Views From A Run in France

I'm staying with my in-laws at their home in France at the moment, as part of my family's summer holiday (we've also been visiting the UK).  They live in a lovely, quiet village called Villamblard and are surrounded by beautiful countryside.  

Yesterday morning marked my first official long run for my NYC marathon training, and I had an 8 miler planned. I decided on a simple out and back route. It turned out to be the most beautiful and satisfying run I've had in a long time. 

The weather was just right, cool, sunny and fresh, with not a smidgen of the NYC humidity that I find so hard to deal with.  My pace, while far from fast, was steady and sure and my legs felt good the whole way. 

I'd been worried that I would find it difficult to run here as there is a complete absence of anything resembling a pavement, with just grassy verges at the side of the winding, hilly roads.  

After a couple of shorter runs, however, I soon got the hang of it: basically you run towards oncoming traffic, stick to the side of the road, and hope that the cars will make way for you (if not - you quickly jump back onto the grass!).  One downside to this is that you can't run with headphones - it's just too dangerous as you can't hear what's coming, and with so many twists and turns to the roads, you need to have your wits about you.  However, the genius that is my husband, suggested I run with my iphone playing through its speaker, so I gave that a try.  Considering that I saw, at most, about 15 cars and 2 people on the whole run, you can imagine how quiet it was, so I could easily hear Joni Mitchell (yes, I am old and I may well be a closet hippy), singing as I ran past fields of corn and wild flowers. 

'I am on a lonely road and I am travelling, travelling, travelling, travelling.....'.  Oh yes, Joni. I am.  I am.

Guest Post by Gill

A few months ago I received an email from my lovely friend Gill that made my day (read it here).  Inspired by this blog, Gill and her husband, Gareth, had both embarked on an 8 week beginner's running programme and had achieved fantastic results.

Gill, Gareth and their gorgeous brood on their wedding day

It's the time of year when lots of people are thinking about getting into shape.  So, if you're thinking about getting fit and dropping some of those extra Christmas pounds, this guest post from Gill, which shares her experience of becoming a runner, might provide you with just the inspiration you're looking for.  

So, over to Gill......

I hate the gym. It's just so communal and stuffy and full of other people. I've had occasional attempts at "going for a run" over the last couple of years, always getting disillusioned with it and giving up after 3 or 4 sessions. As I'm getting older, the idea of being a little fitter and healthier gets more attractive.  I don't smoke anymore, or binge drink or any of the other random activities that used to define me.

Then your blog directed me to the Runners World Beginners programme. 8 weeks, slowly building up to be able to run for 30 minutes. One Tuesday morning in June, I decided to start. Like all major decisions I've made in my life - having children, training to be a midwife,  Gareth moving in and having more children - if I thought about it for too long I would have come up with a million reasons not to, so I just did it.

However, the first time I didn't read the programme properly and only ran for 1 minute and walked for 2 minutes 3 times. I arrived home feeling quite smug, reporting to the husband that it was really easy and I must be fitter than I think, only to check and realise that I should have done another 5 repeats. What a wally. Next morning I went out and did the 8 repeats, came home red faced, sweaty but jubilant.

Two weeks later, as I embarked on week 3, my husband decided he was going to give it a go. We both followed the schedule to the letter. As each week went by I couldn't believe the progress we were making. Week 7 and 8 for me coincided with being on holiday on the Isle of Wight.  I was really looking forward to running by the sea. That was brilliant, although I did find it hard work running along the same level for significant amounts of time. At home, we are lucky enough to have the magnificent Alexandra Park at the top of the street, which offers lots of different terrain, woodland, a lake to run by and lots of inclines and declines to challenge one's legs, along with amazing views of London if we make it to the top of the hill. 

Now, a few weeks further down the line, I'm still running for roughly 30 minutes, 3 times a week, as is Gareth. Going for a morning run has become a habit now. A habit that luckily is good for me! Some mornings it takes longer to warm up and get going, but the 8 week schedule has taught me not to give up and I find myself really getting into the zone and not thinking about anything except breathing air and moving my legs. I've lost half a stone since June, without having to give up chocolate, so that's a major result.

Next challenge will be to continue into the winter months, to prove to myself that I'm not a fair weather runner- luckily Gareth has purchased some all weather running gear (I prefer his stuff, women's sports wear assumes that you want the world to see your midriff). My neighbour who has also been inspired by the 8 week schedule and I have a loose plan to run the Crouch End 5k Fun Run in May next year.

Most importantly, the hour and a half a week I spend out running is my time. All mine. When your home life and work life is spent being with other people, this time has been so valuable for my mental health as well as my cardiovascular health. 


Its a win win no brainer really!

