Half PB and back to back 20 milers

It's been a busy few weeks.

A couple of weekends ago after getting back from Cornwall, I marshaled at the Inter-counties XC in Cofton Park, Birmingham. I was up at some ridiculous hour for a Saturday (and I thought park runs were early!). The Inter-counties is a major event for which runners have to qualify. The National XC held in Feb is different - anyone affiliated to a club can run, no disrespect to anyone I love running the National, but my mother could run if she was a UKA affiliated club member. To run in the Inter-counties you have to place quite highly in your County championships in January so it really is the best from the country, and the top few at the Inter-counties go off to the World XC. So the Stourbridge RC  "A Team" were out setting up the course from 7.30am, playing join the chalk dots with stakes and tape (must get the advertising on the inside so the cameras can see it) ironically the UKA is sponsored by the food of champions - chips!

Highlights of the day included:

• Seeing a water-bed like bit of ground bobble around with the weight of a grown man on it - this got cut out of the course - lightweights! 
• A freebie sausage and bacon roll breakfast
• Close ups of some cracking XC running
• A near cat fight at the front of the U17 ladies race. Meeow!
• A freebie packed lunch
• Seeing one of our SRC runners running for Worcestershire
• A nice fuzzy feeling from having given something back. I was that cold at times I could barely feel the fuzz, but it was there.

What do you mean you're cutting this bit out of the course?

After the senior men's race had finished I hot footed it to the car and made my way to Cambridge. At times at Cofton Park it was very cold and I spent the following 2 hours with the car heaters on full toasting myself which looking back I think may have not been the best thing for my health. I got to my parents and sat eating fish finger sandwiches for tea whist discussing the new additions they have made to their aquarium! Off to bed to rest up for the impending Cambridge Half.

The Sunday morning of the Cambridge Half sounded awful before I even got up. I looked out of the bedroom window to see a light covering of snow outside on the gardens, but this hadn't really settled at all on the actual roads and the sky looked grey, windy and sleety. I pushed some porridge around my breakfast bowl, and soon enough it was time to go. Cambridge seems to be the recycling centre of the world, my Mum and Dad have at least 3 different coloured bins and I was soon sporting this seasons little black number - a long wheelie bin liner. Off I toddled for a nice long 2 mile WU - believe me I needed it in that weather. I timed it well, I got in to the start pens before the crush, but not too long before so I wasn't standing around for ages thankfully. However the weather did its best and as we were all huddled waiting for the gun to go off there was a huge arctic blast that produced a collective yelp from the crowd. One slight criticism of the start pens - there was the "elite pen" sub 1.30 and then "1.30-2.00" pen. That seems to be a big variation for the second pen. Sure enough, as we got going, I turned a corner and came to a virtual halt behind the well known phenomenon of the gang of ladies wearing wings walking 3 abreast,  I think I shrieked a little "nooooo!" which I didn't manage to keep under my breath. Sorry.

I had a bit of a plan for Cambridge - I ran the Maidenhead Easter 10 last year at about 8.15s, and felt I could have gone on, so I decided to go out at 8.15 ish at Cambridge and see how I fared. I do a few parkruns and XCs as my "short distance" races but really it had been a whole year since I'd "raced" a half (Cambridge 2012!) and I hadn't done any specific training. These days racing 10K and 10 miles is few and far in between too. Anyway, despite the 'fairy' hold ups, I hit the first mile dead on 8.15 and there it stayed, some were a little quicker, some slower but nothing over 8.30 pace.  Cambridge is flat, but there are some gradients and twisty turny bits that bunch up the runners and require a bit of negotiating that slows you a little. I also kept double taking round the course, thinking I was seeing someone I knew - turns out it was an old teacher I had at 6th Form College, whom I saw at the end. Thank god for that, I thought I was hallucinating her! I had a slight downer when a man got very pissed off with me for accidentally squirting my Iconiq water pouch at him. Dearie me, there are bad things happening in the world and you're giving me "the look" when a) it was an accident and b) I said sorry and c) you're a bit wet already?!

