London Marathon Training: week one

"I promise to do my best"

I first made this promise when I was 5 and joining Rainbows. I can't remember it if I'm honest but I do still have the certificate somewhere. It features in all the promises for every section of Girlguiding and it's particularly important to me because my late Guide leader who was one of the most fantastic and inspirational women I've ever known always used to tell us "If you know you've done your best, nobody can ever ask any more of you" and something I tell each one of my Brownies at their own promise ceremonies.

So as the reality of what lies ahead has rapidly dawned on me since Christmas, that's what I'm going to try and keep in my head, doing my best.

Since I found out about getting my London Marathon place back in October, I've kept feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement. But since we've tipped over into 2018 and after a few weeks of seriously slacking off running while eating and drinking all the wrong things, I'm feeling more than a little bit apprehensive about it all.

Being quite a practical person who works well when I can see in front of me what I need to do, late last week I set about sorting myself a training plan. It's only very vague and it's mainly so I can see how much my Sunday run needs to increased by each week to get those all important miles in. So that's made me feel a little bit better... I do like a plan.

However, due to the drop in mileage since autumn 2017, I've got a bloody lot of work to do to get me to where I need to be. I've found in the past with runs that I've done that writing a plan is the easy bit, sticking to it is where it becomes tricky... Especially if an invitation involving some weekend drinking is thrown my way!

I've come to the realisation that I need to be as strong-willed out of my running gear as I am when I'm in it, and if I need to turn down a night out here and there it will do me the world of good come April 22nd.

In terms of the running itself, I've got to get tougher on myself on the cold, dark, rainy and snowy winter mornings/afternoons/evening when I really don't want to get my trainers on and go. Although since my last blog post my life has changed massively in that I now have the most supportive running partner (and partner in everything!) who I know will be invaluable over the next few months and who'll be there every step of the way and I can't thank him enough for that.

So today was week 1 run 1. It was alright, nothing particularly exciting but it's four miles under the belt and it was a decent pace. Here we go!!

So I can't really round off my posts now without a shameless plug to my fundraising page, the donations and your support really will help me both in motivation and meeting my target.

www.virginmoneygiving.com/kayknowles

Thanks for reading!

Robin Hood Half Marathon 2017

After missing my normal Sunday evening post-race blog writing slot, the last few weeks have absolutely flown by and it's now over five weeks later and I'm only just getting around to it. And because of the time lapsed and the somewhat heavy post-race drinking session my memories of the race are a little hazier than normal which will mean a less long and waffley write up. 

Despite the now very familiar race morning routine, I set about my day on the 24^th September extremely nervous and tetchy. That’s not to say I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I was really struggling with the “what the hell are you doing?!” thoughts. This didn’t really melt away until I made my way thorough the crowds and waited for what seemed like forever to get over the starting line.

Once you get going, it’s virtually impossible not to get swept up in the atmosphere as you break into a job heading through the crowds and over the starting line. Listening to the cheering and clapping as I made my way out of the embankment and out onto London Road, I felt strong, positive and ready for miles which lay ahead of me.

For a late September’s day it was really warm, much more so than any of the recent training runs I’d done. The low autumn sun beating down wasn’t too much of a hindrance for the first couple of miles as I kept to a decent pace, passing the train station and making my way with the runners up towards The Park.

I’d purposely included some hills on my long runs leading up to the event with the distant memory of last year’s Park section at the back of my mind. However this distant memory was definitely fogged by rose tinted glasses – those Park hills were so much more brutal than I remembered! It took some serious pushing to get to the top and tip over onto the extremely welcomed Derby Road downhill. 

The next mile or two was fairly uneventful, the atmosphere was too good, my legs had just about forgiven me for the hills and – despite being passed by a juggling tiger – I was comfortable with my pace. 

For some reason, I seemed to slam into a wall at around mile five. I can’t remember it as vividly now as I did then but I bloody struggled for some reason. Try as I might, I couldn’t get a decent rhythm going – it was hot and hard and I was quickly going into full running-strop mode. It seemed like a complete battle shifting myself down over Crown Island and on through the wonderfully picturesque Wollaton Park. I was really having those “What the bloody hell made you think it would be a good idea” type runs. Awful!

Although this eased up slightly from mile eight onwards, I was still struggling a lot more than I’d have liked and wasn’t happy as the confirmation that there was no way I’d be hitting my target time dawned on me. I did a lot of watch-checking and even more “Come the fuck on, Knowles” chuntering under my breath. 

