The Brighton Marathon

The big day came and went on Sunday. The weather on Saturday as I went to pick up my race number was horrendous filling me with fear for the Sunday. We lost another umbrella to the relentless winds that have battered the UK for months now.

I also learned that if you need to eat at a restaurant before a run it's best to book. Nowhere serving pasta had a spare seat. In the end we opted for Wagamama as rice is also high in carbs. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I don't feel it affected me on the day which is the main thing.

We gathered in the morning at Preston Park. It was raining and the rain from the day before created a festival atmosphere as everyone waded through the mud to the toilets and start points.

As soon as the gun went off it stopped raining and within a few minutes it was perfect running conditions - overcast, warm with a slight breeze. Great.

Despite the hills I really enjoyed the first half of the marathon. It took me out to places I hadn't been to before and the support was great. At the half way mark I passed the Cancer Research cheer team and got a huge roar from them. Once I was past mile 15 I was into unchartered territory and that is when I started to hit the wall. I began by walking a little and then running, walking a little and running to take some pressure off my hips and knees which were hurting by this point. Not unbearable pain, just aching. I carried on around the suburbs of Hove admiring the various parties that were happening in driveways and the immense support given to everyone on the course by those lining it.

At mile 18 I rang Andy needing some encouragement to help keep me going. I had fallen off the pace and found myself on my own a bit which started to eat at my confidence. I felt I was going to be dead last or worse still not finish at all. Andy spurred me on and after a quick loo break I carried on to mile 19 where a young lady called Jody came running up next to me to offer me jelly babies. We got talking (believe it or not it's actually quite nice to talk - it takes your mind off the running) and we agreed to run together to keep each other going. It really helped. Having someone to talk to kept me going. And as Jody didn't want to stop neither did I so from mile 19 we ran all the way to the finish together.

I expected to collapse across the finish line possibly throwing up or fainting with dehydration. But in fact all I had was the biggest grin in the world. One of the organisers put an arm round me as I came across the finish line and asked me how if I was ok. "I'm ok actually" I replied. And I was. I didn't have a surge of adrenalin or feel dehydrated. I wanted my space blanket (because I have never got one before and they look cool) and some water but I was fine. I walked over to find Andy and Sarah and gave them both a big hug, walked down the beach to find Mum and my Auntie Rita and sat down on the beach to stretch.

We then wandered further down to a favourite fish and chip shop of mine to get some food and enjoyed it on the beach in the sun. It was perfect. No sickness, no tiredness (when we got back to the hotel to change before heading out to a decent pub Andy fell asleep on the bed whilst I stayed awake!) and not as much pain as I was expecting. In fact I went to the gym yesterday (Wednesday) and even my sport massage therapist was amazed at how quickly I had recovered and how un-tight my muscles were.

I completed the marathon in a time of 5 hours 13 minutes. Not bad for only 10 weeks full training and a dodgy knee. And despite swearing never again on the way round I have already signed up for a half marathon in September and am awaiting the ballot for London for 2014.

But despite the achievement of completing a marathon there was a reason I put myself through training in horrible weather, the pain and the mental anguish.

On the 14th April 1997 my nan lost her battle with Cancer. 10 years after she died I took part in my first 5k for Cancer Research to start raising money to ensure others didn't lose their nan's too.

16 years to the day after my nan passed away, I ran my first ever marathon for Cancer Research. It was mere coincidence on the dates and I'll be honest one that didn't occur to me when I signed up.

And although my first run in 1997 was solely for my nan, every run since I have added a new name to the list of people that I am running for. The good news though is that for every name I have added, they have won their battles with cancer.

Sadly though, not everyone is so lucky. A few days before the marathon news reached me that a friend's sister in law had lost her fight with the dreaded disease. I also was adding another name to the list of people to run for on Friday after a close friend's father was diagnosed with cancer.

One of the sad things during my fundraising was learning how many people have been affected by cancer either directly or through a loved one. It makes me more determined to compete in events like the Brighton Marathon in order to help Cancer Research continue their work to ensure that for every person I add to my list, no one else loses their battle with cancer.

Therefore if you haven't sponsored me but would like to, you can still do so at www.justgiving.com/urban-fox or text UFOX81 and an amount to 70070.

Thank you all for the support! x

Training Week 12 - The Final Week, Lessons Learned and The Weekend Ahead.

The final week of training has come and gone. Like every week beforehand I failed to complete all my runs (not for the lack of trying mind).

But in a way I think that will be to my benefit. My knee is feeling a lot better and the one run I did do this week felt easy and straight forward. I can only hope that on Sunday my knee will survive the distance and the training I have done pays off.

