1 more sleep

Tomorrow is the big day - wish me luck

I am delighted to be a number.

54026 to be precise

You can follow my progress here http://www.adidas.com/campaigns/londonmarathon/content/ss09/

Log on and they will text you when I am on my way

Its the things that you dont plan for....

Well I have had an interesting few weeks - I was one of the 100,000s stranded because of volcanic ash so my 3 day trip to venice turned in to a 5 day trip with a 13 hour car journey across Italy and France to get a ferry home.

My planned "weekend before final quality runs" did not happen at all and I managed to do 6.5 miles only on Tuesday, abut 10 days since my previous good run, so I just hope that it is enough.

Over the last 6 weeks I have been taking various vitamins and supplements to keep any colds and sniffles away, not wearing my beloved high heels so I dont have strain put on my calves and more likely fall over and twist my ankle.

But if you wouyld have told me that I would miss my last weekend of training because a volcano was going to chuck up a load of ash, preventing my journey home and instead I would be doing a Phileas Fogg type journey - well, who could have predicted THAT?

My justgiving site

Correction, my justgiving page is at www.justgiving.com/laurarunslondon2010

Last long run before the big day

I am in Exeter for Easter weekend and decided on a change of scenary for my last long run, the plan was to run from St David's station to Starcross and back, a nice 21 miles. But the weather had other plans, that run would have taken me through tracks and marshland and it has been pretty damp down here for the last few days. So instead I ran to the delightful town of Topsham and a few laps along the Exeter Canal.

So up I got at 7.00 and left the house at 8.30 after my muesli and lucozade sport and the minute I left the heavens opened and because I was running along the river the wind was in my face for the first 45 minutes. My ipod stopped working, the ground was soaked and the puddles were up to my ankles so my feet waterlogged within minutes.

But it takes more than a small(!) Devon shower to stop me, so I just sang the tunes in my head and just kept going. I ran past an old friend, so was good to see a friendly face and a few people also out for a long run that I kept passing that became like old friends and a special mention the mongrel that decided come and say hello at mile 19 - that was a very welcome distraction.

But despite being soaked to the skin, I did my second and final long run. Next weekend a gentle 13 and I am well on to the countdown to the big day.

Please dont forget why I am doing all this and visit my justgiving page and make a donation
www.justgiving.com/laurarunslondon2010

My route from yesterday

I have managed to plot my route from yesterday - mileage not quite the same as my Garmin said, but mapmy run does not take in to account zig zagging to avoid cars, bikes and people.

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/-stevenage/347126916481792967

woo hoo - 20 miles

I did it - 20 miles. I was convinced up to about 2 miles that it was not going to happen. But I kept going and a combination of great weather and some stunning Hertfordshire countryside pushed me through.
12 - 15 miles were slow and I struggled, but once I was on the home straight it all felt good (well when I say good it hadnt felt like a leg had dropped off or I was actually encased in concrete, I was actually able to get one foot in front of the other.)

Thank god Spring seems to be here, it certainly does have a positive effect.

Time to dig out the shorts and T-shirts - yay

Change of plan

Due to a few unforseen issues with trains change of plan for today - have just plotted a new 20 mile route up in the countryside around Hertfordshire as getting in and out of London not so straight forward as orginally planned.

A bit hillier than the planned London route - but what the heck

The first of the big ones

It is 7.45 am, I am having a quiet 10 minutes before I get my stuff together, mix my energy drinks, pack my carbo gel and bananas and head in to London to attempt my first 20 mile training run of my marathin training.
I have decided that rather than just plodding around the cycle paths and industrial estates of Stevenage I would treat myself to a slightly more scenic run in the big town itself so heading in to London. Using my office at Fetter Lane as a base I will run up to tower bridge and then head along the south bank to Battersea, from there over the river and up through Chelsea to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, the down through Green Park, drop back down to the river at Westminster and along Victoria Embankment back to the City and office.

I will report back later how it went - if I can!

What doesnt kill you makes you stronger (or stranger?)

OK so after my miraculous 16.25 miles three weeks ago I could barely walk for a week let alone run anywhere, I thought my legs were going to fall off. So rather than makes things worse I rested up for a week, found myself somewhere to give a deep tissue sports massage and in the last 2 weeks have been out doing between 7-9 miles a few times a week.

