 10 stone barrier (which is just above 63kgs)...although seem to teeter around it more than anything!

I found it quite interesting to note that my BMI weight can be anything between 52kgs and 72kgs to be considered ‘healthy’. That’s a BMI of 18-25, which is calculated by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing it by your height in metres, squared, e.g. 63/(1.7)2 = 21.8. I really don’t think I’d look very healthy at all if I was to lose another 10kgs!

I’m now in a clothes size 10, and am getting lots of really great compliments about the way I look (except from my Nan, who thinks I am now incredibly skinny and could do with fattening up a bit, but that’s Nan’s for you!). The challenge is going to be maintaining this once the marathon is over, because I certainly can’t afford ANOTHER new wardrobe!

And for those who think I have found my ‘miracle cure’ that I mentioned earlier on... I still have cellulite, so it’s not all coming up roses just yet!! Perhaps it’s all the cake I am still eating...

Amy:
I am very disappointed to say that my weight has hardly changed at all! Incredibly unjust I feel as I have never done so much exercise in my life! Apparently I look a little more toned (I’m completely ignoring the fact that that’s just what people say when they can’t see any difference). But I am certainly not in the ideal figure I optimistically imagined I could achieve back in the early days of training. In fact, I have even noticed my skinny jeans are a little tight around the calf area –stupid muscles have just got bigger! I am determinedly clinging on to the hope that perhaps I will suddenly drop a stone, as like Gemma, I would also love to break that 10 stone barrier!

The little niggles...

I’ve done it... I’ve survived my longest training run. Twenty two miles of hard slog – that’s three laps of Richmond Park early on a Sunday morning. Super early in fact, because British Summer Time started this weekend. But I did it, and it felt good. It took 3 hrs 17 mins, and I was still smiling, standing, and holding a normal conversation at the end. Ok, so there was a bit nearing the end where I wanted it all to be over, but somehow I pushed through and carried on.

Amazingly, running that far isn’t just about the legs and lungs. There’s a heck of a mental battle too: dealing with the fatigue and pushing through it; knowing when to eat and drink...and what to eat and drink; the constant calculation of miles versus kilometres, hours and minutes, speed, distance, heart rate; deciding what to wear – gloves & jacket this weekend versus just a t-shirt last weekend. I just hope that on the day that it really matters, I manage to get all these things sorted.

This weekend I really noticed the plethora of runners in Richmond running in their charity vests – a rainbow of colours, a myriad of different shapes, sizes, speeds and running styles. But the one thing we all have in common is that we’re all planning to run 26 miles in less than four weeks time to raise money for worthwhile causes.

So, as the Bibendum team dig deep for our final few weeks of training, I ask you to also please dig deep in your pockets and click on the links to the right to support any or all of us in running for the Multiple Sclerosis society to achieve our goals.

And of course, a MASSIVE THANK YOU to everyone who has sponsored us so far!

Doing all this training has affected more than just my achy leg muscles and my creaky knees... this body is now pretty battered and blistered. In building up the miles, I’ve managed to get some chaffing in some pretty strange places...thighs, armpits and under the boobs/moobs are the common places, but I seem to have found new places to chaff. My décolletage is the weirdest spot – I have a new permanent ‘neckline’ courtesy of my sports bra (no more low cut tops for me!). I also seem to have a patch of recurring chaffing in the middle of my lower back, caused by running with the camelpak rucksack on. On the whole, the chaffing has been less painful this time around though – probably because training through the winter means less sweating... I’m certainly not complaining!

Another joy that hits most runners, and Dan has already talked about, is the blisters. Mine are generally on the ends of my toes – especially my little toes. Again though, I think I’ve been lucky and haven’t been too badly inflicted. The one thing I do really dislike though is the black toenails. I have three. Thank goodness it’s not open-toed shoe weather yet, because mine don’t look pretty at all! I tried on some sandals in the weekend, and was so embarrassed by the state of my toes that I rather quickly gave up and went home without new shoes.

One weekend, fairly early on in my training, I didn’t cut my toenails short enough before my long run, which caused my toenails to cut into their neighbouring toes and wasn’t a pretty sight when I later took my shoes off to discover my blood soaked socks... lesson learned there!

I’ve also discovered a new sore spot – well, it’s new to me, but I’ve come across other sufferers. It’s the tops of my feet. I guess it must come from tying your shoes too tight, or from where the tongue of your shoe sits across the high part of your foot... whatever causes it, it hurts a bit, and I hope it goes before my next run!

It’s not all bad though. Amazingly, I have already started to get a suntan from my hours in the great outdoors – plenty more freckles on my face, and the backs of my legs have a fabulously distinctive wide band of brown from the tops of my socks to the bottom of my shorts.

