Tag Archives: marathon

Race Report: Athens Marathon 2018 – Marathon 10

23 Sunday Dec 2018

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It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted a blog.  Apologies for that.  Life got insanely busy again.

I’ve mainly been keeping quiet because I’d planned to run Athens Marathon.  I didn’t want to spend the summer worrying about my training on the net.  I have chronic fatigue, an undiagnosed bowel condition, a slipped disc that flares into my sciatic nerve, two broken toes and arthritis in my right foot fracture that I gained in 2016.   Instead I simply got down to it and knuckled in after the family triathlon in June.

I used my MoveGB membership to do at least two different fitness classes a week.  Mostly Zumba which I totally love now.  Tried out some different forms of Yoga.  I even gave Pole Dancing a go, Tai Chi and Spin Class.  I tried all sorts of things I wouldn’t have bothered with with a standard gym membership.  It’s important to find your groove for when it’s not okay to run as we all need a break and to cross train other things.  I ran two or three times a week and focused on a weekend long run.  My longest training run was half marathon distance.

It seemed logical that my return to racing start at Athens Marathon, having been twice before there is something about that race that keeps me coming back.  I travelled to Athens with my partner Jack.  I managed the race in just over 6 hours which isn’t my worst time or my best but is still a middling time and an achievement to having done my 10th marathon.  It feels pretty great to have finally got to 10 after having had to cancel Portsmouth Marathon last year.  I was ripe with anxiety and doubt!

I also raised £290 for the Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal charity for the Bristol Children’s Hospital. Image may contain: one or more people, people standing, sky, cloud and outdoor

Now I have done 10 marathons the question is what next?  I’m not sure I’m built to be a fast marathon runner no matter how much training I do.  I might switch up to trying to become a faster 5k or 10k runner and make HM’s my focus for 2019.  I can’t bring myself to say the words ‘no more marathons’ and I still like the idea of an ultra.  I’d defo need to get my marathon time to a more comfortable place before I tried even the shortest ultra-distance. But who knows … maybe one day.

Happy running

Xxx

Eleanor

Trial Race Day For Portsmouth Marathon

13 Wednesday Dec 2017

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Evaluating other attempts at running marathons I decided to change things up a bit and throw in a trial race day.  Not just a long run.  Basically, just a long run in which I pretended it was the Marathon.

It was the last long run before Portsmouth Marathon.  The morning of December 3rd (yeah, this blog is late).  It was the second longest run of 2017.  The run totalled 9.11 miles.

It went like so;

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Woke up at 8am to breakfast and drink coffee,
9am volunteering as time keeper at Junior parkrun,
9:30am set off from that start line of sorts to run along the Snuff Mills trails,
2.5 miles in turned back due to a steepass muddy as fudge decline at a tremendous height that made brain nope,
5 miles in stopped at the fuel station known as the house for hydrate,
7.5 miles in best run snacks of Jelly Beans by the mega handful,
8.6 miles in … 8 point … 6 … fudge 8.6. Keep at it!
9 miles in. 9 miles. Sprint finish home. HELL YES.

I felt fantastic.  When I got home for a cup of tea, a hot lunch and a steaming bubble bath after showering all the mud off it was a relief having done it.  I know it wasn’t 26. miles.  Nearly 10 is a good bench mark of how I will feel on race day.  I felt like I could do more, indeed I considered a second lap but didn’t want to over do it too soon.

JellyBeans

I found Jelly Beans as a running snack worked better than gels with my stomach so I’ve stocked up on lots of these.

Now to rest and carboload before Portsmouth Marathon.  I’ve done nothing but walking and yoga in the evenings.  I’ve bulk bought soups and healthy snacks for my workday lunches.  Of course, the odd Cherry Bakewell is unavoidable this time of year.  However, it’s still easy to eat balanced and just add the Minced Pies in as your afternoon snack instead of because of it.

As I write this Portsmouth looms at the end of Sunday.  I haven’t chickened out yet.  There are no health excuses worth cancelling for.  The weather might be a bit of mischief.  Yet, adventure calls.  The coast and it’s gales, the roses and their dew, the Pyramid Center and it’s Expo.  The runners and their lycra.

This will now be a staple before any race taper going forward in 2018.  It’s helpful to find the zone that gets missed sometimes with ‘just another long run.’  Make your long run work for you.  Make it special.

Happy running,

Eleanor

xxx

The sound of hard work

14 Saturday Feb 2015

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This is the build up of two years of running at the end of February.  I moved house last month and only just got round to putting up my plaque that I bought a year or so ago for displaying my medals.  I had my window open at the time which let the air in through the room.  As I went about tidying I heard the medals chiming away.  I was proud that my hard work not only created health and fantastic experiences but a sound I could listen too in the present even if the events are considered in the past.  It reminded me of wind chimes and it sounded beautiful.  Hard work makes a soft sounding music for something so tough.
IMG_20150214_110730Step 1: Watch an insane video where Kilian Jornet runs up Mount Olympus along the wrong route and still breaks his record.

Step 2: Think positive, ‘I can do that!’ start running every other day one cold day in late February.

Step 3: Run the Bristol 10k. Convince your other running buddies Liam and Matt that Olympus Marathon is a good idea whilst they’re recovering from the shock of their 10k victory. Whilst on a race high anything seems possible.

Step 4: Buy a fancy running medal display with a funky slogan on it to hang your bling on. Attach it on a wall between a cross breeze created by the window and the door. It doesn’t look like much now but you just wait!

Step 5: Continue to run races around the local area and the Athens Classic Marathon to collect medals. Pile them on the hooks one on top of the other.

Step 6: Open the window.

Step 7: Listen to the beautiful sound of your hard work as the wind catches the medals and chimes them together. Your dedication to your running is making that sound. Your alarm at 6 am telling you to get up and run. Your choice over what to eat and when in regards to how it will benefit your training is making that sound. Your experience whilst running 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon and Ultra distances are making that sound. Your memories are making that sound. Your sweat is making that sound. Your success is making that sound. Remember that at the Start line of your next race. What tune will it make to you? Will you like its sound? There’s only one way to find out. Ready. Set. Run!

xxx
Eleanor