But this weekend is the big one

I am going to head in to London on an early train on Sunday and get myself around 20 miles.

Yes I am yes I am yes I am

I am petrified I have to be honest after what happened after 16. But I am booked in for a massage on Monday so hopefully that should help.

Oh and sexy new Sauconys arrived this morning so I am back to maximum cushioning.

So this week...

8 weeks to go until the big day and this week my training has definitely moved up a gear.

This week I have managed to fit in the following:

Tuesday: Weights and core muscle workout at the gym + 5.6 miles on the treadmill

Wednesday: 7.6 miles night run (in the rain)

Friday: 4.5 fast but windy miles and the sun was shining :-)

Sunday:16.25 miles, long run

Total distance for this week: 33.95 miles

I have to admit after the long run today the thought of repeating this next week is scary, but will rest up tomorrow and will be back out on the mean streets of Stevenage on Tuesday

How the Queen kept me going....

This was always going to be quite a milestone. 3 weeks ago I got around 13 miles in my training run, but being a half marathon runner I knew that I had that in me. Today I ran further than I have ever run before, 16.25 miles to be exact. It is quite scary to think that I still need to get another 10 miles from somewhere, but 6 weeks ago I could only run half this so I am definitely getting there.

The run itself was pretty good, the route I had plotted was more undulating than I anticipatedand had to stop for a stretch at 9 miles (9-10 miles is a tricky but nice long climb so I needed to prepare myself for that). But it was pretty quiet out and I felt pretty good all the way round. 12 miles bought me to the end of my road but I kept going for a final 4 and 1/4 mile loop to push up the miles. At 14 miles my legs felt like they were going to fall off, everything else was good, but the backs of my knees really hurt. It was lucky that at that point Queen "Dont Stop me Now" came on my iPod. If you ever need a motivational song believe me this is it. I was shouting along to it much to the bemusement of several dog walkers and other runners, but it pumped up my adrenaline and before I knew it I had pushed through and was soon on the last mile home.

It could easily have been all so different. I woke up to very heavy rain, now I am really not worried about running in the wet and over the last few weeks I have run in snow and fog as well as rain, kept my balance on icy pavements and clocked up alot of miles in the dark. But this was an important run to me so my head had to be in the right place. I checked the BBC weather and indeed it promised that by 3pm the heavy rain would turn to light rain and would be clear by 6pm and the BBC was as good as its word. I left at 4pm and obviously still wet and muddy, but no more rain (of course if the forecast had said heavy rain all day then I would still have done it, but it was a bonus to be able to avoid it).

I did my run today in 2 hours and 35 minutes, but this was not about time, this was about the miles and moving on to distances that I had never attempted before.

What is that big yellow thing in the sky

After what seems like an eternity of running in the dark / wet / fog / snow last night I actually ran while the sun was shining. It was still very cold and windy but it was bright and sunny. It obviously had a good effect as I broke my 9 min average, but it was only a 4.5 mile run so no need to hold back.
After a cold wet 7.5 miles in the dark on Wednesday it made a nice change.

I have to admit that my first mile last night was tough, I was running right in to the wind and I seemed to go backwards. I just kept telling myself that "a bad run was better than no run" and to keep going. But once I got off the exposed area and was sheltered from the winds I went up a gear and really motored round.

Tomorrow is a big one, I am aiming for 16 (maybe 17 miles) further than I have ever run before so am feeling rather nervous. Off to stock up on energy drinks and having a huge bowl of pasta for supper in preparation.

A tasty approach to fundraising

A few weeks ago I trialed a different approach to raising money at work - and I am pleased to report it was a huge success. I prepared for my colleages about 20 bacon rolls and 4 veggie sausage baps which I charged £2 a piece for.

I raised over £50 at this so will be repeating the exercise on a weekly basis starting next week. The only change will be the amount of bacon rolls I bring in as that initial 20 didnt last more than about 2 minutes.

A triumph in running shoes

My beloved Saucony Triumph 4's have served me well over the last 18 months. But I have to face facts that they simply dont have the miles left in them to train and run this thing.

It is with regret that it is time to move on to a new pair - they will be missed.

