Today I ran the Thorpe park half marathon, a brand new event to the running calendar.  Organised by the same crew who brought us the Official Hampton Court Half Marathon #PalaceHalf, the RunTatton 10k & Half Marathon and the Olympic Park 10k, RunThrough Events.

It’s a closed road race and very well marshalled starting and ending in the car park at Thorpe park. None of the race is actually in the theme park instead it is a course all around the surrounding area of Thorpe, Egham, Virginia waters and Lyne.

I arrived at the race at around 07:45 by car and although there was ample parking I was glad I got there early as there was a little traffic getting into the car park. On arrival I quickly visited the porta loos (joy of the race) and then headed over to collect my race pack. This was a really quick and smooth procedure as there were lots of staff, and the girl I got my pack from was really helpful and cheery:)

There was a bag drop but I chose to put all my belongings in my car as it was located so near to the start.

After meeting my friends, another visit to those glorious toilet facilities,and a bit of well wishing we all headed into the pens to get started. Time sections were labelled, you could choose were you start there was no marshalling around this. This does mean that slower or newbie runners who are unaware of this can get in the faster pens so if you are hoping for a  fast time I would recommend heading right to the front. Having said that once the race was underway the roads were pretty wide and I didn’t feel held up at any point.

At the start there was an announcement that the race was FLAT, it was definitely not! Between mile 4 and 5 there is a large climb up Stroud road and then again there is a long climb at between mile 8 and 9 on Sandhills lane. Other than that the course is pretty much a flat run so some good speedy sections .

There were two short out and back sections again between mile 8 and 9 on Sandhills lane ( the longest out and back approximating 1 mile) and then a very short one in the last mile of the race back near the theme park. Water stations on the course were located at mile 3, 6 and 9 there was no fuel out on the course so if you need this you would need to carry your own. Toilets on the course there was just one opportunity at just after the 7 mile marker. Three porta loos which seemed enough, no queues when I passed.

Crowds were fairly minimal all over the course,so if you like a quiet race this would definitely suit you. For me I really enjoyed it, The route meandered around roads that I am very familiar with in fact I practically ran past 3 houses that I have lived in so it was a little trip down memory lane! There were just over 3000 runners taking part so not to over crowded out there but enough that you really feel part of a race.

Weather conditions were very favourable for racing, the wind wasn’t to strong which was a blessing after the week we have had with the visit from Doris!

The finish line was a great sight, lots of crowds and cheering. You got  a great medal, a tee-shirt, a protein drink,  food doctor protein bars, coconut water, water and a banana.

The medal after close inspection seemed to be damaged so I asked for it to be changed but it seemed they were all the same! it would seem that they have trimmed them all as it turns out there was a dispute over the use of the Thorpe Park logo, Oops!!! (see article below)

http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getsurrey.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fsurrey-news%2Fthorpe-park-half-marathon-theres-12659855&h=ATO41gC0HQc-MHf9gHp7xeLOsU-gPXyjGUpcxr_Iotmy4vmZRGjlgZoLweKnb00_omzBq8w0w6sWz4xEzy_QnUSAuOvpfNxM3axTU7brczolnijtjGpwc4xIC9mRVbiLZPyjrUIlw7kY1cFK&s=1

Also lots of food wagons in the event village, pizza, Hog roast and two coffee wagons. There was a run kit stall and a stage where entertainment was  happening. Great to hang around if the weather was nicer but as it was February needless to say it was cold so I made a move home pretty quickly.

Getting put of the car park was the one negative of the day. It took me 45 mins which in cold wet running kit wasn’t much fun 😦  If I run this race next year I wouldn’t park in the car park I would get get dropped off (there was a drop off point), cycle (bike storage facilities available) or run there, after all I am quite local!!

 

Overall I would this event 4/5. Great spring marathon preparation race, very well organised and I would definitely return next year.

 

 

 

Today I ran the Thorpe park half marathon, a brand new event to the running calendar.  Organised by the same crew who brought us the Official Hampton Court Half Marathon #PalaceHalf, the RunTatton 10k & Half Marathon and the Olympic Park 10k, RunThrough Events.

It’s a closed road race and very well marshalled starting and ending in the car park at Thorpe park. None of the race is actually in the theme park instead it is a course all around the surrounding area of Thorpe, Egham, Virginia waters and Lyne.