With less than four weeks to go, I am feeling good about this race. I’ve done more than I have ever managed before, and I can still move...bring on race day, I say. In fact, I’m almost starting to think about what I can tackle next...

ONE MONTH TO GO!!!

From today we start counting down through the final month until race day... 31 deep and utterly exhausted sleeps, and counting... http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/

As Kate commented in the last blog, the overwhelming feeling at the moment is one of earth-shattering tiredness. I cannot sleep enough. My social life is on hold. I just want to go to sleep for a really really long time. But instead, I have to focus on doing my longest training run, and on fundraising an overwhelmingly large chunk of money.

This week we got our marathon packs in the post. My race number is 40-something-thousand. Just how many people run this crazy race? The one thing that hit home when I opened that parcel and looked at my race number was not ‘Oh crap, I’ve got to run 26 miles in five weeks time’, but more a feeling of complete and utter nerves at standing in a crowd of somewhere close to a grillion people and really really wanting to find my space and get a good race time.

I get nervous in crowds...panicky, anxious, hyperventilatingly nervous. What the heck was I thinking when I signed up for this? I’m not sure yet what my coping strategy is going to be! Head down, elbows out and run for my life? It’s tempting...

So far though, my training has been going really well. I knocked out 20 miles in 2h 54m on Sunday in Richmond (It was so nice to be back running there after three weeks away!). And I felt pretty good when I finished – it gives you quite a lot of confidence to finish a run that long, knowing that you could keep going if needed (and it will be needed in a few short weeks!).

I saw Gordon Ramsay out training too – running his laps in the opposite direction...it’s nice to see famous people make the same massive commitment of effort to this as us ordinary folk! One of the guys in the running club had seen Gordon training with company earlier in the morning – and thought that his company might have been Michel Roux...chefs training together... isn’t that nice! I wonder how competitive they’ll be on the day?

This weekend is going to be my long run. I’m planning to do 22 miles. Here’s hoping for more sunshine to do it in! The week after that, the running club is hosting a ‘run the second half of the marathon’ run, which should be really good – it’s a great opportunity to familiarise myself with the route and to check my pace on it too. I’ve ambitiously signed up to the 8.5min/mile group... I hope I can keep up!

Simon:
Looking at all the training schedules I’m clearly well behind which is a little worrying. I managed a 16 mile run on Saturday morning in 2 ½ hours which made me feel more confident. Until I read that I should be on minimum 18 miles by now!

It’s dawning on me just how much time commitment goes into training for a marathon...I’ve planned an 18 miler this weekend and will attempt 20 the weekend after which will be the furthest I’ll do before the big one.

Kate:
When my race pack arrived in the post I had a serious panic attack and when I think that this weekend it will only be 4 weeks away I start hyperventilating all over again. I feel like I’m about to take an exam I’ve done no revision for, though of course I have been training I just feel like I’m running out of time and that I haven’t done enough!!

I managed 18.5 miles at the weekend and want to do 20 this weekend but I’m pretty slow, still it’s the taking part that counts!!

I can’t even imagine how I will feel on the day, I think it’s going to be rather overwhelming standing in that crowd waiting for the gun to go, cue hyperventilating again...

Dan:
Well the reality kicked in for good on Tuesday when my running number dropped through the letter box. I guess that confirms it then! I start with the masses at the red start so will be well and truly amongst the crowds, which is slightly annoying as I really want a good time and don’t want to get held up too much.

I am actually feeling quite excited about getting this run done now and with 4 weeks left I just want to get it started. I feel prepared and hopefully all the training will have paid off, it is just down to a serious tapering over the next 4 weeks to ensure I don’t do myself any damage between now and the 26th.

All I can think about now is food, sleep and how quickly will my blisters heal so there isn’t much time for other things. With running almost 2 marathons a week at the minute it’s amazing how much food you consume and how quickly those pesky blisters appear no matter how much you try to stop them.

Injury Issues

A wise woman has wagered a bet on me...she’s donated £26.20 (£1 per mile) to my just giving page, with a promise to double it if I achieve my sub-4:00 target. If you’ve been following the blog, you’ll realise that, to most, this seems like a pretty sure thing for me... however, she asked some wise questions...

What’s my best ever marathon time? 05:05. Not even sub-5:00!

When did I achieve this? 2005...when I was merrily the other side of 30 and full of youthful exuberance.

What times have I done since? Somewhere in the region of 05:30 & 05:45 I think, but I barely trained – honestly! So I am sure they can be discounted in this general discussion.

