Month: December 2017

As I prepare to say goodbye to 2017, with its extreme highs and lows, I also start to think ahead to the next year. The races booked in, the training plan and everything in between.

The focus for the year is a far cry from that of 2017 – where training heavily revolved around running and training for the London Marathon Instead there will be a full mix of running, walking, spinning and strength training to prepare for a variety of events – many of which are running in their first year or the first time I am taking part.

London Winter Walk is first on the list. Two weeks into the New Year I will be getting into full swing by taking part in this 20km walk. Based in the heart of the capital this route will see me set out from Southwark and follow many London landmarks along the River Thames to Vauxhall and back again. After not participating in a race since October I am ready to take this challenge on board and get some great training miles under my belt.

A couple of weeks later I will be running the London Winter Run for the third year running. This 10k route, run by Cancer Research, is one I have embraced for a few years now. In 2018, I am hoping to find myself running at a comfortable pace and generally just enjoying running again.

THE BIG HALF – Not only new for me, but a new route completely! Organised by London Marathon Events this race will see me retrace some of the steps I took during the London Marathon itself! I signed up for this half marathon very soon after the Marathon itself, when I was full of post race glory. I am looking forward to running this one, despite not running for the last two months. The two fastest half marathoners will also be taking part with Sir Mo Farah taking on Callum Hawkins – making this a very exciting race for anyone spectating. I will be miles behind these two legends of course.

After running the first ever Adidas city run in Shoreditch back in October, I did not hesitate to sign up for the second. On 18th March I will be taking part in the Fulham 10k – which promises to be “London’s Flattest Route” – something I hope to prove true. After the enjoyable run in Shoreditch, with excellent organisation from Adidas city run, I am thoroughly looking forward to taking to the streets of Fulham in March.

London Landmarks Half Marathon is yet another brand new race I am lucky enough to take part in in 2018. Whilst many runners failed to receive a space, I was eager, ready and waiting once I knew when the registration was going live. If it was a case of fastest finger fast, my finger was on the buzzer minutes before others – as I successfully signed up within minutes of the race going live. Running through the streets of Westminster, many of which I would have covered whilst running the London Winter Run and the London Marathon, this race will again pass many of the iconic London landmarks. Also boasting a flat route, I am happy to be one of the 10,000 runners who managed to obtain a space.

Bringing a little break to my running schedule I will be taking part in the Easter Walk run by Action Challenge   – 25km from Windsor, following the River Thames, passing through beautiful countryside and Windsor Great Park. Another opportunity to add miles to my training plan before the big event just a month later.

THE ISLE OF WIGHT CHALLENGE! The big one for the year. 106km round the coastal path of the Isle of Wight. There are many options with this event, to take a 1/4 of the route or 1/2 the route, or to spread the total 106km over two days. But I did not pick this option. If I was going to challenge myself with something I said I will never do, I was going to make it as hard as possible. So I will be walking the full challenge with a target of 20-34 hours.

Shortly after I will be returning to the only OCR race I have signed up to for 2018 so far, Nuclear Rush. This will be my third Nuclear Races event and after Nuclear Blast in September I am ready to embrace the mud solo if need be. Racing at an OCR event never really sees you on your own and I look forward to taking on that Death Slide that was evidently missing from Nuclear Rush!

Vitality 10,000 was an event I missed in 2017. After running the London Marathon, holidays beckoned which clashed with this event. So, I made sure not to miss it in 2018 and these guys made it hard not to, by sending out a early bird discount to entice me to sign up (it worked). Another first for 2018, I am very much looking forward to this one.

Nine events have been confirmed for the first five months of 2018. That’s a lot of miles, a lot of commitment and lots of training needed. This is without thinking beyond to those races I have yet to sign up for: Great Newham London Run and the British 10k, for example, are most definitely on my radar – along with others I have not given thought to yet.

The fact of the matter is – I need to get myself in gear. I have not run for several months, relying purely on spinning classes and walking. Although it is great to still be moving, the lack of running has instilled a level of fear of putting the running shoes back on, at pounding the streets, the dark, the cold – you name it, I am fearing it.

So in the New Year it will be time to take off my scaredy pants and get back to it.

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This time last year I was composing a similar post – reminiscing about adventures past. With 2017 almost drawing to a close it is a great time to sit and reflect on yet another year of throwing myself at any challenge possible.

Where 2016 saw me complete numerous challenges as a team, 2017 has been one that has seen me cross the finish line on my own over and over again. In previous years, the thought of going to a race alone would fill me with dread. 2017 saw me embracing the training, the racing and everything in between by myself.

And there has been a great number of challenges to keep me occupied.

The London Winter Run – This event put me on good a good path at the beginning of 2017. The second year running this event, I was not looking for a time. I was looking to feel better about running. The same race in 2016 saw me struggle with running (little did I know it was due to the fact that I was developing a bout of Pneumonia) and as such my main goal was to shake the fear from the previous year and to simply, not stop. I achieved this. It was probably one of the first races that saw me keep going, some times faster than others, but I did not stop all the same. And that felt pretty amazing.

Next came the Hampton Court Half Marathon, new in my racing diary for 2017. By this point my training had reached a new level. I felt strong, I felt capable and determined. With its flat terrain and picturesque route along the river – it was thoroughly enjoyable. And yet again, other that a brief pause to undo an energy gel, I did not stop. Therefore making this half marathon one of my best yet. Plus, it came with a pretty heavy piece of bling and opportunities to have pictures with Henry VIII. Would I run this one again? Quite possibly, once I have ticked all the others off my list.

