Psycho, hills and a personal best!

Ever since the inaugural Nottingham 10k was announced last year I've been looking forward to it. I love the city, and the chance to run through some of its streets in the company of an absolute legend (Football legend Stuart Pearce, not to be confused with the other Nottm Legend, Robin Hood) made for a very exciting race.

Originally, I had planned to do a couple of spring races under my belt before this one, but life, post xmas poorness and that bloody injury had other ideas. So all in all it's been six months since I pinned a number on myself and set off on my merry way with hundreds of other runners.

I woke up on Sunday being about 80% excited, 20% nervous. It was a huge relief to see the weather was decent and I had all my family en route to cheer me on, yet I couldn't help being a tad nevous I'd have a repeat of last week's feet fiasco!

As I got into the city there was a fantastic buzz about the place. I don't think I've ever been into town at 8:30 on a Sunday before, but I expect it's usually a world away from the hive of activity it was this week. As usual, the pre race hour went by in a flash and it was time to get in the starting position. As I walked past the rows of runners ready and waiting I quickly noticed this was the biggest race I'd done competitor-wise, it's not a great photo but here's the gathering (and I was only about half way down).

After what seemed like an age, it was finally time to get going. It started with the normal awkward shuffle to the start line and then the attempt to break free from the crowds and set a good pace. A couple of hundred meters in and all was going well, I'd trotted up towards the castle, down into the park and was making my way though some nice leafy streets.

Then I turned a corner and before me was what felt like the biggest hill I've ever seen! Who ever had the cruel idea to put that in there is completely evil! To show I'm not being dramatic, here's the incline map...

Told you it was a big hill, check the ones at the end as well!!

One lucky thing is that as my running has progresses, I've got a lot better at running down hill, so I do find those bits quite fun now at least.

The middle 5k of the race was fairly uneventful. It was lovely how many people were outside their houses in the Meadows, clapping and cheering. There was even a drummer band at one point, I'll miss them next time I'm galloping around The Embankment. I won't miss the warm spring sunshine which was beating down, though!

As I reached the final few kilometres, I got the now familiar endorphin rush and the "Come on, Knowles, you've got this!" feeling. And it was a bloody good job because as you'll see from my earlier diagram, the last bit involved a lot more hills. Fortunately, it also involved lots of clapping and cheering (and that was just from my endorphin-drunk self...). Despite being difficult, meters ticked by quickly and before I knew it I was flying past some of my favourite watering holes and back down into market square.

I'd been avidly checking my watch all the way around, an I knew I was bloody close to a PB so, in proper Nottingham speak, I bloody 'legged it' down the road, past Primark and over the finish line.

My official time clocked in at 1:02:13, a personal best by about 40 seconds and ever closer to that sub 60 mark! Needless to say, there was lots of celebrating for the course of the afternoon.

Next event (I think) on the running calendar is the Women's Running 10k in July. I'm really looking forward to it as it will be back to where it all properly kicked off last year. It's a good, flat course and one I know back-to-front so I'm absolutely determined to get that sub 60... watch this space!!

One Kay runs more than 10k!

I didn't think I was going to bother with a blog post this week, but there have been a couple of little bits which I wanted to mark so here I go.

Firstly, one of my favourite things about Facebook is that it tells me what I was doing on any given day on each year since I joined. Mostly I look through my old posts and cringe, but now and again it has its uses (not least when I've forgotten a Birthday or similar!)

This week, Facebook reminded me that it had been a year since I first started this blog, also meaning it's a year since I decided I was going to make a go of this running thing. To be honest, at that time I had barely any intention of still running now. I signed up for that race as much to try and raise money for a good cause as I did to find myself a new hobby, but such is the running bug that I now fully love it (most of the time) and can't imagine what I'd do with all my time if I didn't run.

So here we are a year on and I'm pretty chuffed with myself on all I've achieved over the last year! Which leads nicely to the second thing I wanted to mention, I now officially need a new name for this blog as I no longer run 10k.. that's so 2015!

I set out on yesterday's long run wanting to do 9km ahead of next week's Nottingham 10k race (which I've not mentioned but am really looking forward to!). I'd vaguely planned where I was going to go, veering off slightly from my normal laps of the Embankment which I'm getting a bit bored of and heading down the Big Track following the canal path.

So I set about my business, headphones in, water bottle in hand and off I went. It was warm but not sunny so decent weather and a couple of kilometres in I was really enjoying myself, so I decided I was going to go for it and wouldn't go home until I'd passed my previous best of 10km.

It ended up making quite an interesting route with a decent mix of the calm of the canal path and the busy city Saturday morning comings and goings (that's without mentioning the strange man rolling around on the floor at one point..) However I couldn't help but notice a really uncomfortable burning on the underside of my foot.

I'm the first to admit that when it comes to pain, I'm very mardy. I don't like pain, I moan a lot when I'm in pain and I generally do all I can do avoid it. So perhaps the biggest triumph of this run is that despite being in bloody (literally!) agony by the end of it, I kept going. I even did several weird route changes, hair pins and loops until I got to my front door at bang on 11km.

Endorphins are a great thing. As I strutted thought my front door absolutely pleased as punch with my longest distance to date, I ignored how much my feet hurt while I set about messaging anyone who'd listen to tell them how happy I was with myself (I do like bragging!)

It wasn't until I peeled my socks off and saw what the damage was that I realised how in trouble my feet were. I don't have the prettiest feet at the best of times, but my God they're in a right old state at the minute!!

As soon as the post-run endorphins wore off I started moaning and I've not really stopped since (remember I said I was mardy!) I'm just keeping everything crossed I'll be ok next week as I've been looking forward to that race for months.

I think I've waffled on for long enough now.. here's a map of my longest ever route, incase anyone is interested! I've even put my splits on even though they're not my quickest (I'm not all brag afterall)

Thanks for reading, I'll be back next week with a race write up!

El runningo! (which probably isn't the Spanish word for running)

When you take the stereotypical English holiday maker (I'm thinking booze, beaches and sunburn) it tends to describe my holidays very well. I've seen Sticky Vicky more times than I care to remember, paid ridiculous prices to get into some of the world's best clubs in Ibiza and I'm embossed with a permanent reminder of a crazy week in Magaluf.

My most recent Spanish adventure wasn't too dissimilar. Despite the fact I was visiting my Nana, I still managed to put away plenty alcohol, I burnt in the unfamiliar (it's been a long winter) sunshine and I played bingo. All typical English holiday behaviour!

However, this year, another activity was added to my itinerary. Despite being hand-luggage only, I squeezed my trainers in my case quite excited at the thought of trotting around by the sea.

To be honest, there isn't a huge amount to report about each of the two runs I did. One was 3.5 miles and the other five, each one keeping fairly steady 10min-mile paces along the Spanish promenade. I was quite pleased with myself for keeping a decent pace, I had half expected to find it more of a struggle in the heat and considering I've not exactly been training loads.

It's much easier (and no doubt more interesting) to share the photos I took rather than try to describe everything, so hear you go!

Clear blue skies

Not sure who this lady is

Sweaty and with no make up, classic run selfie!

A gang of cats

Might have thought I was Rocky running up these...

Despite the heat I really enjoyed getting some miles in, my running gear will definitely be top of my list when I'm packing for the next holiday. After all, it balances out the mass of unhealthy holiday activities I take part in!