So what happened the year that I did train hard (2005)? I’d done a 01:47 half-marathon (my PB, still yet to be beaten), everything was going great, and I looked in fine form to do a sub-04:00 marathon. In a nutshell, what happened was runner’s knee. Essentially it’s just a really sore knee. But knees are important when you run. Crucially so. They take that impact every single time your foot hits the road...that’s 21,000 times or more for each knee in the course of a marathon.

My runner’s knee was possibly caused by my dodgy running style (I overpronate) or by a muscle imbalance. I have ITB problems on my left leg...that’s Illiotobal band problems for those not up with all this running speak. It’s a band that runs up the outer side of your thigh from the knee to the hip somewhere... and it gets tight, and it’s hard to stretch out, and when that happens, it pulls your kneecap out of alignment and can cause runner’s knee. Needless to say, my knee caused excruciating pain for me when running, and in doing that 05:05 marathon, I had walked/limped for over 10kms/6M of it...incredibly disappointing, considering the effort I’d put in.

I was heartbroken. Absolutely completely and utterly gutted. And I will be again if it reoccurs. Which is why, this time, I’ve taken a number of preventative measures. I now have a lovely pair of sub-4 orthotics in my bright white Asics 1140s that I am slowly but surely running in. It is just coincidence that the brand is the same as my marathon goal. I’ve also done almost all my long runs on more forgiving surfaces. Pounding the road or pavement doesn’t do your joints any favours at all, which is why I’ve stuck to the trails of Richmond Park for the long Sunday runs, and I chose a half marathon that was a trail run too.

I’ve bought myself a foam roller to roll out the tight ITB – for anyone that’s done this before, it’s definitely best done in private as rolling along this thing is one of the most painful self-inflicted experiences ever and causes me to swear like a trooper!

Another more pleasant way to ease the pain is to ensure I regularly massage my legs. I’ve become a real fan of the Neal’s Yard Arnica Salve (http://shop.nealsyardremedies.com/product/979/Arnica_Salve_Plant_Therapy), which seems to work a treat on my tired muscles, and I am sure the massage helps to deal with some of the tightness too.

So far, I’ve managed to avoid any serious issues. I got a bit worried a few weeks back when the knees started to hurt a bit after I did a 17 mile training run on the road – I was away at my Nan’s for the weekend, so didn’t have my usual trails available. I took it easy for a few days, and things seem OK, but those knees are definitely at the forefront of my mind every time I run. One month more...that’s all they’ve got to last!


Kate:
Everybody keeps asking me if all this training is making me feel super healthy and energised, the answer is: No, I just feel bloomin’ exhausted! The last couple of weeks of relentless training have left me crawling into bed super early and passing out. My body has gone from doing no exercise to about 5hrs+ a week of training so it’s been quite an adjustment.....and every muscle has felt it! The knees have felt a bit worn at times but touch wood no real injuries yet.

I have found a great and cheap place for Thai massages (don’t get the wrong idea, its completely above board!) and so am treating myself to one every Monday after the long run on a Sunday. I wish I could afford to go every day, it’s sooo good. I swear I can almost hear my legs sigh with relief afterwards.

Dan:
After every long run my legs are shattered. The next day they feel like lead and it takes at least 24 to 48 hours for them to recover. But then I get back out on the road to give them an easy break in and I seem to be fine again.

I have had a slightly dodgy right knee since day one but luckily it doesn’t give me any pain whilst running, that just comes down to the endless blisters on both my feet. They haven’t started to hurt too much whilst running yet but hopefully if they do give me problems on the big day then I will just run through the pain.

Pain is temporary, failure is for life!

Racing and Pacing.

This week’s hot topic is all about racing and pacing! I’ve now churned out two half marathon races in the lead up to the full, as has Kate. Dan, Simon and Amy have all completed races too. This weekend was the big race weekend, with many of London’s marathon runners turning out to various events around the country – the popular one was Silverstone, but the idea of running in circles on a race track filled me with dread and I avoided it like the plague... in fact, none of the intrepid Bibendum team ventured near that race at all!

I’ve realised that I really enjoy the half marathon distance race – for me, it’s over and done within a couple of hours, training for it doesn’t become life-consuming like training for the full distance marathon does, and you feel completely awesome when you finish. It also doesn’t completely kill your legs, and you don’t feel like you need to run with the rucksack of paraphernalia that you need for a longer race (energy gels, sports drink, tissues, Vaseline, keys, mobile phone, money, tube pass, plasters, survival blanket, Swiss army knife, kitchen sink...) .

The thing that scares me about doing these races though is that, in training for the full marathon, you complete your half marathon race, you’re utterly knackered, you’ve given it all you’ve got to get the result you were hoping for and then you realise you have to run DOUBLE that distance. Cue great sinking feeling... how the hell am I going to manage to run that far??? Somehow I hope we’ll all manage...

