tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836159106548354912024-03-05T14:14:03.021+00:00From Snickers to MarathonThe diary of a couch potato turned marathonerBeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-36246155993575664342012-06-02T10:12:00.001+01:002012-06-02T10:12:47.956+01:00New homeMy blog has a new home over on Wordpress. I've decided to move as I think it's a more user friendly platform and has several features that I like. <br />
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All previous content has been moved and I'm in the process of giving the blog a brand new look too. <br />
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Come and join me over at <a href="http://www.fromsnickerstomarathon.com/">www.fromsnickerstomarathon.com</a><br />
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If you were following this blog then there's a link at the top and on the right hand side of the page where you can sign up to do the same. <br />
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See you on the other side!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-86734770301710293792012-05-28T20:52:00.001+01:002012-05-28T20:53:04.298+01:00The perfect running bag ?For a while now I've been on the lookout for a new bag to wear while out running. I have tried a couple but haven't been completely satisfied with them. My issues with the ones I've tried have been:<br />
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<li>They don't stay in place and I end up having to adjust them while I'm running -typically they start on my hips and end up somewhere above my waist;</li>
<li>I can hear my keys/coins jangling around while I'm running;</li>
<li>There's not enough space to fit in everything that I need/want to take out with me - my essentials are an inhaler, keys. phone, money, mp3 player, tissues and for longer runs gels. </li>
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So when I read <a href="http://dashing-divas.com/2012/05/15/review-workplay-bags-fleetfoot-ii-running-bag/" target="_blank">Sian of Dashing Divas</a> review of the Workplay Fleetfoot II I was intrigued. A bag designed specifially for women who run with some nifty features that appeared to address all of the problems that I experience? Sounded too good to be true so I decided to buy one and find out if it was. <br />
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I was excited when my bag arrived the very next day after I'd ordered it. The first thing that struck me was how light it was and how well made it felt. <br />
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My bag is black and grey but they also come in black and pink. I chose the grey as it's a more versatile colour - I do like to colour coordinate when I run! This photo was taken with a flash and as you can see all the grey areas are reflective which is excellent for safety when I'm running in the dark. </div>
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The main body of the bag has a number of different compartments. Firstly there's what's called a 'ninja' pocket made of microfleece. This is for keys and coins - it stops them from jangling around and also from scratching your phone or mp3 player. There are two other compartments inside the bag just about big enough for a smartphone, a gel and my inhaler. Perfect for most of my runs. </div>
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In addition to this there are some features on the outside of the bag. On longer runs I need to take water with me. I usually use a handheld waterbottle but if I didn't want to carry that then I could carry it in the elasticated compartment that runs behind the main body of the bag<br />
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There's also a nifty bungee system on the front of the bag which is designed so that you can thread a jacket through if you need to take one out while you warm up. Before our current spate of very hot weather in the UK, I have needed a jacket for my early morning runs while I get warm but then had to either carry or tie it around my waist once I'm warm. Now there's no need to do that - I can thread it through the bungee cords and it will sit behind me, out of the way while I finish my run. You can see the bungee cords - grey loops towards the bottom of the photo below. <br />
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So it fits everything that I want to take out with me and more. But most importantly - what's it like to run with? <br />
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I have used the bag now on several runs including two races, most recently the BUPA 10K on Sunday and can report that it's extremely comfortable to run with. Once in the right position - it's supposed to sit in the small of your back - it doesn't move around at all and I have actually forgotten that it's there. It's also really easy to slide around your waist if you want to get something out of it while you're on the move. <br />
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Me wearing my Fleetfoot II during the BUPA 10K </div>
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I haven't yet tried running with a water bottle in place - on Sunday it was so hot I needed water in my hand for the whole race but I used the elasticated pocket to carry tissues as my hayfever was bad and I needed them to be accessible. I've also managed to fit a hat in that pocket when it was making my head too hot on a different run. I love the versatility of it!<br />
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I have to say that I'm incredibly impressed with this bag. It's clear that the designers have really thought long and hard about what a woman wants from a running bag and incorporated all of this into the design. I should point out that I've not been paid to write this review - I'm just an impressed and satisfied customer. <br />
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<a href="http://www.workplay-bags.com/" target="_blank">Workplay</a> make a range of bags for active and organised women. I've also invested in their Gymwise II bag which is just as well designed and worthy of a separate review at some point. I absolutely love the look of the Goddess II bag as well - I've been searching for the perfect overnight stay/cabin luggage for a while and wonder if this could be what I've been looking for. We're going away in a few weeks - I may have to invest and find out! <br />
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So it seems that I have found my perfect running bag - thank you Workplay! <br />
<br />Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-28422309081161243642012-05-27T17:31:00.002+01:002012-05-27T17:32:10.902+01:00BUPA 10KToday I ran the BUPA 10K in 25 degree London heat. This was my first 'proper' event since the London Marathon. I've done a couple of the British Heart Foundation jogs in the last couple of weeks but they are definitely fun runs rather than competitive events. <br />
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I hadn't really followed any particular training plan for today, my aim was just to get around, hopefully running the whole way and enjoy the run. The course is the same as the one which will be used for the London 2012 marathon route - they will run 4 laps of the 10K route which starts and finishes on The Mall and takes in lots of famous London sights along the Embankment, through The City and back.<br />
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The race started at 10am so thankfully it wasn't too early a start but as I made my way to Green Park I realised just how warm it was. I haven't trained in the heat at all and I realised that it might well make things difficult for me, and everyone else. I arrived at Green Park, dropped off my bag, picked up some water and made my way to The Mall to join my starting pen - green B towards the back of the field. The event is run by the same people as The London Marathon and the organisation felt slick and familiar. <br />
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It was quite a sight standing on The Mall waiting to start - the route lined by Union Jacks<br />
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Before long it was 10am and the elites were underway. There was an impressive sounding field with Mo Farah, Scott Overall and Mara Yamauchi among the British runners. We were started in waves and before long it was our turn. We moved towards the start line and were soon off, running down The Mall, through Admiralty Arch and down Whitehall. <br />
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The first mile, as with most races, felt easy but I was really surprised when my Garmin beeped at me to tell me that I had completed it in 9 mins 49 secs - my fastest ever mile. I didn't feel like I was running that fast and at that point there was a nice breeze along The Embankment so I wasn't feeling the heat too much. That soon changed and when the first water stop appeared just after 2K I was very relieved - so was everyone else judging by the queue that formed around the tables. I walked for a while to take on some water and then set off again towards the 3K marker where I knew Mr J was waiting. <br />
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He'd been there for a while and had managed to see the elite men go past and take some great pictures of everyone running past St Paul's. <br />
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I spotted him as I ran past St Pauls and gave him a wave as I went past. <br />
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The course made it's way through the City, past the Bank of England and the towards the Lloyds building where it turned right and went through Leadenhall Market. This was a great part of the course with some much needed shade and a brilliant drumming band making a lot of noise in the market. Before long we were at the halfway point my Garmin said around 35 mins and I felt as if I had a chance of beating my best time at 10K of 1hr 12 mins. <br />
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But it wasn't to be. Not long after the halfway point I twisted my ankle in a dip in the road that I hadn't seen. It hurt and I stopped for a bit trying to put weight on it to see what would happen. It felt just about OK to walk on so I limped along gingerly for a while hoping to walk it off. We were now headed back towards The Embankment and I was close to the spot where Mr J was going to be waiting for the second time. I looked a bit of a sorry state as I limped my way towards him. <br />
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He checked that I was OK - I said that I was and was going to carry on and hope that my ankle would feel good enough for me to run again. He waved me on my way and I carried on walking, trying a bit of a jog here and there for the next few kilometres. <br />
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Before long we were back on the Embankment and headed towards Big Ben and the final 2K. My ankle felt OK - not 100% but good enough for a bit of a jog so I ran as much as I could of the last part of the race. It was so hot and there was hardly any breeze or shade to be found. I turned the final corner of the race back onto the Mall and ran the last 200m with as much energy as I could muster. I crossed the finish line in 1:18:48 according to my Garmin which I was pretty pleased with given the heat and what had happened to my ankle. <br />
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After crossing the finishing line we had our timing tags removed and were given goody bags with our medals and T-shirts, in scenes that were again very reminiscent of the organisation of the London Marathon. I made my way to pick up my bag and make my way home, desperate to get out of the heat and under a cold shower. <br />
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Overall I loved this race which was on a brilliant course through the heart of London and was very well organised. It's amazing to know that I have run on the same route as the Olympic Marathon will be run on in the same field as some of the best British athletes. The medal, which is one of my favourite pieces of race bling ever commemorates this with the words - 'Run the Course' <br />
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I know I am capable of a better 10K time than this and now have 6 weeks before the British 10K on July 8th to train properly to make sure that I achieve the best time that I possible can. Bring it on! <br />
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<br />Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-24472499778869044882012-05-20T16:17:00.000+01:002012-05-20T16:17:24.135+01:00Operation toe touching Becca!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my current goals is to be able to touch my toes with my legs straight. I've never been able to do it due to tight hamstrings and calves and have been trying to improve my flexibility for a while. I've not set myself a specific goal before so to focus my attention I have decided that I want to be able to touch my toes with my hands flat on the floor by Christmas. <br />
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I do yoga at least twice a week and this will definitely help me on my quest. I've already noticed a big difference in my flexibility since I started practicing just before Christmas. However, if I'm serious about getting my hands flat on the floor I'm going to need to do more, so couple of months ago when I read a blog post by <a href="http://diaryofadashinista.com/2012/03/18/dashinista_bend_it_like_barbie/" target="_blank">Dash</a> about a class dedicated to the pursuit of flexibility I was intrigued.<br />
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The class is called 'Bend it Like Barbie' and is held at <a href="http://new.moveyourframe.com/" target="_blank">Frame Studios</a> in Shoreditch on a Saturday afternoon and promises to help you rediscover the flexibility that you had as a child. It sounded like just the thing for me so for the last two Saturdays I've gone along to the class. <br />
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I was quite concerned that the class was going to be full of ballerina types working on their splits but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the people in the class were a real mix of shapes, sizes and abilities. I am without doubt among the least flexible in the groups I've been in but the teacher - Rosie - gives modifications all the way through so that everyone is able to benefit from the poses. <br />
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The class doesn't just focus on the legs - as well as stretches focussed on hip flexors and hamstrings there's a lot of work on shoulders and spine. Most of the class is done in pairs where your partner 'helps' you to get deeper into a stretch than you'd ever be able to manage on your own. Rosie also comes around to add an extra helping hand and push you just that bit further outside your comfort zone. <br />
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And I've found myself a long way outside my comfort zone! About halfway through the class Rosie announces with glee that we're going to work on bridges. I have never been able to do a bridge and I instantly get concerned. Rosie demonstrates with a volunteer what we're going to do. One person lies on the floor and lifts themselves into a bridge position while the other person helps them up by holding onto their shoulders. <br />
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I don't mind admitting that the first time I tried I was quite scared. The first week I had two attempts and didn't manage to get my arms anywhere near straight. But yesterday with the help of Rosie and Hannah (aka @Duns_is_Running) I managed to not just get into the pose but also get my arms straight. Progress! <br />
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I really enjoy this class and while it's challenging and a bit painful I can feel that it is helping me in my quest for better flexibility. After the first class I left the studios feeling taller than when I'd arrived and I had aches the next day similar to those you get after a good sports massage.<br />
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I'm definitely going to go back to this class and am even tempted to try the monthly Splits workshop - a two hour stretching workshop with Rosie<br />
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While I don't think I'll ever quite 'Bend Like Barbie', by keeping up the yoga and these classes I will be able to touch my toes by Christmas. <br />
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Bring on toe touching Becca!! <br />Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-11926892609107460302012-05-10T21:04:00.000+01:002012-05-10T21:11:11.366+01:00British Heart Foundation Tower of London jogLast night I took part on my first post marathon event - the British Heart Foundation Tower of London jog. This is part of the London jog series which I found out about through the lovely <a href="http://diaryofadashinista.com/2012/04/05/british-heart-foundation-london-jogs-series-2012/" target="_blank">Dashinista</a>. I was already signed up for the Canary Wharf event on 23rd May but found out that Dash was taking part in the Tower of London one so decided to join her. Unfortunately on Monday night she suffered a calf injury which meant she couldn't take part so I turned up at the Tower of London at about 5pm on my own and unsure of what to expect. <br />
