I was informed by the lovely people at Jabra that my time for Athens Marathon  (5:57:59) which I entered into Marathon Talk’s weekly prize draw won a pair of  Jabra Wireless Earbuds.  I’ve never won any competition before so this is exciting stuff to me.  Today they arrived and they look so pretty!

I’m still recovering from Athens but look forward to running with them in the near future.  I am looking forward to not getting tangled up in headphone wires when I run!

#Bestyourbest

#Jsbrasportspulse

Happy running,

Xxx

Eleanor

On Sunday the 8^th of November, after a very early marathon breakfast at Athens Gate Hotel, I found myself in the starting pens at Marathon.  I got chatting with a former Bristol & West AC member who was running his first Athens Marathon and a couple of women from California who were travelling for a few weeks to see their favourite sites.  ‘I’ve never run any marathon,’ one of them said, ‘so we thought if we would train for any it would be Athens.’ There seems to be the general agreement amongst runners that the Athens Marathon is indeed the Authentic.  The lifetime experience to tick off the Bucket List and say, ‘I did that!’

For me it was Athens Marathon Take Two.  After the heat stroke I suffered last time I wanted another chance at getting a better time.  This time round however I had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) to battle with so the half or so of time I expected to make up from the heatstroke I ended up spending in toilet queues instead.

I must have had a leftover strain from Bristol + Bath Marathon in my right foot.  Two miles in the right inside of my foot started to ache.   It spread the seeds of doubt through me.  Can I do this?  Buses stopped on the opposite side of the road to take anyone from the medical areas to Athens every fifteen minutes.  As I was glancing over at the bus that was coming up to park ahead I saw a man in crutches running with his foot suspended between them.  I saw him powering on and thought if he can do it on crutches I can do it with only a bit of discomfort.  Determination is key.  In my opinion running a marathon is 80% mental.  20% actual running.

I finished in 5:57:59 shaving a couple of minutes off of last time.  Not quite the big PB gain I was hoping for but still an achievement nonetheless.  I’d forgotten quite how challenging the course is.  In my head I thought it was just one big hill towards the last 10k going into Athens.  I was corrected on route with the course rising and falling in nearly regular slopes.  It is not a flat course.  On Strava the total elevation amount was 1, 201 ft which is huge for a road race.

Throughout the run I was surprised how little had changed about the marathon and my experience as a regular holiday goer in Greece regarding the current economic crisis.  The Greeks are still a thriving and giving community.  Their shouts of, ‘bravo!’and giving of olive branches lacing the 26.2 bare route of hills and road with kindness and support.  We all hear cries of, ‘the volunteers were great!’ In races but here the medical volunteers deserve a special shout out for spraying and rubbing freeze pain solutions into my foot and ITB band after that old injury started to raise its ugly head towards the end.  All in all I feel I fought the battle of my own desire to be like, ‘Nah, that’s it I’m out’ rather well.

After I managed a sprint finish (believe it or not) at the Stadium I hobbled home to the Hotel with the help of Mum who’d come all the way to Athens with me.  My foot was twice the size as normal and I could barely put weight on it.  Ouch!  We had a victory dinner of steak, popcorn potatoes and Greek yoghurt, cucumber and mint mousse.  A lot of wine of course!

Things That I Learned At Athens Authentic Marathon 2015;

1. Determination is key.  In my opinion running a marathon is 80% mental.  20% actual running.
2. After 8 marathons there really is no hidden secret to marathon running to stumble across that makes marathon running any easier the more you run them.
3. Never underestimate hills.
4. Never go on holiday in just your running shoes.  Always bring a spare pair incase your fwet point blank refuse to go back in running shoes after your run.

Happy running,

Eleanor

Xxx

The Sanlam Bristol + Bath Marathon took place on Sunday 25th of October.  Runners everywhere had a mass nightmare that they would be late for the run due to the clocks changing so most of us had an uneasy nights sleep despite the extra hour it offered.  That meant that after wolfing down porridge and honey I shoved my backpack in the transport vans and legged it to the 4:30/5 hour starting pen outside the Mud Dock.

It was already a clear and chilly autumn day of pure golden sunshine.  This meant that runners were cold even before the start as we waited around the outskirts of Queen Square.  The Runner’s Village was covered in a blanket of dewy autumn leaves.  Some runners were even wearing knit sweaters.  I didn’t blame them as my fingers were already starting to numb.

A couple stood behind me and the lady asked nervously, ‘You look like you have all the right gear.  How many marathons have you won?’  Her friend in the floral sweater had pointed out my long sleeves and watch.

I count them in my head, ‘Six, this will be my seventh… provided I finish.’

‘Six!  That’s a lot!  This will be our first!’ She beams.

‘Good luck,’ I say, ‘Have a great race! You’ll feel great at the end!’

After some shuffling whilst the earlier pens are let loose the Mission Impossible theme tune starts us off and it begins.  This reminded me of Athens Marathon where I last heard the tune play at the start.  You can spot half of my body here speeding off towards the Portway.

Photographer: Michael Lloyd/Freelance

The Avon Gorge looked beautiful with the golden light illuminating the cliff edges and the trees.  I ran a solid Half Marathon distance and then was joined by Matt who was running with his Southville Running Club friends Tom and Ben (running his first marathon).  I saw my Dad and the dog Lilly, my Aunt Hannah down from Australia and Grandad Dennis all out to support among friends.  Members of the Bristol and West Running Club that weren’t running were marshaling along route for support.

It ended up being a beautiful casual long run with friends where I didn’t worry about time just about finishing and enjoying it with them.  My housemate Anna, my friends Scott and Lola and running club friend Karen also recorded their first marathon times.  Some slower, some faster, all brought together by this one crazy event.  It was amazing being around so many friends finding out how awesome it is to run a marathon and how much joy the victory brings at the end.

There literally couldn’t have been any more hills if they tried.  From 16 miles onwards it was all elevation of pure undiluted hills until the decent into Bath at around 21 miles.  This made the route so challenging for a road race.  It was then a final loop around Bath center until the finish line.  I feel like between this and the Relish race there isn’t a hill in the Bath area I haven’t ran up and down.

Victory lunch was at Aqua with Steven and Sarah.  I was so happy by that point not to be out in the autumn chill.  I wolfed down calamaris and a duck tagliatelle with a glass of wine.

Four days later I  am still aching!

Happy running,

xxx

Eleanor

I set out for my Sunday long run at mid morning.  It’s a chilly autumn day and the bite seeps into your fingers reminding you that summer is long gone and glove wearing season is nearly upon us.   Autumn leaves that were once  a curb side sprinkling now dominate the whole pavement.  The jewel bright crunch is a padded musical background noise.  Traffic hums by on Downs Cote Avenue.  I hold a water bottle in my right hand that rhythmically sloshes with every foot fall – at least it’s not my stomach making that sound today.