Success!

I achieved my goal! I was targeting a time of under 2:50:00 and I finished in 02:42:10 chip time. In my previous race at the same location in December last year, I clocked 3:03:07, but the conditions were icy with temperatures below zero. This time, the weather was just right, not too hot or too cold.

Results: I placed 277th out of 289 overall, 99th out of 105 females, and 8th in the V50 category. Looking at these stats, it may seem like I didn't perform well, but just completing the race is a significant accomplishment.
There were pacers in the race, but the last one was at 2:20:00. I felt that having a pacer for a run/walk strategy might have been distracting. Having a chip is convenient as you don't have to worry about starting at the front.
I felt fatigued at the finish line, but I believe I could have pushed myself a bit harder. Considering I have to pull out of this race in April this year due to injury, I'm pleased with my result.
I experienced some knee pain and a slight discomfort in my butt – there's still lots I need to improve.
Now, I'm enjoying a well-deserved recovery week and contemplating my next steps.

      

#running #achievement #carsingtonwater #runthrough #halfmarathon

Peaking

Tomorrow is race day. I will be participating in the Run Through Carsington Water Half Marathon. I must admit, I am feeling a bit nervous. I have put in the hard work and completed the training, but I can't help but wonder if everything will go smoothly on the day.

The last time I was at Carsington Water, I was there to support my husband during his run. I had signed up for the race as well, but unfortunately, I had to sit it out due to a strained groin that made running painful. Since then, I have learned a great deal and focused on strength training and improving my hip mobility to prevent injuries. I feel more fit and strong now. Running has always been a challenge for me, but I can see definite improvements.

During my training, I have completed runs of 11 and 13 miles at paces of 13:29 and 13:40 per mile, respectively. My goal for the race is to maintain a pace of 13:00 per mile, aiming for a finish time of under 2 hours and 50 minutes. If I am unable to finish within this time, I will not progress to the next stage.

Today, I am resting and have been tapering my training this week. According to my Garmin Fenix 7S, I am at my peak and in optimal race condition.

I have prepared all my gear, packed water and snacks, and taken precautions to prevent blisters by clipping my toenails, taping my toes, and applying 2Toms. The alarm is set for an early start tomorrow. I plan to have a bowl of porridge for breakfast before embarking on the 1 ½ hour drive to the race venue. This will allow me enough time to park, have a snack, go to the loo, get my shoes and running vest on, register for the race, go to the loo again, and warm up before the race begins at 9:30 AM.

#Garmin #CarsingtonWater #runthrough #Peaking #HalfMarathon #Pace

New start

This week I started a new training plan, new shoes, new insoles, new socks and a new strength plan at the gym. I also have a new running vest which I will be trying out soon.

My new goal is the Run Through Carsington Water Half Marathon on Saturday 16th October. 

I've also booked to do the The Malton10k  - "Le Sans Arret" on Sunday 15th September. This race starts at a very civilised 10.45 so no early start required. After the run there is live music, Sunday market, street food and entertainment. There is also a fun run option with food and drink stops along the way!

My new Topo shoes, combined with toe socks and supportive insoles are working well so far. I haven't done any long runs in them yet, but so far so good.

I have lost a bit of running fitness over the last few months while I've been recovering from my injury but I hope to gain that back quickly. I've got some help at the gym with a more targeted approach to my strength days. I previously did the JD classes as my strength workouts plus occasional home workouts provided by my running coach. I now have a new programme which I aim to do twice a week using the gyms strength equipment with a few 1-1's with coach @sophiebtye. I'll mix this up with my running coaches strength sessions and an occasional class.

#injinji #topo #running #newstart #strength #carsingtonwater #runthrough #visitmalton #sophiebtye @jdgymsdoncaster 

Winter Training

I've found Winter training to be pretty challenging at times. I've had to deal with the cold, icy paths, frozen water, wet feet and mud!

I'm currently on holiday in beautiful Cornwall and don't have access to my usual training facilities. So I ended up doing some sprint intervals on the beach and unfortunately got caught in a hail storm. I got a few sideways glances from the few locals who were out walking their dogs! I was only wearing a t-shirt and thin waterproof jacket (as well aa trousers, hat and gloves!) and the hailstones were quite painful due to the strong winds. As I was only going to be out for a short while and I was quite near to the car, I didn't want to wear lots of layers - I'm always hot while running and especially while sprinting!

Despite the bad holiday weather, I managed to complete a few long runs including a 10-mile easy run along the Camel Train from Padstow to Wadebridge and back. The photo shows the Little Petherick Creek Bridge, a former railway bridge which crosses the Camel Estuary just outside Padstow. Although the weather looks beautiful in the photo, it was actually very windy, and I almost lost my beanie hat while crossing the bridge. I wore my rain proof jacket - for the wind rather than the rain, but the top of the jacket flapped in the wind and kept hitting me in the face and the hood acted as a sail! The sound of the wind running through the bridges steelwork was quite eerie.

Despite the obstacles, I'm hoping that my continued training throughout the winter will pay off in the summer.

Next event: Carsington Water Half Marathon, Saturday 20th April 2024

Carsington Water Half Marathon

Saturday 2nd December 2023 Carsington Water Half Marathon:

I completed the half marathon in 03:04:17 chip time. Just over what I was aiming for but taking into account the conditions I am happy with that. It didn’t get above 0 degrees all day. The paths were icy in places so I didn’t want to run across it and risk slipping and injuring myself. I saw one guy slip over and one lady was turning back because she had fallen over. Even the water at the drinks station had ice in it! I started off with a run 3, walk 2 but ended up walking where there was ice and running where I could.

I was 376^th out of 384 runners

109^th Female out of 113 runners

9^th in my age category

                                                                         

I'm sure a lot of people didn’t turn up because it was so cold.  The total number of runners for the 10k and half marathon was 654 - there was supposed to be 1000 attendees so that is a whopping 346 no-shows! 

Despite remembering to tape my toes up this time, I still got a blister on my big toe which was the only one I didn’t tape up - it was caused by the tape on the adjoining toe! 

I was knackered at the end of the run – my legs were tired and my butt muscles were complaining!  I need to work on my strength and stamina.  Lots more work to do…

runthrough.co.uk #runthrough #running #firelighter #halfmarathon #medal