Gill x

11 Things I'll Remember About 2011

1. I fell in love and stayed in love with running.

When I started running seriously in January 2011, I hoped that I'd still be running regularly at the end of the year.  Part of me, however, doubted my ability to finish what I'd started and stick with it.  At that point, running was still something I had to make myself do.  Ticking off every training run gave me a huge sense of satisfaction, but I can't deny that it was difficult to drag myself out of bed on those cold winter mornings.  So I never would have guessed that by the end of this year, not only would I still be running, but I'd be the sort of person who HAD to run in order to feel good.  Running hooks you in like that.  Now, I don't see running as something that I hope I'll be doing a year from now, but something that I'm pretty sure I'll be doing for the rest of my life.

2. I discovered Prospect Park 

Living close to Prospect Park has literally changed my life.  It's beauty and energy never fail to inspire and invigorate me.  I've run in the park in pouring rain, snow, 90 degree heat,  fierce winds and sub zero temperatures.  

Taken during a run in the pouring rain - this
wasn't a pond it was a puddle!

I've run before dawn, and watched the sun rise over the frozen, snow covered lake. I've run after dusk while fireflies darted around my feet.  

Why wouldn't you want to run past scenery like this?

Running through the year and watching the park change through the seasons has been a privilege and a beautiful sight to behold. 

3. I ran my first road race

Registering for my first race was scary.  I went through all the usual 'I'll come last' fears and truly worried that I wouldn't finish.  But I did finish, and I didn't come last.  Signing up gave me a reason to keep training and strengthened my commitment to running.  And guess what? I found out that I love racing.  I'll never win a race (much to my kids' disappointment), but those of you who race already know that it's not about that.  For me racing gives me a goal to work towards and a huge sense of achievement.  Racing isn't about competing against anyone else other than yourself but that competition is the best kind of all.  Working hard in training to achieve a new distance or a a better time provides me with a physical and mental focus that I relish, and nothing beats the feeling of pushing yourself further than you thought you could go on race day.  

4. I ran my first (2) half-marathons

I signed up for my first half as a challenge to myself, and had absolutely no idea if I'd be able to make the distance.  I clearly remember the first time I ran a 5 mile distance early in my training.  It seemed like such a long way that I couldn't fathom running 13 miles.  But I got there.  Those training schedules are clever things - bit by bit you build your distance, until that 5 mile run seems like an easy day.  

Half marathons are tough, but so achievable to the novice runner.  I love the training as it provides me with a weekly mileage that keeps me fit and invigorated and long runs that build my endurance and belief in myself.  I'll be registering for a couple more this year, and can't wait to get down to training.

5. I got injured, did something about it and got better

Getting injured this year was a huge learning curve for me.  Not being able to run was incredibly frustrating and if it wasn't for the focus that my regular physiotherapy appointments gave me I think I'd have handled it a lot worse.  I really struggled with the loss of my running routine, the sanity and me time it afforded me and the loss of my fitness.  I was determined to get better and get back to running, not least as I still had 3 of my 9+1 races to complete before the end of the year.

According to my physiotherapist, 90% of physiotherapy is turning up.  If you turn up, do the work and stick to your exercises, you'll get better.  He's right.  Having physio 3 times a week while I couldn't run gave me a focus and a plan.  I turned up, I did the work, I felt like nothing was getting any better at all for AGES, and then suddenly, I turned a corner.  

Now I continue to do the exercises I was taught, although admittedly, not as often as I should, and I've learned to listen to what my body is telling me.  To rest when it tells me to, to strength train when it feels weak, to stretch and ice when it's tight or sore.  I still have some pain, but it's not stopping me from running, and I hope that with time, the pain will go for good. My fitness is not where it was prior to my injury, but I'm coming back, and hoping that I'll be ready to challenge that half-marathon PR next spring. 

6.  My kids ran their first races (and loved them)

They're already asking when they can run their next races - see if you can spot the future track stars....

7. I lost weight and kept it off without dieting

Life is too damn short to deny yourself the things you like to eat and drink.  I will never be able to live a life where I have to say no to food for fear of putting on weight. 2011 was the year I discovered that I don't have to.  That I can maintain a healthy weight without dieting or obsessing.  That all I have to do is eat sensibly, have a treat when I want it, and cut back the next day if I go overboard.  Adding running to this mix gave me a stronger and healthier body than I've ever had in my adult life and actually put me in a mind frame where I prefer to eat healthily (who knew?!).  So as I sit here with a Christmas induced expansion of my waistline, I couldn't care less.  Because once my training gets back into full swing in the new year, my body will get back into the shape I want to be in.

8.  I started a blog

...and struggled to find the time to write it!  In the early days of My Mum Runs, I put a huge amount of effort into getting posts online as frequently and regularly as possible.  But it's hard work and I put too much pressure on myself.    I have to say that I wrestled with my insecurities and I often wondered who on earth really wanted to know what I thought or had to say.  It doesn't help when there are so many great blogs out there.  But hey, this blog is a document of my life, as well as a potential resource for others like me, so I'll keep writing, I just can' t promise how prolific I'll be.  For those who have followed and commented - thank you so much.  I've loved hearing your feedback and your own stories and I really appreciate your support.

