XC and Me

I can't recall having written a blog directly about this before, I may have mentioned aspects in the past but haven't dedicated a whole page to it!

My first cross country race was in December 2008, when I was a new and keen member of the running club. My previous experiences of off road running had ended badly - I kid you not I'd twisted something tripping over a turnip in a field during the Badger Bite race a couple of years before, and vowed to stick to pavements and roads from then on.

They're out to get you!

To be fair, a good amount of my training was then and still is off road, but it is "friendly" off road such as canals, nature walks and public footpaths, not legging it across fields of killer vegetables. Anyway one night after training, I was approached in a pincer movement; our ladies had been doing relatively well in the N Staffs XC League, but for the last fixture did not have enough runners, which would put the club as a league DNF - undoing the previous 3 races hard work. All they needed was a body that was capable of actually finishing. Well, count me in!! What's that? It's probably the hardest XC course you will ever do with a Mt. Everest Hill at the end of the lap? Well I'll give it a go! At least I was under no illusions of what I was letting myself in for.

The first thing I noted about XC was the social nature of the thing. We don't do it so much these days, but I got on to a little mini bus containing most of the mens and ladies runners, it was nearly Christmas, we listened to Christmas songs, chatted about the running club's party and talked about the looming race. The second thing to note was the cake. We talked about who had brought what cake.

I got to the venue (Westwood High in Leek) and walked down to the course. The junior races in this league are all scheduled before the seniors, and it was such a bitterly cold day; children were running up the monster hill, their faces red and screwed up in to funny shapes. Some children were literally crawling, some crying. Being the last event and being so young not only did they get borderline hypothermia but I suppose fear of letting their club (or pushy parent) down is quite a big thing. There was a collection of officials with foil blankets waiting to wrap them up at the finish. At this point I just wanted to get it over with if I'm honest.

Our time came and we were off. The start was up a hill in those days, and the moorland ground was and still is tough lumpy grass with assorted boggy mud patches. I kind of enjoyed it for the first 30 seconds, until my lungs started to feel if someone was reaching down and scrubbing them with wire wool and sumo wrestlers were sitting on my legs. I was grateful for some downhill, and I think this is probably where the addiction started. It felt good to be stomping down the hill, watching the hedges and trees go whizzing (relative term) past, and it was also nice to get some occasional "wahoo!" shouts from the men warming up for their race. I was so knackered actually had to have some walk breaks before I hit the "main event" hill, which I also walked; but this is the kind of hill where you can power walk and overtake people running.

Example of the giddy heights of Leek

Then I had to repeat the lap. Soon, but not soon enough, I was approaching the finish; the rest of my team were already long finished, but I wasn't last. The rush and sense of achievement was pretty good. We sat through the presentations as some of the guys had got age group prizes, and mostly fell asleep on the way home. I was coughing like a 60 a day smoker for the rest of the evening, something I still get and can only describe as "cross country lung". But the overall feeling was great. I do think that consistent short distance racing on a Saturday (including parkruns if there is no XC) improves fitness; the XC somehow always feels harder, I suppose generally they are more hilly and more uneven. Brilliant for strength. Roads feel easy! Raargh!

From then on it was cross country a-go-go. Our running club runs in 2 leagues of 4 races each, and usually enters in to 4 championship races and one relays a season, so there is a lot to choose from. Between the start of October and mid-December it is possible if you want to, to run an XC pretty much every Saturday. After Jan things lighten off gradually. The N Staffs league races stay the same, we have the boring Winsford, the Wacky Races Park Hall, the ever same bleakest place on earth Stafford common and the infamous Leek. In the Birmingham league the venues for the ladies vary - we have one fixture with all mens divisions (usually Leamington) and then the next 3 fixtures we share with the D1,D2 and D3 men. Courses vary, some are pretty much just football pitches, some have a water feature (Leamington) some are undulating and muddy (Cofton Park), some have pine forests (Mansfield). We've run in snow (Droitwich), 19 degree heat (Winsford) and lightning (Midlands Champs at Leamington in 2014), knee high slop (Alton Towers National). I began to find my XC feet. Another of the beauties of XC racing is that you are more or less around the same people in every race, so you get to know them and have some good battles with them. When I first started my nemesis was a more seasoned XC runner, let's just call her "Pauline". Sometimes you win the battle, sometimes you lose, but it is fun trying. I suppose I have improved a little bit since those days, but even now hearing the shouts of "come on Pauline" to someone behind me strikes the fear of god in to me :)

The XC championship events are nothing to be worried about really. It is likely the clubs locally will have entered, so you will still be with your local rivals. The National XC is a big event with a great atmosphere, and whilst it sounds grand anyone who is a member of an affiliated club can enter so there is a huge range of speeds. The time to panic is if you inadvertently come in the top few at the county championships and get invited to run at the inter counties! Whilst marshalling there once I was aware of two very slow ladies from "Shropshire" at the back of the field. I found myself wondering what the quality of their county races must be, or how many people had bothered to turn up, how did they get a place?! When I checked the results I did some sums and found these two "slowcoaches" were running at a far quicker XC pace than I've ever run in my life. I was also alongside Liz Yelling at one point in the Alton Towers National (as she passed me to go in to the finish straight as I was starting my final lap) Ha ha!

Even if you don't finish in your clubs scoring few in XC, you still have an important role; in our leagues it's all about place rather than time (to be honest time can vary on the same course according to weather from year to year so pace watching means little its about effort really), and the scorers scores are added together. The team with the lowest score is top of the league, and there is scope to move up and down divisions and win the title a bit like football. If a club has a massive number of runners, there is a good chance that they will push the scorers of a club with smaller numbers down despite not scoring themselves. So it's not a question of who is fast, it's also a question of how many and I personally think that when I'm part of a club team, I try that little bit harder than if I was doing it for myself so it pushes me a little more - you don't know what you can do until you try, sometimes it's a pleasant surprise.. We do seem to get a good turnout these days, I think it's the camaraderie, competitive banter, possibly the cakes, and more than likely the prospect of a pub trip afterwards.

Doing XC has also given me confidence to do other off road events. At some point, think it was 2009, I did the Grizzly 20 miler. Not the best experience of my life having fallen over on tarmac in the first 2 miles and bashed my elbow, but hey we finished despite me almost murdering the t-shirt lady at the end who told us (seriously) that if we wanted the desired t shirt size we should have run faster! I've also done Man V Horse (3 relay legs over 3 years, counts as the whole race right?), runs in the Wyre Forest, and things like the Milford 21 over Cannock Chase - sadly no more but joking about the Grizzly aside, I've seen some truly amazing and lovely bits of countryside in the UK and I've got my confidence from the XC running to thank for getting me in to it  - it really has opened new doors.

So if you are a member of a club that runs in such leagues (unfortunately individuals can't just rock up and enter) I'd encourage you do give it a go, our club subsidises them so they are free to members. It's a great way of meeting people - I would not have dreamed of talking to a lot of the people I know at the club had it not been for part of the XC group. Cantering up and down big hills just feels very pure and it's so exhilarating to have achieved that beating a rival or even just finishing alive sometimes. It is no longer Saturday night if I'm not trying to scrub mud out of my toenails.

Rotterdam Marathon and things

Not really sure how to word this blog, basically it is about the Rotterdam Marathon. Yes that was over a month ago but I've been busy with Easter, my Birthday and visiting and catching up with people that I neglected seeing by being away with work in the week and in Marathon training at the weekends.

In short, my training build up went well. I'm never sure how it will go, but my easy runs were feeling easy, and my HR monitor readings backed this up. Since the pre-xmas low iron fiasco I made a concerted effort to eat more greens and a regular bit of steak. It seems to be working.

By the time the Stamford 30K came it was apparent I was on track, and I had a good run with some marathon paced effort at the Wymondham 20. I had an absolutely lovely weekend doing the Rhayader 20 on a Saturday - the Dudley Ladies girlies had a road trip - we got to Rhayader early, had a look around and set off in the sunshine; it was a lovely run and much different to the blizzards of 2013. I was pleased to be an inadvertent pacemaker for a friends sub 3.30, and after everyone was in ate lovely cake. Stopping off in Ludlow on the way back, I inhaled some sausage and mash and upon getting home went to bed.

The next day I had the SRC road trip to Ashby 20 with Super-Dave and Errol. Another very warm one, I started conservatively and wound up the pace in the 2nd 10 miles, it felt good. I don't chase 20 mile PBs, in my eyes 20 miles isn't really a racing distance but I did sneak one having run the first half of the race very slow so I was pleased. Still loving the hoodies and the packed lunch parcels at this race, not to mention the support and marshaling.

