My Mum Runs

Views From A Run in France

2012-07-22T14:01:00.000-04:00

I'm staying with my in-laws at their home in France at the moment, as part of my family's summer holiday (we've also been visiting the UK). They live in a lovely, quiet village called Villamblard and are surrounded by beautiful countryside.

Yesterday morning marked my first official long run for my NYC marathon training, and I had an 8 miler planned. I decided on a simple out and back route. It turned out to be the most beautiful and satisfying run I've had in a long time.

The weather was just right, cool, sunny and fresh, with not a smidgen of the NYC humidity that I find so hard to deal with. My pace, while far from fast, was steady and sure and my legs felt good the whole way.

I'd been worried that I would find it difficult to run here as there is a complete absence of anything resembling a pavement, with just grassy verges at the side of the winding, hilly roads.

After a couple of shorter runs, however, I soon got the hang of it: basically you run towards oncoming traffic, stick to the side of the road, and hope that the cars will make way for you (if not - you quickly jump back onto the grass!). One downside to this is that you can't run with headphones - it's just too dangerous as you can't hear what's coming, and with so many twists and turns to the roads, you need to have your wits about you. However, the genius that is my husband, suggested I run with my iphone playing through its speaker, so I gave that a try. Considering that I saw, at most, about 15 cars and 2 people on the whole run, you can imagine how quiet it was, so I could easily hear Joni Mitchell (yes, I am old and I may well be a closet hippy), singing as I ran past fields of corn and wild flowers.

'I am on a lonely road and I am travelling, travelling, travelling, travelling.....'. Oh yes, Joni. I am. I am.

Guest Post by Gill

2012-01-03T20:41:00.001-05:00

A few months ago I received an email from my lovely friend Gill that made my day (read it here). Inspired by this blog, Gill and her husband, Gareth, had both embarked on an 8 week beginner's running programme and had achieved fantastic results.

Gill, Gareth and their gorgeous brood on their wedding day

It's the time of year when lots of people are thinking about getting into shape. So, if you're thinking about getting fit and dropping some of those extra Christmas pounds, this guest post from Gill, which shares her experience of becoming a runner, might provide you with just the inspiration you're looking for.

So, over to Gill......

I hate the gym. It's just so communal and stuffy and full of other people. I've had occasional attempts at "going for a run" over the last couple of years, always getting disillusioned with it and giving up after 3 or 4 sessions. As I'm getting older, the idea of being a little fitter and healthier gets more attractive. I don't smoke anymore, or binge drink or any of the other random activities that used to define me.

Then your blog directed me to the Runners World Beginners programme. 8 weeks, slowly building up to be able to run for 30 minutes. One Tuesday morning in June, I decided to start. Like all major decisions I've made in my life - having children, training to be a midwife, Gareth moving in and having more children - if I thought about it for too long I would have come up with a million reasons not to, so I just did it.

However, the first time I didn't read the programme properly and only ran for 1 minute and walked for 2 minutes 3 times. I arrived home feeling quite smug, reporting to the husband that it was really easy and I must be fitter than I think, only to check and realise that I should have done another 5 repeats. What a wally. Next morning I went out and did the 8 repeats, came home red faced, sweaty but jubilant.

Two weeks later, as I embarked on week 3, my husband decided he was going to give it a go. We both followed the schedule to the letter. As each week went by I couldn't believe the progress we were making. Week 7 and 8 for me coincided with being on holiday on the Isle of Wight. I was really looking forward to running by the sea. That was brilliant, although I did find it hard work running along the same level for significant amounts of time. At home, we are lucky enough to have the magnificent Alexandra Park at the top of the street, which offers lots of different terrain, woodland, a lake to run by and lots of inclines and declines to challenge one's legs, along with amazing views of London if we make it to the top of the hill.

Now, a few weeks further down the line, I'm still running for roughly 30 minutes, 3 times a week, as is Gareth. Going for a morning run has become a habit now. A habit that luckily is good for me! Some mornings it takes longer to warm up and get going, but the 8 week schedule has taught me not to give up and I find myself really getting into the zone and not thinking about anything except breathing air and moving my legs. I've lost half a stone since June, without having to give up chocolate, so that's a major result.

Next challenge will be to continue into the winter months, to prove to myself that I'm not a fair weather runner- luckily Gareth has purchased some all weather running gear (I prefer his stuff, women's sports wear assumes that you want the world to see your midriff). My neighbour who has also been inspired by the 8 week schedule and I have a loose plan to run the Crouch End 5k Fun Run in May next year.

Most importantly, the hour and a half a week I spend out running is my time. All mine. When your home life and work life is spent being with other people, this time has been so valuable for my mental health as well as my cardiovascular health.

Its a win win no brainer really!

Gill x

11 Things I'll Remember About 2011

2011-12-30T17:27:00.000-05:00

1. I fell in love and stayed in love with running.

When I started running seriously in January 2011, I hoped that I'd still be running regularly at the end of the year. Part of me, however, doubted my ability to finish what I'd started and stick with it. At that point, running was still something I had to make myself do. Ticking off every training run gave me a huge sense of satisfaction, but I can't deny that it was difficult to drag myself out of bed on those cold winter mornings. So I never would have guessed that by the end of this year, not only would I still be running, but I'd be the sort of person who HAD to run in order to feel good. Running hooks you in like that. Now, I don't see running as something that I hope I'll be doing a year from now, but something that I'm pretty sure I'll be doing for the rest of my life.

2. I discovered Prospect Park

Living close to Prospect Park has literally changed my life. It's beauty and energy never fail to inspire and invigorate me. I've run in the park in pouring rain, snow, 90 degree heat, fierce winds and sub zero temperatures.

Taken during a run in the pouring rain - this
wasn't a pond it was a puddle!

I've run before dawn, and watched the sun rise over the frozen, snow covered lake. I've run after dusk while fireflies darted around my feet.

Why wouldn't you want to run past scenery like this?

Running through the year and watching the park change through the seasons has been a privilege and a beautiful sight to behold.

3. I ran my first road race

Registering for my first race was scary. I went through all the usual 'I'll come last' fears and truly worried that I wouldn't finish. But I did finish, and I didn't come last. Signing up gave me a reason to keep training and strengthened my commitment to running. And guess what? I found out that I love racing. I'll never win a race (much to my kids' disappointment), but those of you who race already know that it's not about that. For me racing gives me a goal to work towards and a huge sense of achievement. Racing isn't about competing against anyone else other than yourself but that competition is the best kind of all. Working hard in training to achieve a new distance or a a better time provides me with a physical and mental focus that I relish, and nothing beats the feeling of pushing yourself further than you thought you could go on race day.

4. I ran my first (2) half-marathons

I signed up for my first half as a challenge to myself, and had absolutely no idea if I'd be able to make the distance. I clearly remember the first time I ran a 5 mile distance early in my training. It seemed like such a long way that I couldn't fathom running 13 miles. But I got there. Those training schedules are clever things - bit by bit you build your distance, until that 5 mile run seems like an easy day.

Half marathons are tough, but so achievable to the novice runner. I love the training as it provides me with a weekly mileage that keeps me fit and invigorated and long runs that build my endurance and belief in myself. I'll be registering for a couple more this year, and can't wait to get down to training.

5. I got injured, did something about it and got better

Getting injured this year was a huge learning curve for me. Not being able to run was incredibly frustrating and if it wasn't for the focus that my regular physiotherapy appointments gave me I think I'd have handled it a lot worse. I really struggled with the loss of my running routine, the sanity and me time it afforded me and the loss of my fitness. I was determined to get better and get back to running, not least as I still had 3 of my 9+1 races to complete before the end of the year.

According to my physiotherapist, 90% of physiotherapy is turning up. If you turn up, do the work and stick to your exercises, you'll get better. He's right. Having physio 3 times a week while I couldn't run gave me a focus and a plan. I turned up, I did the work, I felt like nothing was getting any better at all for AGES, and then suddenly, I turned a corner.

Now I continue to do the exercises I was taught, although admittedly, not as often as I should, and I've learned to listen to what my body is telling me. To rest when it tells me to, to strength train when it feels weak, to stretch and ice when it's tight or sore. I still have some pain, but it's not stopping me from running, and I hope that with time, the pain will go for good. My fitness is not where it was prior to my injury, but I'm coming back, and hoping that I'll be ready to challenge that half-marathon PR next spring.

6. My kids ran their first races (and loved them)

They're already asking when they can run their next races - see if you can spot the future track stars....