Another half marathon followed with the North London Half Marathon. This is one race I hated from the get go. Starting on an incline from Wembley Stadium, it was one of the most undulating races I have faced to date. The hills kept coming as we ran our way through North London, to the Saracens stadium (or Copthall to those who grew up in the area), back in a loop and finishing on the pitch back at Wembley. Yes the finishing in the stadium was fantastic, but the journey to get there for me was not. Therefore, although I encourage others to experience it for themselves – it is not one that will be featuring in my race calendar any time soon.

THE LONDON MARATHON! The one that causes my heart to skip a beat when I think back at that day, so many months ago. Even now, I don’t understand how I possibly got through the months upon months of training and across the finish line itself. It was by far, the biggest challenge to date and one of the proudest moments of my life. Having friends chase me throughout the day, to have numerous supporters in the UK, USA and Canada all watching my progress and my Niece, Nephew, family and friends at the final 500 metres – the feeling is indescribable. I never felt so much love until that day – responding to the messages took hours, there were that many people showing their love. It was one of the most amazing moments – crossing that finish line, not knowing how I managed to get through and at the same time raising an amazing amount of money for the Willow Foundation too.

It may not have been the time I wanted (there was no way I was not going to stop for those who had waited hours to see me), but I completed. And I will have the memories and the medal with me forever.

Less than two weeks later, and probably a rather stupid move too, I took part in Rat Race Dirty Weekend. Thirteen miles of obstacles. On a normal day, I would have relished in the dirty fun. But so soon after the London Marathon my running was not on form, my limbs were still feeling a little tender and I was down right tired – unsurprisingly after the months of Marathon training. That said – I still had a blast (despite having a few moans too). This weekend has to be one of the best OCR races I have participated in. There were so many obstacles I was starting to feel sick at the sight of them. It was a great, action packed weekend with a fantastic after party too.

After a long over due holiday I returned to running at the end of May in preparation for Great Newham London Run. A race that I had missed in previous years, I was extremely excited about this one. On a warm, sunny morning in July I took to the streets around Stratford – running the 10K course. The route was not easy, especially on such a hot day. But it was so worth it, to finish in yet another iconic London stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. To run along the track to the finish line where the likes of Usain Bolt and Mo Farah picked up the gold at London 2012. It was an amazing feeling – even if it was a short race. One that I definitely have pencilled in for 2018.

Just a few weeks later I was back again pounding the streets of our Capital, running the Virgin Sport – British 10k Having run the route in 2016, when the event was run by Vitality, I returned for a second year determined to beat the previous years time. Sadly, I was over zealous. By this point in the year my love for running was wavering slightly. I was tired and was bored of running!! So, I did not perform well. This day, in fact, I achieved my worst time on record for a 10k! I kept stopping, I felt sick and I kept making excuses. I had simply lost my running mojo. It happens. Was I bothered about it? No! I had run the Marathon a few months earlier so it did not faze me in the slightest. I just got up and tried to keep going. And it is one that will still feature in my diary for years to come.

The summer then took a rather bad turn for me. Not only did I get made redundant at the end of June – which impacted my mental well being but I also lost my Uncle to suicide. Trying to pick myself back up to do anything after such a tragic loss was a challenge in itself. With the grief I found it a struggle to breathe whilst running – so it simply became less frequent. I also developed plantar issues, despite the lack of running. Therefore several planned races did not happen; Bedford Half Marathon, Greenwich 10k and Herts Half were all races I was unprepared for and made the decision to drop out. Something I rarely do.

Just days before my Uncles funeral I had Nuclear Blast scheduled in. I was feeling incredibly low and I was determined I was not going to take part. Like most races for 2017, I was running alone – so I thought if I did drop out, it would only be me who lost out. But then the day before I decided to go ahead anyway. I needed to get out. I needed to carry on and I needed to continue living. And thats what I did. I completed Nuclear Blast on my own, at my own pace and I literally had a “Blast.” Getting out, not thinking about my sorrow – for just a few hours – was the best therapy I could have asked for at that moment in time. And what did I do when I completed? I signed up for the 2018 event, Nuclear Rush – solo, to have some more fun running the course by myself.

The final event I completed in 2017 was the Shoreditch 10k, organised by Adidas City Run. This was the first event run by these guys – a flat course around the quiet streets of East London. A superb event, offering the opportunity for PB’s. For me it was not about a PB. For me it was about getting back to basics. To getting that feeling I had at the beginning of the year when completing London Winter Run – when crossed the finish line without stopping. It was about showing myself that I still have the ability – it had not gone away, it was still there to take on the challenge when I was ready to do so. And I was ready. It was by no means fast, but it was steady and consistent. And most importantly enjoyable.

So, my racing for 2017 came to an end. It is safe to say that my year has been one that has been filled with physical and emotional challenges.

Trying to remember the elation from everything I accomplished at the beginning of the year, was incredibly hard when the latter part had been filled with such heartache.

I have learnt a great deal about myself, about the power of my mind and the capabilities of my body in 2017.

But the biggest lesson of all; is learning to have the strength to carry on, to keep fighting and living when others find they cannot.