My first race was at the beginning of March in Berkhamsted (http://www.berkhamstedhalfmarathon.co.uk/) – a hilly course that winds around the villages near Berkhamsted and finishes at the town cricket club. I’d been warned it was a tough, but pretty, course, and hoped that all my hard work training on the hills in Richmond park would pay off in the end. It was an enjoyable race – made more so by travelling with a car full of Serpentine girls who were also competing, meaning there was support at the start and finish of the race.

The weather was cool and overcast, and I felt comfortable in what I chose to wear. I managed to get gels intake and water intake working well, and powered strongly up the hills, which felt awesome. The worst hill, at around the 5M mark made me want to cry, but nearing the top another runner advised that this was as bad as it gets and that spurred me on knowing I didn’t need to reserve a bit of ooph for a potential future hill.

Because I’d been warned that this was a tough run, I’d picked my race time at around the 1:55 mark, vowing to be happy with anything under 2 hours. However, as I approached the last few miles, I realised I was out-running this prediction and knowing that the last couple of miles were essentially downhill, this pushed me to up the ante and aim for a sub-1:50 finish.



As the picture from this race shows, as I approached the 13 mile mark, I was REALLY pleased with how the race had gone! I crossed the line on my watch time of 01:48:16, with an official gun time of 01:49:17. There were no timing chips for this race, and it demonstrates what a difference it makes between the starter gun going off and actually crossing the start line in what was essentially a small field of runners.

So, one half marathon down, and one to go. I ran my second half marathon in the Forest of Dean (http://www.forestofdean-halfmarathon.co.uk/), which was another hilly route, this one mostly on trails, which are much kinder to the knees! I’d really hoped to get a PB on this race, despite the hills, and set myself a goal of 01:45, which turned out to be foolish in the end!

For some reason, this race just didn’t go according to plan. It was an absolutely stonkingly hot sunny day, and I’d chosen the wrong top – long sleeves, when I should have worn short. I also kept getting stitch on the course and had to slow down much more than I wanted to (I even had to walk a couple of times!! Very frustrating!). I realised by the 9M mark that my goal wasn’t going to be obtainable, and I wondered if I’d even get the sub-01:50 that I’d had previously, but was too hot and sore to care!

I pushed on though, knowing once again that what goes up (and we’d gone up and up and up) must come down, and that the last mile or two must essentially be straight downhill... and they were – almost too steep to let fly. By some miracle, I crossed the finish line with seconds to spare... literally! My chip time was 01:49:58 – two seconds inside that challenging sub-1:50. And twenty minutes later (and for the rest of the day), I was buzzing – stitch and heat forgotten, and just pleased to have achieved another pretty decent result.

I’ve since checked out the Runners World race predictor (http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?uan=1681), with both my race times and it pegs me for the full marathon at somewhere in the 03:45:43 – 03:49:16 mark. That’s some pretty precise measuring – I’ll be interested to see how accurate it is! However, London Marathon is much flatter than the halves I chose, so maybe I could beat the 03:45 and get a good for age...fingers crossed!

Dan:



I undertook the Milton Keynes half marathon in the first weekend of March. Training had gone well and I was feeling pretty happy up until the race but a little apprehensive considering I had not run a competitive race since school. This was on a much grander scale than I had imagined but definitely something I needed before the marathon. It was great practice to be running in a crowd and to get used to bustling for position amongst so many people.

It’s also key to getting your pacing right as you do tend to run much quicker than normal due to the adrenaline and competitiveness. My target time for the marathon is under 4 hours so I would have been happy with any time under 1hr 55 but I exceeded my expectations and ran a 1hr 37 which I was ecstatic about. It has made me consider changing my time to around 3.30 for the main event but I started with a target of 4 hours and as long as I achieve that I will be happy. Anything under that will be a bonus.



Kate:
I did the Brighton half marathon three weeks ago which I managed in 1hr59mins, which I was pretty pleased with. I ran it with my brother and there’s nothing like a little sibling rivalry to keep you running!

I did another half marathon on 15th March in Hastings, which was so hard, the first 7 miles were uphill which I read afterwards makes it equivalent to running 14 miles (needless to say if I had read it before I wouldn’t have done it) so I finished it in 2hr1min which I was a little gutted about as I had anticipated being faster than the first time. But I am doing a 16 mile race in three weeks so fingers crossed for that!

Simon:
I ran the Bath Half on Sunday, my first ever half marathon and a real test for the big one. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. I had been warned that the Bath Half has a reputation for chaotic organisation – last year they delayed the runners at the start line for an hour in the rain! Congestion was a real problem at the start, the first two miles were so bunched up that there were patches where you had to walk!