7. I lost weight and kept it off without dieting

Life is too damn short to deny yourself the things you like to eat and drink. I will never be able to live a life where I have to say no to food for fear of putting on weight. 2011 was the year I discovered that I don't have to. That I can maintain a healthy weight without dieting or obsessing. That all I have to do is eat sensibly, have a treat when I want it, and cut back the next day if I go overboard. Adding running to this mix gave me a stronger and healthier body than I've ever had in my adult life and actually put me in a mind frame where I prefer to eat healthily (who knew?!). So as I sit here with a Christmas induced expansion of my waistline, I couldn't care less. Because once my training gets back into full swing in the new year, my body will get back into the shape I want to be in.

8. I started a blog

...and struggled to find the time to write it! In the early days of My Mum Runs, I put a huge amount of effort into getting posts online as frequently and regularly as possible. But it's hard work and I put too much pressure on myself. I have to say that I wrestled with my insecurities and I often wondered who on earth really wanted to know what I thought or had to say. It doesn't help when there are so many great blogs out there. But hey, this blog is a document of my life, as well as a potential resource for others like me, so I'll keep writing, I just can' t promise how prolific I'll be. For those who have followed and commented - thank you so much. I've loved hearing your feedback and your own stories and I really appreciate your support.

9 I embraced social media

A couple of years ago, I couldn't have given a hoot about facebook or twitter. It wasn't until I moved abroad that they became lifelines to my friends and family back home. What I didn't anticipate, was how much twitter, in particular, and other sites like Daily Mile would help me to discover a new running community and feel part of a runner's support network. Through social media I've found real people to run with and a real sense of belonging, both to a like-minded group of runners and to my greater community of NYC. My virtual world has expanded my real life and I'm so grateful for that.

10. I got my first road bike.

The birthday fairy was VERY kind to me this year and I'm already using my (scarily fast) bike to cross train and speed around the Prospect Park loop. I'm planning on competing in my first triathlon this year so am reading as much as I can and looking for the right training plan. I'm so excited to see how triathlon training will change my body and my fitness and most of all I'm excited to improve my swimming and finally get over my fear of swimming in open water.

11. I qualified for the NYC 2012 marathon!

Thought you might have been wondering. Well I did it!

Race Name, Date	Dist. (miles)	Gun Time	Net Time	Pace per Mile	Overall Place/ Total Finishers	Gender Place/ Total Females	Age Place/ Total in Age Grp.	Age-Grd. Time	Perf. %
Volunteer Credit December 31, 2011		VQ VQ	VQ VQ
Jingle Bell Jog December 10, 2011	3.7	38:26	35:18	9:32	2823 / 5775	1309 / 3481	158 / 469
Join The Voices! 5M December 4, 2011	5.0	57:03	51:57	10:23	3984 / 5005	1829 / 2568	299 / 441	50:44	47.6%
Race to Deliver November 20, 2011	4.0	47:26	41:34	10:23	3334 / 4500	1574 / 2390	261 / 381	40:36	47.3%
Run For Central Park 4m July 16, 2011	4.0	42:21	37:52	9:28	3333 / 5236	1194 / 2565	484 / 1013	36:59	51.9%
NYRR New York Mini 10K June 11, 2011	6.2	1:00:23	58:34	9:26	2095 / 4767	2095 / 4767	342 / 796	57:12	53.0%
Brooklyn Half Marathon May 21, 2011	13.1	2:17:02	2:09:59	9:55	4143 / 5921	1720 / 3036	240 / 487	2:06:25	52.0%
NYRR 4-Mile April 23, 2011	4.0	41:34	36:15	9:03	2968 / 5161	945 / 2371	128 / 342	35:24	54.3%
More/Fitness Half-Marathon April 3, 2011	13.1	2:22:13	2:15:55	10:22	3552 / 7508	3552 / 7508	533 / 1082	2:12:11	49.8%
NYRR Al Gordon Classic (4M) February 26, 2011	4.0	45:59	40:29	10:07	3002 / 3994	1182 / 1840	187 / 295	39:32	48.6%

I ran my 9 NYRR races culminating in the festive Jingle Bell Jog - here's me seconds from the finish, running my fastest pace since my injury:

Those 9 races plus my volunteer credit have guaranteed my place in next year's NYC marathon. I cannot wait.

Watching this year's marathon filled me with so much emotion and excitement, if I make it through the training I'm sure to be a wreck on the day! But I did it. I got my qualification, finished what I started and I did what I set out to do.

This time next year, I could be a marathoner.

How about that?

Happy new year and here's to a 2012 that lives up to all your hopes and dreams.

Love,

Lindsay x

Catching Up

2011-10-02T23:45:00.008-04:00

Blimey, it's been a long time since I posted anything, hasn't it?

I'm sure it must have appeared that I'd dropped off the planet, but in reality I've just been super busy and finding time to blog has been pretty difficult. What with my kids both starting new schools, my husband working away a lot and my in-laws visiting, it's been all I can do to keep things ticking over. Whilst I've stuck to my running training religiously (well as religiously as an atheist can), I'm no superwoman and I've just not had the extra energy to finish a thought in my head, never mind write a blog post.

So you have my apologies. Sorry. Will try not to do it again, promise.

Anyhoo...

There's a lot to catch up on. There's good stuff and bad stuff. So let's get started.

I've been training pretty hard, aiming for my third half marathon of the year, the Staten Island Half, which takes place on October 9th. So, for the last 11 or so weeks, I've been running 4-5 times a week, with three 3-4 mile easy runs, one speed work out and one long run every week. This has all been in an attempt to break the 2 hour mark at the S.I. Half.

To give you an idea, a recent week of training looked like this:

Sunday 3 miles easy (10.24 pace)

Monday 3 miles easy (10.24 pace)

Tuesday 6 miles tempo

(1 mile warm up, 4 miles at 8.54 min mile,

1 mile cool down)

Wednesday 3 miles easy

Thursday rest

Friday 11 mile long run (10.24 pace)

Saturday rest

TOTAL 26 miles

It's been great. I've noticed a big difference in my fitness and have dreaded and loved my speed work outs in equal measure. Before this training plan, I'd never attempted 'tempo runs' or 'mile repeats'. Those kind of runs were for proper runners. Well, I suppose I'm a proper runner now. I've even found my way to the local track for some of my speed sessions, which has been fantastic.

At times I've had to pinch myself. Little old me, bombing around a race track, who'd have thought it, eh?

Two things have really helped with my training:

First, I've finally embraced what technology has to offer runners, and have bought myself a Garmin Forerunner 305. It's not the newest model (which means you can get it on sale), but I don't care because I love it and am totally addicted to it. It can do all sorts of fancy pants things, but I use it to track my distance, my pace and my mile splits. Plus I can hook it up to Daily Mile when I get home and record my route, distance and speed, providing me with a perfect online and shareable training journal. I love the freedom it gives me to run where I want to, without having to plot out a route ahead of time. I run and the Garmin tells me when I've covered the miles I intended to cover. Genius!

Secondly, I've continued to train regularly with the lovely Majo, a running buddy I met through Twitter and Daily Mile. Majo has been doing the same training schedule as me and is also planning on running the Staten Island Half, so it's been great to run with someone who is at the same level and who I get on with so well. It's made both the short easy runs and the not so short not so easy runs an absolute pleasure. Majo is also a fantastic writer and has her own blog, so check it out.

So, it's all been going pretty well. Or rather it had been going pretty well, until 10 days ago.

The day before the 5th Avenue Mile race, which I was SO looking forward to, I set off on a 13 mile long run with Majo. I was really looking forward to chalking up the half marathon distance before running the race. It was to be the ultimate confidence booster. We had planned to take in both the Williamsburg and Brooklyn bridges, running from Park Slope in Brooklyn to Manhattan and home again. Earlier in the week I'd completed my most intense speed session yet, a 7 mile tempo run, which after a mile warm-up had me running at just under a 9 minute mile pace for 5 miles. My iliotibial band (ITB) had played up the next day, giving me some knee pain and instability, but it hadn't stopped me running an easy 4 miles.

So, when 4 miles into my long run I started to feel hip and knee pain and a tightness in my ITB, I was not amused, and to be honest I knew what was coming. I've had problems with my left ITB before, often due to weaknesses elsewhere in my body (rubbish core and hip strength, for example). Despite plenty of walk breaks and stretching, the pain just got worse, and totally disappointed and disheartened, I had to say goodbye to Majo on the Williamsburg bridge.

Anyway, fast forward 10 days and I've had to totally scale down my training. I sat out the 5th Avenue Mile, which was GUTTING. I've missed my speed work out, and have managed just a 3 mile, 2 mile and 4 mile run this week. I've iced, foam rolled, stretched and repeated. I've even forked out for a (bloody wonderful) sports massage. Today's long run was the deciding factor. I was scheduled to run 11 miles, a distance that I'd run easily and happily just a few weeks before. I figured that if I couldn't run that today, I'd have no chance of running the Staten Island Half. So, I set off gently and covered the first 4 miles slowly and comfortably, heading again towards Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge (it's my favourite long run route, what can I tell you?). Anyway, no sooner had I hit Broadway, than things started to seize up again. My hip, my leg and then my knee. I battled on for another couple of miles until I had to be sensible and give up at just past the 6 mile mark. After 12 weeks of training for it, Staten Island is not going to happen for me this year.