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The jog took place in the grassed area outside the Tower - the course itself was a loop of just over half a a mile. You could choose to walk, jog or run as few or as many loops as you wanted to. I chose to complete 12 laps or 10K. After registering and picking up my race number, T-shirt and timing tag I dropped off my bags and got ready to run. I'd decided just to treat this as a bit of fun, not aiming for any specific time but just a chance to see how my legs were feeling and run in an unusual location. <br />
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I started off well and completed the first mile quickly but things rapidly started to go downhill. I haven't really run on grass before and certainly not waterlogged grass that other people have been running on. The course was muddy and squishy and at times it felt like running on sand - not easy on the legs at all! I also started to feel a stitch coming on - this has happened to me many times before and I'm usually pretty good at getting rid of them by a combination of walking, breathing and stretching but for some reason this time I just couldn't get rid of it at all. So I just decided to take things easy, enjoy the friendly and fun atmosphere. <br />
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There were people taking part of all shapes, sizes and ages. I saw some very young children walking with their mum, teams of people from a variety of different companies who were obviously being quite competitve with each other and a couple of very elderley gentlemen walking the route. It was a really inclusive event. <br />
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On my 10th lap I saw Dash who had turned up to say hello - I'd been struggling with the stitch the whole time so it was nice to see a friendly face to take my mind off it. I picked up the pace for the final two laps and finished my 10K in 1hr and 12 mins, a minute faster than the baseline time I'd set at the weekend so I was pretty pleased. Between the mud and the never ending stitch is really wasn't the most comfortable of runs!<br />
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Overall I thought this was a really well organised and great value for money event. For £12 I got chip timing, a T-shirt and medal, there was a baggage and changing area and water on the course and at the end. I'm looking forward to the Canary Wharf event in a couple of weeks and would recommend this to anyone looking for a beginner friendly 5K or 10K race. <br />
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So I now have more race bling to add to my collection and have run in the grounds of the Tower of London. A fun way to spend a drizzly Wednesday night! <br />
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<br />Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-67519691335301039622012-05-07T16:08:00.001+01:002012-05-07T16:08:30.485+01:00Thinking Slimmer - One year onIt was about this time last year that I started on my Thinking Slimmer journey. I can't remember the exact date but I know it was early May as we were going away on holiday to Rome for a week. I remember wondering whether this was a wise move - starting a new weight loss method at the same time as going to the land of my favourite food. Surely a recipie for early failure? <br />
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But the thing is Thinking Slimmer is different. Really different. No foods are banned and there's no diet to follow. All you have to do is set your goals, listen to the Slimpod each night for 10 mins and record the positive changes that you notice each day in the handbook that comes with the Slimpod. Sounds to easy and good to be true doesn't it? <br />
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I remember noticing changes almost from the first day. We were sitting having pizza for lunch in a beautiful little piazza in Rome when I noticed that I felt really full up and didn't want to eat anymore. This had never happened to me before with pizza! I think my husband thought there was something wrong with me, I have always finished all my pizza - it's my favourite food. <br />
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Other strange things happened - I didn't spend the whole week hankering after gelato and finding any and every opportunity to have one, as I did the last time we had gone to Italy. I had it once all week, savouring every mouthful and that was enough for me. Something was definitely changing.<br />
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So a year on what else has changed for me? <br />
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* I have control over food, it no longer controls me. I eat what I want to, when I want to but I no longer think about food all day long. I stop when I am full and eat only when I'm hungry. This might seem obvious to anyone who's never had a weight problem but after years of eating in response to feeling happy, sad, bored, tired, angry - you name it - this has been a huge breakthrough for me<br />
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* I have become a runner! I have dabbled with trying to keep fit in the past but nothing has ever 'stuck' like the running now has. I am active every day and run at least 3 times a week. I have also found yoga which I love and is a perfect complement to my running. In the last year I have run 5 races a 5K, 10 mile, half marathon, 16 mile and the big one - the London Marathon. <br />
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* I have met some fantastic, inspiring people who have supported and helped me along the way. I'm now very happy to be able to 'pay it forward' by providing support to other people just starting out on their journey through the online communities that Thinking Slimmer provide. <br />
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* I have dropped two dress sizes, 18 inches have disappeared from across my body and the scales say I've lost 1 stone and 4 pounds. I feel as if the scales owe me around half a stone but as we all know the scales are a rubbish indicator of how your body is changing, especially if you exercise a lot. I think the camera is a better indicator of progress as these pictures show..<br />
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This is me waiting to take part in my 5K race back in June 2011<br />
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And this is me waiting to run the London Marathon 2 weeks ago<br />
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The best thing about all this is that I know these changes are permanent. There's no diet to fall off, there's nothing to fail at and even if for some reason I wasn't able to exercise I know that my body would then regulate my food intake and stop me from gaining weight. <br />
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The key to Thinking Slimmer is goal setting and having completed the London Marathon in size 12 running gear and smashing my fundraising target I have met all the goals that I set myself back in October. So I need some new ones<br />
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* To fit into my size 12 pink coast dress by June 9th so I can wear it out for my marathon celebration meal with my friend Lisa. The dress now does up but feels a bit tight so that's my focus for the next few weeks<br />
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* To fit into my skinny grey jeans in time to take them on our holiday to New York on June 16th. At the moment they *just* about do up. <br />
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* To run 10K without stopping on May 27th in the BUPA 10K <br />
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* To take at least 5 minutes off my current 10K time of 1 hr and 13 minutes by July 8th when Darin and I run the British 10K together<br />
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* To be able to touch my toes with straight legs by Christmas - I suffer with tight calves and hamstrings and have never been able to touch my toes. This one is going to take lots of yoga, stretching and time!<br />
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I think that's enough to be getting on with for now!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-54423492174857444532012-04-30T21:13:00.003+01:002012-05-07T14:47:04.052+01:00Liebster Award<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLb6q1iUl2Ob-bWpEpx-5Ha-9fBTFDnX4OF5y7uOZAUK29Z9rtLBI001in2rOrrxewQJikzKuLMliRohr0o1ki0fvzrCZd3qV_F7NqCNRl5dhv3SsNGzT2rOw5Lie2xnqH3ePtsrsmcRf_/s1600/liebster-award1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLb6q1iUl2Ob-bWpEpx-5Ha-9fBTFDnX4OF5y7uOZAUK29Z9rtLBI001in2rOrrxewQJikzKuLMliRohr0o1ki0fvzrCZd3qV_F7NqCNRl5dhv3SsNGzT2rOw5Lie2xnqH3ePtsrsmcRf_/s1600/liebster-award1.jpg" /></a>Yesterday I found out that the lovely <a href="http://diaryofadashinista.com/" target="_blank"><strong>diaryofadashinista</strong></a> had awarded From Snickers to Marathon a Liebster, the blog award for small blogs with less than 200 followers. I'm really pleased that Dash enjoys my blog enough to award this to me. She's someone that I met through <a href="http://www.boutiquesport.com/" target="_blank">Boutique Run</a> back before Christmas and I've loved following her tales of running, general fitness and fashion ever since. <br />
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We were training for our first marathons at the same time and it's been great to keep up to date with her training - I've picked up loads of training tips from her along the way. I've also loved her fashion reviews and particularly enjoy her features on 'What to wear when.....' - her latest advice being on belly dancing! <br />
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Dash is never knowingly understyled and the design of her blog is a testament to this - it's super chic! <br />
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If you receive a Liebster, you should in turn nominate five more bloggers with less than 200 followers. So the Snickers awards go to:<br />
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1. <a href="http://lozzatron12.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Lozzatron</strong></a> - Laura has been on a similar running journey to me. As a fellow first time marathoner her blog - with the tag line 'Careful what you wish for' has been a great read and really motivating for me. At times when I've felt really slow and was convinced I was going to come last in the marathon it's been great to read about her progress and know that there were others out there like me aiming for somewhere under 6 hours on their first attempt. <br />
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2. <a href="http://www.themoiderer.com/" target="_blank"><strong>The Moiderer</strong></a> - to moider means to talk a lot and that's what Dawn does. About her life, her little one and her husband, changing her life with Cognitive Hypnotherapy, cooking, travelling - you name it The Moiderer covers it. I love this blog as it's written with such honesty and openness. Dawn's been on a pretty amazing personal journey this year and I think it's a privilege that she's shared it with so many people through her blogging. <br />
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3. <a href="http://iknowineedtostoptalking.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>iknowineedtostoptalking</strong></a>- the hilarious KT gets my next award. Her honest and often graphic account of life with two small children never fails to bring a smile to my face. Among the tales of vomit and poo there is also much talk of wine and gin. I am not a mum but if I were I think I'd like to be this kind of mum. <br />
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4. <a href="http://darinm-httpwwwthinkingslimmercom.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00Z&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00Z&max-results=16" target="_blank"><strong>Darin McCloud</strong></a> - what more can I say that I've not already said about this amazing man? His blog plots his journey from a 20 stone man seeking gastric bypass surgery to 15 stone marathon runner. It's a fantastically honest account of his <a href="http://www.thinkingslimmer.com/" target="_blank">Thinking Slimmer</a> journey and one which I know has provided inspiration to many people, me included. I am proud to have crossed the finishing line of the London Marathon with this remarkable person.<br />
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5. <a href="http://jackienewmanslimpodjourney.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Jackie Newman</strong></a> - my final award goes to Jackie. Her blog is charting her progress with Thinking Slimmer and is an inspirational read. Jackie has totally embraced the Slimpods and they are helping her to change her life in the same way that they have helped me to change mine. <br />
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The rules of the Liebster are:<br />
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1. Link back to the person who gave it to you and thank them.<br />
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2. Post the award to your blog.<br />
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3. Give the award to 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you appreciate and value (it’s a great way to get to word out there about other blogs).<br />
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4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have received this award.<br />
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<div align="left"></div>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-86309146843456577322012-04-30T08:04:00.002+01:002012-05-07T14:46:44.619+01:00So now what?So a week on from the London Marathon and I feel like I am pretty much recovered. On Monday and Tuesday my legs were very sore, a sports massage on Monday helped a lot but I was still hobbling a bit on Tuesday. From Wednesday they started to feel better but I was then overwhelmed by feelings of exhaustion. I just wanted to sleep all day. And eat. But by Friday I had started to feel human again and went out for a little 5K run which I enjoyed. I was a bit creaky but held a steady pace. And now on Monday I feel pretty much back to normal again. <br />
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But what is normal now? I've trained for 4 months for the marathon and I don't want to lose the fitness levels that I've built up. OK, so maybe I don't want to be out running 15-18 milers every weekend but I do love running and I need a new goal to focus on. So here's my plan....<br />
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During my marathon training I started run/walking - a good strategy to see me through my training and to my first marathon. However, it's trained my body to expect a walking break every 10mins in my runs and I want to train it back away from that. I want to be a 'proper' runner, ultimately I want to be able to run a whole marathon. I also want to get faster which means dropping down to shorter distances to begin with. <br />
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I have the following races lined up so far this year and have set myself a goal for each of them<br />
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23rd May - <strong>British Heart Foundation Canary Wharf jog</strong> - aim to get a new 5K PB<br />
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27th May <strong>BUPA 10K</strong> - aim to run the whole way without stopping and set a baseline 10K time<br />
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8th July - <strong>British 10K</strong> - aim to beat the time I set in the BUPA 10K <br />
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15th Sept - <strong>Pride 10K</strong> in Victoria Park (not yet entered) - aim to beat the time I set in British 10K<br />
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14th October - <strong>Kingston run</strong> (16 miles not yet entered) - aim to run the whole way and beat my time from April of 3hrs 15 mins<br />
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28th October - <strong>Great South Run</strong> (10miles) - aim to run the whole way and beat last year's time of 2hrs and 2 mins<br />
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I have also just entered the online ballot for the London Marathon 2013. There's a 1 in 8 chance that I'll get a place so it's far from definite that I'll get in but I just had to try! <br />
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I'm also going to continue blogging as I've enjoyed keeping a record of my progress and sharing it with other people so I hope you'll continue to stop by and check on how I'm doing. Better still come and join me at one of the races!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-15273284389205633672012-04-23T21:21:00.001+01:002012-05-10T21:12:11.924+01:00The Virgin London Marathon 2012On Sunday morning after a fitful night's sleep I woke up to the day that I had been waiting for since I got my place back in October. The day I would run the London Marathon. I hadn't expected to sleep well, but I had at least had some sleep and I didn't feel too tired when the alarm went off.<br />