It was passing the 10 mile marker that I had a good word with myself. I was going to do this, and being mardy about it wasn’t going to make it easier so I may as well get on with it. Skipping though my MP3 player for some of my best motivational music, I sorted my head out and off I went.

Before I knew it I was turning back into the Embankment which seemed even more heavily spectated than when I’d left it a couple of hours previously. I felt my pace picking up as I dashed nearer to the finishing line – waving at my Mum and Nana on the way – and at long last over the finishing line.

All in all I came in at just over 2:33hrs. Not where I wanted to be but I’d done it… again! I had the familiar feeling of pride and relief as I battled through the crowds to find my Mum and Nana and show my medal off. 

The uncharacteristically warm late-September afternoon made for a perfect setting for lots of post-race celebrating (hence why this post didn't get written in the normal Sunday evening slot) which all rounded off another great event day. And there will always be another opportunity to run a PB, let's see what the Turkey Trot has to offer in December!

I'm in!!!!

Today I got a phone call I never expected. Months ago in a moment of madness I decided to fill in an application to run the London Marathon for Girlguiding. I can't even really remember what I wrote on the application, only that afterwards I thought of a million extra things I could have talked about. That was back in May and I've not thought too much about it since then.

That's not to say I haven't thought about the London Marathon, of course! Anyone who has anything to do with the running community will know about that early October anticipation, will it be a congratulatory magazine or the disappointing email? This year 380,000 runners applied for one of the extremely sparse ballot places, so I wasn't at all surprised to find out I wouldn't be one of those running once of the most iconic races in the world next April.

That was until this voicemail message popped up today, a lady from the Girlguiding fundraising team asking me to call her back. I panicked a bit, it couldn't be... could it?!

Well it was!!

I must admit my initial thought was "What the hell there's no way I can run a marathon and raise about £2k. But after a split second I knew I couldn't possibly turn down what may well be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I know it's going to be hard, no doubt the hardest thing I've ever done! But Girlguiding has been such a huge part of my life since the age of 4. It's given me so much... experiences, memories and friends just to name a few so I'm absolutely honoured to be given this opportunity to combine two of my most treasured hobbies in such a fantastic way!

So once again my running blog becomes a training blog. When I first started it as my 10km training blog, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it would become a story of my London Marathon training experience.... here goes!!  

Taking it easy... it's taper time!

I remember the first time I attempted a 10 minute mile. I can't remember how long I'd been running, I reckon it would have been a couple of months. I was on a treadmill as at that point I hadn't worked myself up to running in the great outdoors. I set about it not really knowing hat number I needed the still somewhat unfamiliar device to be set at, just upping it until I was going as fast as I could then pushing it until I was sure my legs would fall off and my lungs would burst.

I hit the mile in 10:11, and I still think that was perhaps the slowest 11 seconds of my life. I can't even really remember the first time I hit the 10 minute mile if I'm honest, I wouldn't have thought it would be too long after. But for some reason that one failed attempt really sticks in my mind.

Skip (or run...) forward two and a bit years and I'm just entering the taper period for my second half marathon. I always think a lot while I'm running and my steady three miler around Colwick Park yesterday lunchtime was no exception. As my trainers got going, so did my brain and my thoughts trailed to just how far I've come since those early treadmill days.

Strangely, despite all the long run miles I've put in over the last few weeks in preparation for the upcoming race, it was a short run that made me think a lot about the progress I've made. Yesterday, my little trot around the park made me realise the one mile time I was once so desperate for is now something I class as a 'steady' pace for a short-ish run.

I'm not saying it's easy, but instead of feeling seconds away from cardiac arrest I felt strong and in control and just the right amount of uncomfortable.

I know I'll be running a slower than that round the 13.1 mile route on 24th September... but, thinking about how far I've come makes me all the more excited for where I can still go if I keep pushing!  

Sun, sand and slacking off

I never normally follow an 'official' training plan in the lead up to an event, I tend to find them too tricky to fit into my already packed schedule. But I've looked at lots of them for tips etc and not a single one has ever included having a week in Benidorm eating the wrong things, drinking everything and dancing through to the early hours as part of race day preparation.

However, being an avid sun worshipper with an annual pilgrimage to Benidorm on the calendar, I had to add this slightly unconventional week into my training plan.

So months ago when the holiday was booked I pencilled in all my weekend long runs so I'd be sure to get enough miles in to be comfortable that my half marathon training progress wouldn't be completely messed up just a few weeks before race day.

