Sometimes you just have that *really good run* when you feel so lucky to be alive and priviledged to be able to run? That was me this morning.
It was the first meeting of the Leith Primary School Running Club. I was taking a team of primary 6 and 7 pupils running, in advance of their inter-schools 'cross country' (i.e., twice round Leith Links - which nobody could ever really describe as 'country'!) race. It was a small group and the atmosphere was great - we met before school started, so everyone who participated was really keen!
It was sunny and warm, , the sky was blue, and the trees round the links were heavy with pink cherry blossom. We ran past the running club of the other local primary school, Leith St Mary's RC, and cheerfully waved - they've had a running club for a few years now and there must have been about 40 of them! Not as intimate as ours... although we all know, from small acorns grow big nuts. So I'm hoping we'll end up with lots of running nuts at Leith Primary in a few years!
We warmed up with 'funny running' in the playground, we ran follow-the-leader across the Links to the race route, and then covered half the distance of the race before walking back to school in time for the bell. There was a range of abilities, but everybody seemed happy - I got some lovely feedback, including one chuffed boy who said he'd never ran so far before and felt proud of himself. That made me grin.
Can't wait till next week for more!
Showing posts with label races. Show all posts
Showing posts with label races. Show all posts
Friday, 17 May 2013
Sunday, 30 December 2012
My 2012
So, the challenge is twelve months, twelve sentences. Punctuation is positively encouraged.
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.
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!
Monday, 28 May 2012
My First Marathon - edited highlights
I finish my first marathon in 4 hours, 19 minutes. I am extremely proud of myself. The stats are here!
It was hot but after a while I didn't really notice too much. It was hard for a whole number of reasons and the heat was just one of them!
I did a little dance at the start line and continued it at the finish line. I finished strong (doing 8.21min/mile!) and ran the whole way, even through the water stations.
The route was flat, pretty and included my home turf, which was brilliant - high fives with friends and shout-outs from my neighbours really made me feel on top of the world!
I had a few niggles but most of them came and went - hips, lower back and IT band aches were all overtaken by the pain in my thighs after about 16 miles.
My podcasts were great diversions, especially as, despite the beauty of the East Lothian coast in the sunshine, it is fairly repetitive view!!
I carried my water bottle and refilled it at the water stations, and consumed 7 energy gels.
My mum and her boyfriend Robert were there to cheer me on at about mile 13. That was lovely and lifted my spirits - in fact it made me quite emotional and I was choking back the tears!
I was so excited to see the big orange 25-mile sign and find myself still going strong. I knew that whatever happened I was going to finish the race now. And then I saw my husband and children!! What a thrill - they weren't sure they were going to make it! They gave me a big wave and took my picture - but now I was sprinting with joy! I still had about three-quarters of a mile to go though!!
When I saw the finish line it gave it everything I had left, overtook everyone I saw and crossed the finish line with a massive shout of "YES!!", loud
enough for race compere Bryan Burnett to comment on! The time on the
gantry was 4 hours 36 minutes - the time on my watch was 4 hours 19
minutes!!
I was so happy to get my medal, I fixed my eyes on the medal lady and dipped my head to get her to put it round my neck. She gave me a big smile and said "well done, hen", and I was ridiculously, hysterically grateful and happy.
One I was out into the reunion area, I burst into tears. I'd done it! I'd completed my first marathon! After only 8 weeks of training (albeit after 15 years of building a solid running base!) it had taken me 4 hours 19 minutes to run 26.2 miles. I could not have been any happier.
I did that little dance I'd started at the starting line (Paulo Nutini's 10/10 was the tune - it had been on the PA but I also had it on my ipod!) and tried to find hubby and weans. It took a while but we were reunited!
I tried to have a shower but they were freezing! So I had a bit of a douse and put on my clean clothes. I realised my toes were hurting. "Well", said a lady in the changing room, who was a veteran of 5 marathons, "you can't do a marathon without expecting to lose a few toenails!", and she showed me the toes she'd lost nails from she'd lost in the last few years! I was unprepared for this - Marathon Training Academy, you should have told me!