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As I got dressed in my gear and ate my porridge and banana a strange feeling swept over me. I still can't quite put my finger on what it was - a mixture of anxiety, nerves, excitment and ever so slight sadness that by the end of the day it would all be over. It was a heady mix of emotions, so when Mr J came to give me a hug and tell me that he was proud of me it pretty much sent me over the edge and I became a sobbing mess dressed in lycra for a few minutes. <br />
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Having regained my composure I was ready to set off and meet my fellow Team Thinking Slimmer runners Darin and Dawn at Limehouse DLR station. I waved goodbye to Mr J and his Mum who had come to support me and headed out of the flat. <br />
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Darin and Dawn were waiting for me at the station and we set off on the DLR to Greenwich. I was hoping that we might bump into my friend Lisa at some point before the start and as luck would have it she was standing right outside Greenwich DLR station when we arrived. We all walked up towards the Red Start together. Walking through Greenwich Park it all started to become very real. Hundreds, thousands of other people getting ready to take on the 26.2 miles. <br />
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We said goodbye to Lisa and went off to try and locate the Nestle Pure Life tent as Dawn needed to meet them before the race. Having established our meeting point we went about our pre-race business - toilet stops, topping up the water levels, depositing our bags in the luggage trucks and getting ourselves ready for the start. <br />
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It was a beautiful morning in Greenwich Park - sunny and a bit cool - perfect runnng conditions. At 9am we watched the start of the women's race on the big screens located in the park. My stomach flipped - in 45 mins it would be our turn. After another toilet stop it was time to head for our starting pens. We were all in pen 9 - the last pen for everyone who had indicated a greater than 5 hour finish time. As the start time drew nearer the pen got busier and busier. There were people in front of us as far as my eyes could see. <br />
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9.45am finally came around and we moved.....nowhere. Then gradually and slowly we started to walk towards the start line. It must have taken about 20 mins for us to get to the gates of Greewich Park and turn the corner to see the start line. Finally we crossed it and at last starting running the London Marathon! <br />
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We had a strategy for what we would do - run for 9 mins and walk for one at a pace of no more than 12 and a half minutes per mile. For the first mile this was relatively easy as there were a lot of people around but we soon had to concentrate on keeping our pace down and not running too fast. It was easy to get carried away - there were huge crowds lining the streets, cheering us on right from the start and the excitement to finally get started meant that the adrenaline was really flowing. <br />
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The first few miles felt effortless and a lot of fun. Darin was working the crowd with style - high fiving all the kids along the street and lapping up the cheers. Dawn and I were keeping an eye on the pace and making sure he didn't go rushing off ahead!<br />
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Within the first two miles I had scored two off my marathon bingo - I'd been passed by someone in a ridiculous costume (actually several rhinos) and a man who looked old enough to be my grandad. I was having a whale of a time, laughing and joking with Darin and Dawn and just soaking up the atmosphere. <br />
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By mile 6 we were headed into Greenwich and towards the Cutty Sark. I was feeling pretty comfortable but was aware that Dawn had started to fall behind a bit. Darin and I have run together before and know that we are pretty evenly matched pace wise. Running with Dawn was a new experience. We had promised before the race that we would go ahead of her if she wanted us to and by the time we had passed the Cutty Sark she signalled to us that that time had come. Relucantly Darin and I headed off - we knew she'd be OK as she's so strong and determined but we had hoped to stay together for longer. <br />
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Miles 7-8 passed quickly and we noticed that we had picked up the pace a bit. At that point I began to feel it in my legs and said to Darin that I felt I needed to back off a bit. From the start I had been thinking that I needed the toilet. This often happens to me at the start of a long run - the phantom wee - usually caused by nerves. Every time before it had gone away, in all my training I have never had to stop for the toilet. This time it was real. I needed the toilet so soon after crossing the 10 mile marker we stopped to use the loos. <br />
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Relieved, we set off again towards mile 11. I felt like I was struggling a bit at this point so it was a massive surprise to suddenly hear "Go Becca, Go Darin" being shouted at us from by a voice that I recognised. I looked up and saw my friend Rachael standing by the side of the road, cheering us on. That gave me a real boost as we headed towards mile 12 and Tower Bridge. <br />
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For me Tower Bridge is an iconic part of the marathon and as we turned off Tooley St and onto the bridge I had tears in my eyes. I was really here, really running the London Marathon<br />
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The noise that the crowds on the bridge were making was amazing, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. My legs were starting to hurt and I'd been needed to take more walking breaks but I found a surge of energy from somewhere and we turned onto The Highway and towards the Mile 13 marker. I was now in home territory. I knew the route from here to mile 19 like the back of my hand. And I knew I had my family waiting at mile 14 - I was tired and achey but this thought gave me a lift. <br />
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As we neared the 14 mile marker my calves were starting to hurt quite a lot and I asked Darin if we could take an extra walking break. He seemed quite relieved and admitted that his calves were hurting too so we walked for a while before turning off The Highway and onto Narrow St. We started running again as we turned the corner and headed towards the stretch of road where I knew my family would be waiting. It was fantastic to spot them all - they were waving like crazy and making a lot of noise. <br />
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After quicky introducing Darin to everyone and some hugs and kisses we set off again down Narrow St giving them all a wave as we went<br />
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Literally a minute after we'd left my family I felt a tap on my back - it was @lozzatron from Twitter and the first member of the #vlmfamily that I'd spotted on the day. It was lovely to meet her, she looked like she was doing well and using the same kind of run/walk strategy as Darin and I. Then, just over the bridge I spotted my osteopath Glenn waiting for me - I ran to give him a hug and he ran with us for a while wishing us well and making sure we were OK. <br />
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I felt on top of the world and like I could have kept running forever at that point but we were due a walking break and so we took one. We started running again as we turned the corner onto Westferry Road, but Darin pulled up quite suddenly with a pain in his calf. He said that it felt better when he walked so we walked for a while to see if it eased off. We tried running again but it was no good. Darin kept pulling up sharply and we knew something was wrong. We stopped to stretch for a bit and then carried on walking. I suggested that we should stop at the next St John's Ambulance point and see if he could get a massage. <br />
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The people of St John's Ambulance were fantastic - massaged out Darin's calves and advised him to take long walking strides and heel strike to help his calves. So we both did this for most of mile 16. At this point Darin turned to me and said "do you want to go ahead?" I had a decision to make but it took all of a second to make - we had started as a team and I intended to finish as a team. At that point the goal became to finish in one piece and all thoughts of mile timings went out of the window. <br />
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As we turned the corner towards Mile 17 Darin wanted to try running again. We did for a short while but it was still no good - there was another St John's Ambulance station and we decided to stop again to get him another massage. Once this was done we headed off towards Mudchute where I knew that @Dashinista was waiting. We nearly walked right past her as she was tracking me online as we went past but luckily I spotted her. After a hug and some words of encouragement we set off again towards Canary Wharf. <br />
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Darin kept trying to run with no joy so we decided just to stick to the walking until we had got past 20 miles and see what happened then. So we power walked our way around Canary Wharf with me setting the pace and were soon arriving in Poplar and mile 20. At this point I started to get excited again as I knew my family would be waiting near mile 21. We were walking at a good pace and I was feeling good. Although this was new territory for us both I knew that if nothing else I could keep walking for another 6.2 miles for sure and I felt that as long as I did, Darin would as well. We were going to finish.<br />
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We came back onto Commercial Road and soon spotted my family with my nephew holding up a banner for me<br />
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We stopped briefly for more hugs and words of encouragement before we set off again towards the finish line. Still over 5 miles away! <br />
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As we turned the corner back onto The Highway and back towards the Embankment the sky was turning dark, the temperatute dropped and the wind picked up. The forecasted rain was clearly on it's way. At this point the crowd came into their own. So many people shouting our names and wishing us luck - it was amazing, I can't describe how much difference it made. <br />
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Before long we were back at Tower Bridge and at this point the rain started falling. At first it wasn't too heavy but before long it was pouring down. Luckily we were close to a Lucozade fuelling station who had just started handing out rain ponchos. We grabbed them gratefully and stopped under Blackfriar's underpass to put them on. It's a good thing we did as we emerged from the other side into torrential rain. <br />
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By this point we were at mile 24 and Big Ben was in sight. We kept trudging on knowing there really wasn't far to go. The crowds were still there in the pouring rain. I was trying really hard to acknowledge each person who shouted my name with a smile and a thank you. One woman told me that I had given her the best smile she'd seen all day! <br />
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Finally we got to Big Ben and turned onto Birdcage Walk. It had stopped raining so we took off our ponchos and got ready to complete our final mile and a bit. We had agreed to run from Buckingham Palace to the finish so we continued to walk until we got to the top of Birdcage Walk and saw the sign that I had been waiting all day to see<br />
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Followed very shortly by something that I hadn't expected to see. Sandra and Chris from Thinking Slimmer standing in the crowd cheering us on. To say we were delighted would be an understatement<br />
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After a quick stop for hugs we turned the corner onto the Mall and ran the final few meters of the marathon. Crossing the finish line felt absolutely amazing. I had finished the London Marathon. The clock said 6hrs and 27 mins but I didn't care - my goal was to finish with a smile on my face and I did that with style. <br />
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We were given our medals and goody bags, picked up our kit bags and made our way back to Horseguards parade to the meeting area. I felt pretty spaced out at this point. I knew I needed to keep moving but I really wanted just to collapse. <br />
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Once on Horseguards I spotted Mr J who had been waiting for me and we were re-united with Dawn who we later realised had crossed the finished line just minutes before us having kept her steady pace all the way around. Team Thinking Slimmer had done it. I had done it. <br />
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Only once I'd got home did it all really start to sink in. I had completed the London Marathon. Slower than I had ideally wanted but given what happened on the day I was just grateful to have got around in one piece. On the way home we started to hear reports that a young woman had collapsed and died in the final mile of the race. That just put everything into perspective. I had completed the race and I was alive and that really was all that mattered. <br />
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So I Rebecca Jones am now a marathoner. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Maybe not next year - I have a lot to work on in terms of strength and speed. But I will absolutely definitely be back to run those 26.2 miles again. There's something very very special about them indeed. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7T9eJbrMJjLOGmLb8x2iWUF0L2tuUvjJ2ERyPdnxAu0aQ62lQIKagFhPonchqugjLrXnppil23P08FKLVcPLCBPuWimo6r4JMzYEX43iopFb5IA7bOdN-yUZpxLew6r5_Cj6vKjskAVs/s1600/P1030552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7T9eJbrMJjLOGmLb8x2iWUF0L2tuUvjJ2ERyPdnxAu0aQ62lQIKagFhPonchqugjLrXnppil23P08FKLVcPLCBPuWimo6r4JMzYEX43iopFb5IA7bOdN-yUZpxLew6r5_Cj6vKjskAVs/s320/P1030552.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-3619037593281025972012-04-19T20:46:00.002+01:002012-05-07T14:42:56.697+01:00My marathon mile dedicationsSo just under 3 days to go until I make my way to Greenwich Park for the start of the London Marathon 2012. I am trained and ready and getting very excited about the day. <br />
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26.2 miles is a really long way and I'm going to be out on that course for at least 5 if not 6 hours. At times it's bound to feel very tough. I know I'm going to complete it - not doing so is just not an option but I want to make it as 'easy' as I can for myself. <br />
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One of the people that I've met through Twitter - the lovely @duns _is_running aka Hannah Dunnell suggested dedicating each mile to someone that I know, so that when things get tough you can think about that person and find the motivation to run, knowing that you are running that mile for them. I love the idea so here are my marathon mile dedications for people who have inspired, supported or helped me on my marathon journey<br />
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<strong>Mile 1</strong> is mine all mine - the 345 training miles I have put in have been all about getting me to the start line ready to complete this thing. I will enjoy the first mile and not run it too fast, honest. <br />
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<strong>Mile 2</strong> is for everyone else running with me today - all 35000 of you. I now know exactly what it takes to train for a marathon and it's not easy. You have my total respect and I hope you all enjoy the day. <br />
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<strong>Mile 3</strong> is for Simon Broome. The man who helped me find the self belief and confidence to lace up my trainers and take the first step out of my front door. Thank you! <br />
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<strong>Mile 4 </strong>is for everyone at <a href="http://www.goodvibesfitness.co.uk/texts/course8.html">Good Vibes Fitness</a> particularly the fabulous Nahid, the lovely Choi and the man with the constant smile Andrew. Thank you for the yoga and powerplates classes which have strengthened and lengthened me and been an excellent complement to my running.<br />
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<strong>Mile 5</strong> is for the girls of <a href="http://www.boutiquesport.com/">Boutique Running Club</a> who have helped me realise that I enjoy running with other people and that I can run faster than I thought for longer than I thought. Thank you for all your encouragement. I hope to see you all soon after I've recovered from this! <br />
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<strong>Mile 6</strong> is for everyone that's sponsored me and helped me to smash my Golden Bond pledge. I have currently raised just under £1600 which is absolutely amazing and will help the charity to do great things in my local community. Thank you all! <br />