It is SO frustrating. My fitness is fine. My fitness is good, in fact. I felt fresh and full of energy - which I suppose I'm bound to after effectively tapering this week due to my decreased mileage. But when the ITB says no, I have to listen. The last time I didn't listen and ran through the ITB pain, I couldn't run at all for months, that eventually turned into years.

But onward and upward. I'm trying to be positive and not let it get me down. There are other races, in fact I have to compete in a minimum of 3 more this year to fulfill my 9+1 guaranteed entry conditions - I do not want to blow that and forfeit my NYC 2012 Marathon chances. So I will ice, stretch and foam roll. I will rest, cross train and strength train. And I'll get some physio, because my oh so expensive health insurance covers it. Lots of it. There's the silver lining, eh?

So watch this space. Just because I haven't achieved my goal, I'm not going to let it get to me. I'll just set myself some new goals:

1. Sort out my ITB

2. Strength train and cross train to reduce my injury risk

(I'm thinking I might try me a boot camp and some of that spinning malarkey)

3. Finish my 9+1 races

4. Set a PR on a 5K or 4 mile race by the end of the year.

There. Goals. Got some. That was easy.

Onward and upward, my friends, onward and upward.....

Summer Streets Make Me Feel Fine

2011-08-17T21:11:00.001-04:00

As you'll know from my recent Brooklyn Bridge love-fest, I'm all for the Manhattan bound long run these days. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about Summer Streets. I'm not just talking about the sunny NYC sidewalks here, but the totally brilliant initiative brought to the people of New York City by the touchy, feely, let's get greeny NYC Dept Of Transportation.

For 3 consecutive Saturdays in August, a route connecting Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park is closed to traffic, allowing runners, cyclists and walkers to take over the street and run, bike or stroll their way through New York City. The route, starting at my beloved bridge, takes in Lafayette Street, 4th Avenue and then a long stretch of Park Avenue, before it hangs a left off Park Avenue to end at the 72nd street entrance to Central Park.

With an 8 mile long run on my schedule for last weekend, it seemed the stars had aligned to provide me with both a route and a reason so I made a plan to run from my home, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, up to Central Park, taking the Summer Streets route through the Manhattan stretch. Mindful of the amount of time my running can keep me away from my family, I arranged with my husband to meet him and the kids at Central Park. That way we could have breakfast in the park, play with the kids and a have a walk back down the Summer Streets route. Perfect!

I set off around 7.45am, as I wanted to beat both the crowds and the heat, although in reality, neither of them turned out to be a problem. With LCD Soundsystem as my soundtrack, I arrived at Brooklyn Bridge within around half an hour (my training plan called for a 10.30 pace the whole way). That's where I hit the first wave of runners, who clearly had the same idea as me, although they were running en masse in the opposite direction. The bridge was literally full to capacity with group runners, and I had a few near misses with cyclists when I was forced into the cycling lane by the sheer volume of people.

Once I hit Manhattan soil, I made a sharp right and quickly spotted the start of the Summer Streets route.

I happily abandoned the pavement and began my journey along the middle of the road. Within a couple of minutes, I arrived at the first 'rest stop' at Foley Street. Whilst I had no intention of needing or taking a rest stop, I had to take the opportunity of getting picture of these guys for you. Cool, eh?

Just as I turned back onto the road to continue running, I saw a familiar face running towards me. It was my new running friend, Majo, who I met through Twitter and have been running with for the last couple of weeks. She was on a group run with Prospect Park Track Club (who I'm itching to join), so once we had got over the surprise of bumping into each other, I continued with Majo and her team mates, following the rest of her club further north up Lafayette St.

Majo is fantastic to run with. We pace really well together, and the conversation flows beautifully, so the miles just seemed to fly by.

We continued north, and by now my pace was pretty much set to automatic, which just feels really wonderful - it's that point in a run when you feel you could just keep going forever. We passed Soho, Union Square and its buzzing farmer's market, then onward up Park Avenue. Crossing 34th St I caught a glimpse of Macy's to my left, a shop I'm no stranger to, although I usually get there by subway! We pressed on, all the time aware of how beautifully quiet and peaceful our run was, the only sounds I heard were those of feet hitting pavement, or bikes wooshing past, of talking and breathing and laughing. I can't recall hearing the sound of traffic at all, although I'm sure I must have.

The next big landmark was the approach to Grand Central Station, usually a traffic hotspot, but today empty but for us lucky few.

The route took us around the perimeter of the building, bringing us downward through a tunnel to emerge again on Park Ave.

At this point, I said goodbye to Majo, who, having started her run at a different spot to me, had clocked her 8 miles. I carried on running with her team mates, until they also took their leave in search of a pit stop.

Left to my own devices and with around half a mile to go, I stopped to make a little video, to give you all an idea of just how quiet Park Avenue was that day:

I completed my 8th mile before the end of the course, but feeling good decided to run on to the end as there was only a half mile or so to go until the finish. And here I am, job done!

Then there was just the small matter of finding Paul and the kids, who it turned out were only a block or two away. Poppie was so excited by the whole thing that she even had a little run along 72nd street with me, along the last part of the course. Definitely the highlight of the day for me - I felt like my heart would burst with pride.

The last Summer Streets is this Saturday between 7am and 1pm. It's a totally unique and peaceful way to see the city, and I'd absolutely recommend it to runners and non-runners alike. So, whether you have a long run planned, or just fancy a family outing with the kids (I saw tons of families with their children in strollers, or on bikes or scooters) make the most of the Department Of Transport's generosity and go and enjoy yourself!

10 Things You Might Not Know About Me

2011-08-13T00:24:00.000-04:00

So, over at Grenglish, the fabulous blog by the lovely Smudgerella, I've been tagged in a post called 10 Things You Might Not Know About Me. According to blogging by-laws this means that I now have to fess up to 10 things you might not know about me. I'm worried that if I don't I might get fined by the blogerati so, here goes....

1. I've break danced in a kebab shop.

Well, in the loosest sense of the words 'break danced'. I made sure that the lovely Smudge, proprietor of Grenglish, was on hand to hold my pashmina first. I didn't want it to get in the way of my crazy legs.

2. I can't stand anyone touching my ears

I do. Not. Like it. And will have an immediate sense of humour failure if anyone attempts it. It freaks the bejesus out of me.

3. I gave birth in my kitchen

Yes really! And on purpose! I've also delivered someone else's baby in their kitchen, and many others elsewhere. In my life before stay at home motherhood, I was a midwife.

4. I've got a very big mouth

Not only does it allow me to talk the hind legs off a donkey, but I can also fit my fist in it, which is the perfect party trick (unless you'd prefer me to break dance).

5. I love breakfast for dinner

It drives my husband crazy. If it's past 9 o'clock it's my culinary default as I can't be arsed to cook and don't like eating too late. He gets take out while I stuff my chops with porridge.

There's some porridge under there, honest.

6. My marriage certificate is in Italian

It's all down to that Smudgerella again. I can confirm that she is indeed the wedding fairy as she was with me the night I met my husband. We married 5 years later in a beautiful town in Tuscany. The Italian marriage certificate is kind of cool too, but a bugger when you're trying to get a visa.

7. I used to be a singer - kind of.

I've sung live on TV (Pebble Mill on the BBC - it was excruciatingly embarrassing), done lots of gigs and even a proper session for the band Electronic (Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr), singing backing vocals on their single 'Late at Night'. I realised a long time ago that I'd never make anything of it though, so have left all that behind as a happy memory.

7. I can't pronounce the word 'theatre' properly and get confused between goose bumps and chicken bumps.

Which one is it? It's chicken bumps isn't it? No? Shit.

9. I can't act to save my life.

Somehow, however, I got a part in a music video when I was 21. See if you can spot me (clue: BIG blonde hair) and have a chuckle at my expense, especially at the last bit when I try to act 'surprised'. My face barely moves.

10. I cry at anything

I cry at the drop of a hat sometimes. A really sad film can have me crying again days later, just from thinking about it. I've even cried at the closing credits of a film I hadn't actually watched (Escape to Victory). It's that pathetic. I cry when I run sometimes too, but I think if you've read my blog before, you might know that already (and I don't think I'm the only runner to do that either).

So, there you go. You now know my deepest and darkest.

Any surprises? Or do you know me better than I think?

This Email Just Made My Day...