In the couple of weeks post-birthday pre-holiday things were going great. I hit 10+ miles, had a good routine of a couple of short runs in the week complimented by a long one at the weekend and finally hit the sub 30 5km for the first time in many months. So as I packed my trainers and running club top along with my passport I set off on my travels feeling relaxed and without and pressure to fit in any serious runs while away.

I managed two runs while I was there. One hot and sweaty canter up the promenade then down the backstreets to keep out of the 28 degree sun. The other was still hot and sweaty, this time up the practically deserted promenade which was being completely pounded by warm rain. Neither were far and neither were fast but both enjoyable.

Arriving back in England a couple of shades darker and almost certainly a couple of pounds heavier but feeling happy and relaxed, the sensible thing to do would be to hop straight back onto the Slimming World plan I've been hopelessly following for years and get myself back in prime training position.

It appears I'm not very sensible.

What I actually did was carry on the holiday (with a couple of days at work thrown in) culminating in a night going 'out out' with my best pal and biggest drinking partner. So long run Sunday soon rolled round, my sleeping pattern non-existent and apparently my motivation out of the window with it. I got up and made my breakfast, as I have done pre-long run loads of times then I headed up to my room to get ready. Except instead of getting ready I got in bed and went back to sleep, something I've never done before!

As the day went on I thought of every excuse to postpone my run. I'd already decided I didn't have the 10km I had written in my diary all those weeks ago in me but I knew that after pretty much having two weeks off I couldn't afford to skip another run altogether.

Eventually, after countless episodes of Big Bang Theory I begrudgingly pulled on my lycra, tied up my laces and off I went. To be honest it wasn't really as bad as I thought it might be. I managed 4 miles (one of which almost all uphill) in a fairly consistent and not too slow pace so by the time I got home I was feeling much better than before I left.

So now I've got three weeks to go. That'll be one long run and one long-ish one plus quite a few smaller ones to keep the legs ticking over. It's too late in the day too worry about boosting my speed much now (especially as I've also got a weekend away the week before the Half) but I'll be happy if I can reverse the Benidorm based damage and get myself confident that I'll manage to whip around the course in around the same time as I did last year... 2:22 if you're wondering.

I've got my various sessions planned in the diary, written in pen and not pencil as they're non-negotiable and I can't let myself get distracted with social plans, rainy routes or any other excuses I can think of. This time in three weeks I'll (hopefully) be writing a post about my second half marathon experience with a picture of a shiny new medal.

Let's see how it goes!

10 doing 10(ish) at 10(ish). My Southbank Bar Running Club story... so far!

For the last two-and-a-bit years I've been running (how has it been that long already?!) I've been very much a solo runner. Perhaps surprisingly considering how sociable I am in general, I've liked being an anti-social runner. Phone away, music on, pounding the pavements on my own.

That's not to say I've not got involved with the social side of running. I'm on several Facebook groups and a member of one of East Midlands' biggest running clubs, Notts Women Runners who I've had a couple of lovely runs with. But on the whole, when I ran I ran alone and that was how I liked it.

Until recently.

 My first run with the Southbank Bar Running Club was earlier in the year when the nights were still dark and the air cold. I went, I ran, I came home again. It's no secret that I hate running in bad weather and equally at that point I was generally running round like a headless chicken trying to fit far too much into each day so had no time to hang about for a drink with a bunch of strangers.

So now it's light, warm and I have time on my hands I decided to try it again. The first time I went back I was really in two minds but a kind lady from Notts Women Runners assured me she'd trot along with me for company so off I went. The club had a lovely atmosphere so with a few less nerves I went back a couple of weeks later 'by myself'.

It's strange really because I'm not a nervous person so I don't really know why walking through the doors of a pub (my natural habitat) to meet a bunch of fellow Lycra enthusiasts seemed like such a challenge.  But as I pulled pub a chair over and joined the pre-run chatter any doubts I had before melted away as I bravely declared I could probably drink six pints of wine (turns our my mouth was running as well as my legs!)

Anyway, without dragging it out and making it a boring blog post, several Wednesdays have passed by and I've had some brilliant runs with lots of new friends over a sunny Nottingham Embankment. And it's not just the runs that have been brilliant, the general ethos of the group has too. We run, we chat, we laugh, we drink.

So naturally, on the first free Sunday morning I've had in ages I headed down for a Sunday session with the 'Southbank Squad' this morning. I needed 10 miles to get my confidence in place for the rapidly approaching Robin Hood Half Marathon, and being able to run it with such a friendly, welcoming and inclusive bunch seemed perfect.