Now my plan is completed I have an opportunity to reflect on the past 12 weeks.

In total I have run 1923 minutes (32.05 hours) and covered a distance of 287.73km (178.79 miles). It seems like a lot when it's written down.

If I am lucky enough to get a place in London next year though, this is what I would do differently:

1. Start training 6 months before.

This was a stupid mistake on my behalf. I am not unfit. Before Christmas I was cycling and still regularly attending Body Conditioning but it had been over 2 years since I had done any serious distance running. I had a plan though. A three month training plan that I could start in January and everything would be ok. The only bit I missed was the sentence at the top of the plan that said "You should be able to easily run 10k before starting this training plan". I was struggling with 2km.

Going from 0 to 50 minute runs in a week meant I was injured far to quickly and this affected my training for two weeks. But I am glad I had the sense to switch to the bike rather than give up so soon. Thankfully with the help of a sports massage and a helpful man in a shop I was back on track quickly.

2. Nutrition

As much as I try to eat healthily, I will be the first to admit that my diet isn't perfect. My metabolism is a nightmare and fluctuates a lot depending on the amount of exercise I do. I also have a bit of an annoying mentality of thinking I need to eat when I don't. I worry. "I'm doing a really long run tonight therefore I should probably eat loads beforehand".

I saw a quote that summed it up perfectly this week - "Exercise will not mask a bad diet". I wish I knew more about what to eat rather than eating lots of bread and pasta over the past 3 months. As those of you would have seen from my weekly updates, my weight has been up and down like a Yo-Yo and I wish I had managed it better and lost some weight. My shape has changed slightly but not as much as I hoped.

3. Go somewhere hotter to train

Ok, maybe in a perfect world where I could take a reasonable amount of time off work to do so, but training in the weather we have experienced for the past 3 months has been physically tough as well as mentally draining.

I don't think there is anything I could have done differently at the time though. Running more than 30 minutes on a treadmill is hard unless you have a film to watch or something to take your mind of the fact you are practically running on the spot. And I ran in full winter gear right up until last week.

4. Say no more

My social life was more hectic than I would ever have imagined at the start of the year and as a result it is fair to say it had more of an affect on my training that perhaps I admitted at the time. Despite trying to give up beer I haven't completely (although I am now limiting myself to a half when out and drinking soft drinks the rest of the time).

If I did it again I would say no to more things. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of stuff I did say no to but I think if I had my time again I would say no to more to ensure I hit my training targets each week. And I would try harder to properly give up beer for at least two weeks beforehand.

There are things I have really enjoyed as well. I will continue to run home from work once a week (even when it gets cold again!). I will try and keep an exercise plan so I have something to aim for each week.

And then there are the things I am looking forward to afterwards. I cannot wait to get my hair cut and coloured on Thursday as I will no longer have to keep it tied back 90% of the time. I look forward to staying in bed on a Saturday rather than having to get up and go running. And I look forward to planning my weekends around what I want to do rather than a training schedule. Basically I am looking forward to having my weekends back!

Roll on the marathon!

Training Week 11

It's was the penultimate week of training. I didn't have too much to do but this week was ridiculously busy so attempting to run at all was hard.

It was my final trip to Copenhagen and although I was good and didn't drink, I had no idea how to get back to the hotel from our final stop of the night, Ruby Cocktail Bar, so had to wait for the rest to guide me back. The problem was this wasn't until 1am.  I was then rudely awoken by he deliveries outside the hotel at 6.30am. I therefore arrived at breakfast looking just as dishevelled as my colleagues who had enjoyed alcoholic cocktails. It also meant I didn't make it down to the gym for a run.


The best part of last week though was my Birthday Party/Fundraiser Tea Party. A number of friends and family descended on our flat on Saturday. There was cake. There was sandwiches. There was even sunshine which allowed us to stand on the balcony. Most importantly though, there was a raffle. In total through the raffle I raised over £210 which is AMAZING.

There is still time to donate if you wish www.justgiving.com/urban-fox

I wish I had photos but at 11pm when most people had left we realised we hadn't taken any. Note to self - TAKE PHOTOS!

As mentioned, the sun made an appearance at the weekend. Prior to the party I went for a run. The difference shocked me. I took a route that had taken me around 57 minutes to complete in previous runs in the cold. I completed it in 45 minutes so had to take in a loop of the dock to make up the time. Even that I did quicker than normal. Fingers crossed for nice weather on the day! I just hope it doesn't work against me after spending most of the last 3 months training in wintery conditions!