2011-08-08T15:52:00.003-04:00

I've never been under any illusion regarding my talent as a runner or as a writer. I do both at my own pace and to the best of my ability, but that still leaves me planted very firmly in the 'average' camp. And that's OK with me, because both running and writing this blog bring me great pleasure. My expectations of both are simply that I continue to enjoy them and to do my best.

You can imagine, therefore, how I felt about receiving this email from my lovely friend Gill, midwife extraordinaire and supermum to four. Gill has followed my blog since its first inception and now it seems she has gone and found herself a Couch to 5K training plan...

"Well Mrs O, I'm officially a runner!!! Finished the 8 week program yesterday and I CAN DO IT!!!! I can't believe it. Thanks a million to you being an inspiration, I'm going to be fit n forty now, not fat n forty (in about 7 years time of course). The husband is doing well too, on week 7. He's actually more addicted than me!"

I am absolutely chuffed to bits for Gill and her husband Gareth, as I know how amazing it feels to make the journey from non-runner to runner, to change from an 'I can't!' to an 'I bloody well can!'.

I'm also utterly delighted to have provided a catalyst for Gill and Gareth's transformation into runners - who knew my average little blog would do some good along its average little way?

Now all I need are details, so I'm hoping that Gill and Gareth will respond to my invitation to write a guest blog post about their experience. Let's watch this space with fingers crossed...

Until then, Gill, Gareth - YOU ROCK!

Take It To The Bridge

2011-07-31T23:21:00.002-04:00

You may have noticed from my recent ranting that I've been letting the NYC heat and humidity get to me. Whilst I still heart NY, I've not been loving what the weather has been doing to my legs or my spirits. Running has become both a challenge and a chore lately, as you may be aware if you follow my training on Daily Mile. It's all felt a bit too 'blah' quite frankly.

But guess what? I think I might just be getting my running mojo back. And it's not just because the heatwave has done a runner. It has a lot to do with this big fella here:

Since first walking over the Brooklyn Bridge back in November last year, I've been itching to run it. Somehow though, there was never the right time or opportunity. The bridge is around 3 miles from my apartment, so I need a good chunk of time (in babysitting hours) available before I can consider running there. Plus, living right next to Prospect Park, it's all too easy to get stuck in the habit of running the park's loop all the time. It's the mecca for Brooklyn based runners after all, so hey, if it ain't broke....

But a few days ago, I found a window. With Poppie at school, my lovely friend Michelle offered to have Jackson over for a play date with her boys, leaving me footloose for a whole 90 minutes (woo hoo!). So off I went - Brooklyn Bridge bound.

It was pretty hot, but just about bearable, and it wasn't long before I found my way to the pedestrian path leading to the bridge. As the path turned a corner and I got my first view of the bridge I felt like crying. I'd waited so long to do this, that it felt amazing to finally be there. Running over the bridge, my feet rattling its wooden boards with each step, it felt...

Iconic. Elating. Big Time Happy.

And the views...

Well, I'm afraid these pictures don't do them justice.

Before I knew it, I'd run out of bridge and was in Manhattan.

I'd run to flippin' Manhattan!

Now, this was by no stretch the longest run I'd done, but it felt like such an achievement to have got all the way to Manhattan. I kept going, running up Broadway, past Canal Street and all the way to Prince Street in Soho. Feeling very pleased with myself I hopped onto the R train back to Brooklyn to pick up my boy. Well, that was the idea, except for the fact that I got on the uptown train by mistake, ended up at 23rd Street and had to make a mad dash back in time to pick up Jackson, before Michelle had to go out. You see, it had all been going far too smoothly...

Running somewhere new that day really upped my enjoyment factor and helped me get some perspective on what 'distance' really looks like. When you're running the same route around a park, day in, day out, 4.5 miles (the distance I ran that day), is just a basic training run. Running that same distance through city streets, however, makes you realise just how far 4.5 miles actually takes you from your starting point. Saying to yourself, 'I want to go there' and then running to where you want to go, is so much more satisfying than pounding the same old (same old) route.

At the end of the day, I don't know what the future holds for me right now. I don't know how long my family will stay in New York, it's dependent on so many factors. But while we're here, I have some of the most interesting, beautiful and downright iconic city streets and sights right on my doorstep. So I need to make the most of them now, while I can, and not waste the opportunity I have to take them in whilst doing something I love. I need to stop plodding around the (very beautiful, very convenient) park all the time and start running the city I'm so lucky to live in.

A few days later, I took my own advice and ran over the Brooklyn Bridge again, this time crossing Manhattan to the West side and running up the West side Highway pedestrian path. I didn't even know this bit was here:

Pretty, eh? And I got some lovely views of the Hudson.

I made a right when I reached the Meatpacking district and ran along 14th Street until I reached Union Square.

8 miles on the nose. Long run done. And it was kind of perfect for a long run, too. Running the streets, I often had to stop for lights, which gave my legs a little rest (nothing wrong with that when you're running long and easy). Plus, there was so much to see along the way.

So here's the plan. For short runs, tempo runs, speed work: Prospect Park - you are the perfect host. But for long runs...New York City - hold on, cos I'm coming.

What's your favourite city running route?

Silent RunDay

2011-07-26T13:57:00.001-04:00

A Week of Extremes

2011-07-23T17:23:00.005-04:00

WARNING: RANT ALERT!!!!

I am rubbish in the heat. With my pale skin and fair hair, I'm just not suited to it. One of the main reasons I was happy to move from Dubai to NYC was to escape the heat, and live in 'proper' weather.

How naive I was. NYC is giving Dubai a run for its money this week, as a record breaking heat wave ploughs its way across the U.S., hiking New York temperatures above 100 F, and heat indices above 110. It. Is. Boiling.

Now Dubai does get hotter than this, but then in Dubai we lived in a large, airy villa with tiled floors and central a/c. We could move from air-conned house, to air-conned car (parked just outside our door) to air-conned office/ mall/ restaurant/what have you.

In New York things are pretty different. For a start we're on the 4th floor of an old limestone building. Remember what you learned at school about heat rising? Well it's all true. Heat does rise and once it's risen, it hangs out in our apartment and refuses to leave. That's our apartment without central a/c, but instead with ~~total wastes of money~~ portable a/cs that barely make an impact. As I write this we have 3 a/cs running in our living space and I am still sweating. And the air-conned car? What air-conned car? We don't have one of those! If you have one of those, you need somewhere to park it and we didn't fancy having to get a bus home from the nearest parking space. So, if we need to get anywhere, we walk. In the heat. With two kids. And the shopping/ scooters/ lunchboxes/handbags/what have yous.

Oh, it's beyond joyful.

And did I mention the four flights of stairs that we (me. the 2 kids) climb when we actually manage to get in the door? No? Well that's just a treat, because that's when I get to carry Jackson (all 30lbs of him) as well as the shopping/ scooters/ lunchboxes/handbags/what have yous, because Jackson has decided he doesn't like walking up stairs anymore. It's especially wonderful when we get half-way up the final flight of stairs and the temperature jumps up by about 10 degrees to 'sauna' level. That's my favourite bit.

It's looking like the heat will die down (a bit) in the next few days, so that we'll only have highs in the late 80s (woo flippin' hoo). So maybe I'll be able to get a bit of running in. This week I've managed a pathetic 3.5 miles what with the heat and Paul's work schedule. 3 of those miles were on the treadmill, which I loathe with a passion. And I tell you, missing my runs messes with my head. I'm cranky when I don't get to run. I start wanting to boost my serotonin levels by other means (i.e. chocolate). My pudding intake increases exponentially and I start to feel crappy. Rather that though than attempt a run outside. On Thursday, on the way home from the (cool, air-conned) library with Jackson, I watched as loads of runners came bounding out of the park. At midday. In 95 degree heat. What possesses them?!!! I mean I know I'm a bit of a wimp, but that's just ridiculous, surely?

OK. RANT OVER.

So, without my usual running fix I had to find another way of getting a hit, and achieved this by going to see the fantastic 'Hood To Coast' at the IndieScreen in Williamsburg.

Hood to Coast is a documentary film about The Hood To Coast relay race which runs every year between Mount Hood in Oregon and the Pacific Ocean in Seaside, Oregon. The course covers 197 miles and is run by over 15,000 runners, all in teams of 12. Each runner in a team runs 3 legs of, on average, 6 miles. When not running, the team members return to one of two team vans that follow the runners along the course. Extreme, huh? (Do you see a theme developing here?).

Hood To Coast is not only extremely well made - quirky, funny and captivating - but also incredibly moving. It features a number of teams, and tells their stories as well as documenting their progress in the race. Team R Bowe runs in rememberance of Ryan Bowe, who unexpectedly died of a heart attack a year before at the age of 30. His mother, brother and wife run along with his friends to complete the race he loved so much.