My XC pace from January onward seemed to get better and better, and in the last few races of the season I was 2 mins or so ahead of the rivals that I am usually around. I had a stormer at Cheltenham, the last ladies Birmingham League fixture, up with people who I never really thought I'd be running among. I was well up for the National XC at Nottingham as my grand finale to the season. However disaster struck, coming up to a busy roundabout 5 miles from Woolaton park, a lady in a large jeep stopped dead in front of me and I had no time to brake.... I wasn't going very fast, but I smacked in to the back of her. I instantly felt sick to the stomach. Firstly we were all ok which is the main thing; thankfully she was a nice person, very much the "well these things happen" type and it turned out she was also going to the national XC. We took photos, swapped numbers and she actually offered to give me a lift to the venue(!) I declined on the basis I ought to get my car sorted. It was a somewhat comical scene; her car with a scratch on the bumper, my car fairly mangled pissing out water from the radiator. Amazingly my car still drove, and I limped it a few hundred yards up the road to a petrol station where I was guaranteed food, drinks and a loo whilst waiting - I had no idea how long I'd be stuck there.

I am with Sheilas Wheels for my insurance, and I have to say I am impressed with their handling of the accident. It happened at midday, I was home by 3, had a car on the Tuesday and a week after I had a call to say they were writing off my car as the cost to repair was too great. But I got a good deal for a 9 year old Tigra with getting on for 130,000 miles on the clock.

Still gutted though. The previous year I'd not been able to travel to Sunderland having had some Norovirus type symptoms so am I ever destined to get to a National XC without incident again?!

Around the same time in mid Feb I gave up Diet Coke. I don't like the full sugar version (thank god, or I'd be the size of a house with rotten teeth) but I was drinking a stupid amount of Diet; I'm not going to say how much but it was TOO much. I am and have always been quite good at drinking water, but after a particularly bad day at work I realized I had really had a lot and that it couldn't be healthy, in terms of caffeine, artificial sweetener and whatever else is in there. So I stopped. Cold turkey. Monday I felt fine, the Tuesday I had such a bad headache it woke me up, and almost threw up in my work colleague Timmy's car on the way to Lytham. I declined an evening meal that night and went to bed. Come Wednesday I felt a lot better and haven't touched the stuff since, I drink purely water, with the odd can of Lemonade  or Lime / Soda thrown in. Yes it's not scientific, I've no proof I'm in better health but I feel much better for it, and I've won against my conscience in a "giving things up competition".

Addicted? Me?

My parkrun tourism total has been upped to include Northampton, Redditch and Cuerden Valley. I went to Northampton the week after my 50th as I'd got a massive course PB at Leamington and wanted to see what I could do on the flat. It was quite windy, but I was pleased to clock 24.34 bearing in mind circuits had hurt me on the Friday - on the Saturday morning when I got up I was contemplating calling through to be helped off the toilet, not a good look. Redditch was also a nice run, and on a less windy day with less sore quads I managed 24.24, pleased but felt I should be faster. The weekend of my Birthday recently we went to Cuerden Valley. Beautiful but a bit brutal; felt a little dejected with 28:xx but as the first lady only did 24:xx I took some comfort!

My trip to Rotterdam was pretty smooth, and it's a nice city. It has all the good bits of Amsterdam but not the tackiness and naff-ness that you get there. I got a good hotel deal, BA screwed me over on flights and I ended up getting a 7am take off from Heathrow which meant having to stay in a London hotel. I was exceedingly pleased when the boy announced he was coming to see me off; an unexpected surprise, very heartwarming.

Nothing crude or tacky in Rotterdam....

That whole weekend in Rotterdam was warm, and Sunday as I waited for the start I could feel the sun slightly burning my arms. I'd have preferred a 9am start really but 10.30 it was. In the lead up to the big off we were subjected to a very enthusiastic announcer speaking (in Dutch) followed by a rendition of "you'll never walk alone" by a ropey sounding strong accented Elvis impersonator. They fired a cannon and we were on the move. I was conservative with pace from the start and was on target, I was in the zone, not too fast, not too slow but by 5 miles it was hot and as I got to 8 and it was roasting. At 10 miles I made a decision - I pulled back. I could foresee the wheels coming off due to the heat at 21 miles and me doing 4:01 or something. I decided to minimize the damage and help my recovery by slowing down. By this I mean I ran about 10:00mm, and in the last 16 miles was still passing a fair amount of people. It's something I still feel quite annoyed / down / in two minds about, I have a niggling doubt and "what if" I'd have carried on at target pace? I was certainly in the form of my life to do a sub 4. But in my heart of hearts I knew it wasn't going to happen. I'm not a bottler just a realist.

I came in at 4.14 feeling OK. I walked back to the hotel - ironically it had got a lot cooler and I was actually freezing - the irony - and the next day my legs felt OK. It's taken the standard amount of time to get my HR back to normal, for the first 2 weeks after the marathon I felt permanently on the edge of a cold. I managed to run a mid 25:xx parkrun 2 weeks after, so hopefully with a bit more speed work I'll be back to form but at the moment psychologically I feel pretty rubbish and slow if I'm honest. I know it will come back, I'm just impatient.

Finally in more recent times I had an absolutely great Birthday week and weekend, the boy's knee is better so we've been out on some bike rides. I should give myself some credit having mostly gone out with him on days when I've already done circuits and a run, I feel like I am holding him back if I'm honest. However really if he's happy then I'm quite happy as long as I know where I'm supposed to go, I like the fact you can see more stuff in the same amount of time, and I'm glad to be getting more use of my bike again. We visited the area where I work to do some touristy stuff towards the end of the week and it was really fun. My Birthday treat included being taken to Go Ape! at Rivington which I was both terrified and excited about, but it was amazing wobbling and flying through the trees and I'm still alive so all good! I mostly like my job but I really did not want to go back to work, sometimes being on holiday can equal major angst, fed-upness and boredom but this was quite simply perfect and re-iterated everything I had previously thought about the good things in my life at the moment.

Don't look down!

Saturday morning fever

A very long time ago I saw a thread on a running website looking for guinea pigs to be involved in the development of the Cambridge Parkrun. It was something I hadn't really heard of, and wasn't actually too bothered about being a part of it generally, but I thought if I could do a little run and be of some use to other people (in this case the team testing the route markings and the timing equipment) then that would be a good thing. As I recall, on the 23rd Jan 2010 after a toddle around the country park I came back to find some of the runners had got lost and missed off a massive chunk of the loop, and some had ended up on a housing estate in Milton. I felt lucky to have been able to follow the tape markings and survive to the end.

To be honest I still wasn't massively bothered. I saw 5K as being a bit too short a distance for me, and these things started far too early in the morning. XC was a bit longer and usually at 2pm in the afternoon, and not being built for speed I figured I'd fare better sticking to that. The next time I did a Parkrun was in Aug 2011, Cambridge again but as part of a long run from my parents, jog round the course, have a diet coke break and back home, a nice 11 miler in total. It was in late 2011 that I really started to get in to Parkrunning, not sure why I think I just saw the benefits of the XC season to my running and wanted that Saturday speed session to continue. Very quickly I had explored Birmingham Cannon Hill, Barrow In Furness, Kings Lynn, Newbury, Walsall and Brueton. I'm not really a deliberate tourist, but with friends up north, family in East Anglia and most of the Midlands quite easy to get to from where I live, the total started creeping up. I started to like a faster run on a Saturday morning, and I liked the social aspect. It wasn't long before I'd visited Carlisle whilst visiting my friend (nicer run than overlooking the submarine "factory" 3 times at Barrow - sorry!), and soon I was overjoyed when Wolverhampton started, a Parkrun I could jog to from home! My northern friend moved to Commerrans in Cornwall, so this lead to me visiting Barnstaple (yes at the time Cornwall as a county had no run), Bedford for some flat tarmac and fancy cake and again another great run started at Wimpole, a place close to my heart as I spent so much time in Orwell as a child.

A jog around the back garden

My first appearance at Leamington was on 22nd June last year, a course I'd always wanted to run because A) I'd heard good things and B) I was familiar with the place a bit because I've run cross country there, so going to celebrate a 50th and catch up with some friends going was the perfect excuse and I fell in love. I was back there in July for the Pink Parkrun which involved starting at 7.30 and doing the course 4 times (finishing with the official one at 9am) it was boiling, and when I turned up at the subsequent Uni friends reunion I was pleased to push the kids out of the paddling pool and stand there in the cold water with my feet gently steaming.