I found the heat a problem having previously only trained in winter months. I was alarmed to see so many people collapsed towards the end and couldn’t help thinking ‘that will be me in London next month’. Anyway, I wanted to do sub 2 hours and crossed the line in 2 hours 1 minute which was very irritating. My second half time was 50 minutes which is encouraging. Sadly there were no pictures on the Marathon-photos website, what a shame. I am predicting 4:45 for the big day.

Amy:
Oh I’m so ashamed to write my times compared to the rest of you! I also did the Brighton Half which was better than I’d expected to be honest. I had signed up to do it when I was still thinking I would be doing the London marathon so it was a little premature considering I was only 2 weeks into training. I did however manage to complete it, in a lengthy 2 hours 17 mins. Initially I was relatively pleased considering I just wanted to finish the bloomin’ thing. But compared to the others I’m now a little mortified! Obviously now I’m working on speeding up a little... maybe some new trainers will help.. perhaps those ones with the wheels in the heels...

Runners World Race Predictor times for the Bibendum London Marathon team:
Dan: 03:22:14
Gemma: 03:45:43 – 03:49:16
Kate: 04:08:06 – 04:12:16
Simon: 04:12:16
I personally think these might be just a bit enthusiastic, but I am keen to give it a try for that kind of time!

Because Amy's doing Edinburgh and her training was in it's early days when she ran her half, I haven't done a race prediction for her....yet!

However, I predict a bit of a race on for Kate and Simon...what do you reckon?

Drink and run...

We are another week closer to the big day, and another half marathon completed – Sunday 8th March saw Dan completing the Milton Keynes half marathon...just before the torrential rain, which was great timing (and a great result, but you’ll just have to wait to hear about that)!

I enjoyed my long run in a very different environment this week too – I was visiting my Nan in Lowestoft, so spent my Sunday morning pounding 17 miles on the tarmac in the Suffolk/Norfolk borders. Running on the flat, on the hard road and on my own was certainly a different experience for me, and not altogether enjoyable. The one thing that made it bearable was the glorious sunshine. It has to be said, I am certainly looking forward to getting back to the hills, softer paths and company that I get on Sunday mornings in Richmond.

This week’s topic is certainly a controversial one...unsurprising, considering where we work and how much we all enjoy our drink!

I’ve come to the pretty speedy conclusion that drinking and running definitely don’t go together! I’ve become so much more conscious of the effect of alcohol on my body since I started training for this marathon. Right now, I know that I can’t have more than two small(ish) glasses of wine without causing myself issues.

I definitely can’t have half a bottle (or more) – and YES, I am fully aware that a full bottle is about 9 units (at 12% abv), and that a girl should drink no more than a maximum of 2-3 in any one sitting, so half a bottle completely blows this limit and that I should only have one 250ml glass MAX in a day yada yada yada.

I have to be careful what I drink too – I ended up with a cracking two day migraine after enjoying a couple of glasses of Aussie shiraz a few weeks ago. Definitely one to be avoided! Pinot Noir doesn’t seem to have the same effect though, and neither have the majority of white wines I’ve had.

One thing I really notice however, is the effect that a few glasses of wine has on my legs – on both recovery days and run days. For some reason (and if anyone knows something scientific about this, then please do share it!), the day after a couple of glasses of wine, my legs feel like lead – very heavy, sore, tired...now this could (in part) be due to how far I’ve run, but the feeling is different... I’d definitely be intrigued to know more!

Dan:
I decided last year that if I was going to do this seriously then it was best to give up the booze full stop. Since I came back from Oz in the first week of Jan I have not had a drop of alcohol at all and am feeling pretty healthy and also pretty chuffed. It’s amazing how well you feel and the effects that booze really does have on the body. Temptation and craving have ceased and I can now happily go to the pub and order a soft drink without feeling left out.

One tip I can give you all is the discovery of a non alcoholic lager called Bavaria 0.0%. This tastes unlike any other alcohol free drink on the market such as Kaliber etc... It’s like the real thing, costs half the price and tastes awesome. It will most likely become a regular feature in the fridge to be honest.

I must admit I am looking forward to the first pint when I finish the Marathon because it will be just so much more satisfying knowing it will have been 4 months since I have had one. It’s also aiding weight loss so its wins all round. Come on ladies you know it makes sense!

Amy:
I think I was a little deluded when, inspired by Dan who gave up drinking when he did, I thought I should give it up too. After about a week I realised that it really was quite a long time until the marathon, and I do have that whole extra month compared to the others (this is my long standing excuse on any topic related to the Marathon). So I decided to just ‘cut down’.