Next stop was the Well Hung & Tender stall for a deluxe burger - featuring onions, bacon and cheese, accompanied with a cup of milky tea. It was so unbelievably good, I can hardly begin to tell you - but my face should give you a hint:
We had a long, hot, uphill walk back to the car, and I had to carry a nearly-five-year-old on my shoulders for most of it! It was possibly the hardest part of the day. But it was closely followed by meeting up with the other Leith Primary running parents in the pub. I was cheered when I arrived, and then hugged, congratulated, quizzed and bought drinks!
Eight weeks ago, I wasn't remotely confident I could run a marathon. I registered for the event thinking that I might well change to the half marathon. I knew nothing about fueling, or the wall, or what I was capable of. I feel like a wiser, better person than I was 8 weeks ago. I feel confident, creative and like I can do anything. Anything I put my mind to. I always knew I could, in theory. Now I have proof.
It remains to be seen if I lose toenails. It remains to be seen how much sponsor money I've raised for the Leith Primary playground fund. It remains to be seen whether I'll do it again next year (although I suspect I'd like to!). But I ran my first marathon in 4 hours 19 minutes. I do have what it takes to run a marathon and change my life. And I ROCK!!!
It was hot but after a while I didn't really notice too much. It was hard for a whole number of reasons and the heat was just one of them!
I did a little dance at the start line and continued it at the finish line. I finished strong (doing 8.21min/mile!) and ran the whole way, even through the water stations.
The route was flat, pretty and included my home turf, which was brilliant - high fives with friends and shout-outs from my neighbours really made me feel on top of the world!
I had a few niggles but most of them came and went - hips, lower back and IT band aches were all overtaken by the pain in my thighs after about 16 miles.
My podcasts were great diversions, especially as, despite the beauty of the East Lothian coast in the sunshine, it is fairly repetitive view!!
I carried my water bottle and refilled it at the water stations, and consumed 7 energy gels.
My mum and her boyfriend Robert were there to cheer me on at about mile 13. That was lovely and lifted my spirits - in fact it made me quite emotional and I was choking back the tears!
I was so excited to see the big orange 25-mile sign and find myself still going strong. I knew that whatever happened I was going to finish the race now. And then I saw my husband and children!! What a thrill - they weren't sure they were going to make it! They gave me a big wave and took my picture - but now I was sprinting with joy! I still had about three-quarters of a mile to go though!!
 |
| 3/4 mile from the end, grinning like a nutter and FINISHING STRONG!! (Note the non-chafeing bumbag.) |
I was so happy to get my medal, I fixed my eyes on the medal lady and dipped my head to get her to put it round my neck. She gave me a big smile and said "well done, hen", and I was ridiculously, hysterically grateful and happy.
One I was out into the reunion area, I burst into tears. I'd done it! I'd completed my first marathon! After only 8 weeks of training (albeit after 15 years of building a solid running base!) it had taken me 4 hours 19 minutes to run 26.2 miles. I could not have been any happier.
I did that little dance I'd started at the starting line (Paulo Nutini's 10/10 was the tune - it had been on the PA but I also had it on my ipod!) and tried to find hubby and weans. It took a while but we were reunited!
 |
| "Mum, can we go home now? it's too hot..." |
I tried to have a shower but they were freezing! So I had a bit of a douse and put on my clean clothes. I realised my toes were hurting. "Well", said a lady in the changing room, who was a veteran of 5 marathons, "you can't do a marathon without expecting to lose a few toenails!", and she showed me the toes she'd lost nails from she'd lost in the last few years! I was unprepared for this - Marathon Training Academy, you should have told me!
Next stop was the Well Hung & Tender stall for a deluxe burger - featuring onions, bacon and cheese, accompanied with a cup of milky tea. It was so unbelievably good, I can hardly begin to tell you - but my face should give you a hint:
 |
| Nothing could have tasted better! |
We had a long, hot, uphill walk back to the car, and I had to carry a nearly-five-year-old on my shoulders for most of it! It was possibly the hardest part of the day. But it was closely followed by meeting up with the other Leith Primary running parents in the pub. I was cheered when I arrived, and then hugged, congratulated, quizzed and bought drinks!