Pink clothing and Pink faces by 9.30am!

More Cornwall trips lead me to Plymvalley (a really cracking course) and Killerton which are ranked as two of the most stunning courses I've done. In my insane quest to get to 50 Parkruns before "that Dave Rose" from the running club (stalking him every Saturday morning to cries of "FFS!! he's gone to Cannon Hill AGAIN!") I did Bury St Edmunds on Xmas day morning (this was the turning point having been anaemic towards the later end of 2013 after the 100K) and the New Years day double of Basingstoke and Newbury; it rained so much that I was seriously concerned that I would get trench foot and that my boyfriend would dump me from his death bed for being responsible for his pneumonia. We were saved from a medical emergency by Gobi's hospitality and the best cheese toastie and cookies I've ever tasted.

The final bit of tourism to date was Lanhydrock, at last a Cornwall Parkrun - another National Trust course (I am worried at my relatively young age I am contemplating becoming a NT member, and now I have a parcel shelf in my car I can fit a travel rug and sunhat on the back of it so I'm good to go). I've been running well in 2014, and on this course I struggled to do a sub 30. The downhills were rocky and unstable, too unstable to bomb down, and the ups were tough. But I still had that good feeling at the end.

So I make it in total 18 different runs so far, each with its unique scenery and qualities. I'll be a bit controversial here and say I've heard people in the running community get a bit sneery about Parkruns, in some cases because they appear to not have to go through the race licensing hoops that other "normal" races have to go through (which is a reasonable point I suppose although setting a Parkrun up and maintaining it week in week out isn't easy by any means) and some runners seem to think that Parkrun is some sort of overly happy "you've all done brilliantly" kind of cult. What can be bad about a friendly atmosphere, encouraging people to get out and do something that makes them feel good, be it a jog round in 45+ mins or a jog round in sub-20. I do these runs for me, its a time trial against myself and a bit of weekend speed work; for me personally it greatly helps to have other people there to use as targets to stay with or pick off as if I were racing and it simply makes me feel BRILLIANT. I believe my race confidence over all distances has improved as a result, and judging by the amount of times I've had my arse kicked by a 10 year old, it's definitely helping get a lot of juniors in to running. A particular highlight the other week at Leamington was being able to touch and briefly say hello to the Olympic Champion and World record holder Richard Whitehead. An opportunity I'd never have had otherwise.

Star-struck!

More recently I've been going to Leamington a lot, and on the days where I have an XC race (between Oct-March that is most weekends) I've done some volunteering, which I've found to be great fun and very rewarding; it's nice to have a view of the runners at different points on the course, crossing the line or even still foaming at the mouth as they have their bar codes scanned. It was pointed out in the Leamington newsletter this week that from about Aug 2013 - present I've volunteered about 14 times. It doesn't seem that many! Yes there have been times when it has been extremely hard to get out of bed and I've only just about had time to warm up when running, or I've screeched up and slung a stop watch around my neck er... looking like I've just rolled out of bed but I've enjoyed every one. It does seem a shame (and I'm not particularly talking about Leamington here) that most of the time you see the same faces volunteering. I'd encourage anyone to give it a go, full training is provided and you can't really mess anything up. Don't be scared.

My 50th Parkrun was one of those great times you remember; my boy, friends from running clubs, god children (and mother!) and friends I've made at Leamington were there, I was touched at the turn out. I felt like I wanted to run it briskly, but made the schoolgirl error of starting too far back. Thankfully we were on the normal course, so this gives plenty of room to overtake on the grass, and I was feeling in good form as we approached the hill. I didn't kill myself on the incline, but as soon as it flattened out I pushed on; I always like to look left over Leamington, as the view is spectacular but gave it some big effort along the top of the golf course, and basically let rip on the downhill. The stretch from the golf course through the airplane field seemed to go on forever and I think I flagged a little, but at that point I could see the finish, so it boosted me. The last stretch of grass for once was actually solid, so I just tried to aim to overtake everyone in front of me. It worked. Looking at my watch I was amazed to see 25.07, I think with a start further ahead and a little more gas applied on the flat bits I could have a sub-25 here; not something I thought I'd ever say. I want to get to a flat tarmac course to see what I can do in different conditions whilst I'm on form. I think low 24:xx (a PB) or maybe 23:xx. Something I'd have thought impossible before Xmas.

Yes, I beat him to the finish. Raargh!

Looking forward to the next 100, question is when will that be, Realistically 2015 some time.... cakes are on me!

That was 2013

Another year, another summary. I'm a bit busy, so it's a bit late. And no pictures. BORING!

2013 was about trying to get another sub 4 marathon, and going long. Well, I managed one of them! I also became a godmother in the January :)

In 2012, I ran the Manchester marathon on the only day in April when it was -2 degrees, sleeting and blowing a howling gale - the same day as Stratford got cancelled and people got hypothermia in Milton Keynes. I decided that wading through a half mile puddle trying to get round the dawdlers at Dunham Massey cost me at least 3 mins off of my 4:02 so I entered again in 2013 in the hope of bettering my time. The year started off with cross countries, doing some particularly gruesome and snowy runs (the infamous Midlands XC at Stafford where it is rumoured a junior runner's socks got frozen to his feet!!), but overall I felt like I was running quite well. I did some of the old favourite races, the Stamford 30k where I had a decent run, buy my marathon paced section felt a bit hard on some of the hills. I guess that is the point of doing these things, to get used to your pace again and it's a hard race - so I carried on not to worried.

I was gutted to miss the National XC in Sunderland due to an episode of projectile vomiting on the Thursday night before the Saturday of the run, I'm not sure what caused it, but no way could I even travel to support. I love the National, I'm sure I've said this before, but the National XC is the London Marathon of XC running, anyone belonging to a UKA affiliated club can enter, and the range of speeds is vast. I would encourage anyone to pluck up the courage, stick two fingers up and just give it a go. Strangely after this episode (maybe it was a few days of enforced rest or losing half a stone in 3 days) my running seemed to pick up, and I ran a very speedy 5K at the Barnstaple Parkrun (just a few seconds off my PB) the day before the Duchy 20. I had a splendid holiday down in Cornwall in the isolation of my friends little house that looks across to Falmouth. A week of no TV, little internet, just the radio, lots of visiting cool places (including Kwik Fit in Truro when I got a puncture... booooo!) and some good running.

Just before Barnstaple and the Duchy I got a PB at the Cambridge half, 1:48. I had a great race, but was disappointed to find the one time a year I seem to race a half, the chip buggered up and gave me a time 2 mins slower than I clocked on a LONG course (before you say it, not sure it resembled any gun time either). Anyway, I know what I did, and the simple answer is to do it again and again, isn't it? I'm wondering if I should race a few more half marathons, I think it's a tricky distance. I feel like I'm getting better at 5Ks by attending lots of Parkruns so perhaps the same logic applies. It's a balance between getting sharper and wearing myself out I think. I definitely don't want to do that. 2013 was also the year that Wolverhampton Parkrun started, 2 miles from where I live so it is joggable as a WU. A great little course and if I was less busy doing this and that I'd go more often. I am grateful to the people who started it, it was something that crossed my mind a while ago but I didn't feel I had the time to commit to setting it up. I'm really glad someone did. A few of my running friends also started going, which is great - I am a lot more likely NOT to turn over in bed and hit the snooze button these days because I have people to meet there!

The most memorable race of the first part of the year for other reasons, has to be the Rhayader 20. I blogged about it at the time, but this is the only race so far in my running life where the possibility of dying has crossed my mind. Perhaps that sounds overly dramatic; I don't believe we were ever in real danger but the weather was shocking. We started off in Rhayader village knowing the weather was snowy elsewhere, but it was just a bit chilly and cloudy. The customary 5.5 miles up to the top of "the big one" and all looked ok. I saw the false summit, then I saw the actual summit where the ambulance sits (that's how you know it is really the top) and it started to hail. I didn't think that was a problem, it was bouncing off of me. Then came down snow like I've never ever seen. Total whiteness all around and so quickly. It was settling on my arms, it was settling on my head, and the top of my chest where my race number was pinned. I went to look at my garmin and had to brush off snow. We ran down the hairpins, thanking frozen looking marshals; and still a lot of snow was settling on the roads, cars were having to crawl and a cyclist was skidding along on his bike. I wondered what would happen if someone fell or had to stop. We were all dressed sensibly, but even so... It carried on like this until about 11 or 12 miles, where it then went back to simply "cold". The scenery was still beautiful. To think in previous years I've been sunburned at this race! As always the day after Rhayader is the Ashby 20, and again I did both. I love both races, and run at a sensible pace doing both is a reasonable long run exercise. Ashby was just as cold, and it was sleeting a bit, I'd had a bit of a cold and to be honest at the end my chest was sore from breathing the cold air in and out.