Then I went skiing, and of course I was on holiday so had a break, a break from which I haven’t quite managed to bounce back from... I am in total agreement with Gemma with regards to the fact it makes quite a difference to your running. My tip of the day for girls off the sauce when in the pub is to order a tomato juice. If my self-discipline is out in force this is what I’ll order as it takes about the same length of time to drink as a glass of wine (particularly if you get it very spicy) rather than a coke which I will generally finish in about 2 seconds. Plus you feel extra smug about all the antioxidants you’re taking in. And you don’t feel 10 years old.

Kate:
Everybody, but everybody I know, has taken great delight in telling me that I will have to give up wine for at least a month before the marathon: the assumption is that I will find this impossible! But after extensive google searches I can’t find any conclusive evidence that supports this, a month is after all a very long time...In fact I’ve actually found lots of blogs from people who even drink a glass of wine before a big race day (they are however mostly winemakers).

Though to be honest since I started training I have cut down a lot, I have probably been drinking more frequently but a lot less in quantity, which is a far healthier approach to drinking in general. Though it’s going to sound terrible, a glass of wine is quite often my reward for going running, but I don’t like chocolate or have a sweet tooth so I figure we’re all allowed a vice!

However I’ve just read Dan’s blog so now feel really bad, perhaps I could try one month.....

Simon:
So far I haven’t really moderated my alcohol intake so I have little to judge performance against. I managed 13 miles on Sunday morning and felt good for more and that was after a normal Saturday night (i.e. plenty of wine with friends for dinner).

I really should try a week without to see if it makes a difference! I do have every intention of cutting right down in the last couple of weeks and then completely by the last two. If nothing else this will give me the extra focus to finish the race and crack open some Champagne. Kate – I think our training schedules/philosophy are quite similar, is that very bad?

Food for thought.

Another week has passed by and we’re another week closer to THE BIG DAY. Our fundraising is ticking along too, but we could really do with your support as we’ve currently only got 20% of our £10k total raised.

We’re all now busy entering and running half marathons too, to see how our training is progressing and get us in the race mood. Kate and Amy ran the Brighton half marathon, I’ve just run the Berkhamsted half, Dan’s running in Milton Keynes this weekend, and next weekend Simon is running in Bath (I’m very jealous of this!), and I thought I’d give the Forest of Dean half a whirl, because I’m a sucker for punishment! We’ll have more details on all these races and how we fared for you in the coming weeks.

I was really pleased with the result I got from my half marathon, and it was a good chance for me to try out my eating and running in a race situation. The 10:30am start seemed a long way from breakfast at 8:00am, so I was a bit concerned about how hungry I’d get, but it all worked out in the end.

I took a gel before the start, and then had two others on the way around, plus I carried a small water bottle as I’d read that the drinks stops were few and far between. I was certainly glad for a few gulps of water after the massive climb during mile three. The other challenge I wanted to ensure I had sorted was how to carry the gels, so I strapped on my belt bag as tight as possible and hoped for the best. Thankfully it stayed in place the whole race – in fact I had a small fight with it at one point while trying to wrestle out a gel and attempting to continue running...perhaps not so tight next time eh?

As far as the balance of food and running goes, I try and eat before I head out for my long runs, but eating when I first get up in the morning is really really hard! Because I don’t usually have breakfast until I’ve been up for at least an hour, I find eating on waking makes me feel just a teensy bit nauseous...still, I know how important it is to have the right energy for long runs, so I always attempt to eat about half of what I’d normally have, but even that much is a huge struggle.

I definitely like to have a large mug of coffee before I run though, and find that the caffeine does as science says it should and picks me up for a good hour or so at the start of a long run. That, and I’m not sure I could tackle any day without that first burst of caffeine... me, addicted? Nooooo...

I take energy gels and water on all runs of an hour or longer... I take a gel about every 40-45 minutes, and drink when I feel I need to. At the moment, I am using Torq gels (http://www.torq.ltd.uk/index.html), which come in yummy flavours like Strawberry yoghurt and Forest Fruits, but are dairy and gluten free. The forest fruit flavour also has caffeine in it, so I take one of these once the initial caffeine of the day has run out. Previously I’ve used Squeezy (http://squeezyshop.co.uk/) gels, but I don’t like some of the flavour surprises in the box!

I think it’s definitely important to find a product you like and that you can stomach. It’s a great way of avoiding the dreaded “wall” that runners talk about, and despite being only a small calorie intake, they provide a necessary energy boost when required.

Dan:
Sunday is the long run day and I tend to get up relatively early and have a couple of Weetabix and a slice of toast to get some basic fuel in me. I consume copious amounts of water to make sure I am hydrated.

