How I survived a Marathon

I just tried to rename this post so many times and I feel this should come with a disclaimer, I am amateur runner and these are the things that helped me survive. As April is Marathon month with Brighton, Paris and London all this month I thought I would share how I survived my first marathon last year.

1. Watch the video of the course you are doing!

26.2 miles is a lot longer then you think, I was shocked the first time I watched the video of the Brighton course as it was a lot longer then I thought even with a motorcycle riding it. I watched it plenty of times before my race and it really helped my visualise the course. When I was struggling running round the quieter part of Shoreham I was safe in the knowledge knowing how until I was back on the seafront.

2. Pack Supplies!

I can not recommend this enough, in that little bum bag I had jelly babies, plasters, Vaseline and paracetamol. I didn't need the Vaseline or plasters but was happy I had them just in case.  Its better to pack something and not need something then be hitting 15 miles and not having it. 

3. Have a variety of weather options.

Have you seen how changeable the weather is in the UK? My bag for Brighton had 3 different outfit variations which were all well tested gear. I go with dressing for cold weather as I can always take clothing off but if I'm cold and I haven't got any more layers I will struggle on that run. I always end up wearing more then the majority of the other runners but I do what works for me.

4. Get all the support that you can.

Its completely acceptable to put what your doing on social media-this is a massive achievement and people should send you messages of encouragement. The texts and facebook messages put smiles on my face as I was running round and they will help. Also having a name on your vest so people on the sides can cheer and get your attention by name, you really appreciate it.

5. Have fun and finish the race!

On my first race all I had to do was finish and that knowledge meant that I didn't push myself too much and could comfortably run and enjoy the race without hitting the dreaded 'wall.' I have friends who have run a marathon and hated it and I'm happy to say I enjoyed my first marathon and it continued my passion for running.

Spring running essentials

1. Good sunscreen- you need to protect your skin as exposing your skin during your run is going to damage your skin. I have been told that running gives you wrinkles, but doing any activity outdoors without the proper protection will give you wrinkles so as long as you wear a high factor sunscreen should protect you all year round.

2. I'm loving these bright running shoes, if these shoes could support my feet then I would have them as I think they are beautiful. I'm sure brightly coloured shoes make you run faster, right? Maybe I should buy them to do non running exercise?

3. I actually own these shorts, they were brought for me for a Christmas present. They are so comfortable and actually let my legs breathe which is crucial as the weather gets warmer. They are my go to shorts for long runs and I can't wait for the weather to be warm enough to wear them again

4. Is sunvisor one word or two? Who knows but I want one! As much as I'm adamant about my suncream routine (and yes that's through winter not just spring and summer) I want a visor to keep the sun off my face and to help me stay cool in the hotter weather. I can picture myself with the pony tail over the top and running in the sunshine keeping away the wrinkles.

Sweaty Betty Splash Bikini Review

I decided that I would start swimming- a low impact exercise that helps to work the whole body. It seemed a perfect idea to fit into my marathon training. But then I remembered anytime that I tried swimming on holiday that my chest would pop out of my bikini tops. To save the eyesight of anyone at my local pool I decided to look for a more suitable swimsuit. My problem while investigating costumes is that I have a long body so swimsuits are too tight & I worried I wouldn't get the support from a bikini.

Where oh where is a girl going to find such a miracle?

Step in Sweaty Betty Splash Bikini- a lovely fashionable bikini with a highly supportive top and beautiful print.

I've taken it for a couple of swims so far and the top secures down my chest while keeping a comfortable fit. The double straps looked like they would be uncomfortable but they actually are very supportive. If your not keen on your chest being held down then this isn't the bikini for you-but I personally think that I feel more confident to know my chest isn't going anywhere.

The bottoms are also comfortable with a flattering fit around the bum, not slipping anywhere during your swim. These bad boys have even been in a jacuzzi and not slipped anywhere uncomfortable.

If you are looking for a comfortable but fashionable swim option please check out the sweaty betty website. Customer service and care is excellent and if my bikini joy is anything to go by, you will be impressed.

What I've learnt in my 28th year!

Today is my 29th birthday so I thought I would do a post about the knowledge I've gained over the last year. 

1. You only attract what you put out.

This was the year I found myself and became confidence in my own ability and skills. This was important in two areas of my life, my work life and my love life. I have looking at changing jobs for years but wasn't having much luck until people highlighted that I wasn't putting my achievements in my applications mainly as I didn't always feel I was qualified. I changed my attitude and started getting interviews and walking in feeling that I was perfect for the job and eventually the right job came along for me and it's perfect for me. I also 

2. Being respected is the most important feeling.

In any part of my life, respect is important and I have stopped being involved with people who don't respect me or my opinions. If someone doesn't take time to see you or reply to your messages, they aren't respecting you enough to share their time with you. Spend time with people who respect you, want to spend time with you and put a smile on your face as anything else is a disservice to yourself. 

3. Stress reacts in the body in many different ways. 

My IBS is a major part of my life, it effects all that I eat and when I get a flair up everything falls apart. Before Christmas stress was effecting my body and I had the worst stomach flair up I've every had. I had stomach cramps for weeks making it impossible to eat any food, the feeling of nausea and acid reflex that had me convinced that I was pregnant (but wasn't!) The thing that confused me was I couldn't understand why my body could feel so bad from something like stress, that it would have such a major effect on my life that I had to take time off and didn't feel myself. What I learnt is to listen to my body and when it starts to show signs of not being right, do sometjinh! Mainly, I need to take it easier and find ways to manage it myself before it gets unbearable.