Team Heart 'n' Sole, comprised completely of women over 50, run for the first time since Kathy, one of their members, literally dropped dead on the course the previous year, only to be revived by fellow runners. The film follows Kathy's comeback a year, and a triple heart bypass later, at the age of 67. These stories are told with compassion and unexpected humour, and I challenge anyone not to be moved by them.

Much light relief is supplied by other teams, namely 'Dead Jocks In a Box' and 'Thunder and Laikaning'. The former, a 'masters' team, including one member who has run every race for the last 25 years, and whom like his team mates, behaves more like a teenage boy than a man in his fifties. The later is a team comprised of mostly sedentary animators, who belive that the key to running the race is to eat (pizza) and drink (beer) as much as possible and to train (practice running) as little as possible.

The race course winds through unspeakably beautiful scenery, which had me literally wiggling in my seat, wanting to be there running too. As the runners make their way along it, their stories unfold further, engaging you with their experience so that when they finish, you share their jubilance and relief.

Honestly, I'd recommend this film to runners and non-runners alike. It's on Netflix, so check it out if you can, otherwise check out the website to see when and where it's playing next.

Running 197 miles is not easy. But like one of the characters says, when you get 12 people together, you can do anything. So my only question is, if I'm number 1, who are my other 11? Who's in for next year?

I'm serious.

Who wants to spend a weekend doing something unbelievable? Who thinks they can run 3 legs of 6-7 miles through the most beautiful scenery you can imagine as part of an amazing group effort to do something you never thought you could be part of?

Extreme, eh?

So come on then, who's in? And what's our team name?

Central Park Conservancy Run For Central Park - Race Recap

2011-07-18T22:41:00.000-04:00

The Central Park Conservancy Run for Central Park was my sixth qualifying race for the NYC 2012 Marathon, and one that I'd been deliberating over for most of the preceding week. This was my third 4 mile race of the year, and the second time I'd run this course. Last time had been at the NYRR 4 mile back in April, where I'd knocked 4 minutes off my previous time and exceeded all my expectations. It was a brilliant race for me, not least as it was absolutely pouring with rain, which to my complete and utter surprise made for great running conditions: cool, refreshing and just plain joyful (picture me leaping over puddles and whooping with excitement and you get the idea).

The recent weather in New York City, however, has been far from ideal for running. We've been experiencing extremely hot days, with temperatures consistently hitting 30 - 34°C. The double whammy of heat along with high levels of humidity has made running a sticky, dead legged, energy sapping challenge. Thankfully, in the week leading up to the race the humidity eased its grip on the city. This made things slightly more bearable, but the heat remained. Even leaving the house before 7am to run, I contended with temperatures between 23 and 25°C.

So, in the lead up to this race, I've been more than aware how unlikely beating my previous time and achieving a new personal record (PR), would be. For a while I even considered not showing up, and registering for a 'cooler' race later in the year. But then I came to my senses and saw this race for what it could be: a qualifier. I needed to finish the race, simple as that. Fast or slow, once I crossed the finish line, I was one race closer to my marathon qualification. It was a no brainer, really.

Race morning was beautiful. Sunny and warm as expected, the park teemed with thousands of runners and buzzed with their collective energy and excitement.

Lining up in the corrals awaiting the start of race, we were reminded by the race organisers of the heat, and that we shouldn't push ourselves too much. 'Fine by me', I thought, and I decided to take the race as it came, to see how I felt mile by mile and to go with the flow, so to speak.

Standing in the corrals minutes before the start

The view of the corral in front of me

And behind me

And go with the flow I did. I started off easy - not least as I felt pretty sluggish - and finished the first mile in around 9.50. Mile 2 felt a little better especially as we were treated to a 'misting station' (a.k.a a volunteer with a hosepipe who showered cold water over the runners as we passed her). This instant cool down perked me up a little more and I managed to pick up my speed, finishing mile 2 in around 9 minutes. The rolling hills of the west side of the course made for hard work as the heat picked up and by the 3rd mile mark I realised that to beat my previous PR I would have to run the last mile in under 8 minutes. And that was the point at which I thought 'No. I don't need to prove anything. I'm just going to enjoy this last mile and relax'.

Of course, no sooner had I given myself permission to back off, than we hit a long downhill. 'Oh sod it!' I thought, and picked up my pace again - I mean, you can't let a good downhill go to waste, particularly as much of it was in the shade. As I turned off the loop at 72nd Street, I made one last push and sprinted for home. I finished in 37.52 and averaged a 9 min 28 second mile which I was more than happy with. Not a PR, but by no means an embarrassment, I finished 182nd out of the 435 women in my age group and that's alright with me.

Hot and happy to finish

Too often my goal has been to compete against myself, always aiming to improve or do better. Well, sometimes the wiser goal is to exert a little restraint, whether that's keeping my easy runs easy, my long runs slow, or just playing things safe. Sometimes it really is more about taking part (and avoiding heat stroke in the process). It wasn't impossible for me to make a new PR, it just wasn't (in my view) worth the effort. You have to pick your races just like you pick your battles.

Anyway, once I'd got my breath back I took a look at my phone and saw this:

Best. Surprise. Ever.

Good Job! (If you can get it)

2011-07-10T22:55:00.012-04:00

I once had a flat mate who said that if he were ever to have a child, he would name it 'Plus One'. Working in the music business, he claimed that such a moniker would get his kid on any guest list for any gig in town. I was only 50 % sure he was joking.

I was reminded of this yesterday as I attempted to earn my own plus one, although thankfully this had nothing to do with childbearing. Instead, I worked as a volunteer for the New York Road Runners (NYRR) in order to earn the '+1' I need to complete the 9+1 guaranteed entry program and qualify for the 2012 NYC marathon. If you're new to this blog, you can read about this program and my attempts to complete it here.

I'd chosen to volunteer as a course marshall at the Boomer's Cystic Fibrosis Run To Breathe 10K in Central Park, a race which supports life-saving research into Cystic Fibrosis. After a 4.15am start (ouch), I made it to Central Park for 6.30am to meet with the other volunteers and the NYRR volunteer coordinator. The meeting point was the NYRR kiosk, right behind the Fred Lebow statue at the East 90th St Entrance to the Park.

It was an absolutely beautiful morning, and while we milled about waiting for everyone to arrive, I watched jealously as runners made the most of the trails and running paths Central Park has to offer.

I mean, who wouldn't want to run through scenery like this?

By around 7am, everyone had arrived and we all got decked out in our dashing (geddit?) NYRR orange volunteer jackets. You like?

And then it was time for our orientation talk. Basically, as course marshalls, it was our job to make sure that the runners stayed on the right course and didn't veer into the part of the loop reserved for recreational walkers, runners and cyclists. In addition, we needed to keep members of the general public out of the racing lanes whilst the race was on. Lastly, we were expected to perform the most important task of all. Cheering. Easy, eh?

I was asked to work, with two other volunteers near the East 72 Street section of the course, which meant that the runners would pass us twice, once just after the start of the race, and again just before the finish.

Once the race started it was only a matter of a few minutes before the first runners came flying around the corner towards us. It was fantastic to see the front runners speeding past, running at a pace that most of us mortals could only sustain for a minute. When I've run in races before, I never get to see the front runners in action, so it was both exciting and jaw dropping to witness.

Within what seemed like seconds the course was teeming with runners, and we got on with the job in hand, which mostly involved making exaggerated waving motions and shouting 'STAY IN!' whenever someone looked like they were going to veer off in the wrong direction. It was pretty uneventful, except when a crazy woman insisted on crossing the course with her baby in a push chair, nearly tripping up multiple runners in the process. Oh, and there was the pink gorilla. He was cool.

The majority of runners passed us within the first 15 minutes of the race and then all was quiet until they made a full loop and broke for the finish. It was incredible to see the winning runners coming past, running full pelt after over 6 miles. The runners were much more spread out as they began to filter into the finishing lane. While those in the first wave looked confident to finish, as the runners started to look more and more fatigued, our cheering became more and more animated.

And this is where I had a little sticking point. I was half of a two-person cheering squad with a lovely volunteer I'd met called Jennifer. She was a great cheerer, and being American, everything she cheered sounded great.

'Good Job!'
'Nice Kick!'
'You've got it!'

All of this trickled off her tongue in an effortless and effort inspiring flow. Me, on the other hand, well I'm sorry but shouting 'Good Job!' just is not right when you've got an English accent. It just sounds plain stupid. In fact, quite a lot of things sound stupid when you come to think of it. That didn't stop me from shouting, very self consciously, the following heap of nonsense:

'You're almost there!'
'Nice run!'
'Nice socks!' (well, they were nice socks)
'Looking good!' (that's a really American one too, and I did sound pretty idiotic uttering it),
'You've got it!' (I know, all wrong, unless you pronounce got as 'gaat' rather than to rhyme with yacht).