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<strong>Mile 7</strong> is for all my friends and colleagues at FSS who have lost or will lose their jobs due to the closure of the company. What an 18 months it's been and I'm proud of the way we've all handled it. Thank you for all the support you've shown me during my training. <br />
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<strong>Mile 8</strong> is for my 'cousin' in New York Andrew who ran the New York Marathon last year - maybe one day I'll come and run New York with you. Thank you for all your encouragement.<br />
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<strong>Mile 9</strong> is for my sister in law Katrina in Denver who is an amazing athlete and marathon runner and one of my original running inspirations. Thank you for all your advice and support - I really appreciate it. <br />
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<strong>Mile 10</strong> is for Lorraine Albon - Darin's diabetic consultant who ran by my side for the whole of the 10 mile Great South Run last October and helped me to achieve a brilliant time that I'm convinced I wouldn't have managed on my own. We will think of you today. <br />
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<strong>Mile 11 </strong>is for my sister Rachel and her boyfriend Shaun - thank you for coming up to support me today, I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to meeting my new niece or nephew later this year<br />
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<strong>Mile 12 </strong>is for everyone at <a href="http://www.thinkingslimmer.com/">Thinking Slimmer</a> especially Sandra and Trevor. I would not be doing this today if it weren't for finding you. Perhaps at some point in the race I won't be thinking 'thank you' for that, but I am so grateful for everything you've helped me to achieve over the last year. So 'thank you' while I mean it! <br />
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<strong>Mile 13</strong> is for my Mother in Law, Jean who has travelled down from Stafford to support me today. Thank you so much and I'm looking forward to seeing you along the route.<br />
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<strong>Mile 14</strong> is for my Mum and Dad who should be waiting at this point on the route. One or other or perhaps both of you has passed on some ridiculous 'determination' gene which means I know I won't give up today. Thank you, I think. And thanks for coming up to support me. Please don't cry when you see me Mum because you'll probably make me cry too. Actually, that goes for Dad too. <br />
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<strong>Mile 15</strong> is for <a href="http://www.blue-eye.co.uk/">Glenn Sontag</a> my bloody marvellous osteopath and sports masseur who has kept me in one piece through my training and should hopefully be out to give me a cheer somewhere near mile 15 on Narrow St. <br />
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<strong>Mile 16 </strong>is for my colleague and friend Rachael. Two times finisher of the London Marathon and runner of many other races. Rachael was the person who convinced me that I could run London this year if I wanted to. Thank you so much for listening to my endless, no doubt very boring tales of marathon training and for all the advice and support. <br />
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<strong>Mile 17</strong> is for Christine aka @Dashinista and one of the Boutique Running Club ladies. She has been training for the Brighton marathon at the same time as I've been training for London and it's been great to swap tips, advice, woes and progress. She completed Brighton in style last weekend and I can't wait to see her at mile 17 cheering us on. <br />
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<strong>Mile 18</strong> is for Hannah aka @Duns_is_Running. I've never actually met Hannah but she's been a source of support and much entertainment on Twitter for the last few months. Mile 18 will be new territory for her so I'm dedicating this one to her. You can do it! I'm waiting to see to photographic evidence of your finishing line 'gun' pose - complete with arm warmers of course!<br />
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<strong>Mile 19</strong> is for Lisa aka @LBehrG who as she starts the race today will be 7 stone lighter than when I first met her many years ago. Your weight loss and running journey has been a source of inspiration to me. You will probably have crossed the finish line by the time I get to this point. I really hope you get the time you want, and most importantly beat your husband's time from a few years ago as I know that's what really matters to you! <br />
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<strong>Mile 20</strong> is for the Twitter #LondonMarathon #vlmfamily crew - @PumpinPete @MadebyElves @Ruthismoore @KatieMarathon @Rob_Sterry29 @lozzatron12 @andythatcher1 @alisonhardisty @TomDingleyphoto @SarahJaneCass to name just a few. I haven't met any of you but you have all been brilliant company through the ups and downs of training. This mile is the threshold that many of us have not yet crossed - I wish you all the very best of runs and look forward to comparing notes afterwards. <br />
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<strong>Mile 21</strong> is for my niece Sophie and nephew Johnathan who should be waiting to cheer me on at this point, as well as my nephew Alex who has to work so can't be there. I hope that seeing me do this today will make you realise that anything is possible. If you want something enough and you work really hard then you can achieve it - any don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise! <br />
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<strong>Mile 22 </strong>is for the amazing woman running next to me Dawn aka @The_Moiderer. I don't think I have ever met anyone who is quite so resilient, determined and downright stubborn! The changes you have made to your life this year are remarkable and an inspiration. I'm very proud to be running this with you.<br />
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<strong>Mile 23</strong> is for the equally amazing man also running with me Darin aka @unitedarinm. A genuinely lovely man who has changed his life for the better in so many ways this year. My running buddy from the Great South Run and Brighton Half Marathon, I'm so glad and proud that we get to cross this particular finish line together. I will make you slow down in the first half - it's for our own good and I'm counting on you to help keep me going in the second!<br />
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<strong>Mile 24</strong> is for my Uncle Brian who sadly is no longer with us. I'm going to need every ounce of courage to get me through these last few miles and I will think of you and the way you bravely fought against your illness to help me at this point. <br />
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<strong>Mile 25</strong> is for my husband and best friend Mr J. For the words of encouragement before my runs. For the hugs and 'well dones' afterwards. For standing in the cold and rain carrying my stuff at races. For accepting that our Saturday nights needed to be a bit more low key. For making approving noises as I've modelled endless new running gear. For cooking for me during each long run and not making a fuss when I abandoned you for hours on end at the weekend. For generally being a brilliant supportive husband. THANK YOU. I love you. <br />
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<strong>Mile 26</strong> and the extra 0.2 belong to me. I have imagined for years how it would feel to run up Birdcage Walk, past Buckingham Palace and back down the Mall across the finish line and now I get to find out. Yep, this mile and a bit is mine. I think I will have earned it.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-67960267027768004682012-04-18T14:23:00.001+01:002012-05-07T14:43:12.344+01:00I'm registered!!Today was the start of the London Marathon Expo at the Excel Centre in Docklands. All runners have to come here to register and being the total control freak planner/organiser that I am I decided that I needed to come and get my stuff as soon as I possibly could. <br />
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Having met a friend Lisa for coffee at Canary Wharf we set off for Excel on the DLR - it was a very easy journey and once at the DLR station there was a covered walkway that took us straight into the exhibition centre. We got there about 10mins before the Expo was due to open but there was already a pretty big queue in front of us. Once the doors actually opened the queue moved very quickly and we were soon in the main area of the event. <br />
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The first thing to do was to register. This was incredibly straight forward. There are lots of queues with number ranges and you just have to find yours and join the queue! <br />
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This was my queue and there were only about 6 people in front of me. <br />
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The queue moved quickly and when I got to the front I was asked for my registration form and ID and then had to sign the disclaimer on the form in from of the person on the stand. I was then passed over to another person who gave me my all important envelope containing my race number, safety pins, sticker for my kit bag and ties to attached my timing chip. She also gave me my kit bag and last minute information magazine. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From there we were directed to the area where you get your timing chip activated</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here my running number was scanned and a timing chip activated which was then added into my envelope. I now had everything I needed for race day. From there it was out into the Expo itself. There were loads of stands selling pretty much everything you can imagine to do with running and it was interesting to look around. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lisa made use of the T-shirt printing facilities - a word of advice here if you're planning on using these - head straight for them after registration as there was quite a queue and then about a 45 min wait for the shirt to be printed before you could pick up the shirt at the exit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I managed to meet up with Darin who had come up to London today to register. It was really good to see him and we made our arrangements for meeting on Sunday morning - I can't really believe it's only 4 days away now. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By this time Lisa's T-shirt was ready to be collected and we decided to leave. I could have spent far longer at the Expo if I had been planning on spending money! I'm also coming back on Saturday with Dawn so there will be more time to look around then if I want to. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So that's it, the final piece of preparation sorted and I'm registered to run my first ever London Marathon. I have my final sports massage this afternoon and will do a very gentle 30 min run on Friday morning. Other than that I am ready to go! Bring it on! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAjJGmGmeVl-bqiKJrZrD6ywtlVpxNu5HEagbri7GSrxDBAh-WRCZi4C-pZzmJIr8XahMAZJ3HJQYoey4NolGWEzIs7l93FXFc-ycieL7GEWMnA1G9eL6_XSLAmyH2crwjfwR4X74sTSV/s1600/P1030517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAjJGmGmeVl-bqiKJrZrD6ywtlVpxNu5HEagbri7GSrxDBAh-WRCZi4C-pZzmJIr8XahMAZJ3HJQYoey4NolGWEzIs7l93FXFc-ycieL7GEWMnA1G9eL6_XSLAmyH2crwjfwR4X74sTSV/s320/P1030517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-84128863900522722342012-04-16T08:26:00.001+01:002012-05-07T14:43:26.683+01:00Week 17 complete - the start of taper madnessSo this is the end of week 17 and I am now well and truely into the taper. Just one week from now I will have completed the Virgin London Marathon! <br />
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My training this week has been very much reduced from weeks gone by. 3 runs of 7, 4 and 6 miles and a couple of yoga classes. The runs have been OK in general although I have started to worry that I've not done a really long run in a couple of weeks. Apparently this worrying is totally natural and part of the 'taper madness' that can set in at this point. <br />
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On Sunday I went out dressed in my marathon kit to try it all out together for one last time before the day. You may have seen my flourescent vest in a previous post but I have decided that if I've got to wear colour then I may as well completely embrace that so I'm going for an 80s inspried fluoro look on the day. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAy-ncC5eOg5luXkMzrz9EtqBDgG32ay08Q2_BE3tExHH-sv17NgXZJjjNRloGP0Fizjs9_4EXCepSjRJkmc-ZP3XDel7PWTChsqGxsXb-eIiyvB5KdSQSJBqqXX_0eaWKjwWMmTduY-w/s1600/2012-04-15+11.48.59+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAy-ncC5eOg5luXkMzrz9EtqBDgG32ay08Q2_BE3tExHH-sv17NgXZJjjNRloGP0Fizjs9_4EXCepSjRJkmc-ZP3XDel7PWTChsqGxsXb-eIiyvB5KdSQSJBqqXX_0eaWKjwWMmTduY-w/s320/2012-04-15+11.48.59+(1).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
At least my family should be able to pick me out in the crowd!<br />
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I decided to run part of the marathon route on Sunday and made my way to The Highway to run miles 14-18 around the Isle of Dogs. As I was running along The Highway I saw a lorry which was delivering these at the side of the road<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrN3BMlEhFk7NkRNNdKyP55w_nTWIG2abTGAaRvpcX2JCNTnkVJZB3lHYrjNMYKoZadELP9QpALFS4ST4c3nwcaUhMu04OyL8kl7rKG46hGHPgnuPg_9PWY-2DnfgXYS7c6yIdTw8B5Fn/s1600/2012-04-15+12.07.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrN3BMlEhFk7NkRNNdKyP55w_nTWIG2abTGAaRvpcX2JCNTnkVJZB3lHYrjNMYKoZadELP9QpALFS4ST4c3nwcaUhMu04OyL8kl7rKG46hGHPgnuPg_9PWY-2DnfgXYS7c6yIdTw8B5Fn/s320/2012-04-15+12.07.04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The barriers which will eventually line the route! Although I know that the day is really near now, seeing things like this still stop me in my tracks and make me feel sick with nerves and excitement. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>So there are now less than 7 days to go until the day that I've been training for for the last 4 months. Part of me can't wait, part of me is starting to feel a little sad that this training will soon be over and so will the day. But I'm trying to keep that part at the back of my mind so that I can enjoy the build up and make sure I'm in the best shape that I can be for the day itself. This week involves a small amount of running but mainly a lot of rest and eating. I'm pretty sure I can handle that! <br />
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I'm absolutely delighted to report that I've also reached my fundraising minimum target and have met my Golden Bond pledge for my charity. It has always been my aim to have been at this point before the day of the race and I'm incredibly grateful to everyone that has sponsored me and made this a reality. <br />
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I have increased my target as I'd like to raise as much as possible for the charity which I think is a very worthy cause. If you'd like to support me by sponsoring me please visit <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12" target="_blank">www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12</a><br />
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Thank you!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-35878688863753407282012-04-10T18:41:00.003+01:002012-05-07T14:43:48.334+01:00Thinking Slimmer - an updateToday something happened which had you told me about a year ago I would have laughed in your face. My Thinking Slimmer and running journey has been featured in BodyFit magazine <a href="http://www.bodyfitmagazine.co.uk/"></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi73jwT3jb8nvJIhN8fVBkgwnymy-6e9HeXkM-lep7hwSGCprtsDVQF2MUAfEX3-ZCGFrr0SDDuWCl4d1PzjJwzbssRYsFeXs4iCIP5i4JRY86bg5Vaa3ILyLnVug05QvCgjXSlHkPil4Q/s1600/Bodyfit+May+2012+page+2+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi73jwT3jb8nvJIhN8fVBkgwnymy-6e9HeXkM-lep7hwSGCprtsDVQF2MUAfEX3-ZCGFrr0SDDuWCl4d1PzjJwzbssRYsFeXs4iCIP5i4JRY86bg5Vaa3ILyLnVug05QvCgjXSlHkPil4Q/s320/Bodyfit+May+2012+page+2+001.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><br />
To say I'm chuffed would be an understatement and it made me think about how far I've come on my Thinking Slimmer journey. With the London Marathon less than two weeks away I thought it would be good to review my progress towards my current Thinking Slimmer goals. <br />
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<b>Goal One - to train for and complete the London Marathon 2012</b><br />
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Although the marathon itself is still 12 days away I know that I have trained well and done everything I could have done to put me in the best position to be able to complete the race on the day. I have never been concerned with how long it will take me, as a first timer this is all about completing the distance, enjoying the experience and finishing with a smile on my face. <br />