Easter came, and I managed to get a place in the Ely to Cambridge trail run along the river from one to the other, an interesting 16 mile run along the Cam taking in the flat views of black earth fields. It was a great little event, and a creme egg is one of the better race mementos I've had although it didn't last as long as a medal, especially as I had another 5 miles to go after that. I also traveled to Bournemouth with a club mate to do the half marathon, another excellent run after having run 7 miles before the start and tagging on to the back it made for a decent 20.

Manchester did not go as planned, I'm going to have to get a Marathon time starting with a 3 this year, I know I have it in me. I started to feel "off" at Manchester 2013 after about 8 miles. It was hard carrying on for another 18 but I hung on, 4:07 the 2nd fastest Marathon I've ever run but I was disappointed, especially having been overtaken by a woman dressed as a giant tit (breast cancer awareness) in the last few miles. Shortly after I had some mouth pain and had to go to the dentist - I may have actually had a dental infection at the time of the race. It's not an excuse, but something was brewing because I was in a bit of discomfort on the day but thought it was just a sore gum - it certainly can't have helped. I needed a bit of an extended rest after Manchester. With the previous years marathons, 4 marathons in 4 days as base I had decided to enter... 100K.... in Sweden.... at the beginning of August. Previous furthest distance was the Ultra at Connemara in 2011. 40 miles. 62. Wow - that's a reasonable distance in the car.

So I trained over the summer and I really enjoyed it all. The summer was a bit chaotic, I had to move from my flat because my landlord had not been paying the mortgage, but I moved literally 8 doors down and my lovely friends assisted me moving so it was a lot less stressful than it could have been. We (as a work team) also got purchased by another company, and whilst change isn't always a bad thing, it can be scary. It all seemed very very unfair with the flat situation, and at times despite being surrounded by lovely people I felt quite alone, but such is life. Highlights of the summer training included starting circuits. My running friends had started these sessions in Jan 2013 and kept raving about it; I could see the change in them in terms of body shape and general fitness. I decided after the Marathon to sign up for 3 months to go alongside my 100K training. I thought I was fit from running, but this training has improved me - I think the additional core, leg and arm strength I have has only helped my running, and in the right light, if you squint a bit with a prevailing wind I actually have some abdominal muscles. Other summer highlights included spending a week or so in Cornwall and having some cracking runs around there, seeing my pals from Uni in Cornwall and some of them and their children at a reunion and doing the "pink parkrun" at Leamington which was 4 runs of it starting at 7.30 finishing with the "official" one at 9am  - this turned out to be quite a good move. I crewed for a friend at the Grand Union Canal Race which was a great experience and I learned an awful lot about longer distance events just from watching things going on. The Thunder Run at Catton park with the running club was one of the best team running experiences I've had - as a team of 8 we managed a respectable 25 laps in 24h, I had 3 different races - a hot dry run, a run where I was being chased by lightning bolts through the woods, and one at 7am in the morning through 6 miles of steaming slop. Brilliant fun :) Unfortunately as I was not prepared to stay up till midnight to register and the event was sold out in record time I have failed us this year with the entry, but something else equally good will come along. Some of the brilliantness of these things is the event, but it is mostly the people you are with.

Before  I knew it, the 100K had arrived; true I have covered this in a separate blog, but I'll say it again, the whole experience was one of the greatest of my life. Getting there was smooth, and Stockholm was awesome. The only slight downer was that it was one of the hottest weekends in that part of Sweden for centuries; but I had prepared as best I could by doing a lot of runs with the mad dogs and Englishmen at home and rocked up to the start at 7am on the day with a load of nervy looking runners including a man dressed as a dalmatian. I'd managed a marathon distance before it got too warm, but the full heat of the sun kicked in mid morning; the course and its 5 mile loops was amazing, pretty and scenic despite being in the middle of a major city with variety and excellent support both in terms of food / fuel and crowds, and it was a privilege to get lapped and acknowledged by Steve Way, who went on to have an amazing win. I sit sometimes and think about this day, and wonder how I managed to do it. At about 30 miles I had a "Oh bugger I've got to do all of this again" moment, but I just told myself to get to 40, get to 50, and then in was simply a question of counting down laps ("I did this at the 4 Leamington Parkruns") rather than miles. It was cool knowing it was being broadcast on the internet. I finished and I was in total shock, shame I should have soaked it up as after that I was in whole body pain for about 48h. Looking back at my time, just over 12h I felt I could have done better, but it was so so hot. My average moving pace was 11:00mm, which over that distance isn't too shabby but in the latter stages I was slowing down a lot to get as much water and electrolyte drink down me as I could. Would I do it again, yes probably but I don't think I want to go longer at the moment.

I was a bit wobbly in the head department before the 100K full of self doubts; during and shortly after I felt boosted and a few days after I felt a fairly significant low. It's a massive thing to build up to and pffft! It's gone, albeit a great memory. Some things meant a lot; my coach said he was proud, my parents also. I did the run because I wanted to and whilst I appreciate the sentiments of others I found it hard listening to how great I'd done because I didn't really feel great, and with 2 weeks rest (just as well with a totally bruised foot) I felt like I was missing getting out on more good times, e.g. the social aspect of jogging along chatting to my pals. I do still maintain that anyone with the will can pretty much do anything they want. You heard it here first.

In September, I got asked out by someone I'd met at a Parkrun over the summer. We have a reasonable number of mutual friends so got talking, being the wallflower that I am I did wonder about him "in that way" but sort of dismissed it - I don't tend to ask people myself (I've had not so much bad but very strange experiences when I have done the asking so gave up). So he asked me on a date and I thought it would be good; we went out in early Sept and got on really well. We went out again, and again, and I found his company to be just delightful. We can talk, we are the same in the right ways, but different enough in others to make life interesting. I feel like I've known him ages, but also I still find him as interesting as someone I've just met. Happy.

Running wise, between Sept and Dec I have been concentrating on two things really, parkruns and XC in the quest for greater speed. The season started well, and more or less I'd been equaling or bettering my best times on the courses I've run before. Things did feel a bit hard though. Work, rushing around, circuits and running I felt at times I lived out of a sports bag, was having so many showers per day my skin would fall off and I just never had 5 mins to sit down. Not that I'd have had it any other way. I just secretly craved a bit of downtime.

Reasons for everything feeling tough became apparent during "the week from hell" in December. I use this term in jest as worse things happen at sea and all that, but it was a hard week.

Monday - Went to give blood, got told I was anaemic. That might explain my everything feels so hard then! Out with friend, late night

Tuesday - Trip to Blackpool, early start and general knackeredness - Xmas meal

Wednesday - Tired after a late night (no booze just late to bed). Got told boss had resigned (we all like him, found him to be very good at his job and the circumstances were not good. To the observer it looked like he was stitched up. That is all.)

Thursday - Felt so awful went to the doctors - came out with antibiotics for an infection and some advice on Iron, drove a 200 mile round trip to have an Xmas meal in Bristol - it was nice but I was knackered

Friday - Running club Xmas do - got breathalyzed on the way back, and despite being virtually tee total and knowing I'd last had any booze WEEKS if not MONTHS ago it was still a slightly nerve wracking experience, I was stopped because one of my lights had gone which must have only just happened because I'd have noticed parking up at home. Got pulled over in to a lay-by about 2 miles from home as part of a Police Xmas crackdown. Policeman (smiling sarcastically) "Where have you been?" Me (In horrible Christmas jumper) "Running club party!" They were very nice and took care to explain to me what was going on, didn't believe my age (bats eyelids) and with a reading of 0.000mg I was on my way home after less than 5 minutes. I hope they caught some people and stopped a few accidents.

Saturday - parkrun with the girls, nice breakfast but rubbish time - wasn't full on racing but 9.00mm felt hard! Halfords light fitting dept on the way back!!

