When a race goes wrong

Gosport Semi Marathon. A chance to test my fitness, push myself and further build my confidence. One of my racing targets for 2009.
Did not happen. I quit after five miles. If I am honest I quit before I even started.
I will not detail the reasons why I actually stopped, I know exactly why I stopped and I am neither proud nor ashamed of my reasons. They were my reasons.
The aftermath of making such a decision can be pretty intense and debilitating. I remember all too well how public opinion was divided when Paula stepped off the course at the Olympic marathon. How quickly people that did not want to understand turned against her. It was nothing short of shameful.
So on that note, I will not dwell on this race and the experience I endured. I will move on and do someting about it to make sure that it never happens again.
Every problem has at least two solutions......

Best Diet Ever - Fall in Love!!

It's official.... Fall in love and the weight drops off!

Is it due to all those delightful chemicals floating around the brain, or is it just that comfort eating is no longer required?

Is it because "love" provides a fuel like no other? A fuel that negates the need for chocolate.... the excitement, the energy, the feelings that come with all that is associated with "love" - sharing dreams, planning dreams, achieving dreams... Mind feeding off body, body feeding off mind...

What ever the reason, I am noticing a significant change in body size and shape, in a very positive way. Starting to feel confident about my little personal target to wear my Scotland Team hot pants in a race before the end of the season....

I am also feeling more confident in my running - very noticeable in a tough training session this evening, one of those ones when you really fear for the loss of your lunch! Post run check of my Garmin seems to prove that running improvements are definitely happening.

Have no fear though, I have no intention of losing any more weight, just a wee tone up here and there, a wee boost of confidence and then bingo, those hot pants can finally get their maiden voyage. But I am targeting some pretty major running improvements....

P.S. It does not need to be a person that you fall in love with. Fall in love with life! Or even just a thought or an act, or maybe even just a dream.

Rewarding a tough week: Run a Marathon!

Not the most common form of reward, but one in true Sandra style - for surviving a very intense week long Laser Safety Management training course (away from home), my personal prize would be to run a marathon... Marathon of choice, Dartmoor Vale - a nice "undulating" fun run for 26.2 miles!

Also a chance to try out my new ankle support, new trainers, new shorts and measure my heart rate for the longest ever race. What better way to spend a Sunday morning...

The plan was to take it very easy, any incidents with my ankle and I would pull out at half way. Being a very cold morning I didn't warm up until about 5 miles, little cold fingers prompting me to envisage within my mind the run across Antartica. Hardly comparable, but did lead to many hours of thinking all about the challenges ahead, in particular my rapidly expanding PhD thesis.... Marathons are fantastic times to think out plans - inspiration and motivation strong. This marathon was exceptional in that aspect as I was running within myself for the full duration and so never hit any tough patches or uncomfortable periods.

Between 16 & 17 miles my ankle became "troublesome", but it did not last and I soon forgot about it - until the 19 mile point when it was painful for a short period and then no more.

20 miles and I was fully warmed up. Ankle strong all hill climbing done, I stepped on the gas. Decided to push on and fully test my ankle support and rapidly growing confidence. Fast down hill section, the sort of decline that only weeks previously would have had me feeling physically sick with fear. Fear of ankle collapsing. But not today, today I flew and what a liberating feeling it was. I overtook many people, growing more and more confident with each stride. Running at just over seven minute mile pace it felt good, both ankle and hip strong.

I maintained a strong pace all the way to the finish. Mission accomplished. My trial of support, trainers and shorts all a success. A full marathon's worth of Garmin data to analyse later.

And my time? 3:33:12 (with nine minute negative split) - third lady overall. Not bad for a fun run, pretty good prize for what had started out as a reward anyway!

And a date with a friend and pizza in the evening to look forward to as well...

The Plan

THE PLAN.

Simply started out as the intention to finally run that snow marathon that I have dreamed of for years. Spoken about to a select few.

Ever since I knew that running and huskies works well together the dream had festered. Why not make it happen, and why not do it for charity? Why not now?

I have always said that one day I will run a big one for a very worthwhile charity. Well, they are not going to get much bigger than this one as I now know that there is a 100k race in Antartica... Much better than just a marathon, and more of a Sandra challenge.

Since then my mind has been working overtime, if I run a 100k in one of the coldest and most inhospitable habitats on Earth, then why not balance that out by running a 100k in Africa? One year after the snow run. Just think of the potential charity fund raising opportunities......

As I was sitting in the sauna and steam rooms today I even contemplated asking for permission to move one of the treadmills into the room so that I could practice acclimatising myself to oppressive heat! Maybe once I know them a little better...

Anyway, THE PLAN has now positively crescendoed since then. Many fund raising and attention grabbing challenges to pursue and to write about. To share with others and to include others. Motivate, inspire and enrol. All ideas have the X100run theme and are presently being pulled together into a business plan proposal that I will be sharing....

Is it possible to raise £100k for a very worthwhile and world wide charity?