Stats for the week:

Planned:
270 mins
39.5km (24.54 miles)

Actual:
164 mins
26.64km (16.55 miles)

Weight: 66kgs


I missed a fair few runs which was very annoying but I supplemented with cycling and body conditioning so hopefully it will be enough!

Training Week 10

This week hasn't been the best. The weather is really getting me down and rather than looking forward to running outside I find myself embracing it with enthusiasm of going to the dentist.

But it's not just the weather that has caused me problems this week.

My right knee has succumbed to the pressures being put on it and on Wednesday last week I was struggling to walk. Couple this with sheer tiredness and the cold and you have a recipe for de-motivation.

I rested up for 3 days before running again and although I can run, it hurts. The good news I guess though is that it is a muscular therefore stretching and a couple of ibuprofen help. But I have now curtailed my training and am winding down for the big day.

I have also curtailed my drinking which on a 4 day weekend which involved a wedding (which had rockaoke and lots of very cheap alcohol) and a trip to a local brewery was sheer torture.

On the plus side, the sponsorship is still coming in. Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me so far. It really is the one thing keeping me going at the moment (well and maybe the promise of beer when I cross the finish line). Fancy sponsoring me? You can at www.justgiving.com/urban-fox.

Stats this week:

Planned:
300 mins
43.5km (27.03 miles)

Actual:
203 mins
29.28km (18.19 miles)

Weight: It was Easter. There was chocolate. I'm not going anywhere near the scales.

Not great but not bad considering injury and the weather. Hopefully now the clocks have gone forward Spring might get it's backside in gear and come out and play.

Training Week 9

Ah! Spring is in the air. No, wait a minute. That's not spring. It's....SNOW!

It's nearly April and I am having to worry about snow and ice! Seriously?! By now I should be into my spring/summer running gear not having to dig out my fleece lined gear.

I don't like the cold at the best of times but having to train in it is definitely not enjoyable.

My body hates the cold. Things tend to ache more when it's cold. My back has been sore and my knee is playing up to the point I had to invest in a knee brace this week.

Not only that but the weather is playing havoc with my nicely planned out training plan. I can just about manage 40 minutes on the treadmill without going insane but knowing this weekend I had a 3 hour run to do, the forecast was not filling me with motivation.

Due to the weather the previous weekend and moving my long run to the Sunday, I had already had to miss a training run. So when Saturday rolled around and I had planned to run to my mum's from my flat (18 miles), nothing was going to stop me.

In hindsight I should have said "now, let's not be stupid and run in the wind and snow". Instead I layered up, loaded @chrisnotwell up with supplies to catch up with me on the bike and embarked on my long distance run. And for the first 10 miles it was fine.

But choosing to run on the Thames Path was my downfall. After Woolwich it opens out. And then came the sleet and relentless wind. My face felt as though it was being hit by tiny pins and the pain was unbelievable when I got hit in the eye. For the next 5 miles it was consistent wind, sleet and cold. And @christnotwell had got a puncture so was no where near catching me up to keep me going. I hit the wall in spectacular style. It nearly caused me an asthma attack until I realised @chrisnotwell had my inhaler therefore having an attack in the middle of nowhere where I hadn't passed another person for an hour wasn't sensible.

I tried to carry on a little further but once I could see Erith town centre I called my mum to pick me up. I hurt. My left side was numb from the wind constantly hitting it. My hands were cold even though I had gloves on and I was quite hungry having exhausted my supply of carbo gels.

I hadn't achieve either time or distance which annoyed me but I couldn't carry on. The weather had beaten me.

As I haven't completed a long enough run, I have revised my training plan for week 10. You may have won the battle weather but the war is far from over!

Planned:
350 mins
50.5km (31.38 miles)

Actual:
273 mins
39.45km (24.51 miles)

Weight: I give up!

A shocking week stats wise. I missed one 50 minute run and only managed 10 minutes on the Wednesday due to a muscle pull. Hopefully though I can pull it back this week.

Weight wise, I give up. The scales are up and down like a yo-yo. As soon as I think I have lost weight it suddenly reappears. This may be because I am now carb loading in preparation. It may be because I had a couple of beers and an entire Dominos pizza on Thursday (the beer was a bad idea but I refuse to feel guilty about the pizza). It could be anything.

Lastly, THANK YOU so much to everyone who has sponsored me so far. I have upped my fundraising target to £1000 as I was getting quite close to my last target, and well to be honest, it is such an awesome charity it would feel wrong to aim for anything less!

If you still fancy sponsoring a mad woman who runs in ridiculous weather conditions all in the name of charity you can sponsor me at www.justgiving.com/urban-fox.