Sunday - Early run due to meeting my boy, his Dad and Step mum for lunch. Came back at 10 am-ish to find that the flat above me had been on fire, their dishwasher had been put on overnight, malfunctioned and destroyed their entire kitchen. Oh and the smoke alarm failed, so the chap had rolled over in bed, woken and sniffed burning plastic and raised the alarm. The place still has a slight whiff now over 4 weeks on. I got back and the couple were huddled outside looking completely and totally crushed. That picture of them in my head almost makes me cry when I think about it, or about what could have been for them. As I opened my door, I was greeted to the sound of dripping, because what do you know, when 2 fire engines come and pump a load of water in to an upstairs flat there is a lot of water that has to go somewhere. Thankfully it was a few drips by my kitchen window and water marks around the coving, nothing that didn't dry out in a few days but that was another shock.

At Christmas I had some time off of circuits, and some general rest and relaxation - lie ins and naps during the day. It's done me good. In the quest for speed I've just been getting stuck in to Parkruns (one on Xmas day and 2 on New Years day in addition to the normal Saturdays) and having started taken Iron in mid December I cannot believe what a difference it has made to me. Fast runs feel good again and I don't feel permanently tired. On the XC front I'm 2-3 mins ahead of some of the faces I was with at the beginning of the season which is massive. I put it down to a combination of proper training but boosted by having "normal" iron levels.

So I look forward to the Rotterdam Marathon in 2014 and everything else it has to offer. Targets? Yes, lots of PBs but most of all as always to enjoy everything and have fun

Cross country season and more life after the 100K

Following on from the last blog one thing the psychic didn't predict was that I would come down with a stinking cold soon after I saw him; having a small child sneezing on me with a post ultra low immune system it was bound to happen. I felt pretty rough for the best part of a week but better to have a cold when I'm in a period of low mileage then during a peak of marathon training so I embraced the Vaporub and the tissues.

Bless you

The main focus from mid August was getting back in to things and building mileage back up slowly. I did my home parkrun towards the end of August and was pleased feeling relatively "unfit" to clock the mid 25:xx. I've kept a close eye on my heart rate during recovery and it is an interesting thing. I would say a normal marathon I'm back to normal in a month, for the 100K - things seemed OK at first, then went downhill after a week back running (high HR for slow pace) and started to get back to normal after about 7 weeks - so as always it is just a question of patience. I enjoyed just being out doing the easy runs, and being "let out" to do the parkruns at the weekends. I started back on the circuit / bootcamp training as well, something that strangely I had missed whilst tapering and recovering from Stockholm. I thought it was only really running that really "did it" for me but it seems like I have found a love of another exercise type, and made a lot of new friends in the process.

More parkruns towards September, one full of cold paced a bit slower and then one almost in 24:xx territory and I felt like I was coming back. I needed to do these 5Ks as I needed a bit of short distance practice (or at least mental confidence) for the upcoming XC season, the first one is usually very painful in the lung and leg department, and I figured if I could get a few fast runs in beforehand that first XC would be less horrific. I'm well on the way to 50 parkruns now - I believe over the past year or two it has really helped my running, to the point where I'm actually prepared to drag my arse out of bed to help if not running. It's funny how some people never give anything back.

Full of cold but I actually look like I'm running!

The middle of September, as always was the JW Ultra weekend. I wrote quite a lengthy blog about this last year, again it was a brilliant day in 2013. 6 relay teams for the club, our men's teams came first and second, and more importantly all the teams had a good time. We had 3 solo runners who all finished with very respectable times and avoiding illness / injury. I am very proud of the way that everyone in our club supports each other and how we can have such good days out at events.

In October we had our first XC race at Winsford. This is the first fixture in the North Staffs League - Cheshire is very North Staffs(!) from Stourbridge it is 70 miles each way. we had a good turnout from the men, not so great from the ladies myself and Ruby venturing up there. It's always an odd one because it happens before the seasons change, so quite often you've got your XC shoes on but the temperature seems too high - if I'm going to do an XC I want a good miserable time with sleet in my face and frozen feet, not wondering if I should apply the suntan cream. Still, it went better than expected, despite there being a delay, me and Ruby almost missing the start, not hearing the race briefing - we started with 2 x small laps unlike previous years; I'd assumed it would be 3 small laps total and almost cried when I discovered the last lap was huuuuge! C'est la vie. I hung on. Towards the end I was quite strong and overtaking. I clocked my rivals for the season and I shall try and keep ahead of them at the next fixtures.

The mighty SRC take over the north

Soon after we had the excellent XC relays at Walsall. This takes a slightly different format, one runner from each team is out on the course at a time, the winning team obviously being the one with the fastest time. It makes for a different race, usually in our neck of the woods men and ladies have separate races, this one we are all together; men usually race 10k - this is 6k and we all do the same course so it is shorter faster racing for the men; and there is the potential to be in "no mans land" if you are on some of the later legs. It is important to know how to follow markers and tape!

A couple of weeks off of XC and I decided to keep my hand in with the short distance on Saturdays with parkruns and ran at Leamington one weekend followed by Killerton in Exeter the next. I spent a few days (flying visit really) at my friends in Cornwall, and 2 hours to Exeter, parkrun and 2h to hers it proved to be an excellent way of breaking up the journey. A beautiful course. You know it's going to be good when the RD warns "there will be broken bones here one day, it WILL happen" and the start is up a vertical grass hill. Some lovely terrain, lots of mud and very good fun. Also I took in the farmers market (3rd Sat of the month apparently) and the Cider festival - alas I was driving! I got to my friends house showered, had some lunch and asked what we were going to do. Of all the things I ended up building a shed, of which I am very proud and we had a jolly good time putting it together. Just as well as that evening the wind and rain came in with a vengeance, a half built shed would have blown away like something from the wizard of Oz.

Killerton start

On the Sunday I ran at the Eden Project Half. The rain had stopped and the wind dropped, and we started from the "Strawberry" car park (sounds uninspiring but it was OK as car parks go!). It was very warm, vest and shorts weather, and we jogged through country lanes before turning in to a huge puddle which marked the start of a wooded area. The course was gorgeous and the halfies ran with the marathoners till about 7.5 miles where they split off to run more off road delights, we went on to the roads and the joy of the Cornish short sharp hills. At about 8 miles in, as seems to be my luck these days, the heavens opened, flashes of lightning and some of the loudest thunder I've heard in a while (yes louder than the Thunder Run!). It was refreshing though. We finished off by coming back on to the clay trails in to the Eden project, the last mile winding down towards the Biomes. A lovely run, and a very welcome (dry) t shirt and hot pasty at the end. If I get brave I may do the Marathon one day, but it would definitely be at a long run pace. On the Marathon front, I've chosen Rotterdam as my spring marathon next year, having enjoyed Amsterdam and Stockholm I thought I'd go for similar but different. It's around the time of London/Manchester so I should be good for all the usual build up races.

My work in Bristol has kind of fizzled out, and I think in the last Blog I'd taken 2/3 of the exams I needed to take to upgrade my professional qualifications. I was scared of the last one. Work very kindly put me on a course to help with passing the monster, and also put me up. I had a lovely time at the Premier Inn in Manchester, just as well I didn't have to commute it was long days and my poor brain was crammed with the intricacies of Microsoft System Center and Hyper V but I had some good times and some good runs there and the week after I passed the big scary one with 91%. It's a shame it's simply pass/fail and they don't differentiate between pass / distinction but there you go. I'm happy just to have got through it.

And finally - if you've got down this far: something I would not normally talk about in my blogs, but anyway during the course of August, well, I met someone. We'd previously met at a couple of parkrun events, and to cut to the chase we started going out. I've not been in a relationship for a while (through a combination of trauma and fussiness really) and compared to previous relationships it somehow seems very different. Suddenly there is someone who is on the same wavelength. Someone who gets me and simply says and does all the right things. Someone who I feel that twinge of excitement about when we've been apart and I know we are going to see each other. A gorgeous person inside and out he is cool, interesting, he makes me laugh, he rocks and quite frankly he rocks my world. It is very uncomplicated; he's my friend, someone who I would do anything for and seeing him happy makes me feel happy.

On that hopefully not to cheesy note I shall leave it there.

One year on, 3 weeks on and a load of crystal balls

This time last year I was out in Derry for the 4 marathons event. How time flies. This means technically I've done not one but two quite cool events in the space of a year. The company running the 4 marathons event moved the dates a little this year, so the 2nd batch of runners already completed the beautiful routes finishing the other weekend; I think the hills of day 1 were a bit of a shock to the system last year, so in 2013 the runners were eased in a bit more gently, the courses were the same but run not necessarily in the right order. Every time I think of the event, the scenery, the people (both who were at the event and helped me train back in blighty) I have a little smile. It was brilliant. I know this is a shameless plug, no one has asked me to do it but if you are in to the marathon sort of thing:

http://www.extremenorthevents.com/Race/Quadrathon/Quadrathon-B/prod_18.html

(they also have a facebook page that has loads of photos from this year that show the beautiful scenery is = hilly!)