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I know now from the training that I have done that I will definitely finish on the day, even if I have to crawl the last few miles. That's an amazing feeling for someone who only started running around this time last year. <br />
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<b>Goal Two - to be wearing size 12 running gear by the time of the marathon</b><br />
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This one gets a great big tick. I now have a couple of running tops and two pairs of running capris in a size 12. On the day I will be wearing a size 12 top underneath my charity running vest. <br />
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Now the crazy thing is that I am still pretty much the same weight as when I ran the Great South Run back in October - give or take a few pounds. But these photos ought to illustrate the change in my size<br />
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This one was taken back in October at the Great South Run. <br />
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And this was taken last weekend at the Kingston Breakfast Run<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_SzvcsHBb4GFnopLgFQPlvn_C2JaWyTQIi87jW7ylIC5AnEJLJlWOTSNSMMdhPaWBtYNBVI1bVjA8oRhyphenhyphenV4jyPnLoxFwvekJYhjxkDc7c5RCEoLtuIn3Sk3q3NMrsaSZh-M_dGlMDHI3/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_SzvcsHBb4GFnopLgFQPlvn_C2JaWyTQIi87jW7ylIC5AnEJLJlWOTSNSMMdhPaWBtYNBVI1bVjA8oRhyphenhyphenV4jyPnLoxFwvekJYhjxkDc7c5RCEoLtuIn3Sk3q3NMrsaSZh-M_dGlMDHI3/s320/5.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
The scales haven't moved but I am most definitely smaller!! <br />
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<b>Goal Three - To raise £1250 for the Docklands Settlements and meet my Golden Bond pledge</b><br />
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Not all goals with Thinking Slimmer have to be weight related and this one isn't. I have a charity place for the marathon and as part of that I have pledged to raise £1250 for a small East London charity that does community support work in the area that I live. <br />
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Thanks to the generosity of family, friends and colleagues my current fundraising total stands at £1180. I am just £70 away from my target with several people who have promised to sponsor me still to donate. I am very confident that I will reach my target, so much so that I have raised my target by £250 and now hope to raise £1500 for what I think is a really worthwhile cause. <br />
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So, if you're reading this and have a couple of spare pounds that you could donate to help me towards this new target then please visit <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12" target="_blank">http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12</a><a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12"></a> and donate securely online. <br />
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So I am on track to achieve all of my current goals by marathon day. I've already started to think about what comes next but that's for another day.<br />
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For now this is all about the next 12 days and getting to that start line, fundraising target met and in good shape ready to run the London Marathon 2012!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-6499811533527686212012-04-08T20:39:00.001+01:002012-05-07T14:44:06.587+01:00Week 16 - this week I have been mostly.....knackered!So here I am at the end of week 16 of my training for the London Marathon and there are just two weeks of training left to go before the big day. <br />
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This week was the start of the hallowed taper meaning that the mileage of my runs has decreased. Not by much to be honest in the first week of the taper but mentally it's been good to know that the *really* long runs are over and that I have run all the distances left on the plan a good number of times before. There's nothing scary or unknown left to do. <br />
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After my 20 miler last Sunday I was pleasantly surprised to wake up on Monday morning and feel pretty much OK. A bit achey but really not that bad considering. I had an appointment with my osteopath in the afternoon which confirmed that I was in pretty good shape given what I had put my body through the day before. Quite a relief. <br />
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I felt fine on Tuesday and Wednesday and managed a yoga class and a short 4 mile recovery run. We live pretty much right on the marathon route and on Wednesday morning I saw a sign which made my stomach flip!<br />
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On Thursday I started to feel really tired. Like I had no energy at all. All I wanted to do was sleep and eat. <a href="http://http//diaryofadashinista.com/">Dash</a> told me that it can take the body up to a week to recover from running 20 miles and I put this lethargy down to my body still being in recovery mode. <br />
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This general feeling of tiredness continued into Friday but having missed a run on Thursday I decided to drag my sorry legs out for another 4 mile run. We are staying with my mother in law for the Easter weekend so this was a run around a small Staffordshire village and a short way up the Shropshire Union Canal. Very different to my usual running environment! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjVA20qolOKxskywhJ7qfir63FJ8UGKVdPzorXfKXjOausG1s1303AmX8TgINfZUyA8NoW3t4yoSUvZtJm0iRVQDRK_RXGKQyrdrPiZI4zo6noLyaaBb1Lc-nFsIZYGDF6YzLeAaejEfe/s1600/2012-04-06+14.33.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjVA20qolOKxskywhJ7qfir63FJ8UGKVdPzorXfKXjOausG1s1303AmX8TgINfZUyA8NoW3t4yoSUvZtJm0iRVQDRK_RXGKQyrdrPiZI4zo6noLyaaBb1Lc-nFsIZYGDF6YzLeAaejEfe/s320/2012-04-06+14.33.18.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Although I was tired it was good to get out and stretch my legs and I felt far more energised after the run. Saturday was a rest day and today I have been out for a 6 mile run in the countryside. The plan has a 12 mile run scheduled for today but I'm going to do that on Tuesday once we're home. <br />
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I really enjoyed the run today. I rarely run in the country and the views were pretty different to what I experience running in central London! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0czNJuxXUYf1ocB6ftR3eZj4nnRr0vj8RQZXkiRjxrR1QX_Bc1aEFiJFaPC26tYBAXPG6VCz3792pLlBOm5MduOW9UTXtJIh6C9ouWNB0lkPAL3zZpCrcneAnO1cQC3mifqhDkCemd6p/s1600/2012-04-08+11.35.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0czNJuxXUYf1ocB6ftR3eZj4nnRr0vj8RQZXkiRjxrR1QX_Bc1aEFiJFaPC26tYBAXPG6VCz3792pLlBOm5MduOW9UTXtJIh6C9ouWNB0lkPAL3zZpCrcneAnO1cQC3mifqhDkCemd6p/s320/2012-04-08+11.35.23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'm pleased to say that my fundraising is also going really well, thanks to the generosity of family, friends and colleagues. I'm not quite at my target yet so if you could spare a few pounds to sponsor me I would really appreciate it. <br />
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To donate securely online please visit www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12<br />
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Thank you! <br />
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So although I've been pretty tired for a lot of the week I've still managed to put in a fair few miles. I'm feeling and confident and ready for April 22nd. BRING IT ON!!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-39718086246903380622012-04-05T09:40:00.001+01:002012-05-07T14:44:26.333+01:00My favourite running songsSo on Sunday I ran a 16 mile race on my own. Since I knew that I'd be towards the back of the pack I decided to bring along my mp3 player. I usually listen to music when I'm running on my own, it keeps me going, gives me something to run in time to and when the right song comes on at the right time can give me a lift almost equivalent to having taken an energy gel. <br />
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There are some songs on my playlist that always help me to run just that bit faster or help me dig in when things are feeling tough so I thought I'd share those with you<br />
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<b>Florence and the Machine - Dog Days Are Over</b><br />
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I remember seeing the documentary on Eddie Izzard when he did his crazy running challenge and this was the soundtrack. How can you not run faster when the song is telling you to? <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PGrx6etMl0w" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride<br />
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An 80s classic which makes me smile as I'm running<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TY41o-iZStI?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<b>The Futureheads - Hounds of Love</b><br />
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One of my favourite ever covers, when this song comes on my feet seem to magically want to move faster. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fcMAM9B7yAA" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<b>Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name of</b><br />
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I know this won't be everyone's cup of tea - it's noisy, it's angry and it's sweary. But I love it - it takes me back to my student days and there's nothing better than getting to a tough bit in a run, listening to this track and shouting "**** you I won't do what you tell me" at your legs. Works for me anyway! <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bWXazVhlyxQ?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<b>Eminem feat Nate Dogg - Till I Collapse</b><br />
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This may be my favourite running track ever - it's especially good when I've hit a rough patch. The first few lines of the lyrics just stop any negative thoughts I'm having and the beat just seems to make my feet move in time with it. One for mile 20 onwards of the marathon I think! <br />
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Sometimes you just feel tired, feel weak <br />
And when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up <br />
But you gotta search within you, try to find that inner strength <br />
and just pull that s*** out of you <br />
And get that motivation not to give up, and not be a quitter <br />
No matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face, and collapse <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NUpVN641r4g?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<b>The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition</b><br />
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Something a little less shouty to finish with. This song makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It's brilliant. <br />
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I am always looking to add to my running music collection so tell me - what's your favourite running track?Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-39593789111876413072012-04-01T21:22:00.001+01:002012-05-10T21:12:31.412+01:00Week 15 completeI'm sitting on my sofa typing this in my recovery compression tights having just completed the longest run of my training for the London Marathon. There are now just 3 weeks to go before the big day and I'm now feeling ready and confident that I will make it around those 26.2 miles one way or another. <br />
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When I first looked at my training plan back in October this week was always the one that I stared at in disbelief and wondered how on earth I'd be able to do it. But 15 weeks of training and it's done. To be fair I've not done all the runs that were scheduled this week as I thought it was more important to rest my legs for today but what's 5 miles these days between friends? <br />
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This week has been all about building up to the 20 miler. I have run all my long runs so far on my own and at times it's been pretty difficult. So when of of the girls that I've met via Boutique Sport mentioned the 16 mile Kingston Breakfast Run to me I thought it would be a good way to run the majority of my longest run with other people around me. My parents live a convenient 4 miles away from Kingston so my plan was to run the 16 mile race and then run back to their house. <br />
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So Saturday evening saw me waving goodbye to Mr J and heading to Surbiton to spend a sober Saturday night at my parent's house. The alarm was set for 6am so I could get up and have my porridge and banana in time for it to have digested before the race which was due to start at 8.35am. It's been really warm all week but had cooled dow quite a lot on Saturday so I had packed both long and short sleeved options to decide between on Sunday morning. <br />
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I woke up bright and early, made breakfast and tried to decide what to wear. It was frosty but the sun was coming up and the sky looked pretty clear. I decided while I might be a bit cold to begin with that short sleeves were probably the best way to go. I'd rather be a bit chilly than too warm when I'm running. <br />
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My Mum and Dad were also up early so that my Dad could drive me into Kingston in plenty of time for the start of the race. It was strange being at the start of a race on my own. Previously Mr J has come with me and I've been meeting other people before the start but this time it was just me on my own. Runners are a friendly lot though and it wasn't long before I was chatting to a fellow marathon trainee about gels, the weather (it was much colder than I'd expected) and training the general. <br />
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The 8 mile race went off at 8am followed by the 16 mile sub 2hr women, then the 16 mile men and then finally me with the rest of the 16 mile women at 8.35. As I was continuing running after the race I had decided to run with my Nathan hydration rucksack so I had plenty of water and somewhere to put my bits and pieces while I ran. <br />
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There were two cut off times for the race, one at halfway of 1hr 40mins and 3.5hrs for the whole distance. I knew that I could make the halfway cut off in time but wanted to give myself a bit of breathing space by putting in a fast first few miles. Which is exactly what I did. By 4 miles in I knew that I had done enough to get around within the cut off comfortably. <br />
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The course was lovely, running along the side of the Thames on a bright and chilly morning, perfect running weather. On the first lap I felt pretty comfortable, I was averaging sub 12 minute miles and it felt good. I knew that at some point I would pay for it though as I can't keep up that pace over longer distances. I was prepared for having to slow down later in the race. <br />
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At around about 6 miles I was passed by the first of the fast men who were on their second lap and on their way to the finish line. It was amazing to watch them run past at a speed I can only dream of. Before long I was approaching the end of the first lap and was pleased to see that I'd made the time cut off with 5 mins to spare. <br />
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I slowed my pace straight away for the second lap. I knew that I needed to or my legs would want to give up on me later on. By this time the field had thinned out a lot. I knew that I'd be among the slower runners and was a bit concerned that I'd be last, but that wasn't the case. By the time I got to 10 miles I was feeling quite tired and was walking for more of each mile. Thankfully I'd put in enough faster miles that I knew I'd still make it around in plenty of time. <br />
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I eventually crossed the finish line in around 3hrs and 15 minutes - I was delighted with the time given that I was running on my own. I had my mp3 player on the whole way around and that definitely kept me moving at times when it felt tough. I collected my mug - there are no medals for this race and then a well stocked goody bag. I stopped for a couple of minutes to re-arrange the contents of my rucksack and make room for everything and then headed off for my parents. <br />
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Stopping turned out to be a bad idea. My hamstrings siezed up and felt really tight. I stopped to stretch them out which helped a bit but I found it very difficult to get running again. So I walked for most of miles 16-18. Then, after a few jellybeans and with my hamstrings warmed up again I found enough energy to run for some of mile 19 and 20. Those last 4 miles were really tough physically and I knew I was paying the price for my early pace. <br />