Training Week 8

This week was even harder than last week. My muscles are now revolting against the gruelling training schedule they perceive I am putting them through. I ache. I am also incredibly tired.

On the plus side I learned this week that I can eat a vast amount of meat and actually not feel guilty about it as I am running the next day. This lesson also applies to pies, pizza, french pastries and Chinese. I guess there has to be some tasty silver linings to this training cloud.

Speaking of clouds, the weather hasn't really helped this week. Apart from spring deciding to jump back under the covers for a snooze we were treated to snow, wind and a lot of rain. Thankfully the snow didn't hamper my training (nor did it hamper my day trip to France although there was a lot of concern in the Urban Fox household that we were not going to make it either there or back earlier in the week). The rain and the wind however did.

There is nothing quite like being woken up on a Saturday to the sound of the wind howling past your bedroom window. We were battening down the hatches on the balcony in fear that our well used beer fridge may take off (or more importantly it's contents might get smashed).

After careful consideration (one look outside, a quick look at the met office app) I decided it would be best to postpone my long run to the Sunday for the sake of my electronics and my health. Plus I hate running in the rain.

It wasn't quite as bad on the Sunday at least but I still got wet. Hopefully this week will be better!

And I passed the half way mark on my fundraising page! Mini dance! If you would like to sponsor me you can find my page at www.justgiving.com/urban-fox. Cancer Research is an awesome charity doing awesome things to fight cancer!

Stats for this week:

Planned:
290 mins
40.5km (25.17 miles)

Actual:
281 mins
41.33km (25.68 miles)


Weight: 65kgs

I lost time on the treadmill in the gym again although through my own fault this time as I was late leaving the office. The scales finally moved a bit this week. Yay!

Training Week 7

This week has been hard. It's been busy which has made it harder than normal to fit in my runs as well as motivate myself to do them and on top of that my body is starting to resent what it is being put through.That said I have learned a lot too!

On Monday my legs hurt. My calves were sore and my quads screamed with every set of stairs I walked down. I had to cut my training run short as my legs literally felt like lead and I couldn't see the point in continuing and risking injury. By the weekend, my feet and both ankles were sore resulting in Project Kitten Heel being downgraded to Project Flat Shoe. Lesson learned - avoiding injuries is better than getting injured and flat shoes aren't all bad.

And then there was Saturday. A 12 mile run in the morning followed by a hen party. I'll be fine I thought. I will eat before I go and not drink too much. It will be fine! By 8pm I was hugging the toilet in Proud Cabaret feeling the effects of the alcohol I had consumed mixed with energy drinks, recovery milkshakes and what food I had eaten (considering I only joined the Hen party at 3pm it was a little embarrassing). Lesson learned - drinking and training do not mix.

Dehydration has been a killer this weekend. I still don't feel right despite drinking pint after pint of water and squash. I have at least realised that when running I need water in my bottle rather than energy drink. Lesson learned - Energy drink and carbo gels do not mix.

I have spent a lot of time running on the South Bank this week. It's nice to have a change of scenery from heading East from our flat. It is also helpful to practice dodging slower runners. But people aren't running on the South Bank. They are tourists, prone to sudden changes in direction, sudden braking and the ability it would seem to look straight through you and not notice your existence. On the plus side you get to partake in a little bit of parkour, using what you can to bounce off and round people. Lesson learned - tourists and runners in confined spaces are not the best mix but can make training more interesting.

Not all tourists are bad though. On my run home on Tuesday I was cheered on and high fived by a lovely bunch near Blackfriars Bridge. It certainly helps to keep you motivated and put a smile on my face.

Lastly before we talk stats, I am nearly at the halfway mark on my fundraising thanks to some awesome donations. Please keep them coming. Cancer Research is a brilliant charity and their work is integral to the fight against cancer. Please, please donate. Even if you can only spare £5, the money is all going to an amazing cause. If you wish to donate you can find my sponsorship page at www.justgiving.com/urban-fox.

Stats for this week:

Planned:
270 mins
38km (23.61 miles)

Actual:
246 mins
38.18km (23.72 miles)

Weight: 66kgs

A combination of cutting Monday's run short and not being able to get on the treadmill for longer than 15 minutes on Wednesday made me miss the time target but on the plus side I hit the distance. Weight wise - I no longer care. I spoke to my sport massage therapist on Thursday and she said the chances of me losing weight are actually quite slim and I am more likely to gain weight. Hmmm. Well my body shape is at least changing so I guess the weight part is less of an issue for now.