Any tips on a good pair of cushioning shoes - no need for stability or support.

Back in the game

Due to a hectic work schedule the last few weeks I have been absent from my blog, but since my last update I have completed a landmark 13 mile training run and a few goes on a treadmill. But with the weeks ticking away time waits for no woman so yesterday I was in the gym on the leg press and treadmill rebuilding up my strength and getting back in the game.

Today I was back on the road, just over 7.5 miles (just over 12kms) in 71 minutes. Bang on my target pace of 9 1/2 minutes a mile. So the two weeks of treadmills have not done too much harm.

The next big one is on Sunday and I am aiming for 16 miles - eeek

Its all about the oats

I have noticed that my eating habits in the last 3 weeks have changed drastically. Before breakfast was a black coffee and maybe a banana. Now I am permanently hungry so I am being very careful not to eat empty calories. I have to tell you I have never eaten so many oat based products in my life

Breakfast - Granola cereal if at home or granola pot with banana and honey from eat (scrummy) or eggs eggs and more eggs on wholegrain toast
Lunch - No matter what I will pick up a granola bar or flapjack to go with it
Snacking - wholegrain yogurts and wholegrain bread (bye bye doughy white bread)
Dinner - Its all about the Pasta and carbs

Tonights treat though is pizza -home made of course

Favourite running tunes.

I thought I would share with you some of the songs I like to listen to when running

Queen - Dont stop me now
Republica - Ready to go
Madonna - Vogue
Take That - Shine
Mark Ronson feat Amy Winehouse - Valerie
Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers
The Killers - Mr Brightside
Scissor Sisters - I dont feel like dancing
Lily Alan - Not fair
Ting Tings - Thats not my name
U2 - Beautiful Day

In all I have about three and a half hours of songs downloaded just to run to so this is just a selection. Any other recommendations?

On a safety note for those that are concerned - I obviously dont have the volume turned up too loud.

Over 10

Just a quick update as I did not have a chance to do this yesterday.

Distance - 11 miles (17.7k)
Time 102 mimnutes
Av pace 9mins 27 secs
Weather - one below, icy and it snowed

I broke the 10 mile barrier and managed to get myself around a respectable 11 miles. At 8 I wanted to quit, it was freezing cold and it was difficult facing the hills on the home straight. But I talked myself in to it and managed to break that 10 mile barrier. Now I just need to deal with that pain barrier.

Oh and the woolly hat and gloves made a much needed reappearance

And just an observational thing - only saw women out running yesterday - dont know where the men were. A bit too chilly for them?

Dont forget to visit my justgiving page
http://www.justgiving.com/LaurarunsLondon2010

Back on the road

It takes more than a cold to hold me back.

Just did a rather nice 5.6 miles (just over 9ks) is 49 minutes. Very pleased. OK it is not as far as I was hoping, Sundays are supposed to be the days for my long runs as part of the training for the marathon, but it is better than nothing. But I did vastly improve my pace from the last few runs from around 9 1/2 to around 9 minutes per mile.

It does mean that I have to make up more miles over the next few weeks after missing out on a few valuable runs over the last 4 days but it is good to know that it is not too much of a set back.

It was obviously a good night for running - plenty of other people out and about - obviously a more sociable time than 5.30. Oh and I ditched the woolly hat and gloves - regretted the decision about the gloves for the first mile or so, but not for long.

It is good to be back

I have had a cold

Unfortunately I have not been able to do any running since Tuesday as I have caught rather a nasty cold. I dont want to risk a bigger set back by running when ill so given myself a break to fully recover.

I will be back training in the next few days

I must need my head read....

A quick update - was up at 5.30 for a 40 minute run this morning and I am not going to lie to you - it hurt!
At 3 miles my ankles seized up it felt like I was running with two small children clinging on to my shins.

Still I managed 4.2 miles in 39 minutes. But boy did I feel it when I got back!

Just something to share - when doing an early morning run assessing what to wear is always a challenge. You have not been out and about to have an idea of the temp, wind or rain (you can check online / phone app of course but it does not give you the level of detail you really need) so you have to make a judgment call. Too many layers and you will obvouisly get too hot, too few and you will freeze. I opted for gloves and woolly hat this morning with layering of t-shirt over thermal top and long running tights I think I got it about right, but the gloves came off after 15 minutes. They may just be kept in reserve for those very very cold days.

