My 2012

So, the challenge is twelve months, twelve sentences. Punctuation is positively encouraged.

January: In a month where I went on a family holiday for a week and still didn’t eat any chocolate or drink any coffee, I discovered Change Your Life is 7 Days by Paul McKenna which changed my life, and also fell in love with hooping (that's not me in the vid btw).

February: it was a bellydance month when I performed with the Baladi Blues Band, my first time ever dancing with a live band which I LOVED; was invited to compere the annual Edinburgh University African and Arabic Dance Society hafla; and for the first time in a while, ran 13 miles without injury or too much ill effect.

March:  I got my act together to apply for a college place to study fitness, ran the Meadows Half Marathon in 1hr 45m, which was a good time despite sleet, and won a place in the Edinburgh Marathon courtesy of the ESPC!

April: I learned a lot about myself as I began my marathon training; had an excellent weekend of rehearsals with our bellydance troupe, The Peacock Project, working towards and completing the choreography for our entry to this year’s Shimmy in The City competition; and had an interview at Jewel & Esk college for a place on their Fitness HNC, winning a place despite there being 5 applications for every place.

May: I completed my first marathon in 4 hours, 19 minutes after only 8 weeks of training, on a really hot day, as well as rehearsing hard for and performed in Club Bellydance at The Pleasance, with the Bellydance Superstars, the biggest bellydance gig I’ve ever been involved in.

June: I enjoyed seeing the Olympic Torch at Holyrood and I lost my toenail after the marathon! But also there were lots of bellydance highlights this month, including teaching children’s classes, organising and running both the Leith Festival Hafla and the Musselburgh Hafla, and performing in Glasgow.

July: Brought the summer holidays and the brilliant Big Dance weekend where I organised four performances, a bellydance flashmob and performed with The Peacock Project for the first time.

August: I Ran the Coach & Horses 10M race in Lancaster, went for an induction day at Jewel & Esk College and got offered the chance of a last-minute place at Telford College, which I accepted, and started full-time education for the first time since 1996 eek!

September: I completed the Glasgow half marathon, found it difficult and learned that caffeinated energy gels make me terribly grumpy; held plank for four minutes, leading to ‘not disgracing myself’ in a team challenge at college and a whopping increase in my personal college confidence; started training in earnest for the Jedburgh Half Marathon, following a training programme to improve my speed and hopefully do a PB of 1hour 45; competed at Shimmy in the City bellydance festival in London with the Peacock Project which was an amazing, challenging, growing experience, and I survived the terrible disappointment of not winning.

October: I had a rubbish experience in the Dunbar 10M hill race, involving my first ever “getting lost in a race” incident; got sick and injured and failed to PB in the Jedburgh Half Marathon, learning that the training programme I’d chosen had too much running and not enough cross-training, but still finished Jedburgh in 1hr 54 and really enjoyed it; attended a brilliant book festival event by Dr Andrew Murray, ultramarathon runner and public health fitness champion; enjoyed a 7-day pass to Edinburgh Leisure, passed my first aid qualification, quit booze until my birthday, and continued to do fine at college, but realised that I had a long way to go when it comes to gym instruction and remembered how rotten it feels to be rubbish at something.

November: I won a free gym membership in a raffle and enjoyed adding gym work to my workout routine, and improving my gym confidence; I made my tenth donation of blood; I decided to lose 3kg before my birthday.

December: Held plank for 6 minutes, completing my November plank challenge; and hit my target weight in time for my birthday!

First time for everything (sadly)

I finished yesterday's Dunbar 10 mile Doon Hill Race in 1h 31m. My niggly knee held up just fine throughout the race. Both of these sentences make it sound okay.

Here's the rest of the story. I got lost and added 0.6M to my race. I was last for a significant proportion. I finished 70th out of a field of 81. I walked more times than I care to remember. My legs felt like they had nothing to give. At the end I had a cry and I felt terrible for the rest of the day. One day later and my knee is niggly again.

I've done this race twice before and really enjoyed it. This time the weather was beautiful, sunny but not hot, clear skies being ideal for viewing the lovely scenery from the hills to the sea. I'd rested all week and I was feeling confident. This was my 'tune-up' race before the Jedburgh Half Marathon in 3 weeks time. I've been working on my speed recently. So everything was pointing to a really good race.

I don't know what went so horribly wrong. The start was a little faster than I would have liked, but really I don't think it was so fast that I can blame it for messing up the rest of the race. I took my wrong turn at about mile 3. I found myself running down a field until the track I was on disappeared, and there was nobody to be seen. I knew I was near the back of the runners, but there was just nobody anywhere, so I ran back and eventually found the big dayglow arrow I'd missed. I felt so stupid! I tried so hard not to panic, tried to keep my pace under control, but perhaps I didn't, perhaps I sped up in panic and that's where it all went wrong.

I kept thinking about that marathon winner in the news the other week who took a wrong turn and still did a PB. Probably that didn't help, it probably made me push faster.