I arrived at the race at around 07:45 by car and although there was ample parking I was glad I got there early as there was a little traffic getting into the car park. On arrival I quickly visited the porta loos (joy of the race) and then headed over to collect my race pack. This was a really quick and smooth procedure as there were lots of staff, and the girl I got my pack from was really helpful and cheery:)

There was a bag drop but I chose to put all my belongings in my car as it was located so near to the start.

After meeting my friends, another visit to those glorious toilet facilities,and a bit of well wishing we all headed into the pens to get started. Time sections were labelled, you could choose were you start there was no marshalling around this. This does mean that slower or newbie runners who are unaware of this can get in the faster pens so if you are hoping for a  fast time I would recommend heading right to the front. Having said that once the race was underway the roads were pretty wide and I didn’t feel held up at any point.

At the start there was an announcement that the race was FLAT, it was definitely not! Between mile 4 and 5 there is a large climb up Stroud road and then again there is a long climb at between mile 8 and 9 on Sandhills lane. Other than that the course is pretty much a flat run so some good speedy sections .

There were two short out and back sections again between mile 8 and 9 on Sandhills lane ( the longest out and back approximating 1 mile) and then a very short one in the last mile of the race back near the theme park. Water stations on the course were located at mile 3, 6 and 9 there was no fuel out on the course so if you need this you would need to carry your own. Toilets on the course there was just one opportunity at just after the 7 mile marker. Three porta loos which seemed enough, no queues when I passed.

Crowds were fairly minimal all over the course,so if you like a quiet race this would definitely suit you. For me I really enjoyed it, The route meandered around roads that I am very familiar with in fact I practically ran past 3 houses that I have lived in so it was a little trip down memory lane! There were just over 3000 runners taking part so not to over crowded out there but enough that you really feel part of a race.

Weather conditions were very favourable for racing, the wind wasn’t to strong which was a blessing after the week we have had with the visit from Doris!

The finish line was a great sight, lots of crowds and cheering. You got  a great medal, a tee-shirt, a protein drink,  food doctor protein bars, coconut water, water and a banana.

The medal after close inspection seemed to be damaged so I asked for it to be changed but it seemed they were all the same! it would seem that they have trimmed them all as it turns out there was a dispute over the use of the Thorpe Park logo, Oops!!! (see article below)

http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getsurrey.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fsurrey-news%2Fthorpe-park-half-marathon-theres-12659855&h=ATO41gC0HQc-MHf9gHp7xeLOsU-gPXyjGUpcxr_Iotmy4vmZRGjlgZoLweKnb00_omzBq8w0w6sWz4xEzy_QnUSAuOvpfNxM3axTU7brczolnijtjGpwc4xIC9mRVbiLZPyjrUIlw7kY1cFK&s=1

Also lots of food wagons in the event village, pizza, Hog roast and two coffee wagons. There was a run kit stall and a stage where entertainment was  happening. Great to hang around if the weather was nicer but as it was February needless to say it was cold so I made a move home pretty quickly.

Getting put of the car park was the one negative of the day. It took me 45 mins which in cold wet running kit wasn’t much fun 😦  If I run this race next year I wouldn’t park in the car park I would get get dropped off (there was a drop off point), cycle (bike storage facilities available) or run there, after all I am quite local!!

 

Overall I would this event 4/5. Great spring marathon preparation race, very well organised and I would definitely return next year.

 

 

 

For most of us, goals are done for this year. They may have been smashed or maybe reset for next year, but which ever way the cookie crumbled for you in 2016 now is a great time to be thinking what you would like to shoot for next year and beyond to set yourself up for success.

What would you really like to achieve?  In a month, a year, a lifetime? Think about it.

Getting to where we want to be in life takes planning and dedication, self discipline and development. Creating the right goals for yourself in the short term can set you up for a satisfying life in the long term and you can have some awesome fun on the journey along the way.

So what is it for you? A sporting goal, weight loss, lifestyle changes? Is it to earn more money? To have a family? To buy that dream home? Whatever it is let’s start to think about it RIGHT NOW.

Make some time for yourself away from distractions of everyday life. TV, computers, phones, get away from the screens and grab yourself a pen and paper and switch your brain into “YOU” mode.