Other people out at 5.30 in the morning - not a lot. 2 dog walkers, 3 people waiting for a bus and a few cars. But apart from that the streets were my own!

Training Log. 17th January (97 days to go)

Basic stats:
Distance: 8.1 miles (13 km)
Time: 75 Minutes
Weather: 7 degrees / Slightly windy / dry but damp underfoot following all the snow and rain so had to watch my step on verges
Time: 3.45 - 5.00pm
Start location: Home
(I will work out how to upload the stats from my Garmin which gives more details on gradients etc)
Terrain: Road / Footpath

It had been a while, following injuries, silly illnesses and a bit too much snow to safely get around on it felt good to be able to kick off the training.

So how did it feel? FANTASTIC

I had not done a run like this since September 30th so to get round 8 miles in that time well I was delighted with it. I was not really watching my pace and just did what felt good. When it was still light enough to see the Garmin some times I was running sub 9 minutes per mile, other times 11 minutes + per mile. Averaged out about 9 and a half minutes a mile. This is where I was back when I had to stop over 3 months ago.

I was not the only one to take advantage of the break in the weather, I must have seen at least another 12 runners on my route this evening. It is good to feel that you are not alone.

Being my first run in a long time it was important that it went well - a bad run at the beginning of training can leave you dreading your next one and puts you in the wrong mindset from the beginning.

There is still a long way to go - but moving in the right direction. Just ask me again in the morning how fantastic those 8 miles feel in my legs.

My Charity - Prostate UK

I am running the London Marathon to raise money for Prostate UK.
http://www.justgiving.com/LaurarunsLondon2010
http://www.prostateuk.org/

Prostate UK is a charity that deals with raising awareness of all diseases that affect the Prostate. I am particularly keen to raise awareness of Prostate Cancer. It is the third most common cancer in the UK affects 35000 men – of this number 10000 cases will be fatal (cancer research UK). Prostate UK works to raise awareness of both the public and GPs of all diseases of the prostate to encourage screening which will assist to make early diagnosis which is the most effective weapon against cancer.

Male cancers do not get the publicity other cancers do, and prostate cancer is the second biggest killer of all cancers in the UK.

I am honoured that Prostate UK have asked me to run for them.

The beginning of it all

So I am training to run the London Marathon - it is 14 weeks away and a good friend has just pointed out that this means only 13 weekends left to train. So what made me decide to put my body through 14 weeks of gruelling, painful and lets face it anti-social running which will take me out on the streets of Stevenage and London no matter what the UK springime weather will bring?
It all started nearly 3 years ago....

My son was getting on for 18 months old and I was running out of excuses for carrying excess baby weight - I am 5'6 and weighed 13 stone. Liking my food too much to ever take a diet seriously I agreed to run a Race for Life in July 2007 remembering that I had enjoyed running in my 20's. One 5k later and I was hooked again. I then joined forces with my Dad and Brother and entered a half marathon raising money for Kids Kidney Research. I trained hard and it was difficult, but I ran the Great West Run in my home town of Exeter, my first half marathon in 10 years in 2h10 minutes in May 2008. I did a couple of other shorter races and kept on running as a fitness thing. I loved it, I got grouchy if for whatever reason I missed a run, I ran the Great West again in May 2009 and got my time down to under 2 hours.

The weight loss benefits paid off and I reached the size I was aiming for, so running was no longer about weight loss and I needed a new challenge. So after watching the London Marathon in April last year I knew what I needed to do...

I have had set backs, I am the worlds clumsiest person so have hobbled with strappings on twisted ankles after slipping on mud or tripping over my own feet . Recently I had niggling illness after niggling illness and inability to run outside due to the coldest weather in 30 years. But I love running, I see myself as a runner, its in my blood.... which is why I coped with those first few difficult months where I did not look like a runner, I did not feel like a runner and certainly did my best to avoid anyone seeing me run.

So that is how it all began - but this is a log of my training for a specific race - the greatest race - The London Marathon so enough with the past, lets deal with the hear and now and look to the future