When I caught up with the end of the field, I calmed down a bit. There was a really steep hill shortly after and I overtook a handful of runners there. Shortly after I had my first walk - this was only the second race I've EVER taken a walk break in, and I felt so crappy about it. My mantra became "you're a pathetic f***ing loser", over and over in my head. I put on my iPod to get rid of the negativity because I coulnd't get rid of it on my own! But once I've had my first walk break, it's like opening a packet of crisps - once I knew it was open, I couldn't leave it alone. I can't remember how many walk breaks I took in the end. Again and again it felt like my legs had nothing to give at all. Which, after a week off, I really didn't expect.

It was a long and lonely run. I was grateful to the marshals who were friendly and supportive as I passed, but mostly I felt pathetic and apologetic for keeping them there while I was having such a terrible race. When I crossed the finish line I had no pride at all - I felt totally ashamed at my time, which was 10 minutes slower than last year. I sat on the grass and had a cry.

I have "no further comment at this point", as I'm feeling a bit down about running and life in general right now.

Dear Trevor and Angie...

I got through my first marathon experience with a whole lot of help from Marathon Training Academy. It's a US-based running institution run by a couple called Angie and Trevor. They record podcasts full of running information and helpful chat. The podcasts have informed me, made me laugh and kept me company throughout my marathon experience. Pretty much from the first time I listened in (after I'd decided to run a marathon) I was mentally writing to them to thank them for their support. So today, about 10 weeks after downloading my first MTA podcast, I'm finally writing that email.

"Dear Angie and Trevor,

I feel like I've known you both a lot longer than only 10 weeks! That was how long ago I downloaded my first MTA podcast and began my marathon journey. I'm writing now to thank you for your support and to tell you that I really probably couldn't have done it without you.

I live in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. The Edinburgh Marathon runs right past my street. It's flat and fast. You should definately come some time and see how we do marathons in the UK. From what you've said, we do them a bit smaller than you - what's an expo?!!

Angie, you talk a lot about building a solid running base. I spent quite a while working on that - I went from couch to marathon in 15 years! I never thought I'd run a marathon. Even when, after 2 kids, I ran my first half marathon; and even in 2011 when I ran 7 half marathons, I never thought I wanted to tackle the full 26.2. But I was casually browsing through a local property magazine, and spotted a lottery style competition to win a free place in the 2012 Edinburgh Marathon, I entered, and won! (I guess most other people reading the magazine were a bit busy buying and selling property to run marathons!)

This was with just 8 weeks to go till race day. This was what worried me - my regular running week totalled 25 miles, would that be enough to enter a training programme with just 8 weeks to go? Both of my marathon-running friends were ambigous about it - much sucking of teeth, and ooh, well, maybe if you don't get injured... So I decided to try out the training programme and see how it went. As I hadn't paid for my entry, I wouldn't have lost anything if, after a few weeks, I pulled out and ran the half marathon instead.

Although I'd run so many halves before, I'd never followed a training programme, just routinely came in at about 1 hour 50 minutes. This training discipline was going to be a challenge, and for the first few weeks, I literally thought about nothing else. I could hardly sleep. I had so many questions! What's The Wall? What about fuelling? What on earth is Tempo? I am so grateful to have found your podcast. You gave me the information I needed, in a friendly and helpful way, and you never once made me feel less than invincible. And I could listen to you while I ran too. Perfect!

Well, the deadline for half marathon entries came and went, and I was still on for the full Kraken-unleashing 26.2. The training was amazing. I was so excited at the prospect of 16 miles; then 18; then, 20 miles and the most awesome post-run breakfast ever!! And as a happy by-product of my training, my kids can now get their own breakfast without me. Result!!

The week leading up to race day was hot - much hotter than anything I'd run in before. That week was the first time this year I've been running without a jacket! Although it was probably cool compared with some of the temperatures you and other listeners have endured. I stressed about  the temperature all week - I didn't worry about anything else, though, because I knew I was prepared and I'd done as much as I could. I hadn't missed a single training run or cross-training day.

Race day was hot. But the 26.2 miles came and went. I kept fuelled and hydrated. I dug deep. I listened to your podcast on marathon success stories, where someone helpfully pointed out that if Oprah and George W Bush could do it, then so could I. And I did, in 4 hours 19 minutes. I finished strong, crossing the finish line doing an 8.21min/mile and a celebratory "YES!!" and leap in the air. It was the most amazing feeling.

The pain in my legs for the next 4 days was extrordinary - I wasn't prepared for that! And Angie, you keep quiet about toenails, don't you?! My technicolour toenails are the least pleasant part of the whole experience! My final race injury was funnier though - the next day, wearing flip flops to let my poor toes recover,  I dropped my race medal on my foot and was bruised for a week!

I can't wait to do another marathon. At the moment I'm not signed up for any other races, and I'm feeling crabbit (that's a Scottish word for grumpy!), twitchy and bereft.

Thank you both so much for everything that you do. You're right, I DO have what it takes to run a marathon and change my life. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for telling me everything I needed to know, and thank you for helping me finish strong and leap across that finish line. "You guys are awesome!"

Elspeth xxx"