When out running I have a camel pack that I fill with Lucozade sport which I sip at regular intervals to keep the energy levels up making sure my muscles get what they need. I also carry a pack of Jelly Babies which I eat 4 or 5 every 30 minutes or so just to get the energy boost I need.

I finding eating whilst running far easier than drinking so don’t find in too much of an issue. I will be trying the energy gels over the next few weeks as I start to reach the 20 mile mark. I have heard varied reports on how good these are and what they can do to you so I am a little wary.

Amy:
I don’t think I’ve quite got to that stage yet. I’m very dubious about these gel things… Jelly babies sound like a great idea.

Kate:
I always eat before I go for a long run on Sunday and then tend to spend the time whilst out running fantasizing about what I can eat when I get back (something has to get you round). But as yet I haven’t experimented with gels or energy drinks, like Amy I’m a little dubious.... So at the moment it’s plain old fashioned water, but as next Sunday is up to 16 miles I think I will be needing some kind of fuel, perhaps the jelly babies is the way to go...

Always take the weather with you...

I did a bit of quick maths in the weekend, and realised that I’ve run, on average, over 5kms (3 miles) per day for every day so far this year...that’s over 27 hours of running. And as Dan pointed out when I was talking to him about this, we’re also at the point that we’re now running well over a marathon a week in distance. And there’s still over eight weeks to go!!

I think this must be the first winter that I’ve consistently and regularly run through, and it’s certainly been a challenging one, especially with the freezing temperatures and impressive snow fall. I also remember one weekend a few weeks back a friend pointed out that Saturday was meant to me a MUCH nicer day than Sunday as torrential rain was forecast, and perhaps I ought to consider doing my long run on the Saturday instead of the Sunday.

I decided that despite the forecast, I would persevere with the long run on Sunday. Apart from the fact that I really enjoy the Sunday run with the Serpies (http://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/training_run_sun.html), I also commented that we’ve got no idea what the weather is going to throw at us on marathon day and besides, you can only get wet once. And get wet I did! It poured down. But despite my shoes and GPS watch filling with water (the watch has since dried out and still seems to be working fine!), it didn’t affect my run much at all...and it meant I appreciated the warmth of the Pembroke Lodge much more when I’d finished.

So, what affect has the weather had on all our training? I know I certainly took a few days “R&R” when we had the massive snow fall, as my track session and the Wednesday club run were cancelled, and I’m not a member of a gym so there was no treadmill for me to pound.

I remember my coldest run day too. It was the morning after the Bibendum Christmas party (which I’d been ridiculously sensible at to ensure I’d get out for my run the next day). I was up and out the door around 8:30am, and my planned route for the day was four miles along the canal, and BOY WAS IT COLD! The ice on the canal was impressively thick – over an inch in places. The geese looked a bit bemused to be walking where they’d usually paddle! The most unusual thing that happened though was that I had little icicles on the tips of all my eyelashes which had frozen there from the condensation off my breath!

Kate:
The snowy weather gave me a nice excuse for a few rest days in a row but the guilt kicked in after day two and I did venture out albeit tentatively, I felt a bit like Rocky running in the snow! In general the weather doesn’t bother me too much, I like it when it’s really cold as I get so hot running, but heavy rain is a complete pain as my super expensive trainers seem to have been designed to let in water, so my feet need to be wrung out afterwards!

Amy:
Obviously the bad weather affected me the same as everyone else (although I just went to the gym instead) but one weekend I went home to Scotland just after they had a snow fall. It was the most gorgeous day so I decided to brave it and go for a run. The snow wasn’t too much of a problem by then, but it was so pretty I kept stopping to take photos with my phone (was what I was using to listen to the radio in the early days). So I was “outside with joy in my heart” full of nature appreciation and positive outlooks but wasn’t really ‘bounding’ as kept running to a halt to marvel at the scenery!

Dan:
Come rain or shine I will be out there pounding the tarmac clocking up the miles. As Gemma says you never know what race day will throw at you so you might as well get used to it. But sadly I had to shelter in the gym for 2 days when the snow came as there was just too much where I live. I tend to run in the same clothes whatever the weather but maybe swap into short sleeves if it’s warm. I can’t really tell at the minute anyway as we haven’t had any warm weather.

Running to the beat.

Bibendum's intrepid marathon runners are all now well into their training schedules. The majority of us are doing London Marathon on 26th April, which is now less than ten weeks away! And in those ten weeks, we've got plenty to do... ten measly weeks in which we've got to cover hundreds of miles, work out our 'race pace', how and what we're going to eat while running, figure out what we're going to wear (apart from those stunning orange singlets that we've been kindly provided), feel comfortable and pain free while doing it AND raise £2000 each for the Multiple Sclerosis society. It's no small feat, that's for sure!