So 10 of us set off at just gone 10am to trot our way around 10 miles. Fairly early on in the run I fell nicely into pace with two ladies - Hannah and Erica - and we managed to encourage each other around the whole (slightly adapted due to a missed turn) route. Despite being one of my longest ever, it was one of the most enjoyable training runs I've ever had.. I didn't even turn my music on until the last mile and a half when I really needed a Calvin Harris based kick up the arse!

The three of us made our way back down the familiar banks of the Trent to our base with three huge smiles and were greeted a whole bunch more, congratulating us on our achievements. And the best thing about being based at Southbank Bar? I bloody enjoyed that pint at the end of the road!

I can't get to this point (I'm almost at the end) without a special mention the fella who kicked all this off back in February, Des Oldham! He's genuinely so friendly and encouraging, and his attitude really does radiate across the whole club. I think I can safely say everyone is proud to be a member and proud of each other every single Wednesday and Sunday... long my it continue!

So in summary, if you run (or even if you don't), get yourself down to your local running club. If you love it half as much as I do you'll be in for a treat!!

This week's Sunday cohort!

Women's Running Nottingham 10k... take 3!!

The Women's Running Race Series will always be a special for me as it was my first 10k two years ago and as a result its annual visit to Nottingham remains firmly in my race calendar.

Last year I had quite a bad experience, I went at it chasing a time that wasn't realistic so ended up shattered, achy and disappointed. Despite running a PB!

Since then, my attitude to running has changed a fair bit. I don't beat myself up (too much) after a 'bad run' for one thing and I see every race as an experience as I do a chance to chase a PB. If anything, my average speed is a bit slower than this time last year and I'm behind where I was at this point for building miles up in training for the half but, for the moment I'm quite relaxed about it all. Which is unusual for me as I normally like to worry about everything all the time.

So anyway, back to the race. As my alarm went off and I began to panic about my lack of clean running club shirt and sports bra it dawned on me that spending the day before sharing a bottle of wine, cocktails and three bottles of Prosecco with my best friend might not have been the most clever plan. Luckily (and by some small miracle) I wasn't hungover, but I had enough to flap about that I was bloody relieved by the time I made my way past the portaloos and into the familiar race village on the Nottingham Embankment. 

There's always a lovely atmosphere are the Women's Running races. I really love how there is such a diverse bunch of ladies all ready and raring to go by the time the starting horn sounds at 10am.

I'm pretty sure they were a new addition this year, but for the first couple of hundred metres after the starting line there were tiny cones everywhere ready to map out the path later on in the race. Add this to the normal initial crowds and it was a bit of a nervous trot by myself and my fellow runners not to trip over and end up with a tour de France (or alternative cycling race) style pile up. Because of this, as soon as I was past them my race pace brain came into force and I knew I needed to leg it for a bit to make up some time.

So I ended up doing the first few miles at a much faster pace than I normally aim for on long runs (9:30min/mile as opposed to 10:30, if you're interested) until my legs and feet started to really bloody hurt. I think this was in some part as a result of being on them all day the day before bopping around town rather than taking it easy as I should have done.

For some reason, I really struggled to bring my pacing down to what it needed to be if I was going to avoid completely doing myself in before the last few miles. So I decided the best thing to do would be have a little walk and start again.

A little walk turned into a series of little walks as my leg ache continued under the ever-increasing heat which was proving to be a hindrance. By the time I got to about 4 and a half miles in I gave myself a right talking to as I knew that the much reduced pace I'd taken on would lead to me being disappointed with my finishing time so I picked it up again and settled into a nice trot through the embankment taking in the views and the race day atmosphere.

The last bit was fairly uneventful, although I do want to point out the great comment I had from a fellow runner who said I had really good pacing and that she recognised me from other events. Ironic considering the ups and downs of this race so far!! Just the words of encouragement I needed as I entered the last mile and saw the faces (and huge banner) of my spectator fan club.

I really do love the last bit of every race, the bit where the "I got this!" feeling really kicks in. With great words support from the marshalls cheering us though those last couple of hundred metres I was ready for my finish line sprint through the cheering crowds!

I came in at a respectable time of 1:03:34 and was handed a fantastic medal, along with a lovely technical t-shirt and the best goody bag I receive each year.

So another one done and dusted! If I'm counting correctly that's 12 10km races now since my first one two years ago. At the time, I'm not sure I'd have believed it if someone told me everything I'd achieve in the last two years. And I've no plans of stopping yet!!!

Rach, Rach's banner and me!

Club photo of the lovely Notts Women Runners

A very smudged make-up finishing photo with a great sparkly medal

More finishing celebrations