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I arrived back at my parent's house feeling exhausted and ready to collapse. When I did my 19 mile run two weeks ago, which had been far more evenly paced, I felt as if I could have continued. Not today. It was a really good lesson in pacing and something I need to be very careful about on April 22nd. Had I needed to complete another 6.2 miles today I would have done so but they would have been very tough. Much better to get to mile 20 feeling like I have something left in the tank for the last push. <br />
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So that's it - the longest run of my training done and I must admit I'm quite relieved. I now enter the hallowed taper where the mileage decreases to give my body time to rest and prepare for the big day. <br />
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Just 3 weeks away now! I know I've trained well and I'm ready which is a great confidence boost heading into the final 3 weeks of training, Bring it on!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-58024131796493150992012-03-25T17:20:00.001+01:002012-05-07T14:45:01.970+01:00Week 14 doneSo today marks the end of week 14 of my training for the London Marathon. It's been a frustrating week for me. Having finished last week on a real high having run 19 miles relatively comfortably, this week feels like a bit of a come down. I've had a cold for most of the week meaning that I've been feeling quite rubbish and under the weather and that's had an impact on the training that I've been able to do. But I want to finish the week on a positive note as I head into the final four weeks of training so I'm going to focus on the good things that have happened this week, rather than dwell on the training that I've missed. <br />
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So despite having a cold I've managed two runs, a yoga class and a Powerplates class. Not too shabby really. The first of the runs was with Boutique Running Club on Tuesday and was the fastest 4.2 miles I have ever run in my life with two sub 10.30 minute miles back to back. It's great to see my speed increasing on these runs - I seem to be able to run much faster, more comfortably when I'm with other people. <br />
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On Tuesday my charity running vest arrived back from the printers. Here's me modelling it - it's a fetching shade of neon green, not what I would have chosen to run in at all but it's all in support of my charity so I can't complain. <br />
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At least I'll be clearly visible! <br />
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On Wednesday this arrived <br />
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It's my running number for the Whole Foods Kingston Breakfast Run next weekend. It's a 16 mile run which starts and finishes in Kingston town centre which is about 4 miles away from my parents house. I'm going to take part in the race and then run back to their house afterwards. I figured it was a good way to have some company for most of my longest training run! <br />
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And then on Thursday the most exciting delivery of all. The final London Marathon magazine and confirmation of my running number!<br />
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I must admit to being quite pleased with the James Bond themed running number I've been allocated! <br />
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I've read bits and pieces from the magazine, which has all the information that I need to know about what to do on the day itself (on top of running 26.2 miles!) and felt quite giddy with excitement while doing so. <br />
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I am also now 75% of the way to my fundraising target which is a brilliant result with four weeks to go. I need to raise another £305 to get to my target so if you're able to help me get one step closer I'd really appreciate it. You can donate securely online here <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12" target="_blank">http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12</a><br />
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So while this week hasn't been great from a training perspective it's actually been pretty exciting. I'm now feeling much better and ready to get into week 15, the last week of full on training before the plan starts to taper. <br />
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This now feels very real indeed. <br />
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Four weeks today I will run the London Marathon!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-89078966379336979582012-03-19T21:01:00.001+00:002012-05-07T14:45:14.680+01:00Week 13 complete - phew!Yesterday I completed week 13 of my training for the London Marathon by doing my longest run ever of 19 miles. It felt like a massive achivement, not just in that I completed that distance but in that I felt that I could have kept going at the end. A massive confidence boost with just 5 weeks to go before the big day. <br />
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But, I need to be honest and tell you something....I will be quite pleased once this training is over and the day itself is here. I think I've got to the point where I know I'm going to make it around one way or another and I'm getting a bit tired of running, thinking about running, stretching after running, eating before and after running, feeling tired from the running and planning what I'm going to wear when I'm running. <br />
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Don't get me wrong, I still love running and the way it makes me feel but right now I feel like my body and my brain have been taken over by training for the marathon. I will be very happy to get back to running because I want to, not because a plan says I should.<br />
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So with that off my chest, back to last week. It was a funny week in that I'd done my long run from the week before on the Monday, as we'd been away. I also had to travel with work on Tuesday and Wednesday which always makes things that bit more difficult. I planned to go to my usual Tuesday night run with the ladies of Boutique Running Club but come Tuesday afternoon I felt so tired from Monday that I decided my body needed rest much more than it needed a relatively quick 4 mile run. <br />
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On Wednesday afternoon I managed to fit in a run after work, the plan said it should have been 9 but I knew my legs didn't have that in them so I decided just to do 5 instead. During this run I was chased by a dog for the first time ever. I'm not a massive fan of dogs and this one looked quite mean - it was a Staffordshire bull terrier I think<br />
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I saw it looking at me and had an inkling about what was going to happen next and sure enough as I ran past it started running after me. It caught up with me really quickly at which point I squealed like a girl and it's owner finally realised what was going on and shouted at the dog which backed off straight away. I'm sure it was just being curious but it's safe to say I didn't enjoy the experience!<br />
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On Thursday morning I got up early and did a quick intervals session - my legs still felt quite tired so again I didn't do the mileage as stated in my plan. On Friday lunchtime I fitted in another 4 miles - just to keep my legs ticking over before the 'big one' on Sunday. <br />
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On Saturday I went to a 2hr Yoga for Runners workshop at <a href="http://www.goodvibesfitness.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.goodvibesfitness.co.uk/</a>. It was a brilliant session that I really enjoyed and learned a lot from. We started by looking at some joint mobilising movements that can be done before a run and then at some key post run stretches. Some of these were completely new to me and are things that I will definitely add into my stretching repertoire from now on. <br />
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We moved through some yoga poses which are particularly good for runners, poses that strengthen and stretch hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes and quads. My particular favourite was pigeon which provides a fantastic stretch for the hip flexors and glutes!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>We ended the class with some relaxation and visualisation techniques which I could see could really help before and during a race. The teacher also shared tips on nutrition and hydration and I felt the class feeling stretched, strengthened and more knowledgable - not bad for a 2 hr class. <br />
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It's fair to say that for most of the week I have been thinking about the long run. It was scheduled to be 18 miles, the second longest distance in the plan. My longest run previous to this had been 16 miles and I had struggled from about 10 miles on and pretty much walked the last few miles,so I was quite concerned about how this was going to be. I'd mapped out my route, added some 1990s rock tracks to my running playlist, had a very sensible Saturday night with a carb laden dinner and gone to bed at a reasonable time. Full marks for preparation. <br />
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On Sunday morning I woke up at 7am, made my porridge and banana, ate it and then went back to bed for an hour or so while it went down. By 9.30am I was dressed and prepared and ready to run. Mentally I was feeling pretty good, I can never tell how I'm going to be physically until I get going. I set off feeling OK but quickly realised that it was going to be one of those days when the first few miles feel really hard. By mile 4 I was seriously wondering whether I would make it to 10 miles, let alone 18. I had an energy gel - a Powerbar gel with caffeine (which are now rivalling High 5s as my favourite), and suddenly things clicked into place. The next few miles felt relatively easy and before I knew it I was over 10 miles. <br />
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By this point I was walking for around 2 minutes every 10 and sometimes a bit more. I have realised that I am not going to be able to do my 9 and 1 routine for the whole of the marathon and that 8 and 2 becomes a lot more comfortable after about 9-10 miles. For me, the marathon has always been about getting around with a smile on my face, enjoying the experience. If that means I have to walk a bit more then so be it. <br />
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By 14 miles I was heading for home and feeling pretty good. My legs were a bit tired but nothing like they had been on my 16 miler and I was able to run for a bit more of each mile. Some of my 1990s rock tunes chose to play themselves at great points on the route - I never imagined I'd run past St Paul's cathedral listening to Enter Sandman or past the Tower of London with Killing in the Name of ringing in my ears!<br />
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By the time my Garmin ticked over to 18 miles I realised that I was still a mile from home and feeling good. I decided to keep going and decided that I would run the whole of the last mile. And so I did. The amazing thing was that as the Garmin showed 19 miles I felt that I could have kept going. It was a fantastic feeling. <br />
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At the start of this training I had trouble visualising how far 16 or 18 or 19 miles was. This map of my run shows exactly how far 19 miles will take you - I love how far out it is zoomed to be able to fit it on the page! <br />
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Today I have been to see my osteopath for a regular 'maintenance' check and am delighted that despite running 19 miles yesterday I have no significant issues. My recovery routine, yoga and stretching are obviously working well for me and giving me the best possible chance of getting to that starting line in good shape. <br />
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The starting line which is now less than 5 weeks away! <br />
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I'm raising money for a great little East London charity and would really appreciate your support - if you are able to help me towards my fundraising target that would be fantastic - you can donate securely online by following this link <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12" target="_blank">http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12</a> Thank you!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-22225315937772644182012-03-12T18:41:00.001+00:002012-05-07T14:45:53.212+01:00Week 12 complete - two thirds through!So I've just completed week 12 of my training for the London Marathon and there are just 6 weeks to go before the big day. The last 3 months since I started out on my training have really flown by. I have run over 230 miles in that time and it's difficult to believe that I am now two thirds of the way through my training.<br />
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This week was a step-back week in my plan meaning that the long run decreased in mileage to just 12 miles. The fact that I can say <em>just </em>12 miles give you some idea of how far I have come. My perceptions of what is easy or difficult have changed a huge amount in the last 12 weeks and lots of other things have changed in my world as well. For example:<br />
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* This week was an 'easy' week - I have done 2 yoga classes, a powerplates class and run a total of 28 miles. Only in the world of a marathon trainee would that be considered 'easy'!<br />
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* I now consider 8 miles a reasonable distance to consider running before work. I used to struggle to complete 3.<br />
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* I completed 12 miles comfortably today feeling confident all the way round. Just 5 weeks ago I was really nervous about running this distance for the first time.<br />
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* I have done set my alarm for between 6.15 and 6.30am each weekday this week and got up to do some form of exercise before going to work. I used to scoff at people who said exercising in the morning sets you up for the day, I am now a total convert<br />
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* My Sunday cooked breakfasts have been replaced by porridge and banana. While I kind of miss my scrambled eggs on toast they just don't set me up for a long run in the way that porridge does. <br />
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* I have my own tin in the kitchen for my running fuel! Mr J loves jelly beans but he knows to keep his hands off these! <br />
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* I took the day off work today to do my long run. We were away at the weekend at my cousin's wedding. I knew that I would be in no fit state to run yesterday (I was correct) so decided to take the day off today to make sure I didn't miss a long run. This is the second time that I have taken a day off work in order to do a long run. Some would call this madness, I call it dedication! <br />
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It's good to reflect on how far I've come before looking forward to the final 6 weeks of training. In just 3 weeks time I will complete the longest training run in my plan and then start to taper for the big day itself. Part of me wishes it was sooner, part of me wishes I had longer to prepare. All of me knows that the training I have done so far and will continue to do will set me up to do the very best I can on April 22nd.<br />
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In just 40 days time I will run the London Marathon! <br />
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I have a charity place and have pledged to raise £1250 for a small London charity called the Docklands Settlements. It would be fantastic if you could help me on my way to meet that target. Just follow this link to make a donation securely online <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12" target="_blank">http://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12</a><br />
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Thank you! <br />
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And just to finish I thought I'd share this photo with you - taken on Saturday night at the wedding. Me and my cousin doing our very best Adam Ant 'Prince Charming' moves on the dancefloor - counts as cross training, right?!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriRuchTVgW9dl06Iei2oQxp5BNFptfOYGd3m6XI2uKVzmqKPy_FERoygGdX07BNyk7q8baYbiFoxUs3tb3Soc-2inVrSpXw4PF6Pwvg3MgfW48HWiQ1W1XDnI7FzCmKxJbaZO4EdGiFFJ/s1600/P1030136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriRuchTVgW9dl06Iei2oQxp5BNFptfOYGd3m6XI2uKVzmqKPy_FERoygGdX07BNyk7q8baYbiFoxUs3tb3Soc-2inVrSpXw4PF6Pwvg3MgfW48HWiQ1W1XDnI7FzCmKxJbaZO4EdGiFFJ/s320/P1030136.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-84875608983385793182012-03-04T20:49:00.001+00:002012-05-07T14:46:11.739+01:00Week 11 - Done!So here I am at the end of week 11 of my London Marathon training and I'm pretty proud to report that I can now run 16 miles! Well, I can now complete 16 miles, most of it running is probably a more accurate statement. Either way, it feels like a significant achievement. <br />
