Well what a week it has been! Sorry for the delay in getting this write up sorted, its been pretty hectic all round and this is the first chance i've had to get things sorted!
The second marathon took place in Gloucester in a small village called Temple Guiting, which is a picturesque place albeit plagued with long steep hills! We stayed with Emi's sister again the night before, and this time I was sure not to have a curry for dinner!
I was luckily recovered from my injuries that have been lingering around since christmas and felt pretty confident that the run would go alright.
The event was organised by the same company that organised the first and there were a few familiar faces which was a great comfort. Despite my training, I still feel very nervous before the start of any race and so the site of many many hills as we drove towards the race start was a bit of a worry!
We arrived long before the race start which wasn't entirely necessary, but the race instructions suggested getting there an hour before the start of the race, and so we managed to get a cup of tea and chill out whilst watching the other racers turn up.
The race organisation left a lot to be desired unfortunately. The race HQ was some 1 mile away from the race start which we had to walk, but it was so that the first lap was shorter than the rest to make the distance correct.
The race started in a bit of a disjointed fashion but start it did, and my first mile went really well. There was no hint of a twinge in my right ankle and my left thigh eased up relatively quickly despite the winter chill that was hanging around the area.
Now, I don't know if you've been to the cotswolds lately, but there are a fair few hills to compete with as you run round. The first of these was between miles 1 and 2, and it was brutal! I managed to take it fairly well on laps 1 and 2, but it got the better of me by lap three and I found myself doing the standard walk/run technique to make sure that I had something left for the rest of the race.
My diet hasn't really been my top priority lately and so I overlooked the pre-race loading phase, a mistake that I certainly won't be making again a hurry! My energy tablets and a steady supply of jelly babies from Emi (who walked round the entire course to cheer me on!) kept me going for the first 21 miles or so. After this point it became tougher however, which sporadic cramp coming on in my quads every few minutes.
I managed to persevere however, mostly thanks to the continued support of Emi and her sister, Vicki, and some fantastic other runners helping me forward as they went passed me. Quite often their comments put a good turn on my "Make-A-Wish" t-shirt, with them making a wish for me to be able to keep running right to the finish.
The course was well laid out, presenting a series of challenging up hill stretches, culminately in a long sweeping incline which levelled out before dropping into a long steep downhill run at miles 7, 16 and 25. My last down hill run on lap three was a welcome reprieve from the demands of the last 9 miles, although disaster struck some 400metres from the end of the course when my left calf and thigh cramped up to such an extent that I couldn't move my left leg!
Now, after walking the last 10miles of the first marathon, it was heart breaking to think that such debilitation struck so close to the finish line, but after a brief rest I managed to make a last ditch effort at a sprint finish, crossing the line in 3hours 53minutes, beating my previous best by 9 minutes.
Overall the expierence was a good one, with each race I am learning new limits to how far I can push myself and what my body is capable of. For the next race, I will be concentrating on keeping a steady pace rather than running at whatever pace seems right at the time (although I have been trying to stick *roughly* to my trained pace), and hopefully this will avoid hitting a energy low at the 20/21 mile mark.
As for injuries, I've been really lucky this time. I didn't take any time away from work, so the first few days after the race at work were pretty tough, but staying active on my feet has helped ease my joints back into working order. With such a short period of time between races #2 and #3 (just two weeks), I decided to take a week off to make sure that my legs had adequate recovery time before going back to some longer but steadier runs in the days leading up to the Cambridge run.
The marathon log can be found at and as usual, the charity page page should you wish to donate is .
Hope you're all good!
26/02/2012
15/02/2012
4 days to go!
With only 4 days to go, the 2nd marathon of my 2012 is getting nerve rackingly close, but after an intense 15km run on tuesday, I am feeling pretty confidence that I should be able to make it round in one piece this time!
On a serious note, my injuries have all but cleared up and running is becoming much more enjoyable again, mostly thanks to the guys and gals of WRC for their continued support. Tuesday was a longer run, which included a few imprompty hill sprints, which got me in the mood for the challenge ahead on sunday.
Will be heading out tomorrow night for a shorter 7mile run in the evening, and friday will be a rest day what with travelling up to cardiff and all. Hopefully will be doing parkrun on saturday morning as last minute preparation as its a nice casual 5km run.
I've started using an app on my phone to keep track of my diet, which it would appear is abismal to say the least! I'm not sure how accurate it is, but hopefully it'll give me an indication where I can make some improvements in my current lifestyle.
I was also watching a TV show this evening which looked at the popular foods we eat and their effect. What I found particularly interesting was the segment on milk and its effects on improving recovery times, so will be giving that a go over the next few weeks and i'll report back with my findings!
Hope you're all good!