We've all begun our fundraising...and in fact you can see our 'widgets' to the right - and even click through and sponsor us (please do!). We're also busy organising a fundraising event, gathering prizes and each week from now until the event, we hope to bring you this blog to keep you up to date with our progress.

In the weekend, our training schedule had us out there running about half the required total distance on our long run of the week. I know my legs were sore the next day, and I know that I've got to get to double that distance in the coming weeks...urgh.

So, why 'Running to the beat'? Rather than telling you each week we ran X miles and it caused X much pain, we're going to let you know how we run, when we run, what stops us running and so forth... this week, it's all about the music, the time of day, and the company we run with.

Now, I don't listen to music while I run...in fact, I don't even own an MP3 player. It's just not something I've ever got in to, and since I do all my running outside on paths and pavements, I like to hear what's going on around me and be aware of my surroundings (yes, I am a bit of a safety geek, but as a girl, I think you have to be). I also do a lot of my run with the running club (http://www.serpentine.org.uk/) which doesn't allow the use of headphones while running (to encourage us to be social!).

I find it so much easier to get out for my run if I know there's going to be company involved - the club runs are the ones I've skipped the least! Although I don't mind running on my own, it's always much better if there's someone waiting for you at the end (and it's usually me that they're waiting for!).

I like to run in the morning, and definitely prefer daylight over darkness (something of a challenge through the depths of winter), but I've run at lunchtimes and in the evening, so am pretty flexible on the time of day. My best run so far was Sunday morning (15/02), when I did a lap of Richmond Park in 61 minutes - this is a huge improvement on a few weeks ago, which was my worst run on the same route. It felt like I was running through golden syrup - definitely not as sweet as it sounds! In fact, Richmond Park is definitely my rave run - it's undulating, with a sand track, and mostly traffic free. I'm not a big fan of pounding the pavements and pedestrian dodging has never been my idea of a good time...

Kate:
I have a mental block where I literally cannot run without music and I have been known to turn back when my ipod runs out of battery. I do have an inspirational song but I think I would lose all credibility if I revealed what it was....... I have to be alone too, I make many random excuses to friends who suggest running together.

Evenings tend to work best for me for the shorter runs, (if you count six miles as short!). I am most definitely not a morning person so the idea of getting up early to go for a run pre-work is a no no for me!

Perversely I find the long runs on a Sunday the most enjoyable, I like to run all over London normally going through Hyde Park, round Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament and along the river. I have seen more of London since I have been running than I have in the six years I’ve lived here! It’s a great place to run with so many beautiful parks, so much history, brilliantly diverse architecture and lots of weird and wonderful people to look at. It can all be quite inspiring. Which is just as well when you’re battling against your body's desire to take a rest at the nearest park bench.....

Dan:
There is absolutely no way that I could run without music. The sound of what I can only describe as hideously loud heavy breathing does not appeal to me so I like to block it out with as louder music as possible. I am in no way as safety conscious as Gemma, as whilst I am running I take no prisoners. If people are in the way on my second lap of Richmond Park then they really should have been looking where they were going. I tend to listen to anything that has a quick beat to it so it helps with my pacing. I will however sometimes mix it up a little bit with some current top 10 music to bring me back to reality.

Like Kate I am a complete and utter loner as I like the fact that I can go at my own pace, listen to music and focus on clocking up the miles. I just find running with people quite odd for some reason.

My running schedule fits around my daily routine so I tend to run when I can fit it in best. I certainly have started to look forward to that long run on Sunday which 3 years ago I never have thought about saying. With my busy routine I tend to run anywhere I can, streets, treadmill to give the shins a rest, but I do favour Richmond Park as it is very relaxing to run around. The best run so far has been my 14.5 mile run in under 1hr 55mins (15/2) which puts me on course for my target of under 4 hours for the marathon. Bring it on!

Amy:
The radio is my saviour! I find it is the only thing that keeps me sane and entertained. I do like listening to music, although sometimes the urge to run or dance to the beat is too strong and I look weird enough when I run without my arms flailing around to the tune.

The freezing cold weather, snow and rain over the last few months forced me to join the gym as training progress was… a little slow shall we say! So for a while I was a treadmiller but having started to brave the outdoors again, it’s reminded me how much better it is to run outside –you just don’t get the same endorphin rush in the gym and obviously there is much more to look at!

As for company or no company I like to mix it up. Generally I run alone which I like as I can go at my own pace but I also appreciate company for the motivation when I just can’t face it and time goes that little bit quicker.