I don't really have much else to say apart from I ran quite a well executed race, and despite the wind, sleet and rain I felt quite strong. As the time ticked by I didn't feel massively tired, although the last couple of miles I just wished it would stop 'effing blowing a gale in my face - all of my photos, and no I've not purchased them - show me gurning trying to see where I was going. As I came in to the finish, I knew it was a decent PB, although it was a bit hard to tell as there was no clock on the finish gantry. I crossed the line in 1:48:40 - about 3 mins off my previous best. I was a bit pissed off to find that in the results I am down as chip time 1:50 and gun time 1:51, and some ridiculous split for the 1st lap that would have meant I was running at 7:55 pace. I don't really care, I know what I did but the one time it really matters to me, there is a cock it up. Frustrating. Afterwards I was so wet and cold I didn't really want to hang around, so I did my 2 mile WD home and rifled through the goodie bag. Nice medal - check. Crisps - check. Cereal Bar - check. And... an individually wrapped prune. WTF!

One of these things is edible

My legs felt a little tired I could definitely feel I'd run a bit faster for a bit longer than a ParkRun(!) but a hot shower and I was right as rain (no pun intended).

Monday morning I woke up and the first thing I was aware of was that my throat felt like I'd swallowed razor blades. And my legs ached - in fact most of my body did. Looking back a weekend out in the cold, including the transition from the cold Cofton Park to the 40 degree Sahara heat of my car on the way to Cambridge was probably the kiss of death and my ear nose and throat and the germs must have had an orgy. OK, ok it's just a cold, and friends have had things much worse, but it was and still is slightly annoying - snottyness and a muzzy feeling that would not go away. As it was above the neck, I stuck to my training  during the week despite feeling a bit yuk, I have found that I feel better after a run (and it helps clear the snot out - tmi but it's a fact). The snot factory has kept on producing all week, a busy week and a late night at the Birmingham Leauge XC AGM on Friday listening to folks arguing about the definition of a Student - don't ask - meant I felt really tired. Not great but what can I do.

So this weekend was a big one. My two favourite 20 mile races on the same weekend, Rhayader 20 on Saturday and Ashby 20 on Sunday. These are two very different runs but they are both lovely. I did the same combo last year.

I'd had a conversation with a fellow runner, Becca at the Stamford 30K about Rhayader, she was also doing Ashby (and will eventually do Comrades this year), so we hooked up and went to Wales together. The good thing about Rhayader is that it is in the middle of nowhere in Wales, which means that the race starts at a civilised time: 1pm, often taking in the warmest part of the day - or so I thought. The weather in Rhayader village was cold but bearable, I did wonder if I might have overcooked it with a thermal top and gloves under my vest and long tights but I figured some bits could always be removed, a lot of the real racing machines had opted to wear vest and shorts. We did the loop of the town, and then we were off out and upwards. The Rhayader climb is a funny one, it is all runnable, but every year you see people hammer it too fast and walking by 3.5 miles. There is also a "false summit" at about 5 miles where you think you've reached the top but you haven't - the top is at about 6 - you know you've made it when you can see the ambulance(!) and the water station. Despite being full of cold and snotting in to my gloves before 2 miles had gone, the climb did not feel quite as long or steep as previous years. Progress!

At the top, I noticed that some small flakes were starting to fall from the sky. They were bouncing off my arms and gloves. Hail. Hail was OK, it was bouncing off of me and on to the road. In your face weather!!! The weather gods obviously twigged I was feeling smug, and seemed to turn things up a notch and the hail got worse. As we started the descent, the snow came. And came. And came. I glanced at my garmin to check what pace I was doing, and I couldn't see it. my wrists and forearms, as well as the top of my buff that I had over my forehead and ears, and the top of my chest and half my race number were caked in snow. 7 miles came, and a jolly marshal was directing us round the bends (we must have been) and I made a point of sincerely thanking everyone from that point onward because I was freezing cold running, they must have been hypothermic standing around for us. The snow at this point was settling quite deeply on the roads, and even the sheep were lining up against the walls to try and take shelter. The few cars that were out were gingerly navigating the bends, and cyclists had got off their bikes and were walking. I've done a lot of races in a lot of different conditions but for the first time ever in a race I questioned what it would be like if it really went wrong. If it went wrong here, a person would have been in serious trouble. These conditions went on until 10 or 11 miles, when the snow eased a little, it was still blowing a blizzard in our faces but no snow underfoot any more. By about 15 it had gone back to cold and grey. Still the hills, fields and trees were very breathtakingly pretty in the snow, this is what makes this race worthwhile. Because of my cold and not wanting to go too hard, I was running to heart rate to keep it easy and came in at 3.26 - maintaining pace and steadily overtaking in the 2nd half and feeling fine. I think that is a course PB, I've always run it easy but come in around 3.30. In 2013 I was just pleased I had survived! I found Becca who had finished not too long before and gone to buy a coffee (more to hold and warm her hands than to drink) and we made our way back to the Midlands. We went through blizards on the way back, as well as avoiding several kamakaze pheasants. No loss of life - it was a good day. I've stolen this photo from another club's website - it doesn't do the conditions justice, but imagine all this snow has come down in the space of a few mins:

Turned out nice again...

As soon as I got back, I did a Wonder Woman change and back out again to go to a charity quiz evening, to which I'm afraid to say only myself plus a couple of others turned up to. We figured it was the weather, the lurgi going round and the fact comic relief had cleaned everyone out the night before. We cleared things up and went to the pub instead. On the way home from Wales and Saturday evening generally I found I was losing my voice. I felt OK, and my legs felt OK, but I think 3.26 of breathing freezing air in and out didn't help.

I woke up on Sunday morning and my throat felt odd, not sore, but tight. I suspected I was still probably sans voice, turned to my teddy bear and muttered "good morning". It was confirmed. My voice was gone but thankfully my legs still appeared to work. Sarah picked me up at 7.30am, and we had a leisurely trip to Ashby, taking in the services at Tamworth for a hot chocolate which seemed to make my voice come back. We parked at the school which seemed to be quite a way from the race start, but mercifully the loo queue was short and we had a mooch around before the race  started. We got lead out and started, and after a few miles I teamed up with a friend/club mate of Becca's and we ran most of the way together - it was lovely to have the company. On the second lap I saw the familiar figure of Ruth's husband, and despite having been snowed on yet again, managed to muster a smile for the camera:

In anticipation of the hoodie....

As usual the marshals were great, the atmosphere and goodies are why I love this race. Things were much improved this year by a few quite hot looking blokes on bikes cycling in the opposite direction round the course cheering us on. I don't know if they were anything to do with the race, but they made me feel better - as did the water stations stocked with chocolate, jelly babies, gels and nice bottled water - I hate cups. The field at the end was like a cross country, still I felt very strong and came in at - 3.26. Never let it be said I can't pace myself. Think that might be a course PB too. We got a lovely green hoodie, but my hands were so cold and damp and the hoodie so soft and new - I put it on and looked like I had some kind of mould / green fur skin complaint growing out of the backs of my hands. I had my cheese roll whilst waiting for Sarah, the only gripe I have is that she came in around the 3.50 mark and they had run out of goodie bags. She was running at 11.30 pace, and by the law of endurance training someone looking to run a 4.20 marathon might well be doing their LSR at this pace. Doesn't encourage people not to race 20 milers really. I'll get off my soapbox.

The walk back to the car probably did both of us good, and on the way back we stopped for a recovery dinner at the only place we could think of - the Beefeater on the Hagley Road in Birmingham. Well impressed with my chicken dinner, and I couldn't eat it all so Sarah's cat was also impressed on Monday.

I felt a little tired on Sunday night, but that was more to do with the cold than the mileage, and I'm pleased as in the last week or so I've had quite a few decent runs despite being a little under par. I've taken things easy where I've needed to, and at the time of writing have a slight cough and snotty nose that is on its way out, so hopefully when that goes it will be all systems go again. Rargh!

Barnstaple ParkRun and Duchy 20

OK, so I am officially insane. I drove to a ParkRun from Cornwall on Saturday.... it was in Devon. Not the closest one (none are particularly close) but I wanted to have a good go at a 5K on a decent-ish surface rather than a cross country mudbath 5k. Barnstaple it was. I look at my diary coming up, and with various things going on at weekends, I have to take the opportunities when I can to get to ParkRuns. My rationale for this one was that I could have a shower afterwards and go onward to do touristy things on the way back.