On a serious note, my injuries have all but cleared up and running is becoming much more enjoyable again, mostly thanks to the guys and gals of WRC for their continued support. Tuesday was a longer run, which included a few imprompty hill sprints, which got me in the mood for the challenge ahead on sunday.
Will be heading out tomorrow night for a shorter 7mile run in the evening, and friday will be a rest day what with travelling up to cardiff and all. Hopefully will be doing parkrun on saturday morning as last minute preparation as its a nice casual 5km run.
I've started using an app on my phone to keep track of my diet, which it would appear is abismal to say the least! I'm not sure how accurate it is, but hopefully it'll give me an indication where I can make some improvements in my current lifestyle.
I was also watching a TV show this evening which looked at the popular foods we eat and their effect. What I found particularly interesting was the segment on milk and its effects on improving recovery times, so will be giving that a go over the next few weeks and i'll report back with my findings!
Hope you're all good!
11/02/2012
1 week to go until marathon number 2
Well, i've managed to get some sembelance of regularity back into my training after recovering from the thigh/ankle debarcle that has plagued me since christmas!
Life is pretty crazy at the moment with work and uni work so i've not been out as much as i'd like but its been a real motivator to get back out and feel good both throughout and after my runs, The knowledge that you're going to suffer for a run for a day or so afterwards was a real demotivator which took its toll mentally, and I was starting to wonder whether I would be able to make it round marathon number 2.
All things are go though and just need to make sure my entry has been received (probably should have done this slightly earlier....) and sort out the travel arrangements for the day. Its back in gloucester again, so a bit of a drive is on the cards, but its such a nice part of the country that it's very worth it :)
One thing i've learnt this week, never go out without gloves when its cold! Not one of my wisest ideas, but went out with WRC for a nice 7mile jaunt on thursday and by the end of it, I couldn't feel my fingers! The run itself was awesome, the group atmosphere of the tuesday/thursday runs really permeates the mood and makes for an enjoyable hour, and they're a really friendly bunch and have been so supportive.
Will hopefully be doing a few more updates this week once work has calmed down, but hope everyone is alright!
Life is pretty crazy at the moment with work and uni work so i've not been out as much as i'd like but its been a real motivator to get back out and feel good both throughout and after my runs, The knowledge that you're going to suffer for a run for a day or so afterwards was a real demotivator which took its toll mentally, and I was starting to wonder whether I would be able to make it round marathon number 2.
All things are go though and just need to make sure my entry has been received (probably should have done this slightly earlier....) and sort out the travel arrangements for the day. Its back in gloucester again, so a bit of a drive is on the cards, but its such a nice part of the country that it's very worth it :)
One thing i've learnt this week, never go out without gloves when its cold! Not one of my wisest ideas, but went out with WRC for a nice 7mile jaunt on thursday and by the end of it, I couldn't feel my fingers! The run itself was awesome, the group atmosphere of the tuesday/thursday runs really permeates the mood and makes for an enjoyable hour, and they're a really friendly bunch and have been so supportive.
Will hopefully be doing a few more updates this week once work has calmed down, but hope everyone is alright!
04/02/2012
Finally the weekend!
Well, what a week its been!
Managed to get out every night this week and put in some minor runs, managing 19km monday to thursday, and planning a further run today and possibly a longer run tomorrow. My ankle feels much more stable and a day off yesterday gave the recovery a bit of a boost.
My left thigh is still bit sore but hopefully it will resolve itself before the next marathon on 19/02 with daily stretching/icing/heating.
In terms of sponsorship, its now above £2000 including justgiving and the LV= charity match of £500! I can't believe how much it's exploded!
I've also contacted the local Echo, so hopefully will hear from them over the weekend or next week to see whether I can drum up some publicity to the wider public.
So it's all go at the moment!
People keep asking my about my training plan, so i'll post a picture of the Hansons' plan that I used originally. During the weeks between marathons, its pretty much along the same lines, but the first week out is quite reduced so as to not go back too hard too fast and impinge on my recovery.
Managed to get out every night this week and put in some minor runs, managing 19km monday to thursday, and planning a further run today and possibly a longer run tomorrow. My ankle feels much more stable and a day off yesterday gave the recovery a bit of a boost.
My left thigh is still bit sore but hopefully it will resolve itself before the next marathon on 19/02 with daily stretching/icing/heating.
In terms of sponsorship, its now above £2000 including justgiving and the LV= charity match of £500! I can't believe how much it's exploded!
I've also contacted the local Echo, so hopefully will hear from them over the weekend or next week to see whether I can drum up some publicity to the wider public.
So it's all go at the moment!
People keep asking my about my training plan, so i'll post a picture of the Hansons' plan that I used originally. During the weeks between marathons, its pretty much along the same lines, but the first week out is quite reduced so as to not go back too hard too fast and impinge on my recovery.
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