It's been 3 weeks or so since the 100K. In some respects it seems like a lifetime ago, in other respects it seems like only yesterday. I'm recovering fairly well I think. I had an enforced rest for almost 2 weeks before I was allowed to run, my first jog-ette being the parkrun at Wimpole (whilst visiting my parents) a couple of Saturdays ago. At the risk of sounding like I'm on happy drugs, this is a fabulous, lovely, brilliant parkrun, I think it shares joint first place with Leamington and Plym Valley for course beauty. I mean when you get a finish like this:

Free milk at the finish - if you can catch the cow

For the first week after the 100K I wasn't bothered about runs, but that first weekend when my legs felt less tired and my foot bruise had cleared up I got the urge again so the 2nd week was spent drumming my fingers and waiting to be allowed off the leash. I was told to jog the parkrun; I intended to jog it, but after 13 days of no running I was champing at the bit and despite holding back was running at 9.15s which I was quite surprised about having simply used the force I thought I'd been doing 10mm +

So last week I was back at circuits and the first "proper" week back running. Combine this with giving blood and taking an exam it was fairly tiring. I'm so pleased to be back on it though. This week I've been running and doing circuits but I've been struck my the dreaded lurgi (fairly standard 3 weeks post Ultra apparently) and I'd say my hair was falling out :-( no surprise as when I took my elastic hairband off after 12 hours of running and my scalp hurt along that band line for 3 days, so good job I had a mop top to start off with. I passed another exam yesterday, I like working in Bristol but it's been nice to have a rest from commuting even if it means having to justify my existence by upgrading my MCSE qualification.

I ran Wolverhampton Parkrun this Saturday and put some proper effort in as a line in the sand to build from, clocking 25:50. Not great, my best there is 24:50 (and that was the day after a 20 miler!) but it could have been worse. It's been a while since I've done a proper parkrun effort or any speed work, this first one back you know is going to be horrible but you just have to get it done and keep sticking at it. First mile on Saturday I was "waaaay-heeey this is great"; mile 2 "*puff* getting tricky now"; the start of mile 3 I felt like I had nothing in my legs but hung on, by the end I perked up and I managed to out sprint a bloke to the line who thought I was easy pickings. Ha!

I'm not doing anything "big" for the rest of the year, but I have some goals leading up to Xmas and in to 2014:

• Make it to my 50th Parkrun ASAP - Saturday was #34. Planning this out it will be some time in March 2014
  
• Run all the  XC races (we run in 2 leagues and numerous championships/relays - I only missed 2 last year!) parkrun total will suffer but I can still volunteer :)
  
• Drop some more weight (lost a stone but it is not going up but I've hit a plateau, so back on that too)

I've considered what to do next year and I'm going for the Rotterdam Marathon. I've decided combining these events with a mini break is the way forward as I had *the* BEST time in Stockholm. The timing also means I can do my favourite training runs like Stamford, Ashby, Rhayader etc as Rotterdam is on 12th April. Not going to obsess about a sub 4, but I will try and hopefully if I drop a few more lbs it will just happen naturally.

In other news, I've been going out and catching up with friends a lot since I got back from Stockholm. Spent some time seeing my god-family, little Edith and the boys get more adorable every time I see them (their parents aren't bad either) and I find it so sweet the way little Edith greets me with a big smile and "ITS NAAATT!!!!" when I arrive (and for the next 3 hours in between doses of Peppa pig ;) )

In an unusual move, I went to a psychic night at a cupcake shop - to admire and sample the cupcakes. I most definitely don't believe in all that stuff, but it was interesting. Basically there were 3 types of people there last Thurs:

Cross my palm with a snicker-licious...

• Old ladies wanting to talk to dead relatives
• Single 40-50 something women asking "when will I find a man"
• Cake fanciers (me and Jane) "oooh the cherry bakewell one looks nice"

He gave everyone a reading, and when it came to me he seemed to think he was speaking to one of my male relatives who passed away quite a few years ago: "the first thing he wants to say is a big WELL DONE!!" at this point Jane was nudging me. I volunteered to him that I'd just run 100K, which he acknowledged, but he said "no, I think you've been studying". Well I'd taken and passed my first exam that Monday. There were some other things, but also an equal number of things where I was saying "no I can't see how that applies to me". With regards to the studying stuff, I was in scruffy jeans, Doc Martens, had my Cambridge Satchel over my shoulder and a Dexters Laboratory t-shirt with the word "Genius" scrawled across it - I think I could have possibly looked a bit studenty. Apparently "life has been a bit ploddy recently" but this is going to change. Well I look forward to that?!?! Some of it was a bit spooky and it's a neat trick but it didn't really rock my world.

That's it really - next broadcast when there is something to tell!

Stockholm 100K Ultramarathon

Sit down and get a drink and a biscuit. In fact get a whole sponge cake, this may take some time. Anyway. For a while I've been contemplating doing another Ultra Marathon. I did enjoy the 40 miles of hills of Connemara in 2011 - so I decided: August 2013 it was TIME!

I like running long, I like Marathons. Doing 4 of them in 4 days was "OK", but as an ever modest friend who did a large multi-day / multi-continent event pointed out to me once multi day stuff is very doable if you have the time to train, the will and the time to recover between the events (or words to that effect). I have to agree. It has fascinated me the way that people manage to keep going non stop for hours and hours on end, to the point where you start to measure in days rather than hours. OK then, I'll have some of that! I found the Stockholm Ultra by basically searching for 100K events worldwide in August 2013 and narrowing down from there. It was the first time this event was to be held but the website and everything about it just screamed "really good". I had total faith it would be and I wasn't disappointed.

So it is fair to say that I needed a rest after my last Marathon in April and that is what I had, doing a lot of 10-ish milers but nothing significantly longer. We really started the heavy mileage and "overloading" on my legs in July with a shorter taper and also I think with the improved total body strength from boot camp I was definitely ready. I actually felt ready this time, excited about the whole trip and the event I was doing, how different to the pangs of sheer terror I felt a few years ago, although in the past once I got going in the actual run I had always been OK.

The build up week prior to the Ultra was up and down. I had a cracking weekend at the Thunder run, 3 laps, 3 different races(!) and got a decent amount of sleep (as much as you can in a tent in the biggest thunderstorm Derbyshire has ever known with people splashing and stomping to-ing and fro-ing from their runs at all hours) but it left me a bit tired on Monday. I then had a couple of late nights in the week, and for some reason Thursday night I felt like I barely slept at all even though I probably did, my head was spinning but with nothing in particular. I chose an early flight to Stockholm on the Friday because I like to make the most of all the time available when I am away somewhere, but this meant I had to be at Manchester airport for 7.30am to check in, meaning a 5.15am pickup and because I hate not having a shower in the mornings, my alarm was set for 4.45. I thought only one 4.45 existed in a day. Ugh.

Heather came to pick me up in her little car at 5.15, which was very kind of her (she was off to boot camp at 6.15 so I still felt a bit guilty but not quite as bad as I could have done). She looked after me, waiting on the platform with me until the train arrived where she handed over a small gift bag containing some foot cream for afterwards from her and Wendy. I love my mad aunties from Gornal, I was really touched, I'm lucky to have such nice friends and to be given a very thoughtful prezzie. The train journey was smooth to Manchester, I got to the airport nice and early, however I had the misfortune of queuing behind 100 participants of an international scout jamboree who seemed hopelessly disorganized (and I'm sorry there *is* something odd about seeing older men in short trousers, scarves and woggles) but the Norwegian airlines staff got through it quite quickly.

Ging gang goolie...

I was soon through security and looking in the air side shops being tempted in to buying stuff I really don't need on the basis it is "cheaper", I managed to stop myself but only just. On the plane I thought I'd got away with having two seats free next to me to form a small bed for the flight until a two women and a baby got on. Thankfully the little boy was quite well behaved, to be honest I was so so tired I plugged my earphones and listened to some toons' as soon as the seat belt signs went off and fell asleep, he could have been screaming for 2 hours and I wouldn't have noticed. I woke up as we were getting ready to land.

