A Running Adventure

My running is rarely interesting. It's solitary. I run the same handful of routes. I think my thoughts. Sometimes are faster than others, and occasionally I see a funny animal or a car crash, but that's as interesting as my running gets.

Today I ran 7 miles with Vicky Weitz. She is an artist who is running 26 marathons in 26 days in the Edinburgh Festival, up and down the Royal Mile, between the Palace of Holyrood and Edinburgh Castle. When I heard about this I felt really drawn to go and run with her. I suppose I wanted to support her, because people who put themselves out there pushing themselves to their limits deserve support. And perhaps because she's not from Edinburgh, she deserves supported for coming to the city where I live.

I dropped the kids at school and tried to recruit another running mum to come with me, but she was planning a half-hour run with her friend. At that point I was feeling nervous, overly full of breakfast and wishing I hadn't resolved to go. Even the run up Easter Road felt difficult - how would I manage up the Royal Mile?!

After running once up the Mile and 3/4 of the way back down, I spotted Vicki. I was impressed by how fresh and relaxed she looked, because she's blogged about being in pain and finding it difficult. Even 7 miles later (by which time she's run at least 16 miles) she still looked fresh - I was sweating enough for both of us (quite embarassing and further proof that I'm doing the right thing by always running at 6am when nobody can see me!)

I'd been a bit worried that I'd struggle on the uphill half of the run, but it was fine - not least because the Royal Mile is dotted with roads that need crossing, so there were lots of stops. Also Vicki stops each time she passes her support crew outside the Storytelling Centre.

Vicki was very chatty and really easy to spend time with. I had wondered what I could tell her about to raise her spirits if she was flagging, and as she'd blogged about missing her children I thought I'd keep off the subject of my kids. But after a few miles, Vicki's children appeared! They had arrived the previous night and they both ran with her today. I was so impressed that they were so supportive of what their mum was doing.

I was fascinated to hear about Vicki's running history and her art - she was very friendly, chatty and open. When we stopped at her crew's stop, Vicki had a re-fuel by opening a tupperware and taking a jelly baby from a selection of sweeties - no sports gels or technical kit, just good old jelly babies, chocolate and mints! I loved that.

Vicki was getting supportive smiles and cheers from her regular supporters up and down the Mile, and when she stopped for a refuel a lovely man called Ken stopped and asked for a photo with her. He was from the Bronx and said he'd tell his running club at home about her! I was quite emotional that this one woman's run would become an international topic of conversation - wow.

Grinning like a chuffed person, feeling a bit embarassed to be sweatier than the athlete!!

I'm really chuffed that on her blog Vicki  said that I had "vibrant energy that was contagious", not just because it's a lovely compliment but also because I felt so happy after running with her that I was worried I'd taken more than I'd given. I hope I can get the chance to run with her again next week. Today was her 15th marathon so she only has 9 more days to go!

By the time I got home, I'd run 10 miles in 2 hours and 15 minutes. They were 2 of the best running hours I think I've had. I enjoyed being part of Vicki's work but mostly I enjoyed her company. I had a cold bath, made an omlette and chips and a pot of tea, and thought about Vicki who would still be running.

Here begins the taper

On Saturday I did my 20 mile run - the longest of my marathon training, three weeks before the race.

I was a bit nervous and was very grumpy with my children the evening before! I sorted my playlist (podcasts - Kermode & Mayo, Marathon Training Academy, The Food Programme, Simon Mayo); got my fuels ready (one SIS gel as soon as I got out of bed at 0530, the one each 35-45 minutes during the run, and a protein bar for as soon as I got home); planned my route (heading East or West along the coastal roads depending on the wind direction!); then I set my alarm clock and settled down for an early night (9pm). I was a bit too excited to sleep, but nothing ever keeps me awake for long!

I like the wind to be against me on the way out, and giving me a helpful push as I head home. So on this occassion I headed west - noodling around the newbuild housing developments at Leith and Granton as I headed for Barnton, Cramond, and back along the coastal roads and paths. The weather was dry and bright, and it was daylight by the time I went out - lovely

But it was utterly brilliant. Awesome. I don't know if it's endorphins released by the effort, or being really chuffed at my achievement, but afterwards, colours were brighter, people were friendlier, smells were smellier - every sense I had was heightened!

And tastes were tastier... I can be sure of this because my bacon & fried egg roll was really, really delicious!! And the protein bar was really, really unpleasant!

So now I start to wind down my distances - which is apparently its own set of challenges and my family should watch out for even more grumping from me!

Fuelled up on Jelly Babies

Today's running lesson: don't put jelly babies in your pocket on rainy days.

I read in Runner's World that some runners shun isotonic energy drinks and other advanced fuelling strategies in favour of good old jelly babies. I liked the sound of that, and got some jelly babies to keep in my pocket for big runs. The yellow ones were disgusting, but apart from that they were quite a nice distraction, along with my energy mix.

But today at 5am it was seriously rainy when I headed out for my 9 miles. I didn't sweat so much and didn't munch my sugary treats - and when I got home they'd turned to goo in my pocket. They were still discernably jelly babies. Just covered in an kind of sugary amniotic fluid.

And the yellow one was still disgusting.

Otherwise, the running is great. My 18 miles on Saturday felt pretty good - no niggles, no problems, and man! did the bacon & egg roll I had afterwards taste GOOD!! I had an incentive to get home fast - I had to take my daughter to her ballet class - and I'd asked the kids to make their own breakfast while I was out and not to wake up daddy! There comes a time in every child's life when they have to pour their own Blueberry Wheats and peel their own satsuma - and for my cherubs, it was last Saturday at 7.30am. Anyway, I did 18 miles in 2 hours 50 minutes. Not that I was really counting.

Fuelling is preoccupying me at the moment. I always run on an empty stomach, but that's mainly because I run first thing in the morning - 0530 or 0600. The Marathon starts at 1000 and I really don't think I can make it till 1000 any day without any food! So I'm thinking I'll get up at 0600 to eat, that way I'll be empty by race time, just top up my glycogen levels with an energy gel before the race. But I won't get the chance to check the tactic before the race.

I'm indebted to the Marathon Training Academy for keeping me going these last few weeks and for all the information on fuelling, training and recovery. More on them later.

What's blowing my mind at the moment is how my perception of distance has changed. This morning I did 9 miles and didn't think twice about it - didn't worry that it might be hard, just went out and took it on like it was easy. And when you think something's easy, it does become a whole lot easier. Until a month ago, 10 miles was what I considered to be a challenging big run! But now 10 miles isn't a big deal. I'm amazed at how my attitude's changed. I guess I know now that I'm capable of more!

Last night I'd organised a training and/or recovery with the other Leith Primary Runners, who are all running legs of the Marathon Relay. I was the only one there... but as I don't want them to feel guilty or in any way put off, I've told them that it was a great evening (it was, I went home and kept warm!) and we need to meet up again soon (we do!) I know they're all training, and we're all busy - but at least they have to meet each other so they know who they're supposed to be handing their batons too!