Well I think you get the picture. I was the most self-conscious cheerer you could get, but frankly, most of the people running past us didn't look like they needed much encouragement. They all looked really strong, so you felt like a bit of a lemon yelling 'you can do it!' at them.

But then the crowd thinned out further, and we started to see the people that did need encouragement. The older runners (and I'm talking upwards of 70 here), the runners with oxygen tanks on their backs (amazing), the runners weighing in at upwards of 280lbs, the runner with a prosthetic leg, the runners who were really struggling to finish. It was when these runners came by that I started to cheer instinctively and stopped needing to search for the appropriate thing to say. I was no longer self-conscious but just plain excited for these men and women who were about to finish. You could see that for many of these runners, completing this race was a really. big. deal. And so it should be. Because when you see so many people making a 10K look like a walk in the park, you forget that 10K is a really long way to run. How many of you reading this have ever run a 10K? Was it easy?

The runners we saw in the back of the pack put their heart and soul into this race. When we cheered for them they made eye contact with us and we could see that they took strength from our encouragement. I found it incredibly moving to see them run and honoured to have helped them on their way to the finish line. I hope that every one of them is full of pride for what they achieved yesterday because they did an AMAZING thing.

Before long, the last runners were through to the finish and it was time to pack up. I made my way to the check out station, collected my free race t-shirt, said my goodbyes and headed for home.

Plus one in the bag, memories of a wonderful morning in my heart.

A Woman With A Plan

2011-07-08T22:00:00.000-04:00

I've been a little quiet, I know.

We've been on holiday in lovely Cape Cod, so blogging has taken a bit of a back seat, I'm afraid. Running's not done too well either, as I only managed to get out there twice while we were away. Whilst I had visions of running every morning, it's pretty difficult when you've got the kids with you 24/7 and you're trying to actually have, you know, a 'holiday'.

Anyway, although I don't think a round of mini-golf makes up for the running deficit, we did have a lovely bike ride along the Rail Trail, where we got to cycle past scenery like this

We hired the bikes and trailers and cycled for 2 hours and around 16 miles. The kids loved the trailers to begin with but were soon over the whole affair and completely disinterested (as you can see).

Oh well, their loss.

I have managed to get back into the running swing of things since we got back, though, and ran quite a bit last week.

I've also been having a lot of fun experimenting with some new (well new to me, probably ancient to others) technology. In the absence of having a Garmin, I'm trying out a variety of websites and apps to track my progress and log my runs. Here's what you can get up to with an iPhone and a mac....

Map My Run

This has a brilliant (and free) app for iPhone where you can record your runs via GPS. Start recording when you set off and it not only tracks your run on an uploadable map, but allows you to monitor your distance and pace while you run. It's also very handy if you get lost (which I did while running in the new surroundings of Cape Cod), as you can use the map to navigate your way. When you've finished your run, you can upload it to your homepage on the Map My Run website and add it to your running profile. You can also search for running routes that have been uploaded by other users (especially handy when you're running in an area you're unfamiliar with), plus the site has a social networking angle to it, where you can make 'friends' a la Facebook. While it doesn't seem to have a way of recording lap/split times, it's the closest thing I have to a Garmin and I'm loving it.

Daily Mile

Daily mile is fab. It's similar to Map My Run, but lacks the GPS app. I prefer the way you can log your runs on this site, plus you can search for other runners in your area to see what/where they're running which is kind of cool. For instance, I was interested to see who else has been suffering in the NYC heat we're having at the moment!

It's also great for keeping a record of your runs, mileage and feelings about your run. Although you can't map your run by GPS, you can easily map it out on the website, plus if you enter your time (which I take from my Map My Run stats) it'll calculate both your pace and distance. You can see where and when I've been running by accessing my lovely new Daily Mile 'widget' that you'll see to the right of this post. There's also another widget (don't you just love that word?), which will keep you up to date with my race schedule.

I have to say though, that despite all the fun I've been having with these techy bits and with the copious amounts of ice cream ingested on my holiday, I am lacking one major thing at the moment. A plan.

When I started running again this January, my main aim was to run regularly, finish my half-marathon and qualify for the NYC 2012 marathon via the NYRR 9+1 guaranteed entry program. Two half-marathons and 5 of the 9 races in, I'm no longer worried about completing the challenge, and with no 'big' races left on my schedule, I'm lacking a bit of motivation.

So I need a plan. I'm just one of those people who feels better about things when I have a plan.

This is what I'm going to do....

I've got another 4 mile race in a week's time, so I'm going to get that out of the way, then start the Hal Higdon Intermediate Half-Marathon training program with a view to running the Staten Island Half-Marathon in October.

Now I know I can qualify for the NYC 2012 Marathon by running shorter races, but I need the challenge of another half. Whilst the first half-marathon was all about finishing, and the second about finishing a little faster, this time I want to finish, wait for it, in under 2 hours. That would mean cutting 10 minutes off of my previous time and increasing my pace to a 9 min 9 second mile (my fastest half marathon pace thus far has been 9.55). The idea is that along the way, I'll also increase my pace for shorter distances.

Can I do it? Who knows. But the Hal Higdon plan includes a fair bit of speed work, which is something so far I've just toyed with and I'm now ready to have a proper go at. There's a brand spanking new indoor track at the YMCA Armory down the road from me with free childcare to boot, so I can definitely get the track work done. It's all doable, so why bloody not, eh? Plus, the Staten Island course is supposed to be pretty flat, and blimey does that help.

So what do you think? Should I go for it?

Anyway, better go. I'm volunteering at as a course marshall at the Boomer's Cystic Fibrosis Run to Breathe 10K race tomorrow morning in Central Park. I need to get there for 6.30am so that means leaving the house at 5.10am (ouch!). Volunteering tomorrow will fulfill the voluntary requirement for the 9+1 guaranteed marathon entry program, leaving me with just 4 more races to complete for my NYC 2012 qualification. Woo hoo!

I'll let you know how it goes. Nighty night x

Running Scared

2011-06-21T13:48:00.001-04:00

So my little boy, Jackson, got himself a 'boo boo' the other day (I know, I know, the Americanisms are infiltrating the vocabulary of our household at a rate of knots). He was running down the street on his way back from the park and he fell, grazing his knee. After the obligatory "Up you get then!" style encouragement from me wasn't working, I resorted to cuddles and a liberal smear of 'magic cream' for his knee, which seemed to do the trick.

After his nap, we decided to go to the park again (when it's on your doorstep you've got to make the most of it). As we were getting ready he said "I'm not running anymore, Mama".

"Why not?' I said, 'Because you got a boo boo?".

"Yes", he said, "I'm scared of running".

Now this is coming from the boy who runs EVERYWHERE.

He's a toddler.

Toddlers LOVE running.

With this in mind, I asked him "Do you remember when Mummy went running and she fell down and got a boo boo?" (I fell flat on my face a little while ago. It was neither pleasant, nor pretty).

"Yes", he said cautiously.

"Well, I didn't get scared of running. I love running. It's so much fun. Don't be scared, everybody falls down sometimes".

And with that, the subject was dropped and we carried on getting ready to go out.

When I started this blog, I asked a few of my friends for their feedback. Many obliged, and I found it incredibly useful, not least because one of the comments got me thinking about writing this post.

My friend Sarah was really sweet about the blog and told me it had really struck a chord with her. She explained why:

'I really think I want to get into running more. My fear is that I won't enjoy it enough and I will hate it once I start - I think the thought of failing scares me a little!!'

So here's what I think about that:

ANYTHING NEW IS SCARY

The trick is not letting your fear prevent you from trying something you may grow to love. Oh, the things I wish I'd done in my pre-child life, when I didn't have to juggle babysitters and maternal guilt just to get my legs waxed (but let's not go there). At the end of the day, if you don't try, you can't fail and I think that's why many people, me included, put off things that scare them, because they don't want to feel a failure.

If you're reading this and thinking, "look I like the sentiment here, but running's just not for me", then find out what is for you. Find something that you're scared of and give it a go. Blogging is something that I've always wanted to do, but it scares me silly to actually put anything out there. If you had any idea how petrified I get when I'm about to publish a post, you'd wonder why I bother. And while I'm sure there are some readers who wish I hadn't bothered, at least I'm trying. At least I'm exploring the new despite my fear.

But back to Jackson, as he has some advice for Sarah, and anyone else thinking about taking up running, too. There we were, on our way home from the park for the second time that day, when Jackson announced that he wanted to get out of his pushchair. To run. As he climbed out he said

'I'm not scared of running, Mama. Running's good.'