9 I embraced social media

A couple of years ago, I couldn't have given a hoot about facebook or  twitter.  It wasn't until I moved abroad that they became lifelines to my friends and family back home.  What I didn't anticipate, was how much twitter, in particular, and other sites like Daily Mile would help me to discover a new running community and feel part of a runner's support network.  Through social media I've found real people to run with and a real sense of belonging, both to a like-minded group of runners and to my greater community of NYC.  My virtual world has expanded my real life and I'm so grateful for that.

10. I got my first road bike.  

The birthday fairy was VERY kind to me this year and I'm already using my (scarily fast) bike to cross train and speed around the Prospect Park loop.  I'm planning on competing in my first triathlon this year so am reading as much as I can and looking for the right training plan.  I'm so excited to see how triathlon training will change my body and my fitness and most of all I'm excited to improve my swimming and finally get over my fear of swimming in open water. 

11. I qualified for the NYC 2012 marathon!


Thought you might have been wondering.  Well I did it! 

Race Name, Date	Dist. (miles)	Gun Time	Net Time	Pace per Mile	Overall Place/ Total Finishers	Gender Place/ Total Females	Age Place/ Total in Age Grp.	Age-Grd. Time	Perf. %
Volunteer Credit December 31, 2011		VQ VQ	VQ VQ
Jingle Bell Jog December 10, 2011	3.7	38:26	35:18	9:32	2823 / 5775	1309 / 3481	158 / 469
Join The Voices! 5M December 4, 2011	5.0	57:03	51:57	10:23	3984 / 5005	1829 / 2568	299 / 441	50:44	47.6%
Race to Deliver November 20, 2011	4.0	47:26	41:34	10:23	3334 / 4500	1574 / 2390	261 / 381	40:36	47.3%
Run For Central Park 4m July 16, 2011	4.0	42:21	37:52	9:28	3333 / 5236	1194 / 2565	484 / 1013	36:59	51.9%
NYRR New York Mini 10K June 11, 2011	6.2	1:00:23	58:34	9:26	2095 / 4767	2095 / 4767	342 / 796	57:12	53.0%
Brooklyn Half Marathon May 21, 2011	13.1	2:17:02	2:09:59	9:55	4143 / 5921	1720 / 3036	240 / 487	2:06:25	52.0%
NYRR 4-Mile April 23, 2011	4.0	41:34	36:15	9:03	2968 / 5161	945 / 2371	128 / 342	35:24	54.3%
More/Fitness Half-Marathon April 3, 2011	13.1	2:22:13	2:15:55	10:22	3552 / 7508	3552 / 7508	533 / 1082	2:12:11	49.8%
NYRR Al Gordon Classic (4M) February 26, 2011	4.0	45:59	40:29	10:07	3002 / 3994	1182 / 1840	187 / 295	39:32	48.6%

I ran my 9 NYRR races culminating in the festive Jingle Bell Jog - here's me seconds from the finish, running my fastest pace since my injury:

Those 9 races plus my volunteer credit have guaranteed my place in next year's NYC marathon.  I cannot wait.

Watching this year's marathon filled me with so much emotion and excitement, if I make it through the training I'm sure to be a wreck on the day!  But I did it.  I got my qualification,  finished what I started and I did what I set out to do.

This time next year, I could be a marathoner.  

How about that?

Happy new year and here's to a 2012 that lives up to all your hopes and dreams.

Love,

Lindsay x

Catching Up

Blimey, it's been a long time since I posted anything, hasn't it?

I'm sure it must have appeared that I'd dropped off the planet, but in reality I've just been super busy and finding time to blog has been pretty difficult. What with my kids both starting new schools, my husband working away a lot and my in-laws visiting, it's been all I can do to keep things ticking over. Whilst I've stuck to my running training religiously (well as religiously as an atheist can), I'm no superwoman and I've just not had the extra energy to finish a thought in my head, never mind write a blog post.

So you have my apologies. Sorry. Will try not to do it again, promise.

Anyhoo...

There's a lot to catch up on. There's good stuff and bad stuff. So let's get started.

I've been training pretty hard, aiming for my third half marathon of the year, the Staten Island Half, which takes place on October 9th. So, for the last 11 or so weeks, I've been running 4-5 times a week, with three 3-4 mile easy runs, one speed work out and one long run every week. This has all been in an attempt to break the 2 hour mark at the S.I. Half.

