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Blackheath Race for Life 5k

July 5, 2010 in London, Rants, Running | 1 comment

So, Sunday 4th July saw the Blackheath Race for Life. I was originally planning on doing the 10k, as part of the build-up to half-marathon and to try to improve on my Bupa 10k time, but I ended up doing the 5k with the lovely Holly, Kath and Kath’s lovely Aunty Kathy. In hindsight, I’m glad I only did the 5k as it was so damn hot at even 11.00am, I think the 10k at 2.00pm would have killed me!

The race took place on Blackheath Common – my ‘home ground’ so to speak. We had to hang around a little while for the crazy warm-up – I think it’s good that they lead people through it, but most people who genuinely want to run will do their own warm-ups, I think. Though, I’m being a killjoy because I dislike looking stupid when doing aerobics. Places gathered, myself with the runners, Holly in the joggers and Kath and Kathy in the walkers, we were all ready to rock.

Runners moved over the line fairly quickly – I was forced back a bit and crossed the line about 17 seconds after the clock started, but that’s ok. I was also timing myself anyway. The course was quite bumpy and I tried to focus on a steady pace as I wanted to run the whole way round. I often run in the evenings when it’s a tad bit cooler, so running in 27/28 degree heat was a little bit of a first for me! I think the heat got to a lot of people, but it was crazy that a lot of the ‘runners’ were walking by about 500m! They should have gone off with the joggers, or at the very least moved to the side to let the runners get by. That isn’t me being competitive – it’s also health and safety! When people stop dead in front of you, it’s very easy to bang into them and then take ages trying to get round!

The KM markers seemed a bit random. Apparently the first KM took me seven and a half minutes, but then I’d hit the second one by thirteen and a half, the third by twenty, the fourth by twenty five seventeen and then rocked home in thirty forty nine! I think the first KM was a very long one and the last two were pretty short!

I was quite pleased with my time, especially in that heat, but I did really want to go sub-30. I’m going to a Park Run soon and I’m confident I’ll do it in that. The Race for Life events are great – really feel good and it’s amazing that so many people are together trying to achieve so much – but it’s no good if you want a clear run! But, that’s the competitiveness in me coming out, I think. I reckon I lost a minute trying to weave around people, so who knows?

Holly did really well – like me, she is going to do a marathon next year, but has done no training yet. She finished in about 41 minutes, doing jogging and walking, but mostly jogging. We managed to give her a wave at 4.5km, then went to meet her at the finish before going back to give Kath and Kathy a wave as they walked by. They finished in around an hour – but they were walking. Kath looked fab in her pink themed outfit! Pictures on my Facebook – but will post them here later.

It was a great day and I’m so happy that we all did well and especially that Kath and Kathy were able to enter the day before – Kath, your mum was raising a glass to you, wherever she is :)

Love you, girlies x

The Shin

June 20, 2010 in London, Running | No comments

Hurrah! Just a very quick blog. I know I said I was going to stay off my shin another week – well, I lied. Went running with my friend Helen, aiming to do 20 minutes non-stop, shin depending. This is because I’m not good at continuous running yet and also because I really felt that that I’d lost my fitness.

Anyway, we ended up running 35 minutes around Blackheath and the GB mapometer reckons that this was just over 6k. This may be a tad generous – I think it was more like 5.5, but whatever. I’m really pleased as it was the longest I’ve ever been without walking, my shin didn’t hurt and it felt really comfortable. Neither of us are particularly speedy – I have a tendency to go out faster and then burn out, but Helen can keep it going, but this felt great. I actually really, really enjoyed it and it felt comfortable. Felt like a workout, but a good one.

Going to push to 40 minutes next time – half marathon in September!

Woohoo!

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Juneathon Day 7 – I went shopping

June 8, 2010 in Juneathon, London | No comments

Bad Helen, didn’t blog yesterday! Here’s the update now…

Still resting the shin and definately getting itchy feet as I’m concious of the fact I need to start my half marathon plan on June 20th. Anyway, I’m going to see the Rocky Horror Show on Friday in Norwich and wanted to get a corset to wear. I took myself off to Oxford Street after work (shudder) to try to find one. Starting from the Tottenham Court Road end, I walked up to Marble Arch and back down again looking. Needless to say, I did not find a corset, however I did apparently walk 2.5 miles. Hurrah!

Am not sure what today is going to bring yet. Possibly just some stretching.

Going to try the gym again tomorrow – just some gentle cross training and a 1-2km run on the treadmill to see how I go. Shin is feeling fine now, but obviously I don’t want to push it too quickly and put myself out again for longer.

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Juneathon Day 3 – Still hanging in there

June 3, 2010 in Juneathon, London, Running | 1 comment

First of all – thanks Pete for the encouragement!

Still hanging in there at the moment. Wasn’t about to risk any further damage today, so I thought I’d make it up by adding in some extra walking. I usually get the DLR from Lewisham to Poplar then change to get to Blackwall for work. Today, I got off at Canary Wharf and walked the rest of the way. Took me about twenty minutes, so today’s effort was a 20 minute walk.

I feel like I’m being really lazy compared to everyone elses efforts – but I am really in a fair bit of pain at the moment.