Lets’s start looking at the long term. Knowing where we want to be in say 10 years time is very exciting but can also be quite daunting to. Don’t panic if you are not sure what you want immediately. Start with what is important to you and build from there.

DO : Write down 3 health, 3 career and 3 life goals that you will achieve within 10 years. That’s 9 different things in total.

BE BOLD, DREAM BIG. Put some stuff in there that seems out of reach but that really excites you. You don’t want to be just writing things down that you know will just happen as a matter of course. These goals need to be things that are going to make your life fuller, richer and just totally more awesome. Try not to be restricted by money. If money was no object what would you be shooting for?

Next think about mid term goals, say 5 years from now. These should be stepping stones to the big stuff. What is going to help you get to where you want to be in 10 years time?  we want to make this journey fun and develop ourselves along the way.

DO: Write them down, again, 3 health, 3 career and 3 life goals that you want under your belt in the next 5 years.

To run a marathon, learn a language, meet a partner, what is missing from your life? What would make you proud of yourself?

Last but not least think about what you want in your life within the next year. It could be a really short term thing, something you could change in your world by next month that would have a positive impact on your life, and get you on the right course to the bigger stuff. They could also be something big, something you will achieve by this time next year, it could have the wow factor

“I sleep 8 hours every night” This was one of my short term goals I set myself last year. It seems quite a simple thing but  not getting enough sleep through just going to bed to late was having a huge effect on how productive I could be in my everyday life. So I set up this goal in my short term plan. It’s one that I’m always having to pull back into my mind because I can be good at it for a while and then I let it lapse every now and again.

DO: Same format you know the gig now!  3 health, 3 career and 3 life goals you will achieve with in the next year.

For all the time scales I have talked about there are some golden “RULES” to follow

• Write in the present tense. I have learn’t to speak french. I have cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats. I have travelled to 3 different continents.
• Set a “by when” Every goal needs a date that you will achieve it by. Month and year is fine. I have started French lessons by January 2017.
• Believe in yourself. You are capable of many great things, some of which you may not have even experienced yet. So get outside of your comfort zone and try something new, who knows what hidden talents you may be harbouring  🙂
• Remember everything you write is a draft, you can change it at any time. As one goal is achieved it may open up new doors or ideas into what else you want in your life.

Share your goals. We are a generation of sharers, through social media or just by chatting to family and friends you can put your plans out there and really make them real. They can hold you accountable to what you are looking to achieve and also potentially create a support system for yourself. Someone close to you may have a similar goal and you can help each other achieve it.

“A goal is just a wish without a plan” 

Make your plan now to set your 2017 and beyond to be EPIC!!

 

So I did it!!!  

I reached my goal of compleating two marathons in a week, infact within 6 days of each other 🙂  I have to say that  the total experience was pretty epic and I am felling really proud of myself, and also a little bit exhausted!!

BostonMarathon……..

Marathon is a tough cookie, and turns out that Boston is not the easiest challenge that I have tried!!

The day started early and seeing as I’d been waking up at 3am, because of the time difference, this wasn’t a problem 🙂

After breakfast, and heading to the subway I was greeted by a line of school buses waiting to take all of the lucky runners to the start. After my first visit of many to the portaloo I jumped on board to be driven to the start.  It seemed a long way, mainly because I guess we weren’t just driving the direct marathon route but taking the highway to get there. Everyone seemed in good spirits, I had a good chat with the lady sitting next to me until finially we arrived. 

                        

Then there was the enevidable bit of hanging around in the cold waiting for my start, tea, coffee and bagels were being served and there were tents for shelter. It felt a little like we were in a refugee camp!! The weather was taking a turn for the worst and I was keen to keep as warm as possible, so I just found a quiet corner, popped my headphones on and tried to focus on the task ahead.



Within no time at all it was my time to go to the start, so after a last visit to the portaloo I headed up.

The start was very organised, I was in the front wave 1 so had a good view of the road ahead. Pretty much everyone at my start was female, I guess because of the qualifying times most of the men had left in the previous start.

And then we were off…… things started well. Except the fact that it was now pouring with rain I was feeling strong and my foot issue seemed to be under control. The miles rolled past and it seemed in no time, I crossed the half way mark and I was feeling very happy.