To give you an idea, a recent week of training looked like this:

Sunday 3 miles easy (10.24 pace)

Monday 3 miles easy (10.24 pace)

Tuesday 6 miles tempo

(1 mile warm up, 4 miles at 8.54 min mile,

1 mile cool down)

Wednesday 3 miles easy

Thursday rest

Friday 11 mile long run (10.24 pace)

Saturday rest

TOTAL 26 miles

It's been great. I've noticed a big difference in my fitness and have dreaded and loved my speed work outs in equal measure. Before this training plan, I'd never attempted 'tempo runs' or 'mile repeats'. Those kind of runs were for proper runners. Well, I suppose I'm a proper runner now. I've even found my way to the local track for some of my speed sessions, which has been fantastic.

At times I've had to pinch myself. Little old me, bombing around a race track, who'd have thought it, eh?

Two things have really helped with my training:

First, I've finally embraced what technology has to offer runners, and have bought myself a Garmin Forerunner 305. It's not the newest model (which means you can get it on sale), but I don't care because I love it and am totally addicted to it. It can do all sorts of fancy pants things, but I use it to track my distance, my pace and my mile splits. Plus I can hook it up to Daily Mile when I get home and record my route, distance and speed, providing me with a perfect online and shareable training journal. I love the freedom it gives me to run where I want to, without having to plot out a route ahead of time. I run and the Garmin tells me when I've covered the miles I intended to cover. Genius!

Secondly, I've continued to train regularly with the lovely Majo, a running buddy I met through Twitter and Daily Mile. Majo has been doing the same training schedule as me and is also planning on running the Staten Island Half, so it's been great to run with someone who is at the same level and who I get on with so well. It's made both the short easy runs and the not so short not so easy runs an absolute pleasure. Majo is also a fantastic writer and has her own blog, so check it out.

So, it's all been going pretty well. Or rather it had been going pretty well, until 10 days ago.

The day before the 5th Avenue Mile race, which I was SO looking forward to, I set off on a 13 mile long run with Majo. I was really looking forward to chalking up the half marathon distance before running the race. It was to be the ultimate confidence booster. We had planned to take in both the Williamsburg and Brooklyn bridges, running from Park Slope in Brooklyn to Manhattan and home again. Earlier in the week I'd completed my most intense speed session yet, a 7 mile tempo run, which after a mile warm-up had me running at just under a 9 minute mile pace for 5 miles. My iliotibial band (ITB) had played up the next day, giving me some knee pain and instability, but it hadn't stopped me running an easy 4 miles.

So, when 4 miles into my long run I started to feel hip and knee pain and a tightness in my ITB, I was not amused, and to be honest I knew what was coming. I've had problems with my left ITB before, often due to weaknesses elsewhere in my body (rubbish core and hip strength, for example). Despite plenty of walk breaks and stretching, the pain just got worse, and totally disappointed and disheartened, I had to say goodbye to Majo on the Williamsburg bridge.

Anyway, fast forward 10 days and I've had to totally scale down my training. I sat out the 5th Avenue Mile, which was GUTTING. I've missed my speed work out, and have managed just a 3 mile, 2 mile and 4 mile run this week. I've iced, foam rolled, stretched and repeated. I've even forked out for a (bloody wonderful) sports massage. Today's long run was the deciding factor. I was scheduled to run 11 miles, a distance that I'd run easily and happily just a few weeks before. I figured that if I couldn't run that today, I'd have no chance of running the Staten Island Half. So, I set off gently and covered the first 4 miles slowly and comfortably, heading again towards Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge (it's my favourite long run route, what can I tell you?). Anyway, no sooner had I hit Broadway, than things started to seize up again. My hip, my leg and then my knee. I battled on for another couple of miles until I had to be sensible and give up at just past the 6 mile mark. After 12 weeks of training for it, Staten Island is not going to happen for me this year.

It is SO frustrating. My fitness is fine. My fitness is good, in fact. I felt fresh and full of energy - which I suppose I'm bound to after effectively tapering this week due to my decreased mileage. But when the ITB says no, I have to listen. The last time I didn't listen and ran through the ITB pain, I couldn't run at all for months, that eventually turned into years.

But onward and upward. I'm trying to be positive and not let it get me down. There are other races, in fact I have to compete in a minimum of 3 more this year to fulfill my 9+1 guaranteed entry conditions - I do not want to blow that and forfeit my NYC 2012 Marathon chances. So I will ice, stretch and foam roll. I will rest, cross train and strength train. And I'll get some physio, because my oh so expensive health insurance covers it. Lots of it. There's the silver lining, eh?

So watch this space. Just because I haven't achieved my goal, I'm not going to let it get to me. I'll just set myself some new goals:

1. Sort out my ITB

2. Strength train and cross train to reduce my injury risk

(I'm thinking I might try me a boot camp and some of that spinning malarkey)

3. Finish my 9+1 races

4. Set a PR on a 5K or 4 mile race by the end of the year.

There. Goals. Got some. That was easy.

Onward and upward, my friends, onward and upward.....

x