Eight weeks ago, I wasn't remotely confident I could run a marathon. I registered for the event thinking that I might well change to the half marathon. I knew nothing about fueling, or the wall, or what I was capable of. I feel like a wiser, better person than I was 8 weeks ago. I feel confident, creative and like I can do anything. Anything I put my mind to. I always knew I could, in theory. Now I have proof.
It remains to be seen if I lose toenails. It remains to be seen how much sponsor money I've raised for the Leith Primary playground fund. It remains to be seen whether I'll do it again next year (although I suspect I'd like to!). But I ran my first marathon in 4 hours 19 minutes. I do have what it takes to run a marathon and change my life. And I ROCK!!!
My First Marathon - full disclosure
Good news - I'm still alive to tell the tale!
Edinburgh was hot on Sunday 27 May 2012. When I got up at 0630 to eat breakfast (porridge, nuts & seeds, green tea, mint tea and a bit of pineapple, plus my supplements - iron, B vits, co-enzyme Q10 - all 3 hours before the start line, as recommended by Marathon Training Academy), the haar was thick and Leith was cold.
The haar had burnt off by 9am, but I was determind not to let my calm and relaxed attitude go with it! Dressed in my running kit, I kissed goodbye to my family and caught a bus up Easter Road (bus driver: "is it not cheating to get on the bus?"). London Road was busy with runners and the public toilets there were quiet - AND they had hot water and hand driers, what a luxury on race day!
I walked up to Regent Road, chatting to a girl from Southend who'd come up for her first marathon too. It calmed me down to be a welcoming local! The queues for the loo were pretty long, but the stewards directed us to about 60 loos in the car park of St Andrew's House, where the queues were long, but moving. It was quite depressing to see a security officer from St Andrew's House catching a couple of women who'd relieved themselves round the back of a stack of stone blocks instead of waiting the queue. They looked quite shamed, and I know nerves make you do funny things - but St Andrew's House didn't *have* to give up their car park for the day, they'd done us runners a good turn - and they get repaid in widdle. [sigh.]
I'd never before found myself in the loo queue with just a minute till the starting gun. But the race was so massive that I knew I wouldn't miss anything, and I wasn't alone. I was amazed at how calm I was! I took my first energy gel (topping up the glycogen stores) and did a little dance as I waited to get to the start line - which happened about 1008. One of my running friends saw me dance and said "you won't be doing that at the finish line!". Which of course was a gauntlet, thrown down!
It was hot but there was no point in worrying about it. I was confident there would be a coastal breeze, plenty of water stations, and that the residents of East Lothian would be out in force with their garden hoses. I'd put on sun cream and carried my running water bottle, and my kit was as planned - capri leggings and a technical t-shirt from last year's EMF half marathon.
It was hard not to take off fast, especially as the course is downhill for the first few miles, but it was so busy - by far the biggest race I've every done, surely - that I managed fairly steady 10 minutes miles. Mile 3 was my home turf, which was brilliant - high fives with friends and shout-outs from my neighbours really made me feel on top of the world!
By mile 4, my hips and lower back began to ache, but at that point we found the first of the impromptu showers on the route, courtesy of the carwash on Seafield Road. Hurray!! I found someone I knew who was in the team relay, and chatted a bit. He told me later that I spurred him on - he thought that if I was doing 26 miles and he was only doing 8 miles, he really ought to be going a whole lot faster than me. That, and he's at least a foot taller than I am!!
I had a few niggles but most of them came and went. I was pretty aware of my IT band for a while, but new trainers are waiting for me anyway. At about mile 16 my thighs took over pain duty.
There were no absolutely terrible moments. Yes it was hot, but apart from feeling my cheeks burn a wee bit, I didn't really notice after the first few miles. No point in thinking about what you can't change - I think I spent more time wondering whether to stop for a pee!
I listened to a variety of podcasts - there was a very interesting episode of The Food Programme about the soya bean, a dose of Wittertainment from Mark Kermode & Simon Mayo which is my regular Saturday morning long run listen-of-choice, the News Quiz, and a very long Marathon Training Academy podcast about marathon success stories, where I learned that George W Bush and Oprah Winfrey have both completed marathons - helpful to know as I didn't really want them to do better than me!! The podcasts were great diversions, especially as, despite the beauty of the East Lothian coast in the sunshine, it is fairly repetitive view!!