So I was up at some unearthly hour (and I mean *really* early) on Saturday to go to Barnstaple. It was a nice enough scenic drive. I parked up at the "Tarka Tennis Centre" (I'm sure that was a film about otters when I was younger...) as instructed by the ParkRun website and I started running around to find the actual park, it is on the opposite side of the river from the tennis place. Not a problem but I think if I'd left getting there to the last minute I wouldn't have been too impressed - I had to accost a man in running kit to make sure I was going the right way. In typical style, you go to something like this and then see people that you know from the West Midlands (who are also down there for the Marathon on the Sunday) small world eh.

I did a 2M WU which gave me a good recce of the park, it looked quaint, some turns, and some bits of uneven path but noting major, and worked out you do one half lap and two full laps. 9.00 am and we were off. I can't say much apart from I just ran, and I felt really really good despite it being short distance. Most of the way I was chasing another lady, we swapped places a couple of times and she probably made me have a better race by the fact that she was there, she beat me by a few seconds I just couldn't match her pace at the end. My pace dropped off a little on the last mile, but I was fairly consistent and still felt good enough to muck about in front of the Camera. I cannot believe I actually did a Mobot. Tw*t.

Outrun by a child - again

I came in at 24:22 and I probably could have pushed a bit harder. Pleased with that. With 5Ks I tend to just run, and then analyse the Garmin stats to death afterwards. My 5K PB is 24:11 on a course that was subsequently re-measured and made a bit longer(!)  and this one was slightly long so I think it is fair to say I had a really good run on Sat. 2M WD, and off to use the facilities in the tennis centre. A brilliant arrangement, showers were spotless and piping hot, the changing rooms were lovely and warm, and no one else seemed to want to use them. I left feeling refreshed, invigorated and smelling of pomegranate.

Because it is somewhat out of season, most of the things I thought about visiting on the way back appeared to be shut. So as it was getting close to lunch time, I decided to see what was in Bodmin. I parked up, walked in to the main street(?) of the town and I just got a bad vibe from the people walking around, bad vibes from the shops and there didn't seem to be much to actually do or see apart from Bodmin Jail. Don't get me wrong the surrounding moor was very pretty, but the town (unless I've missed a gem) seemed a bit sh!t. I grabbed a pasty and ran - sorry if I've misjudged the place . I decided to go to Wadebridge and take some photos of the bits of the Camel Trail I'd run on Thurs. It took a lot of willpower to stop me from buying large amounts of fudge/chocolates from the many gift shops from there, I managed. Just. A quick trip via St. Mawes on the way back to look around and back for some Saturday night pasta eating.

Sunday came around, and I was quite looking forward to the 20. For me running 20 miles is not really a massive deal any more, and the plan was to run easy but put a bit of pace in there. I did the first 10 super easy, and then stepped it up on the second 10, using my HRM I set the Garmin to beep at me if I went over a certain HR. On the flat and downhills I was quite easily hitting my MP without the self destruct bleep of death going off, but it definitely served the purpose of making me back off on the uphills. Ruth's husband was taking photos at Barnstaple, and also at the Duchy, and it was nice to see a familiar face with him (and seeing Ruth running at various points) popping up on the course. I simply felt brilliant all the way round. This race DQ's ipod wearers, and I noticed 1) there was no one flouting the rule and plugging themselves in up the road 2) the support was so fabulous from other runners, marshals, people standing outside houses and sunday cyclists I never felt isolated or in need of any tunes to keep me going. These peoples words were good - people saying how good I looked, how strong I looked and I felt it - I felt upright, in control, strong, happy, chatty and in my element, even on the climbs. Because of the slow start I was overtaking all the way, and it's an ego boost. The 20 miles just flew by.

How to make a 20 miler look like fun

I love the way the hotel in Redruth gives itself over to the Marathoners and 20 mile racers, and at the end we were greeted with a medal, and a good selection of fruit, water, squash and CHOCOLATE BARS! On top of that, going back in to the function room, there was a huge pile of warm pasties, which was a nice touch, all these 20 mile races finish around lunch time and I was ready for some food. Lots of people were lounging around, hobbling about and having trouble getting up from seated, but you know... I could have got up and quite happily run another 10k my legs felt that fresh. Long may it last, and if I feel that good on an undulating course I'm hoping it bodes well for Manchester.

Raargh! You wouldn't like me when I'm angry...