I have already dipped my toes in the sea of opportunity and approached several million pound/ dollar companies (one of them is American) with the basic idea in principle - and been met with very positive responses.

Preparation. Stress relievers before the stress....

No race tomorrow. Got a wee cold and feeling poorly, so going to have a "pamper day" instead to make sure that I recover well and body remains strong. Tried a hill session today and could feel "it" in my chest, and every time I sneeze or cough my hip is extemely painful.
And so, instead of racing I am going to make the most of my 6 month membership to the health and fitness club in Eastleigh. Funny how things sometimes work out. I spontaneoulsy enter a 5k race, and win membership to a Health Club located only minutes from my new place of work. I had not even started working there when I won this prize. It is a place that I can visit regularly on my way home from a potentially stressful job. I am equipped with stress relievers even before I feel the stress!
I will have a casual run with the dogs and then go try out the jacuzzi, spa, steam room et al. Never before experienced any of them and am quite excited about the prospect! My change of plan for tomorrow will also give me a chance to do further work on THE PLAN. I have hand written notes in half one dozen books all relating to THE PLAN, now need to start pulling together the business plan around it...

On a roll?

Feeling refreshed and confident after last week's 5k, I decided to attempt a 10k. Gradually build myself up to the Gosport 1/2 marathon in November. Until I have the results of the ankle scan I will continue to train according to how my ankle and body feel. Ankle support continues to work. Very little pain when running.
10k was in Portsmouth, along the sea front so flat and fast as long as the wind was low.
Again I had only one objective for the race. Further successful testing of the support, build upon my growing confidence. And take time during the race to give further thought to THE PLAN that has been growing in my mind for several weeks now....
300 people on the start line, I started near the front to try and avoid any trouble during the intial dash from the gun.
I started my watch several minutes before the start as I wanted to analyse my heart rate pre, during and post race. Trying to build up a scientific profile of how my body works.
Took me about 1k to settle into confortable running pace, just under 7 minute mile pace. Breathing was comfortable and I feel confident that it will not be long before I can maintain that pace and effort for 26 miles. That would give me my sub 3 hour marathon. A big target and big goal.
Under 2k into the race and I knew that I was the lead female. Didn't feel confortable as I knew there were some good runners in the race. Was surprised that I found myself in this position.
Nothing much to report about the race, I kept up the same(ish) pace for about 7k and then for some reason started easing back. I kept on expecting another female to appear on my shoulder,but was determined not to look back to see where they were.
For the first time ever, I crossed the line to break the tape. They actually put a tape across the line for me to run through as the first female. That felt quite cool. A good experience, unfortuantely no photographs to accompany the occassion, just my memories...

A change is as good as a rest?

One week and one day after finshing a race in complete agony. I find myself on the start line of another race. From 100k to 5k. My mind would have previously struggled with the point of putting my trainers on to run for only 5k. Today I am excited, energised and full of enthusiasm. My sole objective for today's race is to run confidently from start to finish. Know no fear as far as my ankle is concerned. The news support has been standing up well to test so far, now to see how it copes with speed and effort....
Very bumpy and eneven grass to start with. For nearly 1k I ran with my eyes glued to the ground, checking out every bump and lump, wanting no surprises, no stumbles. The onto dry mud path, easier to assess the surface but trecherous with all the tree roots and muddy ruts.
I knew I was running close to front of the race, knew that I had just overtaken the lead female. Whilst this did give me a nice feeling of confidence, I was prepared that I could be overtaken later and that was ok. Winning a 5k was not today's objective.
My second objective for the race was to raise my heart rate to a higher level that I ever achieve in training. I still do not know what my maximum heart rate is. Minimum so far recorded is 35bpm, maximum an unknowm and probably will not be determined until I am properly lab tested (lab test is on my long list of "to do's!).
And so back to the race.... Nearly took a wrong turn in my enthusiasm, marshall shouted at me just as I started heading left instead of right after the 4k marker. My breathing was heavy, heart and lungs working hard. Sunglasses steaming up (ahh the perils of loaning my precious Oakleys to someone else), legs and arms pumping hard. Thinking about it... am I allowed to blame poor vision due to "misted over" sunglasses for wrong turns...?
I eased back a little over the final 1k, wanting to ensure that I had something left for the final sprint finsh. Ankle feeling strong, I went for it. Pushed those last few metres and finished the race. First female to cross the line. For me a new experience. Winning a 5k race!
Gulping down lots of water, I waited contentedly for my friend to finish the 10k race. Can one feel contentment if one's heart rate is somewhat excessive? To me it certainly felt like contentment, and also a feeling of hope. A new hope freshly planted within my mind and body.
The offer of a pub lunch was put to me. My immediate thought was how can I have a relaxing dinner before I have a post run shower. Panic set in, being a creature of habit it was not what I do. There is a routine that must be followed. Runners etiquite surely?
But hey, ho, something definitely changing within me as I was persuaded by my friend to go for that pub lunch. And you know what... it was one of the best lunches I have ever had! Valuable lesson learned.