I had a range of things to think about when the going got tough. My kids told me to listen to Katy Perry's "Firework", one of their favourite songs, and remember Scott dancing to it at school assembly. There was to be a pizza for dinner when I got home. There was meeting up with the Relay Team members in the pub in the evening. These were images to keep me going reserved for when I needed extra motivation. And d'y'know what? I didn't ever think about them. I never hit the low point I expected. It never got as bad as I'd feared it would.
At about 20 miles, people around me started walking. It seemed like everybody was walking through the water stations, and I was the only one not stopping! That was a bit of a spur. After all, by 20 miles, you're almost done, why stop?! I was well aware that "The Wall" could hit me at any moment - after all, I'd never run beyong 20 miles before - so if *that* was going to get me, or indeed, if I was going to get heatstroke or hyperthermia, I really should get as far as I could before I needed to take a rest!
Speaking of which - I'd never seen so much runner carnage in a race before. So many people getting first aid, including being put on drips! and lots of people in the recovery position on grass verges. Also, I passed rather a lot of people who'd, erm, passed rather a lot... judging by the smell and the state of their legs! I'm pleased to say that the worst I did was burp (which I did quite regularly!), which I'm putting down to sensible eating last week and my 7am brekkie.
Water stations were all well organised and sometimes we even got the choice of a bottle with or without a lid! I was pouring the water into my running bottle and emptying the rest on my head! I liked always having my own water with me, and in the third quarter of the race I was really glad of it - the longest section without a water station was also the hottest, with the least shade, least breeze, and least crowd support.
I had a Science in Sport Gel about every 40 minutes. My training has really helped me to notice when I need to take on fuel, when I start to get a bit tired and 'itchy'. I had a fetching bum-bag to carry them in which, I'm glad to say, didn't chafe!
My mum and her boyfriend Robert were there to cheer me on at about mile 13. That was lovely and lifted my spirits - in fact it made me quite emotional and I was choking back the tears!
I was so excited to see the big orange 25-mile sign and find myself still going strong. I knew that whatever happened I was going to finish the race now. And then I saw my husband and children!! What a thrill - they weren't sure they were going to make it! They gave me a big wave and took my picture - but now I was sprinting with joy! I still had about three-quarters of a mile to go though!!
This last section of the race was a bit deflating. The centre line had been taken down, and the public were wandering along the same part of the road as the runners - it felt pretty disrepectful, as if we were stragglers, but there were still loads of us! But frankly I was giving it my all, thinking "this is it, I'm finishing strong - get out my way, pedestrians!"
The crowd were thick as we got to the finish line. I overtook everyone I saw with my final energy burst and crossed the finish line with a massive "YES!!", loud enough for race compere Bryan Burnett to comment on! The time on the gantry was 4 hours 36 minutes - the time on my watch was 4 hours 19 minutes!!
I was so happy to get my medal, I fixed my eyes on the medal lady and dipped my head to get her to put it round my neck. She gave me a big smile and said "well done, hen", and I was ridiculously, hysterically grateful and happy.
One I was out into the reunion area, I burst into tears. I'd done it! I'd completed my first marathon! After only 8 weeks of training (albeit after 15 years of building a solid running base!) it had taken me 4 hours 19 minutes to run 26.2 miles. I could not have been any happier.
The stats for my performance are here, as tracked by my Garmin.
I did that little dance I'd started at the starting line (Paulo Nutini's 10/10 was the tune - it had been on the PA but I also had it on my ipod!) and tried to find hubby and weans. It took a while but we were reunited!
I tried to have a shower but they were freezing! So I had a bit of a douse and put on my clean clothes. I realised my toes were hurting. "Well", said a lady in the changing room, who was a veteran of 5 marathons, "you can't do a marathon without expecting to lose a few toenails!", and she showed me the toes she'd lost nails from she'd lost in the last few years! I was unprepared for this - Marathon Training Academy, you should have told me!