On the way home from the race I had a bit of a trauma, I hired a car to come down here because mine is a tiny 2 seater with no boot space - and 8 miles from home I got a puncture (massive hole in tyre - sharp thing in road?) in the middle of nowhere. With everything being shut at that time on Sunday and no spare (a useless can of slime where the spare should be) I had to get towed home, then towed to Truro this morning when ATS opened. No biggie but it messed up my evening plans slightly and my Monday plans, it all turned out OK as I met my friend today instead and we went to a lovely pub and had a lovely long lunch whilst my tyre was being sorted.

It's nice when your lunch winks at you

That was all a bit of a pain, but hey it saved me car parking fees in Truro and also she pointed out it could have been worse and it could have all happened on the way to the race. When I got home tonight, I walked down to the little beach that is 10 mins from the house and sat there for a bit, it seems like one of the most peaceful places in the universe. I didn't know, but it appears that some of the D-Day landing boats going to Normandy left from the very same road my friend lives on. Amazing really. I can't get cross about things like punctures when things like that have happened just up the road.

No caption required really

Sadly my time is coming to an end here for now, but a bit more running and sightseeing to do first before it is back to the humdrum life.

Camels, fish and chips and giant bees

I know I don't have a hard life, but just recently I've been feeling a bit like I need a holiday. Work has been very busy and at times has left me feeling a bit frazzled. I just notice I'm doing things like misreading instructions, missing obvious things, forgetting things, and having poor concentration. It's been manic. Or perhaps I am just getting old.

You may have heard me refer to my friend in the Lake District. She is an example of how good things can happen to good people. She has a magnificent house in the Lakes where she currently lives and works - her job basically involves walking around the Lake District all day (nice in summer, not so great in Jan/Feb). Many years ago whilst a farm worker, she purchased a dilapidated barn which she gradually built in to her home whilst living in a caravan in the garden. Of course with property prices being as they are up there, this house has become more and more valuable over the years, and sometimes her work colleagues visit and in a slightly looking down their nose tone ask "how have *you* managed to get a house like this?". Her reply simply is: "I BUILT IT MYSELF". Part of her plan in life was always to move to Cornwall where she goes on holiday a lot already (there are a lot of dog friendly places for her 3 dogs there). The past few years whilst down in the area she has been actively looking for her dream house, and in 2012 she found it - with it being "the one" she had to move quick - with some financial wizarding, she managed to buy it but is not moving in full time for a couple of years. Of course the move from up "there" to down "here" is a big one, and as friends and family and her go down to stay in the Cornwall house, they take bits and pieces with them - saves a bit on moving costs and hassle.

So this week it has been my turn. I've wanted to do the Duchy 20 for a while but it was logistics that stopped me with it being so far away, so I arranged to go down to the new house for this weekend and a few days either side. I was about to type I've never been to Cornwall. I have, but not in a leisure capacity; I spent the 10th and 11th September there 2001 when I was working for the South West RDA. Why do I remember this, well obviously that was *the* September 11th - my boss and I were driving back from the Truro SWRDA office to Birmingham and had been chatting all the way until one of the chaps in our team rung me at about 5pm when we were still only as far as Taunton. That is my memory of Sept 11th - being oblivious in the bubble of the car, then turning the radio on to listen to the events of the day as they had unfolded, open mouthed, speechless and close to tears at the sheer horribleness of it all.

Wednesday I was working in Bristol, and I had packed up the car at 6am that morning so I could carry on the trip from there after work. I did a bit of lunch time speed work on Weds, a 6 mile run that included 4 miles at Half Marathon Pace effort (since I've got a Half in just over a week I thought I'd better see what was what). After getting a virtual ticking off by Gobi for not being arsed to get a new Heart Rate Monitor for 9 months I've also started wearing one again. Well it went ok - I managed a faster pace than I thought for what I *think* is HMP (according to HR is was HMP). We will see. My attitude has changed. I think I can do the pace I want to do at a half, and I'm prepared to die trying. Go hard or go home. I've changed as a runner - it catches me unawares sometimes but mentally I have a really different attitude to a couple of years ago.