4. I need to see more of the UK (and running is a great way to do it)

I have explored very little of the UK in my life so far, I grew up south of London went to uni in Brighton and apart from visiting Grandparents on the south coast the rest of the UK have been left unexplored. In the last year I have visited parts of Norfolk, Cambridge and about to visit York. Thats a big step outside my comfort zone and I've been to beautiful places and had fun. I have plans to visit Edinburgh (for my marathon) and an event in suffolk to get me exploring. If anyone has any 'must complete' events for me please let me know.

5. I need to be better with money. 

For a while now I have been saving for the future and saving a bit here and there. I have been lucky living with my parents for the last couple of years and not had to worry about money too much. If I want a new dress or spent too much on a night out then I could and it had no effect on my daily life. But now I live with my partner, I have rent and bills and although I know I can budget its not automatic yet. This sounds like something that I have in place before turning 29 but I think most females in their late 20s would admit that they could be better with money as well.

Do you reflect as you get older? Do you feel that you've learnt a lot in the last year?

Marathon Training- Take two

Oh the joys of training for your first marathon- feet pounding as your building more and more miles. Running distances you've never run before-it's invigorating and exciting. When I lined up at the start line I knew I had done the miles and all I had to do was finish. I ran it and although I enjoyed it, I was never going to run again (I really told multiple people this) and here I am four and a half weeks into my training for my second marathon feeling like a prize plum.

First time round I just set myself the target of hitting the distances at a pace I was comfortable with, I walked a lot in my long runs and was comfortable with that. I have set myself a goal of beating my Brighton time of 5:30-which means I need to run under 12 min miles. That may not be much to most people but 26 miles at any guaranteed pace is hard work for my tired legs. Also the miles aren't as new as they first were, I'm not reaching new distances every week and therefore I'm not getting the satisfaction that I once had, but I guess that was due to come eventually.

This is clearly a worried face in a very patchy training run.

I am at the moment reaching most of my targets but my body is always tired and I worry that every little niggle is an injury. This spring season I have two friends who have been injured and unable to run their marathons, I am now starting to worry this will happen to me as I haven't been able to train as much as I wanted before I started my plan.

Tempo runs are hard! Forcing myself to pick up the pace when I'm tired and wanting to go home and shower. Having paces are even harder and making myself check pace and run to set times is harder then I thought. I love running and I am enjoying the plan but I don't know if my body will cope enough to make it.

The biggest difficulty I have been having is not being a grumpy girlfriend. I forgot how hangry I get after running, especially the long run. My poor boyfriend has also had to put up with pre-run tears and post run grumpiness. He has handled it perfectly but for the sake of my relationship I want to sort out my fuelling so I'm less grumpy. I'm also hoping that as I grow in strength that I will stop doubting my inability to do the miles and the speeds that my plan is asking.

I'm hoping that as it goes on I will get stronger, I will stop being sore and I will grow in confidence. I just hope that when I line up for the Edinburgh Marathon in May that I am proud of what I've done and I can go ahead knowing the training paid off.

Currently running with...

I thought I would let you know what I've been enjoying while I've been running as I am one of those very anti-social runners who likes to put my headphones in and ignore the world:

Long run:

I've started downloading audio books for my long runs (and keeping it only for the long runs) I'm loving following the story & having the miles pass by. I'm currently listening to the girl on the train by Paula Hawkins, this story is griping, full of suspense and nicely cut up to chapter ideal to stop at the end of the run.
You can buy the book here if your a traditional reader or download the audiobook from the itunes store such as I did.

Training runs

Ive loved this podcast from Ben Coomber's podcast. It's a conversation with Mike Mahler and although I love his enthusiasm for kettlebells. What really stuck with me was his talk about how a lack of estrogen or testosterone can effect training. I recently found out that my contraception may have damaged my estrogen levels so listening to this made me think that it may be stopping me from reaching my goals or full potential. It's something that definitely got me thinking and I will be fully investigating. Please let me know if you would like me to update you on how I got on. If you intrigued then please watch it here: youtube link

Overdue Winter Run Review

So well over 2 weeks ago I ran a race and because I'm super fast with this blogging marlarky I'm going to summarise in picture...

Me and my lovely boyfriend (him having his first race ever) taking a selfie before we dropped off bags-me lovely and warm in my ski jacket. Signs and volunteers very helpful and everything very easy to find.

Another cold selfie! Hanging out in the waiting area before heading to the pens-my beautiful friend was on her way but waiting wasn't a problem with music. 

My runner crew together-my camera angles have not done the height difference justice. I also appear a selfie fiend. We were in the waiting pen, doing the warm up for the 3rd time. I was at this time cold & grumpy after the cold and long wait to start I was a DELIGHT!

Another starting pen photo-everyone is as excited as me!

Yey! I finished! It was a good race, well organised if not for massively disappointing snow zone and ice tunnels. I got calf problems through the race, I walked I ran I got a crap time and was disappointed so let's move swiftly on....