Next stop was the Well Hung & Tender stall for a deluxe burger - featuring onions, bacon and cheese, accompanied with a cup of milky tea. It was so unbelievably good, I can hardly begin to tell you - but my face should give you a hint:
We had a long, hot, uphill walk back to the car, and I had to carry a nearly-five-year-old on my shoulders for most of it! It was possibly the hardest part of the day. But it was closely followed by meeting up with the other Leith Primary running parents in the pub. I was cheered when I arrived, and then hugged, congratulated, quizzed and bought drinks!
It remains to be seen if I lose toenails. It remains to be seen how much sponsor money I've raised for the Leith Primary playground fund. It remains to be seen whether I'll do it again next year (although I suspect I'd like to!). But I ran my first marathon in 4 hours 19 minutes. I do have what it takes to run a marathon and change my life. And I ROCK!!!
Edinburgh was hot on Sunday 27 May 2012. When I got up at 0630 to eat breakfast (porridge, nuts & seeds, green tea, mint tea and a bit of pineapple, plus my supplements - iron, B vits, co-enzyme Q10 - all 3 hours before the start line, as recommended by Marathon Training Academy), the haar was thick and Leith was cold.
The haar had burnt off by 9am, but I was determind not to let my calm and relaxed attitude go with it! Dressed in my running kit, I kissed goodbye to my family and caught a bus up Easter Road (bus driver: "is it not cheating to get on the bus?"). London Road was busy with runners and the public toilets there were quiet - AND they had hot water and hand driers, what a luxury on race day!
I walked up to Regent Road, chatting to a girl from Southend who'd come up for her first marathon too. It calmed me down to be a welcoming local! The queues for the loo were pretty long, but the stewards directed us to about 60 loos in the car park of St Andrew's House, where the queues were long, but moving. It was quite depressing to see a security officer from St Andrew's House catching a couple of women who'd relieved themselves round the back of a stack of stone blocks instead of waiting the queue. They looked quite shamed, and I know nerves make you do funny things - but St Andrew's House didn't *have* to give up their car park for the day, they'd done us runners a good turn - and they get repaid in widdle. [sigh.]
I'd never before found myself in the loo queue with just a minute till the starting gun. But the race was so massive that I knew I wouldn't miss anything, and I wasn't alone. I was amazed at how calm I was! I took my first energy gel (topping up the glycogen stores) and did a little dance as I waited to get to the start line - which happened about 1008. One of my running friends saw me dance and said "you won't be doing that at the finish line!". Which of course was a gauntlet, thrown down!
It was hot but there was no point in worrying about it. I was confident there would be a coastal breeze, plenty of water stations, and that the residents of East Lothian would be out in force with their garden hoses. I'd put on sun cream and carried my running water bottle, and my kit was as planned - capri leggings and a technical t-shirt from last year's EMF half marathon.
It was hard not to take off fast, especially as the course is downhill for the first few miles, but it was so busy - by far the biggest race I've every done, surely - that I managed fairly steady 10 minutes miles. Mile 3 was my home turf, which was brilliant - high fives with friends and shout-outs from my neighbours really made me feel on top of the world!
By mile 4, my hips and lower back began to ache, but at that point we found the first of the impromptu showers on the route, courtesy of the carwash on Seafield Road. Hurray!! I found someone I knew who was in the team relay, and chatted a bit. He told me later that I spurred him on - he thought that if I was doing 26 miles and he was only doing 8 miles, he really ought to be going a whole lot faster than me. That, and he's at least a foot taller than I am!!
I had a few niggles but most of them came and went. I was pretty aware of my IT band for a while, but new trainers are waiting for me anyway. At about mile 16 my thighs took over pain duty.
There were no absolutely terrible moments. Yes it was hot, but apart from feeling my cheeks burn a wee bit, I didn't really notice after the first few miles. No point in thinking about what you can't change - I think I spent more time wondering whether to stop for a pee!
I listened to a variety of podcasts - there was a very interesting episode of The Food Programme about the soya bean, a dose of Wittertainment from Mark Kermode & Simon Mayo which is my regular Saturday morning long run listen-of-choice, the News Quiz, and a very long Marathon Training Academy podcast about marathon success stories, where I learned that George W Bush and Oprah Winfrey have both completed marathons - helpful to know as I didn't really want them to do better than me!! The podcasts were great diversions, especially as, despite the beauty of the East Lothian coast in the sunshine, it is fairly repetitive view!!