Sweden seems like a very efficient country. There is a shuttle train that goes from Arlanda airport in to central station in Stockholm that takes 20 mins, and is approx £20 which in turn is about half the price of a taxi. These trains are spectacular. As a rule trains, to quote the great philosopher Shania Twain "don't impress me much" but on boarding this one I actually thought I had inadvertently wandered in to business class or something.... pleb class was clean, roomy and had free WiFi. Brilliant! I'd done my homework and when we arrived in to Stockholm central it was just a case of wheeling my suitcase around the corner to the hotel. Stress free. Staying at the Radisson Waterfront was probably a bit on the expensive side, but I got a good advance deal, I don't smoke, drink or have any wildly extravagant hobbies that I'm admitting to and I thought if I'm going to be running *that* far I'm going to stay somewhere a bit posh. It was about 2 pm, so I spent an hour settling in and having had instructions to do a gentle 20 min run on Thursday I wandered off down Klarabergsgatan, Hamngatan and Strandvagan towards the edge of the ultra course, I ran a mile in reverse direction and a mile back in a direction that would become very familiar to me on Sunday!

"Warning - nutters around on Sunday"

Saturday was a day for relaxing and doing very little, and I was very tired Friday night so went to bed early - I got up at about 9 am having had about 12h sleep. My first job after cracking open the "oat so simple" (yes I am that mean breakfast in the hotel is extortionate!) was to go to the running shop, Loplabbet and get my race number. It dawned on me I'd forgotten safety pins, and before coming out here I'd had a pin cull in all the pockets of my rucksacks which meant I couldn't even cobble together a selection of random ones from the bottom of my bag (we've all had to do it!). On the way to the shop I called in to several chemists and they all knew what safety pins were, they just didn't sell them! Praise the lord when I went to collect my number they had a huge bowl full, in fact they had put them in to the goody bag too. The goody bag was nice, a drawstring kit bag, a massive hard backed book (in Swedish) about running, a discount voucher for the shop and practical items - a sponge, and a white cap which could be useful in the race.

My own personal sponge, just what I've always wanted!

I was tempted to view some of the Stockholm gay pride parade as it went through the city on Saturday PM (lots of events on this weekend, rainbow flags everywhere, rainbow buses, rainbow coffee cups) but figured on such a hot day I didn't need the excitement and I should just relax elsewhere! I mean - what on earth...

Horse love - it's a beautiful thing

So I stuck to my original plan and set about doing a small practice exercise in getting to the start; purchasing a sort of 72h Oyster card for the tube system, I went from the Central station to Karlaplan and walked down to the Maritime museum where they were setting up the race. Not far and I worked out it would take me about 25 mins total to get to the start from leaving the hotel. Swedish tubes run very well, and even on Sundays run very early in the mornings. I was confident it would be ok. I had a little look around the maritime museum and stopped off to get some lunch, thinking "tomorrow I'll be running" - I thought this a lot from when I got up until about the 7pm on Saturday. Thankfully right next to the hotel there was a Wagamamas, so in the evening I loaded up on noodle and rice based food. I'd felt fine all day, quite upbeat and I'd emailed a few people saying "woo hoo I'm excited!!! I got all my shit together in the evening so all I had to do on race day was eat and get out the door and BANG!! All of a sudden I suppose when I had done all my prep and had time to think I had a real nervous meltdown sitting in front of my computer. 100k is a long way. It's from London to Portsmouth! Crisis time. Didn't feel ready. I'm in a strange country. Alone. So the secret is out, even apparent hard nuts have their wobbles. I went to bed in a bit better mood, but my sleep was very light as I had a paranoid fear the alarm would fail to go off at 4.45am - for the second time in 3 nights I was seeing that time again! Double ugh! I would be at the start about 6.20 for the race start at 7.

My alarm did go off, and I breakfasted courtesy of Quaker oats again. I toddled a few metres to Central station, (the road was quite busy with people doing the early morning walk of shame / stride of pride) got on my planned tube and again walked the short distance from Karlaplan, I figured it wouldn't hurt to get my legs a tiny bit warm. I soon arrived at the site I had visited Saturday, and whilst it was not exactly heaving it looked a lot different with everything set up. Tents, portaloos, tables arranged in number order to leave bags and boxes on. There was also a giant screen, this was excellent as it gave live info that you could see about your run such as last lap time, pace, predicted finish time every time you went through a lap. I strapped my rucksack to the leg of my allocated table, thankfully I had a low number so mine was the first table as you came in to the start/finish area or so I thought until the Swedish ladies champion turned up and erected her own table in front of the others! So I milled about a bit and someone shouted something in Swedish, and we went to the start. This video gives an idea of the atmosphere, I am 20 seconds in looking unimpressed at the man dressed as a dog. (I beat him - woo hoo!). It also has some good shots of the course.

http://www.marathon.se/aktuellt/se-videon-fr%C3%A5n-stockholm-ultra

They fired an actual gun dead on 7am which scared the life out of me, and we did the first cut down lap of about 4K, to be followed by 12 "normal" laps of about 8K. It was nice that everyone was jogging and not too stressed about going too fast and I was managing to control my pace well. I felt OK. First lap we went round some roads to a little bridge, and over a river (which thanks to the boat tour I know now to be a canal - duh!) and along past some horses fenced off by electric fence. We then went past a restaurant and a park with masses of geese which looked like Canada geese but not quite, they had whiter faces, a man in a hi vis jacket was trying to herd them off the course - this appeared to be his sole purpose in life on Sunday. We then went through the blue gate, over the bridge and back along a leafy avenue towards the start. On the main laps you added a forest and canal section before crossing that same little bridge and repeating the trip through geese-ville.

13 x through this gate!

I discounted this short lap as being part of the race, and I thought of it as a "warm up" so when I went through the finish for the first time and the scoreboard said "laps to go: 12" for me that was when it all really began. With the laps being approx 8k things seemed to go quite quickly, and by about 11.30 I had reached the Marathon point. The marshals were excellent, especially the group of old people as you turned off the gravel path left up the hill to the woods, the blonde lady at the entrance to the woods with her pumping "ace of base" dance music, the ladies as you got to the first bit of canal and the team as you came off the bridge in the city centre near the end of the lap. They were all good, but these people stood out as being particularly enthusiastic and as things got harder I looked forward to seeing these complete strangers. Strange but true.

I found out after the race that Saturday was the hottest day in Sweden for ages, and Sunday was a little cooler but wasn't too far off. So I'd run a marathon before it got *really* hot, but from 12pm onwards the temperature rose. Fueling on 100K is important, and I wanted to make sure I was drinking and eating enough. I opted to carry my donut bottle, yes yes I know I look silly but I hate the paper cups and you can never get a decent glug from them. I carried some gels, and had one every 5 miles, also picking up bananas and chunks of energy bars at the stations, things I could eat whilst jogging. I tried a cream cheese sandwich, but I didn't like it much, it put me off having a hot dog or burger, any other time would have been good but just didn't fancy it. Every so often I'd go back to my rucksack to pick up another gel supply and pop some nuun tablets in for my water. By lunch time I could see and feel salt on my skin, and the top of my vest as it started to dry out was going white. I wonder how much salt I actually lost. Quite a lot!

At this point I must mention Steve Way, for those of you not in to running he is a "quite good" (2.19) marathon runner and one of Britains best hopes over the longer distances. A few years ago he was a 16 stone smoker and went from that to being a top class marathon runner in not more than a couple of years. He was on the start list, I have read his blog and so figured if he was around I'd vaguely recognise him. I hoped he would be there, but obviously he would be starting on the later start! I'm not sure how far it was in to my run, but I heard a commotion behind and several men on bikes were telling runners to keep right. A flash of yellow and blue went past, and I was pretty sure it was him. "WELL DONE!!!" I yelled. He looked around at me slightly possibly confused thinking "you are English do I know you?" but a big smile appeared and thumbs up and a "thank you!!" followed. Even then he seemed to be way way ahead. He lapped me several times, and each time I cheered him on and got the thumbs up. Great bloke, he won by a massive margin - 40 mins, coming home in 6.40 which is amazing and the 5th best time by a Brit ever over 100K. So pleased he smashed it.