V's instructions were perfect and I managed to get to her house and in to the house with no issues by 7pm, unloaded the stuff and I was sat down relaxing by 8.30. I'm a bit sad but part of the fun for me of going somewhere new is planning different places to go and do my runs and what to do and see. It sounds terribly toursity, I opted to go to Padstow and run some of the Camel trail (along the river Camel) because of easy navigation and a town at halfway. So that was decided Weds night. I switched off the lights to see lights twinkling on the horizon from the kitchen windows and went to bed.

When I got up in the morning, the following sight greeted me:

Rooms with a view

Magnificent. This house is the wrong way round, bedrooms downstairs and kitchen / sitting rooms upstairs, but you can see why. All the living area looks out over the estuary to Falmouth.

I got to Padstow and parked up, and started running along the trail. To anyone local I suppose it might not be very special, and it's probably not the most spectacular scenery that Cornwall has to offer, but looking at the sand, the seaweed covered rocks, the little birds with long legs and long bills probing around in the mud for their lunch is really different for me and it was very relaxing running. I ran over bridges, past massive piles of what looked like slate (?) and towards and through the little town of Wadebridge. Then, simply put I turned round and ran back. If there had been any sort of reliable bus / train service I might have carried on to Bodmin and done the whole thing one way, but hey I can save the Bodmin bit for another day I guess. This run was going to be 12 miles in total, by 10 miles it was lunchtime and I could hear the sound of my own stomach growling for the last 2 miles, so popped some warm clothes on and went in search of food. Camel trail half run, I saw no camels.

I don't know what Padstow used to be like, I'm guessing Mr Rick Stein has put it on "the map" and it has probably changed a lot. As far as I could see it is full of gift and tourist shops selling sweets / shells / surf clothing and then a few bistros. Being a low maintenance girl, I homed in on a chippy. I knew it was going to be nice when I walked in the door and fish lady asked me for my order so they could cook it fresh rather than taking a piece of dry fish from under the heat lamps. Yes I was hungry, but it really was lovely. Then it started to rain, so I stood in the chippy eating this gorgeous grub listening to the owner talk to some of the locals about this and that, so-and so's-pneumonia and tutting at the stupid tourists trying to drive down a one way street. As the rain died off, I did have a little wander around. Probably not the best place to do any shopping, but I got a few bits for presents etc and I have to say in Padstow it is really easy to blow an enormous amount of money on rubbish if you are not careful. And you can't sit down on a bench or anything without being harassed by birds!

Cue Jaws music

Walking round the quay, I managed to find an ice cream parlour, so that was pudding sorted. As I was asking for my double chocolate cone, the same locals who had been in the chip shop came in. I just looked at them ice cream in hand, and said "I'm having a healthy day today". I explained (I desperately volunteered the information trying to justify why they had seen me in both of those establishments) that I'd just run 12 miles, and I was doing the Duchy 20 at the weekend. The old man said he did that every week. I told him I'd see him on Sunday then ;)

This run incidentally was the first proper test of my HRM - I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the HR vs the pace, e.g. I seem to have a much lower HR for a given pace than I used to.

After my gastronomic blow out, I decided to have a little walk around, and came across "The national lobster hatchery" which thought I'd have a look at whilst I was there (thank god they weren't selling lobsters I'd have probably eaten one of those too). Quite interesting learning about all the beasties and how they are looked after. "Goliath" was quite impressive, as were the teeny little baby lobsters. I also love the way they are trying to make lobsters cool - "Adopt a lobster for your wedding guests" etc and surprise gift ideas. Careful opening your mail folks - if I send you a rubber lobster it means I like you :)

Surprise!

Today I ran from the house towards the King Harry ferry and back, it was a question of time. Places in Cornwall seem to be not many miles away, but a long time away. Not that it bothers me I'm in no real hurry, but I wanted to make the most of the planned visit to the Eden project. Another very low HR run.

I wasn't sure what to expect of the Eden project. My degree was in biology, and I definitely had a leaning towards the plant/biochemistry/microbiology side. The only animals I was interested in were insects largely because of their relationship with plants. The place is amazing. It seems so well structured and thought out, and interesting at every turn. They say it is all environmentally friendly and organic and stuff but the insects seem to appear to be genetically modified:

Pass the Jungle Formula

Tomorrow, if I can get out of bed at an ungodly hour for a Saturday, I plan to drive to the nearest park run  which is a long way away. I'm not going to say how far because it is insanity to go that for a 5K, but there you go, I've never claimed to be normal.