I had a range of things to think about when the going got tough. My kids told me to listen to Katy Perry's "Firework", one of their favourite songs, and remember Scott dancing to it at school assembly. There was to be a pizza for dinner when I got home. There was meeting up with the Relay Team members in the pub in the evening. These were images to keep me going reserved for when I needed extra motivation. And d'y'know what? I didn't ever think about them. I never hit the low point I expected. It never got as bad as I'd feared it would.
At about 20 miles, people around me started walking. It seemed like everybody was walking through the water stations, and I was the only one not stopping! That was a bit of a spur. After all, by 20 miles, you're almost done, why stop?! I was well aware that "The Wall" could hit me at any moment - after all, I'd never run beyong 20 miles before - so if *that* was going to get me, or indeed, if I was going to get heatstroke or hyperthermia, I really should get as far as I could before I needed to take a rest!
Speaking of which - I'd never seen so much runner carnage in a race before. So many people getting first aid, including being put on drips! and lots of people in the recovery position on grass verges. Also, I passed rather a lot of people who'd, erm, passed rather a lot... judging by the smell and the state of their legs! I'm pleased to say that the worst I did was burp (which I did quite regularly!), which I'm putting down to sensible eating last week and my 7am brekkie.
Water stations were all well organised and sometimes we even got the choice of a bottle with or without a lid! I was pouring the water into my running bottle and emptying the rest on my head! I liked always having my own water with me, and in the third quarter of the race I was really glad of it - the longest section without a water station was also the hottest, with the least shade, least breeze, and least crowd support.
I had a Science in Sport Gel about every 40 minutes. My training has really helped me to notice when I need to take on fuel, when I start to get a bit tired and 'itchy'. I had a fetching bum-bag to carry them in which, I'm glad to say, didn't chafe!
My mum and her boyfriend Robert were there to cheer me on at about mile 13. That was lovely and lifted my spirits - in fact it made me quite emotional and I was choking back the tears!
I was so excited to see the big orange 25-mile sign and find myself still going strong. I knew that whatever happened I was going to finish the race now. And then I saw my husband and children!! What a thrill - they weren't sure they were going to make it! They gave me a big wave and took my picture - but now I was sprinting with joy! I still had about three-quarters of a mile to go though!!
|
| 3/4 mile from the end, grinning like a nutter and FINISHING STRONG!! (Note the non-chafeing bumbag.) |
The crowd were thick as we got to the finish line. I overtook everyone I saw with my final energy burst and crossed the finish line with a massive "YES!!", loud enough for race compere Bryan Burnett to comment on! The time on the gantry was 4 hours 36 minutes - the time on my watch was 4 hours 19 minutes!!
I was so happy to get my medal, I fixed my eyes on the medal lady and dipped my head to get her to put it round my neck. She gave me a big smile and said "well done, hen", and I was ridiculously, hysterically grateful and happy.
One I was out into the reunion area, I burst into tears. I'd done it! I'd completed my first marathon! After only 8 weeks of training (albeit after 15 years of building a solid running base!) it had taken me 4 hours 19 minutes to run 26.2 miles. I could not have been any happier.
The stats for my performance are here, as tracked by my Garmin.
I did that little dance I'd started at the starting line (Paulo Nutini's 10/10 was the tune - it had been on the PA but I also had it on my ipod!) and tried to find hubby and weans. It took a while but we were reunited!
|
| "Mum, can we go home now? it's too hot..." |
I tried to have a shower but they were freezing! So I had a bit of a douse and put on my clean clothes. I realised my toes were hurting. "Well", said a lady in the changing room, who was a veteran of 5 marathons, "you can't do a marathon without expecting to lose a few toenails!", and she showed me the toes she'd lost nails from she'd lost in the last few years! I was unprepared for this - Marathon Training Academy, you should have told me!