And off he went. Flying down the street, arms out to the side like an aeroplane, laughing his little head off.

Jackson has a point. Running is good. It's not meant to make you feel like a failure or like you're not doing it right. It's meant to make you feel free, like a toddler does running down the street. When Jackson gets out of breath he stops for a little while until he's ready to run again. He doesn't push himself to the point of exhaustion or frustration, because that wouldn't be good. Or fun. Jackson loves running because he likes how his body can make him go fast. He likes putting his arms out to the sides and pretending to fly.

Seriously, would you take advice from this lunatic?

Now I'm not suggesting that you impersonate an aeroplane when you run (unless of course you want to). Nor am I implying that running is effortless. It's hard to begin with, and you have to put a fair bit of effort in to start seeing results. If you haven't run for a long time (since toddlerhood maybe?), you'll need to give your body a chance to catch up to what you want it to do too. So take it slowly - not too fast, not to far - and give it time.

'They say' that 21 days is long enough for something to become a habit. Well 'I say' give it 3 miles, rather than 3 weeks. With a good Couch to 5K running plan under your belt, you'll be running 3 miles in just over 2 months. 2 months. That's a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things, and you'll be able to run 3 flippin' miles!

Then just decide. Decide if running(or whatever else you've tried) is good for you. If it's not, that's no failure on your part, because you tried, and you found out. But if you're lucky, by the time you've made your decision you might have experienced moments when you've felt like you're flying too.

So don't be afraid to fail, or fall (like me and Jackson) and you might just find that you like running so much that frankly, it scares you.

NYRR Mini 10K - Race Report

2011-06-12T15:44:00.003-04:00

After a week of incredibly hot weather that saw temperatures in New York City reach the 100s (and saw me with my head stuck in the freezer), I have to admit, I'd been hoping for rain today. I'll take wet and cool over hot and sticky any day of the week (if we're talking running, that is). So, when I woke to pouring rain I thought my luck was in.

Unfortunately, my luck then decided to go out. By the time I'd reached Central Park the rain had cleared and left in its wake grey skies and humidity of 96%. 96 %! So just a tiny bit sticky then. Fortunately, it wasn't too hot, around 69 degrees (that's 20 centigrade to my metric friends), but the air was heavy and there was only the slightest breeze. Not the best running weather, but hey, at least I wasn't melting.

The race starts at Columbus Circle, at the south west corner of the park, so I made my way to join 4,750 other women in the starting corrals. After speeches from the race organisers and a rendition of the star spangled banner, we were off.

The first mile of the race is run down the middle of Central Park West, the roads having been closed to traffic. It's always difficult to get into a steady pace straight from the off, as you often find yourself caught up behind slower runners who have started closer to the front than their pace allows them. Within around half a mile the congestion eased off a bit and I was getting into a steady, although slowish pace. I've never raced a 10k before, and it's a tricky one for me to pace. You can't just go for it, as you can in a 5K or 4 miler, as you'll burn out too soon. And a half-marathon pace is too slow and considered, so finding a balance somewhere in between was the key, and I didn't want to go out too fast in the first mile.

The first mile marker appeared just after we passed the American Museum of Natural History, and a quick peek at my watch confirmed that I was as slow as I thought: a 9.47 mile. This was good though, the first mile needed to serve as a warm up, so I knew I could pick up some time later in the race. At this point I also had a quick look behind me to see Central Park West absolutely teeming with runners as far as the eye could see. It was an absolutely magnificent sight.

At 90th street we made a right into Central Park and continued in a clockwise direction around the loop. I started to get into my groove only to be met quite quickly by one hill and then just past the 2 mile mark, another, the infamous 'Harlem Hill' . I'd run Harlem Hill twice during the More/Fitness Magazine Half Marathon back in April, albeit from the other direction. It's a bugger of a climb, whichever way you take it on. The only good thing about running up it, is the downhill once you get to the top and with this in mind, I pushed on, trying to maintain my pace. As I reached its peak I was met with a rare, cool breeze on my face, a much welcome downhill stretch and a wicked Radiohead tune on my ipod. Cue me with a big, silly grin on my face as I came flying down the hill, attempting to make up a bit of time.

Unfortunately, my runner's high, was short lived. The course at Central Park is a series of 'rolling' hills, and you're never on the flat for very long. As I saw the next hill approach, my legs started to feel heavy and I toyed with the idea of taking a walk break. But before I had the chance, I was met at the foot of the hill by such a big, enthusiastic group of supporters, that their cheers gave me, and I'm sure many others, a bit of a second wind, and I managed to power up the last of the big hills without too much trouble.

At the peak of the hill we passed the 5k mark. Up until this point, I'd not been taking much notice of my time, and had resigned myself to a 'slow but fun' race, as the humidity was making it all so much more of an effort. However, as I ran past the marker, I realised that my time was around 29 minutes (which isn't bad for me), and I wasn't running as slow as i thought. Having run the park before, I knew that the east side of the course was generally flatter, so, what the hell, I pushed on and decided to go for a decent time.

As I reached the 4 mile mark, I suddenly hit a bit of a wall and my arms and legs felt like they had turned to lead. I just felt like all my energy had gone. I wondered what to do and quickly made an absolutely counter-intuitive decision: I decided that I had to go for it and shock my body back to life, so I picked up the pace and promised my legs a quick break at the 5 mile water station.

I made the 5 mile marker 9 minutes later, so had definitely increased my pace. I had a few gulps of water, dropped my head forward and threw the rest of the cup over the back of my neck. It was just so flippin' humid. At this point the Chemical Brothers had kicked in on my ipod and i ran on, trying to maintain my 9 minute mile pace.

The last mile of a race is always tough and this one was no exception. I was tired, hot and sticky and desperate to finish. I managed to keep my pace steady, but at around .2 of a mile from the finish line, I had to pull back a little, just to get a handle on my breathing. Whilst I was pretty happy with my overall pace, and had managed a negative split, I'd started my push for home too early and was in danger of crashing before I got there. At the '800 meters to go' mark, I'd recovered enough to dig deep one last time and push to the end. I managed to sprint the last 50 meters and it was all I could do not to fall over once I crossed the finish line.

I finished in 58.34 - a good time for me and as it was the first time I'd raced the distance, an automatic personal best! My overall pace was 9.26 per mile, which felt about right considering the distance (and the bloody humidity).

Once I had got my breath (and control of my legs) back, I walked through the throng of finshers to collect my runner's booty - food in the shape of bagels and pears, water, a pink carnation (bless) and a finisher's medal. And then it hit me, the combination of exhaustion, emotion, pride and adrenaline and suddenly I'm quietly crying big, stupid, happy tears (I did tell you I'm a bit of a cryer, right?). But you know what? It really was crying of the very best kind.

Check out the NYRR website for the full race report, winners, results, videos and photos plus more about the great Grete Waitz to whom today's race was dedicated.

Pre-Race Ritual

2011-06-10T23:18:00.006-04:00

It's the NYRR Mini 10K race tomorrow morning, so today I made my usual pilgrimage to the New York Road Runner's (NYRR) building on the Upper East Side to pick up my race number.

NYRR opens its doors to the racing public for the two afternoons preceeding the race so that runners can pick up their number in good time, rather than on the morning of the race.

The NYRR building, complete with Mini 10K hopefuls

I've never fancied the last minute, race morning number pick up. As it is, you have to get up at the crack of dawn to eat, drink a ton of water to rehydrate yourself after a night's sleep and give yourself time to pee it all out again. Charming, I know, but rather that than run round the course dying for the toilet. After 2 kids, my pelvic floor isn't up to that, I can tell you. Then there's the small matter of actually getting to the race (the New York subway system has an uncanny ability to disrupt service over the weekend, so that always adds an extra little challenge). You have to drop off your baggage, go to the toilet (again), warm up and get to your starting corral before the race kicks off. The Mini 10K is an all female race too, so god knows what the toilet situation will be like. Imagine thousands of women, all desperate for the loo (as, yes, they too have gulped down their own bodyweight in water), sharing around 30 portable loos. It wasn't pretty at the More/Fitness Magazine Half Marathon back in April, and I'm sure it won't be pretty tomorrow. So stuff trying to pick up my race number in the morning, I was getting it sorted today.

Whilst I don't really appreciate the schlep from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side, I do quite enjoy the whole number pick up ritual. It's always a really buzzy atmosphere, as hundreds of people stream in and out of the building to pick up their race gubbins. It's a people watcher's paradise, and I love checking out the competition, who range in age from teenagers to octogenarians and come from all walks of life.

T-shirt pick up

Number pick up

Plus, picking up my number makes me feel like a real runner and it's at this point that I start to get pretty excited about the race.