I was pondering going for a swim before work tomorrow, but 1) I don’t like swimming much and 2) I’m actually not sure I’d make it to work in time, so seems a bit pointless. I thought I may give the cross-trainer in the gym a go instead. We’ll see how it all feels tomorrow – I never thought I’d actually want to go running and miss not doing it!

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BUPA London 10k

May 31, 2010 in London, Running | No comments

So folks, what did you do on your Bank Holiday Monday?

I ran my first ever 10k road race – that’s 6.2 miles for the imperial lovers amongst you. Yes, I took part in the BUPA London 10k, raising money for the Make A Wish Foundation – a huge thank you to those of you who sponsored me. And an even bigger thank you to those who sponsored me, followed the saga of the blood blisters and listened to me moaning. Thanks especially to Matt and Geoff.

I had very mixed emotions about this event. I did not do enough training for it – trying to prepare in 4-5 weeks, having done virtually no sport in years was not really going to be an easy task. And indeed it wasn’t – a bout of illness and some really shocking blisters on my feet took at least 10 days out of that training time. It was pretty obvious that I wasnt going to do it in a good time and with the furthest distance I managed to do leading up to it being a 6.5k, just finishing was going to be the main thing.

The race started in St James Park, backing onto Green Park. Myself and my lovely Matt got out of bed early this morning and took a nice stroll to Lewisham before getting the train to Charing Cross. We then opted to walk to the park, figuring it was a nice walk and it would be good for me to get my muscles moving.

I was completely shocked by the sheer number of runners and as they were talking about Mo Farrah and some of the celebrities (zelebrities) being elite runners in their own right, the panic really set it. Anyway, like a good girl, I ate my banana and drank half a bottle of water and talked crap to Matt whilst admiring the elephants. Pictures at a later date, but these elephants are dotted throughout London and we saw about 20 of them today. They are awesome.

The race started in several waves and being that I was in Green A (faster slow runners) we had some time to wait and ended up crossing over the line to start at around 10.20am. The race started along the embankment and it was slightly depressing hitting the 2k mark as you watched the elite runners fly past the 8k mark on the otherside of you – but hey, they had a head start ;) .

I think I did set off slightly too quickly for my first two kilometres, but then I lost 5 minutes having to queue for the toilets just before I hit 3k. Crossed over 3k at about 21 minutes, but allowing 5 minutes for the toilet break and I was going too quickly, for me. Crossed through the water point, got my shoulder wrenched by a man who tripped on a plastic bottle someone thoughtfully discarded in the middle of the road (come on people, chuck them by the side of the road!) and carried on for another few hundred metres when my shin started to really hurt. I ignored it. Shin screamed louder. I ignored it some more and it started to really scream and it was just before 4k mark that I near enough burst into tears from the agony of shin splints. Slowed down to a walk at this point – not even a walk, but a slow walk. Crossed through 4k and tried to run again to get through it, but the pain was just getting worse. At this point, I did consider pulling out as it was agony. Eventually, I told myself to get to 5k and then visit the medical tent and see if I could ice it for a few minutes before going on my way.

As I hit 5k, there was a real feel of elation in the air as we’d hit halfway. I decided to ‘sod it’ and try to get to 6k. I plodded on in agony and then joy of joys, I hit a second wind around about Leadenhall Market. Leadenhall Market was my favourite part of the race – I know a lot of people suffered with the cobbles, but bizarrely they didn’t bother me as I figured the sooner I ran over them, the sooner they’d be gone.

7k mark and the next water station. I had my wits slightly more about me this time and danced over rogue bottles quite well. This was the part of the race I was worried about, as I had heard that there was a bit of a climb and it could get really tough with the wind being against you going back along the Embankment. Oddly enough, the ‘hill’ was fine. A lot of people slowed to a walk, but it was more of a slow incline and I managed to run up it and along quite happily. I think the few attempts at Belmont Hill in Lewisham helped here!

8k came and I felt real joy – the end being in site. Apparently one poor man collapsed at this point and was very unwell. Hopefully he is ok and has made a full recovery – I don’t care what you super-fit people say – running that far IS tough. It was at this point I ran out of steam a bit and felt a nasty stitch coming on. Tried to run through it, but really couldn’t, so walked a couple of minutes before picking up my feet again. Very much a run/walk action to 9k, but I wanted to finish the race well, even if the time was crap.

9k and I was burnt out, but thank you to the crowds, you were fantastic. Managed to plod (very, very slow running!) my way and then that lovely sign – ’400m to go!’ This was the point I picked up my feet and I charged. ’200m to go!’ saw me sprint. No exageration, the rest of my race may have been crap but I overtook a good 50-60 people in those last few metres and it felt great.

Time clocked in at around one hour and sixteen minutes according to my watch, which included that five minute wait for the toilets! Had that not happened, I would have managed it in nearly one hour ten.

I know this time is not good, but I feel proud of myself. I’ve never run that far before and I did it. I did it on not enough training and I survived. And oddly, my second 5 k was faster than my first!

Bring on the next one – I want to do it again! Bizarre to think that I’ll be doing a marathon in April.

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