Next stop was the Well Hung & Tender stall for a deluxe burger - featuring onions, bacon and cheese, accompanied with a cup of milky tea. It was so unbelievably good, I can hardly begin to tell you - but my face should give you a hint:
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| Nothing could have tasted better! |
We had a long, hot, uphill walk back to the car, and I had to carry a nearly-five-year-old on my shoulders for most of it! It was possibly the hardest part of the day. But it was closely followed by meeting up with the other Leith Primary running parents in the pub. I was cheered when I arrived, and then hugged, congratulated, quizzed and bought drinks!
It remains to be seen if I lose toenails. It remains to be seen how much sponsor money I've raised for the Leith Primary playground fund. It remains to be seen whether I'll do it again next year (although I suspect I'd like to!). But I ran my first marathon in 4 hours 19 minutes. I do have what it takes to run a marathon and change my life. And I ROCK!!!
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Oops I seem to have entered the Edinburgh Marathon.
I got an email on Tuesday to tell me I'd won a place in the Edinburgh Marathon.
To say I *won* it makes it seem like I was awarded it on merit. In fact I entered a draw in the ESPC which I found while I was waiting for me daughter to finish her gymnastics class. So it's nothing to do with my running prowess, and everything to do with the fact that most readers of the ESPC are probably too busy buying or selling property to enter competitions with silly prizes.
And today I redeemed the code I was sent and entered the Edinburgh Marathon on 27 May, just 8 weeks today.
What have I *done*?? My stomach is in my mouth just thinking about it.
I was not sure I wanted to do a Marathon, but when, a few weeks ago, I found out that it was full, I had a bit of a twinge of regret. And that seems to have developed from a twinge to an ache to a proper strain. And here I am, stomach in mouth.
My safety net is as follows: entries for the half marathon - on the same day, which I did last year - should close on 19 April. So if I start training and it's really looking like I won't be fit enough for the marathon, I can enter the Half, and it won't have cost me any more because I won the Marathon place for free. So I could still back out and thintgs'd still be okay.
But there are a couple of things spurring me on. Firstly, I just called my blog "Anything You Put Your Mind To". So, how can I wimp out when there's a chance, an opportunity, to do this?
And also, I want to show my kids that it's all right to try, even if you're not sure you're going to succeed. A breakdancer came to my son's school assembly on Friday, trying to drum up interest for his dance classes (don't start me on advertising in schools, that's another rant entirely). The kids all clapped and cheered, and I wondered what my son was thinking. I worried that he might be thinking "I won't try that class because I don't think I'll be able to do it." And then I realised that this was exactly what I was feeling about entering the Marathon.
I'm off to read training programmes now, excited and nervous.
To say I *won* it makes it seem like I was awarded it on merit. In fact I entered a draw in the ESPC which I found while I was waiting for me daughter to finish her gymnastics class. So it's nothing to do with my running prowess, and everything to do with the fact that most readers of the ESPC are probably too busy buying or selling property to enter competitions with silly prizes.
And today I redeemed the code I was sent and entered the Edinburgh Marathon on 27 May, just 8 weeks today.
What have I *done*?? My stomach is in my mouth just thinking about it.
I was not sure I wanted to do a Marathon, but when, a few weeks ago, I found out that it was full, I had a bit of a twinge of regret. And that seems to have developed from a twinge to an ache to a proper strain. And here I am, stomach in mouth.
My safety net is as follows: entries for the half marathon - on the same day, which I did last year - should close on 19 April. So if I start training and it's really looking like I won't be fit enough for the marathon, I can enter the Half, and it won't have cost me any more because I won the Marathon place for free. So I could still back out and thintgs'd still be okay.
But there are a couple of things spurring me on. Firstly, I just called my blog "Anything You Put Your Mind To". So, how can I wimp out when there's a chance, an opportunity, to do this?
And also, I want to show my kids that it's all right to try, even if you're not sure you're going to succeed. A breakdancer came to my son's school assembly on Friday, trying to drum up interest for his dance classes (don't start me on advertising in schools, that's another rant entirely). The kids all clapped and cheered, and I wondered what my son was thinking. I worried that he might be thinking "I won't try that class because I don't think I'll be able to do it." And then I realised that this was exactly what I was feeling about entering the Marathon.
I'm off to read training programmes now, excited and nervous.
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