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This week has been a week of lessons learned for me. Here are some of the things I've discovered this week:<br />
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* My Adidas Supernova Glide trainers are not providing my feet with as much support as my Brooks Ghost 4. I think this may have contributed to the ankle twisting incident last week. <br />
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* My knees hurt after wearing my Adidas trainers on a long run. This has never happened with my Brooks<br />
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* These two points above are making me wonder whether the Adidas trainers really are right for me. I've decided not to wear them for long runs anymore and may try them again on a couple of shorter runs before deciding whether or not to ditch them all together. It will be annoying if I have to do this as I've only had them for a month. It's just not worth the risk of picking up an injury though if they're really not right for me. <br />
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* It took me 2 days to recover properly from my 15 mile run last Monday. I felt the difference of not doing a yoga class the next day - I think they really help. <br />
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* My Deuter rucksack can hold 15 litres, however, I can't run with it on my back if I fill it up completely, it's far too heavy and uncomfortable on my back! <br />
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* I like jelly beans as a fuel for my long runs. They're definitely going to be part of my fuelling strategy on April 22nd<br />
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* It is possible to complete 16 miles when you've only had about 3 hours sleep. It's really not easy, but it is possible<br />
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* My Nathan hydration rucksack is super comfortable to run with, I'm really impressed with it. So much so that here's a picture of me with it on, ready to go out for my 16 mile run wearing my new pink Ronhill top - did I mention it was a size 12? ;-) <br />
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So 11 weeks in and a 15 and 16 miler complete in the same week and my total training mileage has now tipped over the 200 mile mark. There's just 7 weeks to go now until the big day and that makes me feel a mixture of nervous, excited and a tiny bit sick at the same time. I only have two more runs to do that will take me beyond distances that I've covered before - an 18 and a 20 miler in 2 and 4 weeks respectively. This is one of the things that makes me nervous but I know my plan has been used by thousands of others to successfully complete their first marathon and I need to trust that it will also work for me. <br />
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For the last few weeks for a variety of reasons I've not been able to stick ridgidly to my plan on weekdays but this week I intend to follow it to the letter. I'm also going to add in a Powerplates class as I feel like I need to do some additional strength work and this will really help. <br />
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Next week is classed as a stepback week in that my long run is cut back to less mileage - just 12 miles on the plan for the weekend. Listen to me - "<em>just</em> 12 miles" - I can't quite believe that I typed that but that is genuinely how it feels. How things have changed over this last 11 weeks!! <br />
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I am also delighted to report that I've now raised over £800 for my charity, thanks to the generosity of family, friends and colleagues. I still have a way to go to reach my fundraising target though so if you were able to sponsor me and help to get me get one step closer to my target I'd be incredibly grateful. To donate securely online please visit <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12" target="_blank">https://www.justgiving.com/Rebecca-Jones12</a> Thank you in advance for your support - I really appreciate it.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-69569858579238053432012-02-27T21:18:00.001+00:002012-05-28T19:19:27.060+01:00Week 10 complete - one day late!This week has been a bit strange for me training wise. We stayed in Brighton on Sunday night after the half marathon and then flew off to Iceland for 4 nights on Wednesday. I managed to fit in a 3 mile run on Tuesday and then again once we were back on Sunday afternoon but apart from that I didn't do any other running, or my usual yoga classes. <br />
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I did do some cross training while we were away which you can read about in my previous post <a href="http://fromsnickerstomarathon.blogspot.com/2012/02/coolest-cross-training-ever.html">here</a><br />
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Knowing that I wouldn't get much running in over the course of the week I took today off work as well so that I could do my long run. This week it was scheduled to be 15 miles. Although the mileage was daunting I was looking forward to trying out some slightly different fuel and also wearing my hydration rucksack for the first time. Up until now I've managed to cope with just a water bottle but as the time I'm running increases the volume I can comfortably carry in my hand just isn't enough to keep me going. <br />
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I got the Nathan Intensity Hydration vest as a Christmas present from Mr J. It's a nifty bit of kit.<br />
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It's a small rucksack that has two main compartments, a small one for holding a mobile, keys and anything else you need to take out which for me now includes an Oyster card and some cash, just in case of emergencies. The larger compartment is for the water which is contained in what looks like a hospital drip pack! <br />
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Attached to the pack is a tube with a valve on the end which cleverly dispenses water when you bite down on it, but not at any other time. The water pack goes in the large compartment and the tube goes through a hole in the top of the compartment. <br />
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The shoulder straps have additional compartments which are perfect for holding gels and an mp3 player. There is a strap that fastens across the chest and also has a clip for the water tube so you can fix it there and stop it flapping about when you run. <br />
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I filled the water pouch up with the maximum two litres of water. I wanted to test out what it felt to run with that amount of water on my back. I was really surprised at how comfortable and light the rucksack felt once it was on my back. <br />
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The first couple of miles of the run were good, I kept a relaxed comfortable pace. The hyrdation pack made it easy to sip water when I wanted to and was much easier than carrying a bottle of water. At around 3.5 miles I managed to twist my ankle. I'm not really sure how it happened but it felt quite painful and for a while I was concerned that I'd sprained it. I walked on it for a while and it started to feel better again so I started running slowly and it felt OK so I decided to continue. <br />
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At around 4 miles I started to feel a bit tired so I took the first of my gels - this was earlier than I have done in previous runs but I thought I'd better listen to what my body needed. I took a High 5 gel which had added caffeine - not something I've tried before as I'm quite sensitive to caffeine and need to be careful with how much I have. To be honest I didn't really notice any difference to the regular one. <br />
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Miles 5-7 felt quite tough. I'm not sure how much of this was mental as mile 7 took me practically past my front door, not something I've done before on a run. However, by mile 8 and a couple of jelly beans, another new fuel I was trying out, I felt more relaxed and back into my stride. <br />
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I arrived in Victoria Park and took the opportunity to run a couple of miles on the grass/mud path to give my legs a break from the relentless concrete that I tend to run on. By this time I had switched to my 8:2 as my legs had started to feel tired. I was taking a couple of jelly beans every 20 minutes or so - they seemed to help and were quite palatable. <br />
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By the time I had left the park I was well into mile 11 and things started to get tough. I took some extra walking breaks to help and kept telling myself that I had run this far last week and that I could do this, I just needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. <br />
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Once mile 13.5 arrived I was into new territory and not far from home. I took another gel for the last push and managed to get back into a good running rhythm again. As my Garmin ticked over 15 miles I had a huge smile on my face. It had been tough but I had done it. <br />
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So that's week 10 of training complete, albeit a day late. With now less than 8 weeks before the big day things are starting to feel quite serious but I feel like I'm on track to achieve my goal of completing the distance with a smile on my face. <br />
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While we were away my running vest arrived from my charity. It's a rather fetching flourescent green and already has my 'colour co-ordinated' head working overtime trying to plan the rest of my outfit!<br />
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The vest is a size 12 and while technically it fits me I don't think it's going to be comfortable to wear for 26.2 miles so I'm swapping it for a larger size. Marathon day is not the day to be wearing clothes that aren't comfortable. <br />
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This afternoon I went into Canary Wharf for a bit of active recovery, otherwise known as shopping. The new spring running clothing was in store and I couldn't resist buying a new pink Ronhill outfit. I took a risk and bought a size 12, I know this range comes up slightly large and wanted to see how far away I was from being able to fit into it. I was absolutely delighted to get home and find that it fits! <br />
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So today I ran the furthest I ever had and bought the smallest clothes I have done in my adult life. I'm pretty darn pleased with that!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-78371924216478759002012-02-26T20:31:00.001+00:002012-05-07T14:47:27.805+01:00The coolest cross training ever?This week we went to Iceland for 4 nights. It's somewhere I've always wanted to go and we planned the trip for Feburary hoping to see the Northern Lights. Unfortunately the weather was against us and we didn't see the lights but we did have a great time and saw some fantastic sights all the same. <br />
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I had packed all my running gear with the full intention of getting out for a run but the combination of terrible weather - ice cold wind, rain and snow and the fact that it doesn't get light until 9am meant that I didn't manage to get out for a run. Not that my legs had a rest, we walked a lot, quite a lot through snow and were generally very active every day. <br />
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On Thursday I did what must rank among the coolest cross training ever. We went snorkeling in Silfra, a rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It cuts through the Thingvellir National Park of Southwestern Iceland. I've only snorkelled once before and that was in Hawaii in warm tropical waters. This couldn't have been further from that experience! <br />
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We were taken to the dive centre of Scuba Iceland where our guide for the morning, Finni, talked us through what we would be doing and then got us kitted out in our thermal 'base layers'. Mine was a little on the large side! <br />
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He then drove us out of Reykjavik to Thingvellir, a 45 minute drive which took us through some amazing, snow covered countryside. After a quick toilet stop at the visitor centre we arrived at Silfra<br />
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We walked to the edge of the fissure to the place where we would soon enter the water and Finni took us through exactly what we would do and where we would swim. From the surface it all looked pretty unremarkable, I could see the water was clear but that was about it. <br />
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Back at the van we started the difficult process of getting into dry suits. These are large and cumbersome and we all needed assistance from Finni to get into them. It took a group of 4 of us about half an hour in total to get kitted up. I've got to say that it's not the best of looks but with the temperature of the water at around 2 degree celsius I really wasn't too concerned about asthetics! <br />
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After the suit came gloves, a hood and finally the all important mask and snorkel and after that it was off to the edge of the fissure to get into the water. I was brave and volunteered to go in first. After helping me get my fins on and making sure my mask was secure and watertight Finni pushed me off into the water and told me to 'relax' and have a look around. <br />
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As soon as I put my face in the water I realised what the fuss was about. The water was crystal clear and the visibility was fantastic. There are no fish in the water, just rocks and algae, so you might wonder what there was to look at. Unfortunately we didn't have an underwater camera so I've found some pictures on the net to show you what we saw. <br />
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The colour of the water was just amazing. So many different shades of blue and green which changed as the depth of the water changed. <br />
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Once everyone was in the water we began to swim along the fissure. My feet were a little bit cold but apart from that I didn't really think about the fact I was floating in near freezing water - it was so fascinating to see the colours in the water change as we moved along. To begin with there was a bit of a current to help us along but soon that changed and we needed to swim against a different current to move us in the right direction. <br />
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The dry suits gave us amazing buoyancy but also made moving around quite difficult so kicking our way along the fissure was actually quite hard work. But so worth the effort<br />
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After making our way through areas called the Blue Lagoon and The Cathedral we made a left turn and swam back towards the edge of the fissure to clamber out onto the rocks. We had been in the water for around 35 minutes and my legs were telling me that they'd had a pretty good workout!<br />
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Once out of the water we walked back to the bus and got out of the dry suits - a far easier process than getting into them. Finni produced hot chocolate and cookies - just what we needed to warm us up and replace some of our lost energy. <br />
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It was a great experience, something I'm really glad I've done and although I didn't manage to run while I was in Iceland I certainly did some very 'cool' cross training!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-67791871500349585012012-02-21T21:40:00.001+00:002012-05-07T14:48:23.557+01:00Brighton Half Marathon - reflections and lessons learnedSo two days after my first half marathon and I've had time to reflect and think about what I've learned. I want to record this here so I don't forget about it! <br />
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* Porridge and banana works really well as a pre-long run breakfast<br />
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* There is little point in running one of your fastest miles in mile one of a half marathon - better to save this for a 5k or 10k race<br />
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* It's easy to get carried away at the start because it 'feels comfortable', slowing down takes discipline but will reap rewards later on<br />
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* One gel an hour was enough for a half marathon, I may need to increase this as the mileage increases<br />
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* High 5 gels are definitely my favourite, for consistency if nothing else<br />