It was at the halfway mark I had a severe wobble. It basically went:

I'm halfway, hooray!
Oh fuck I've got do do this ALL AGAIN!
I'm a bit tired
It's hot
I'm not sure I can manage it
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!
I'll get to the end of this lap and hand my number in - I've made it to halfway, 50K is respectable right? I've had a lovely day...
No, 50K is not OK if you've planned and focused to run 100K
I wish I'd entered the 50K now, then I'd at least have a medal to show for it
People are watching on the telly. What will they say?
Sod them! They are probably out down the pub or at B & Q anyway. No one is interested (how untrue I found this to be!!)
But you can do this really - you are always saying to other people "you don't know till you try"
Waaaah! :(

Before the end of the lap I felt slightly better, so I carried on. I told myself to try just one more lap. I saw the old people crowd at the left turn up the hill to the woods, and they whooped and cheered in Swedish. I always said thanks in English, just, well just because I didn't want to insult them by saying it wrong in their language and I wanted to be polite and let them know I was grateful. One of the ladies said in broken English as I approached "you do-ink veeery well!" and as I was departing from where they were "you...you a good fighter". I thought "You know what?? She knows it, I know it, KICK ASS" and decided that they would have to carry me off the course screaming at the cut off, or in a coffin. The ladies at the river bridge saw me and started yelling "girl power!!!" good timing ladies! It was about this time I got snapped:

Only 30 or so miles to go...

I think with an event of this distance you have to accept it is going to get tough beyond the realms of what you have experienced before, and you have to accept you will slow down (unless you are at the really sharp end of the race) especially if it is hot. It will hurt, but in a miles time it could well feel like it is easy again. Then tough. Then easy. If you can get your head around that, and deal with the basics of fueling and foot care (there was a man running who I think had to run the last 40K in 'croc' sandals because his feet were mashed - well they are supposedly comfy!!!) you are a large part of the way there. So I made it my next mission to get to 40 miles. This was a milestone because 40 was the longest I've ever run, after this it was all new. After 40 on some of the short inclines I was power walking up, it seemed more efficient to do this and in fact I overtook other runners on the ups using this strategy. On the flat I was off again. Around 40 I also looked at things in a new way - the 4 lap countdown, as a few weeks ago I did a parkrun event at Leamington where we did 4 parkruns back to back. I thought to myself this was really no different, apart from the laps being slightly bigger. The leafy course drew some parallels, and I kind of imagined I was doing the same thing. The last 3 laps or so things started to get cooler for which I was grateful, and the physically I looked good - I still had no blisters, no aches and pains or any problems apart from general tiredness. Looking around there were people even in the 50K who looked done in, sorry but in these circumstances feeding off of others misfortune feeling "superior" did make me feel better and therefore a bit stronger.

On my second to last lap coming in to the finish I saw one or two runners hobbling around wearing the pink 100k medals. I'd seen people milling around wearing the blue 50k but it was a significant thing seeing "my" medal. Seemingly before I knew it, I was on my last lap. So as long as I didn't pass out and get pulled off the course by doctors or have any stupid issues, I could crawl it and still come in under the 15h cutoff. I wanted to stop and hug all the marshals, but I opted to just pour out my sincere thanks as I jogged past and hoped they understood me! I think they did. The rush when I saw the city centre bridge for the last time was immense, and as I turned right up the hill towards the finish I felt a new wave of energy. All the marshals were clapping (still after 12h don't they get sore hands?) and I was kind of pointing at myself with a proud face saying to them "last lap, last lap I'm done!" this lead to increased clapping! As I crossed the road I could actually see the finish. Despite it being just gone 7pm the crowds were still relatively large, and I think by the look on my face and the spring in my step people could tell that this was it. I put my arms in the air and I was over the line. I couldn't believe it. I almost started blubbing as the lady put the medal round my neck. I started wondering around on the grass in a daze and the a man who was part of the finish crew cattle prodded me to get some stew, shoving me at the tent saying "Eat! Eat!" to be honest I was and am fed up (geddit) of stuffing my face. But I did as I was told. Chicken and vegetables in brown gravy with rice got the right mix of recovery foodstuffs down me I hope.

t-shirt and medal

As I was eating I rang my parents, and almost started to cry again (I feel like I want to have a good blub but haven't yet, so friends beware) I decided snotting and spitting rice everywhere would not be a good look, and besides people were still coming in and needed encouragement. I got my stuff together, and decided to start the shuffle to the tube station I had previously last seen at 6am that morning. The pain was immense. My legs had seized in a way like I'd never experienced. I got to the marshal lady at about 200m to go where you came off the road on to the gravel path, and just sat down on the grass looking a bit snivelly and pathetic. Thank GOD I'd put some money, just about £40 cash to cover an "emergency" in to my drop bag rucksack. I explained to her I'd planned to walk back to Karlaplan to keep my legs moving post race but I couldn't. Thankfully she spoke perfect English, so I asked if she could order me a taxi to my hotel, and before I had finished she'd whipped out her mobile (I'd offered her to use mine) and said something down the phone in Swedish. "It will be here in 5 mins". I was so happy. I was even happier when it actually arrived in 2 1/2. The taxi driver was lovely, he thought I was bonkers running 100K on one of the hottest weekends in Stockholm for a long time, and even though it was a relatively short trip he did his best to give me a mini tour as we were driving along. Stockholm is an expensive city - it was about £20 for what must have been about a 2.5 mile journey. The most expensive but most required journey I've had.

I was really really pleased to see my hotel room again, and for 10 mins I just lay on the bed having dumped my bag groaning a little bit. Even unpacking my rucksack was an effort. The next big thing was having a shower. Sweating and wearing a wet salted vest / sports bra etc for 12 hours leads to a bit of chafing, even despite changing in to fresh clothes immediately after the race, and some of my back and under my right arm was a bit raw. Once I had mastered the 10 minute delicate operation of getting my kit off, I realised that that this shower was going to sting... It certainly did, although my legs hurt, my raw skin hurt a lot more initially and the hot water was making me feel a bit light headed. I usually like to stand under the shower for 20 mins at times like this, but I quickly cleaned up and got out, laying on the bed for 20 mins wrapped in towel, not groaning but whimpering a bit this time. I must stress I was drinking plenty and trying to eat, but didn't really feel like it. I had some peanuts and a bit of chocolate when I got back because that is what I fancied. I tried to sleep, but despite being dog tired, I couldn't. My legs just hurt laying there, no position was comfortable. At about 2am it lessened and I was able to go to sleep, but was awake again around 8.30am. It is an understatement to say I was stiff. I wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted me when I rolled back the covers:

Ouch! No, not really...

Yes, the entire left side of my left foot was blue. I'd had no pain or anything when running, after running or even on Sunday evening when I'd taken my shoes off. This just appeared. I do find if I do ever have any niggles, they are more predominant in my left leg / foot than the right. Must be my bio-mechanics. I got up and had a little walk around, it was swollen as it felt like I was treading on a lump when barefoot, but was better with shoes on. I breakfasted, showered (a nice long 20 minute one this time :) ) and decided to go and have a look around now the pressure to "relax" was off. What I must have looked like doing my slow shuffle walk out of the hotel I don't know!

I had a wander towards the old town, having a look around at the Royal Palace and Opera house. I decided to get on a bus tour, and sat on the top deck snapping away like a total tourist (well I suppose I was). I managed the stairs down from the top deck well enough and got some lunch, a smoked salmon bagel being the order of the day, initially I wasn't very hungry but now I was starting to get my appetite back. I got back on the bus and carried on snapping, and once my circuit was complete carried on to the boat tour. I wandered back to the hotel, I'd been out for 5 hours or so, so I had a lie down and at the risk of sounding boring off to Wagamamas again, this time having the most spicy thing on the menu that I didn't want to risk the night before. I had a much better nights sleep on Monday, a long lie in and spent the Tuesday morning packing and pootling around buying gifts before setting off to the airport. I resisted the temptation to smuggle some Surstromming in to the UK.

Yum!

And that is it really, not sure what else to say. My friend Lisa picked me up on Tuesday night, it was nice to see a friendly face waiting on the train platform, and she was amazed at how well I was moving. The foot feels better, although stiff in the mornings and possibly a little swollen it is not bruised any more. My legs feel ok, I am reminded I've done a bit more than usual when I get up occasionally but I'm feeling good. Back in my own bed again and familiar surroundings I'm finding I'm needing my sleep, and working from home I'm trying to get a lot done first thing and having a late afternoon nap because I think it is when you are sleeping your body is in repair. I hope I'll be running soon because I'm starting to feel like I want to again.

Having been in to work in Bristol speaking to other people at work, and having gone to both running clubs (just to say hello) I must say I am really amazed at how many people were tuned in on Sunday. I didn't really think anyone would be interested, although I tried to kid myself that they were and many times I looked down the little camera by the lap start / finish with its flashing red light wondering who was watching. I pretended that you were watching, and it turns out you were! :) I am touched how mental my phone and Facebook went during and after the event and some of the lovely things that people have said. I had the best time. It just goes to show again that you don't know what you can do until you try.