Thank you, nice smiley man, for presenting me with my race number.

The free t-shirt is always a bonus too, and this one, although predictably and gender-stereotypically pink, is kind of nice, don't you think?

But it was the slogan on the charity t-shirt that had me welling up (I am known to be a bit of a cryer, but managed to rein it in).

This year's Mini 10K is dedicated to the memory of Grete Waitz, five time winner of the Mini 10K and nine time winner of the NYC Marathon. Tomorrow's race is also the 40th anniversary of the race, so it's a really special year to run it.

So while thousands of women go through their own pre-race rituals tonight, wish us all luck and think of us tomorrow morning as we run for Grete, for ourselves and for the sheer bloody thrill of it.

From Zero to 9 + 1

2011-06-08T15:44:00.003-04:00

So the next thing I know I've signed up for a 4 mile race. Then a few weeks later a half-marathon. And then I found out something REALLY interesting. One way to guarantee entry to the 2012 New York City Marathon is to do the following 3 things:

1. Join New York Road Runners (NYRR) before 31st Jan 2011.

2. Run 9 qualifying NYRR races during 2011.

3. Volunteer to work 1 NYRR race during 2011.

Simple, eh? It's called the NYRR 9+1 guaranteed entry program.

So, I thought, how hard can it be? Or rather I thought, I bet it's bloody exhausting, but what a challenge! What a great way to get fit, push myself, and potentially completely change my perception of myself and what I'm capable of. If I do this, if I finish the races, and qualify just doing that would be AMAZING. I mean, I've never run a race in my life (except for school sports day), I've never been really fit and up until I made the decision to do this, I'd never run more than 5K. I wanted this. I wanted to show myself that I could set my mind to something and achieve it.

At this point I wasn't even considering what would happen if I actually registered for the 2012 marathon. Because then I'd actually have to consider running that too.

So why blog about it? Well, I'm under no illusion that I'm going to gain thousands of followers and achieve blog super stardom. But I figured that there might be other lunatics like me out there, who have set themselves this challenge, and that they might find it interesting. Plus, the more I let it all out there, the more it motivates me to keep going and not to give up. Because I don't want to give up. I don't want this to be another 'exercise phase', that I drop when it gets too boring. I want to run these races and I want to qualify for the marathon. And ok, let's go there: I want to run the marathon too. I'm a total cliche. I'll turn 40 in December 2012. If I can complete a marathon before I hit the big 4-0, well that would be bleedin' amazeballs.

I decided on a training plan, which I hoped would get me around the first half marathon (oh did I mention that I signed up for two? No?). I figured that the half marathon training would get me more than ready for the first race, the 4 miler a few weeks later. And let me tell you, if you want to stick to a training plan, there's nothing like the a looming half-marathon to motivate you to get out there and run. Snow, rain, sleet, cold you name it, I ran it, because frankly, I thought that if I didn't, I had no chance of finishing the half-marathon.

So did I finish?

Oh yes I bloody well did.

As I write this I've completed 4 of the 9 races. The next is the NYRR New York Mini 10K this Saturday morning, which I'm pretty excited about. There's proper job elite runners running it and it's a special one too, as it's the 40th anniversary of the race. I'll let you know how it goes. If you want to follow my progress through the 9 races (plus any others I'm crazy enough to sign up for) you can do that by checking out my Races page, where I'll post race dates, finishing times etc.

Finally, if you're a novice runner like me and thinking of signing up for your first race, my advice would be this: go for it. It's a fantastic motivator for your training, and the experience of running in a big race is just electric. Plus, I guarantee you, however slow you think you are...

you. will. not. finish. last.

Finding My Feet

2011-06-07T14:20:00.004-04:00

It's taken years for me to become a runner. 38 of them to be precise. Running is one of those things that I always wanted to get into, but never seemed to, well, get into. In my twenties I couldn't manage much more than a block, thanks to my 20-a-day Marlboro Lights habit. In my early thirties, a brief flirtation with jogging around the park came to an abrupt halt when a knee injury made any further attempts agonizing. So that was it. No more running for me.

But then something happened. Well, actually two somethings happened. A girl and then 2 years later a boy. My babies. Like most women, my life changed completely when I had children. Everything suddenly revolved around these two small humans who called me mum. Becoming a mother was in turns the most wonderful and amazing thing that has ever happened to me and the most overwhelming, bewildering and downright exhausting experience I have ever had. Motherhood consumed my mind and my body. It changed me and somewhere along the way, although I gained the most precious gifts I could ever wish for I lost a big part of my identity. Needless to say, I also lost my waistline, my stomach muscles and the ability to say no to a slice of cake.

When my second child was 7 months old, I went to a christmas party and was asked twice within the space of about 20 minutes if I was pregnant again. Funnily enough, I didn't particularly enjoy the party. On the way home, I decided I needed to do something and the next day I started saying no to the cake. That week I started running.

At the time, we were living in Dubai in the UAE. It has to be said that running in the heat of the Middle Eastern climate is akin to running through treacle. I started off, therefore, slowly. I got very pink and I tried not to fall over from heat exhaustion. I would get up at 6am, quickly breastfeed my son, and be out of the house by 6.10am just to beat the heat of the rising sun. I dutifully followed a beginner's walk/run program , never pushing too hard too soon, mindful of my old, nagging knee injury. Before long I was able to run for around 30 minutes without stopping. And then the 6 am temperature started to hit 40 degrees centigrade, running outside became impossible and we were on the move again. This time to New York, where we relocated to in August of last year.

Moving your family and possessions to a new country is pretty stressful. Doing it twice within the space of a year with two very young kids in tow made it even more challenging. Living out of suitcases for the first 3 months of living in New York just added a certain 'je ne sais quoi'. Not surprisingly, the running kind of tapered off. And then stopped. Completely.

But we finally started to get settled. We found an apartment, some friends and I developed a new found love of pancakes. And ice cream. And.... you guessed it, in times of stress I turned to my old friend chocolate. By the end of the year, I'd piled a load of weight back on and was looking to make a change.

So rekindling my running routine was, at this point, motivated completely by vanity. By wanting to loose weight and get in shape. I'm lucky to live less than a block away from the beautiful Prospect Park in Brooklyn, one of the best places to run in New York City. So I invested in some cold weather running gear and a new pair of trainers and set my alarm clock to EARLY. The first time I ran in the park, I managed 10 minutes before my knee started aching. So I stopped. The next time I managed 15, and then 20 and so on, until I was managing a full loop of the park. In contrast to the heat of Dubai, my runs now took place in the winter wonderland and sub zero temperatures of the park, but strangely, that's what started to hook me. I'd be out there at 7am, pounding the pavement in the freezing cold, getting nowhere fast. But however slow I was I'd think 'I'm here. I'm doing this. I haven't given up'. The quiet and the beauty of the park gave me time to clear my head, to complete a thought and then another, the rhythm of my breathing became almost meditative. My thinking was this: if I can fall in love with running during one of the longest coldest winters I've ever experienced, then maybe I have a chance of making this a habit for life.

This precious, solitary time, this time away from all things mum, had added benefits. I started to get stronger and faster. I started to lose weight. This had a domino effect on my eating habits. I didn't want to eat a load of crap anymore. I wanted to eat good food that would fuel my runs rather than negate any good they had done my body. I started to feel comfortable in my skin.

Although, moving to New York was a really positive thing for our family, it also meant that I was unable to work as my visa status didn't allow it. So, for the time being I was a fully fledged stay at home mum, which frankly I had been since my youngest was born. Whilst I know how lucky I am to be able to stay at home with my kids, I was missing work. I missed the autonomy it afforded me, the opportunity to connect with other adults in a realm outside of child-rearing, and the ability to focus my mind on something other than the washing and what we were having for tea. So, only two weeks in to my new running routine, I decided that while I was unable to work, I needed a project outside of my family life, something that I could focus on and that would provide me with tangible goals and achievements. And that's when I realised that running could be just that project. That if I got serious about running, I could challenge not only my body but all my preconceptions about myself. That I could push myself to a point where I could achieve things I never thought possible.

I've never really been the sporty one. I've never been particularly fit, and I've battled with my weight for years. I suddenly realised that I had the opportunity to go for it. To see where running could take me and how far I could take it. I also realised that by embracing running, by making it part of my life, it had the potential to influence and inspire the most important people in my life. My kids. If their mummy's running was 'normal' to them, then maybe I could bring them up in an environment where exercising, challenging yourself and looking after yourself was 'normal' too. Maybe, I could point my kids in the direction of a healthy and happy lifestyle, just by going out and getting one for myself. And that got me excited. So much so, that I dived straight in, and before long I'd signed up for my first race, then another, and then, well......9 of them.

But that's another story.