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* Too much Lucozade Sport makes my mouth feel quite sticky - I need to follow this with water<br />
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* Switching from a 9:1 to 8:2 strategy helped a lot in the later miles and made only a little bit of difference to the mile times<br />
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* Always trust your Garmin. It is right! <br />
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* Active recovery works - walking around in the afternoon helped to stop my muscles from completely siezing up<br />
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There are some questions that I still need to answer during the second part of the training:<br />
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* Can I survive 26.2 miles on gels alone? Will I be able to stomach it?<br />
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* What made my feet cramp up from mile 11 and how can I stop that happening again?<br />
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* Can I do 26.2 miles without any music - there will be a lot more going on on the streets for the London Marathon but a bit of music might provide a bit of a lift during the tougher parts - I know it would have helped on Sunday<br />
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* I averaged 11.50 minute miles for the half marathon - what is realistic for a whole marathon? I need to know this so I know if I am going off too fast at the start<br />
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* My hamstrings really weren't that happy from mile 8 onwards - how do I stop that happening again?<br />
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There's plenty of miles to be run in the next 9 weeks that should allow me to answer some, if not all of these questions. Some I will probably only answer for sure on the big day itself!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-73480049298627296042012-02-20T19:58:00.001+00:002012-05-10T21:12:55.599+01:00Halfway through and halfway there!This week I completed the 9th week of my training for the London Marathon. I'm amazed that it's come around so quickly. I've come a really long way in that time but there is still much much further to go but I am feeling excited about the next 9 weeks and ready for the challenges that I know it's going to bring. <br />
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This week was all about the Brighton Half Marathon. I entered this race last year before I ever really thought about getting a place for London. So it's always been there in my head and my calendar as my next goal. Brighton is somewhere that we love and have visited a lot so I was excited to be running my first ever half marathon there. <br />
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Since getting my place for London the Brighton Half has taken on much more significance, not just my next goal but the halfway point in distance to my bigger goal. A chance to put my training to the test and see how I'm doing, a chance to try out my fuelling strategies and a chance to run with one of the people that I'll be running with for the London Marathon, the amazing Darin McCloud. If you've not read his story you really should - it's all captured in his blog <a href="http://www.thinkingslimmer.com/darin-blog">here</a> and it's one of the most inspiring stories I've ever come across. <br />
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After a week of tapered training Mr J and I travelled to Brighton on Friday night and booked into our favourite B&B <a href="http://www.thetwentyone.co.uk/">The Twenty One</a>. On Friday night we had dinner and a couple of drinks and then on Saturday we had a relaxing day wandering around town and a lovely lunch at Dermot O'Leary's restaurant <a href="http://www.fishyfishy.co.uk/">Fishy Fishy</a>. When we left the restaurant at about 3pm the weather, which had been cold but dry, took a serious turn for the worse. The rain was pelting down and the wind was really strong. I had heard horror stories about freezing cold, soaking wet Brighton Halves in the past and started to get seriously concerned that we were going to have awful weather the next day. <br />
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Thankfully when we woke up on Sunday morning the sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was cold but it was great weather for running. I was feeling a bit nervous but mostly excited about my first ever half marathon. After an early breakfast of porridge and banana we met Darin and his partner by the Brighton Wheel - a new addition to the Brighton skyline since the last time we visited, and something which would become a bit of a landmark for us throughout the race. <br />
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We established our post race meeting points and then got into the queues for the toilets. There were several other people who were making use of the local facilities! <br />
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Having said goodbye to our other halves, Darin and I made our way into the crowds to get ready for the start. With around 7500 runners and what felt like as many spectators it was quite a spectacle<br />
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After an aerobic warm up it was soon time to start. I wasn't feeling too nervous, I knew that I had trained properly and would be able to do the distance. This wasn't about time, it was about getting around comfortably without killing myself and giving myself the confidence to move into the second half of my training knowing that I had got halfway. <br />
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The serious athletes at the front of the pack got underway at 9am. <br />
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Soon the pack had moved forward enough for us to start running and we crossed the start line at about 9.07am. Amazingly Mr J managed to pick us out among in the crowd and managed to get a photo of us starting - I'm in the light blue top. <br />
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The first mile took us up into Brighton town before turning us around and heading back towards the sea. It felt comfortable. Both Darin and I were conscious of not wanting to run too fast and so were keeping things at a comfortable pace. We have both trained to a 9 minute run, 1 minute walk strategy and implemented this from the start of Brighton. We were both amazed to look at our Garmins at the end of the first mile to see a 10.34 figure staring back. It's one of the fastest miles I've ever done. I knew we needed to slow down a bit, but we both felt good. <br />
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We dropped the pace a bit for the next couple of miles knowing that we had a long way to go. As we headed out towards the marina the sun was beating down straight into our faces and I began to regret my layering. It was getting quite warm and I was very glad of the first water station. Around about mile 3-4 we noticed that our Garmins started to get a bit out of sync with the mile markers and by mile 5 the Garmin thought we had run 5.4. It seemed really odd, I knew it wouldn't be totally accurate as each course has a racing line which we couldn't have been following the whole time, but 0.4 of a mile felt like a lot extra. <br />
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By mile 6 we were headed back towards Brighton town with the wind blowing in our faces, I was now very glad of my extra layers, it was cold. I was feeling pretty good, our pace had been reasonably consistent and still felt comfortable. At the 10K mark Mr J popped up with the camera and some encouragement. <br />
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Miles 7 to 8 felt really hard for me. My hanstrings started to complain quite a lot, not something that has happened to me before and we took a few more walking breaks that we had previously. At around mile 9 I took my second energy gel which helped a lot and we got the the 10 mile mark (on the Garmin) at 1hr and 55 mins. We were delighted - a whole 7 mins off my time for the Great South Run and a whole 16 minutes off for Darin. Amazing progress in just 4 months. <br />
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Miles 10 - 12 involved quite a lot of walking. My hamstrings were playing up and Darin's calves started to cramp. We decided to be sensible and listen to our bodies, no point in pushing things when we still have another 9 weeks of training to do. So we walked and then ran, ran and then walked. Darin was brilliant at this point, gently pointing out how long we'd been walking for and checking if I was OK to run. I am sure I would have walked more if I had been on my own but with his encouragement I managed to get running again. <br />
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At mile 12 the Brighton wheel was in sight and we knew the finish line wasn't far beyond it. Up popped Mr J once again with the camera and more cheers of support<br />
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We were really nearly there. The Garmin was still showing that we had covered 0.4 of a mile more than the mile markers which by this point had started to get a bit disheartening. We had a final walking break, knowing that we still had another half a mile at least to get to the finish line and then picked up the pace to cross the line with smiles on our faces in a time of 2.39.50. I was delighted with the time, although we'd had to walk more than I wanted I didn't feel like collapsing, I felt pretty good all things considering. <br />
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We picked up our medals, bananas and much needed lucozade and made our way back to our meeting point. We were feeling pretty proud of ourselves - does it show?! <br />
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So that's it - I'm officially a half marathoner. Who'd have thought it. Halfway through my marathon training and able to run half the distance. And I'm also delighted to add, over halfway to my fundraising target. Quite a day. <br />
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It was brilliant to run with Darin and test out the strategies that we've both trained with. It was so great to have someone next to me, going through the same thing as me and there for encouragement when it got tough. I know that I did better for having him there so a huge 'thank you' to a quite remarkable man. <br />
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On Monday through various updates on Twitter and Facebook I realised that a lot of people thought that the course was too long. The organisers published an official apology confirming that due to human error the course was actually 13.42 miles rather than 13.1!! My official finishing time was adjusted to 2.36 - not that it really matters. <br />
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After getting back to London on Monday Mr J treated me to lunch at our local pub which just happens to be on the London Marathon route. As we left I noticed a sign outside which confirmed what I already knew. It's happening and it's happening really quite soon. Bring on the second half of the training. I'm ready! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa3FrrlQ4x39mrSprPHXcbw1ZGN5LyfilcfKgSumj7GnjdwAxQdqqLIyh7RVIxyAvNBF3a3bTbSg8DEl24XaqTkqAI85_IhdB3MYXqIR2rU3WckP75k45ZxFlT5ypKONz-mR5-H-JOjhq/s1600/2012-02-20+16.36.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa3FrrlQ4x39mrSprPHXcbw1ZGN5LyfilcfKgSumj7GnjdwAxQdqqLIyh7RVIxyAvNBF3a3bTbSg8DEl24XaqTkqAI85_IhdB3MYXqIR2rU3WckP75k45ZxFlT5ypKONz-mR5-H-JOjhq/s320/2012-02-20+16.36.28.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615910654835491.post-13914747514275373622012-02-16T21:48:00.001+00:002012-05-07T14:49:10.017+01:00The magic of sports massage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW5T89oLRuyF4SycTEXEmSQHz3cf38Ekxi1qg6zzXf6a7nIQHataJaj1lZCQuk_za2-mePC7QlbW1TKju7wQUFeZEC56IeMB4lvFL0PWFoG4QWBZSS9hgcZ0bmSu9eVvaDA2GI6E-CT9H/s1600/Blue+Eye+Osteopathy+and+Massage+logo+SMALL+size+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW5T89oLRuyF4SycTEXEmSQHz3cf38Ekxi1qg6zzXf6a7nIQHataJaj1lZCQuk_za2-mePC7QlbW1TKju7wQUFeZEC56IeMB4lvFL0PWFoG4QWBZSS9hgcZ0bmSu9eVvaDA2GI6E-CT9H/s320/Blue+Eye+Osteopathy+and+Massage+logo+SMALL+size+2009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This morning I went for a leg massage to get things limbered up for Sunday and the Brighton Half Marathon. Over the last few months I have become a regular client at Blue Eye Osteopathy and have become a complete convert to the wonders of osteopathy and sports massage. <br />
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I first went to see Glenn at Blue Eye before I started training for the marathon - I was suffering from pain in my hips that came on after a couple of miles and stayed with me all the way through my run and often for several days afterwards. I had never had any osteopathy done before and had experienced a brief sports massage but nothing specific to any particular issue I'd had. <br />
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Within a short space of time Glenn had worked out what was causing the pain, an imbalance in my glutes and had me lying face down on the treatment table while he administered some incredibly painful deep tissue massage. Incredibly painful but amazingly effective. After just two sessions with Glenn combined with new stretches that he advised me to do the pain had all but disappeared. And it's never come back. <br />
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As my training for London started and the frequency and intensity of my training has increased, other niggles have presented themselves. I started to get pain up the inside of my calf and was suffering from a stiff back after many of my runs. Glenn quickly identified that this was probably being caused by biomechanical issues with me feet - I have low arches and a tendency to roll onto the inside of my foot, or overpronate, when I walk or run. This puts additional strain on my calves which in turn causes pain elsewhere. The cure for this was orthotics which I now wear daily and have worked like magic. Calf pain gone, back pain gone. <br />
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Even when I've had no particular pain, I've gone to see Glenn for regular leg massages - my philosophy being that prevention is better than cure. I am consistently amazed at this ability to feel a part of my muscle and ask me "is that painful there?" just before I say "ouch" - how he knows that it's tight or sore before I do is beyond me but he's right every time. And then he knows how to sort it out there and then. He's a bit of a magician in my eyes. <br />
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Equally miraculous is the osteopathy - Glenn can identify in seconds areas of my spine that are 'blocked' and quickly release them through a series of slightly strange moves that generally result in a big crack followed by a feeling of release in my back. He's also done this on my feet - a very strange sensation at the time but it always leaves things feeling more flexible. <br />
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I'm really glad that I found Glenn and Blue Eye - I now see my sessions with him as an integral part of my training - part of my plan to get to the start line injury free. I think it's really important for this kind of thing that you find someone that you trust and feel comfortable with - afterall you have to spend a fair bit of time in your underwear with them! You want to know that they know what they're doing and aren't going to do anything to you that could be detrimental. <br />
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Within about 20 minutes of my first session with Glenn I knew that I was in safe hands. I'd would really highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for an osteopath or masseur. He has reminded me on several occasions that he also does 'nice relaxing' massage as well as the deep horrible stuff he does to me!<br />
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Glenn has kindly offered to support my fundraising efforts by donating 15% of any treatment fees from anyone that books an appointment with him and mentions my training and this blog. The details from Glenn are as follows: <br />
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<b>Blue Eye Osteopathy works from two locations near Canary Wharf. The main location is Docklands Medical Centre (2 minute walk from Mudchute DLR) and there is an alternative at West Ferry Studios (1 minute walk from West Ferry DLR).<br />
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In addition to osteopathy and massage (sports / deep tissue or relaxing style), orthotics (shoe inserts) are also available.<br />
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Further information or bookings: www.blue-eye.co.uk and 07816 108812. <br />
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15% of treatment fee will de deducted and transferred to Becca's fundraising page. (Excludes those claiming on private insurance plans.) </b><br />
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So if you've got any niggles that need sorting or just want a relaxing massage - book a session with Glenn and help a good cause at the same time! Just rememer to mention that Becca sent you!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842583181687298983noreply@blogger.com0