Things continued like this for a few more miles, the crowds had been really great and they were cheering us on. When I got to 16 miles things started to get a bit tough. The wind and the rain had been relentless and I was starting to get cold. My clothes were soaked through and not giving me any warmth. My hands were frozen and becoming quite painful. The next few miles were not easy and as I approached 20 miles I was really beginning to struggle, and I still had heartbreak hill head of me.

Heading up the hill I had to give in and walk a little, trying to keep my pace as brisk as possible I headed up the hill, to say it was tough is an understatement. mentally things were not good, I had never had to deal with these conditions in a marathon before. I could feel  my time slipping away and it was obvious that I wasn’t going to make my goal PB 😦 I clocked a 10 min mile, which was definetely not in the plan.

Dealing with this and still coping with the physical challenge ahead of me was hard. I decided that heart break hill is called that because it’s where you realise your not gonna make your time and your heart literally breaks.

I remember at 22 miles, 4 miles to go, I heard a guy yelling at me, “you’ve got this, come on, give me 4 more miles!!!!” I literally wanted to cry, stop and give up!! I had started to get cramp in my left quad, and it was becoming a real problem.  At mile 23 I stopped.

The cramp in my left leg was a real issue, I tried to stretch but then my hamstring cramped up.  It was time to really dig deep, re focus and remember what I had invested in this marathon, all the hours of training I had put in. Basically I gave myself a real good talking to!!! 



Starting up again, I was feeling more positive. I had come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to get a PB, infact I was definetly going to clock a PW (personal worst!!)  I kept reminding myself what a privilege it was to even be able to run this marathon, most  people only dream of qualifying and here I was Running the streets of Boston and I was so near to the finish.  The last stretch is mainly downhill or flat thank goodness!! I took It steady and then I saw the 1 mile to go sign. JOY!!  I took out my ipod and took a few pictures of the run into the finish. I was feeling elated. Seeing the finish ahead of me and the crowd all cheering I really wanted to saviour the moment.



Crossing the line was an amazing feeling. I was so happy. Taking my medal I had tears in my eyes!!! Instantly forgetting all those painful miles for this it was really worth it.





Next I had the callenging task of getting myself to  the bag drop area to pick up my dry kit and then getting myself home. This was quite a challenge as I had become very cold and  my hands were not moving or working at all!!!

We also had to walk quiet a distance to get our kit, which on a dry day would have been  fun, but as everyone was very cold , this became another real struggle!! We all filtered down taking food, hydration and warming blankets until we finially got back to the kit tents.



I got changed, which took an absolute age with the hand issues!! It was so nice to put on dry clothes and then I headed down to the subway which was nice and warm. A short subway ride and I arrived back at my B&B.  Feeling really happy with the achievement I was ready to soak off the day in a hot bath.



A very challenging, but totally amazing day!! I will definetly try to go back next year to hopefully try the route again in the sunshine!! I can hope 🙂

My visit to Boston is going great 👍
Arrived safe and found my B&B easily. The land lady is lovely and very helpful, and the house is a great place to relax. Last night I slept for 11 hours with a 45 min wake up at 3am!!!
That will be the time difference!!!
Yesterday was a very long day, 7.5 hr flight plus the transfer. Then after I checked in I headed out to get my bib for the race. This was great the expo was not too busy so got in and out fairly quick.

Bought a souvenir jacket which I said I wasn’t going to do but then had to have it!!!!

Today I went for a run early as I was awake and felt like stretching my legs. It was really beautiful to run by the harbour, and a really sunny morning.

Just took it easy, the first two miles I felt terrible!!! My right calf was cramping and I was panicking a bit!!! But then it settled down and I was feeling really good 😊 glad I went, may just do a couple of miles tomorrow.
The rest of the day I have been a tourist!!! Strolling about shopping, drinking in coffee shops and just taking in the atmosphere. I’m quite enjoying just having the time to myself. This is the first time I have been on a trip alone, so I was wondering how I would’ve with it. Turns out I love it!!!! 😍
I went into Nike and they were having a bit of a marathon party!!! All runners got a free running vest which was very cool!!!

Walked over the finish line as the road is closed already!!

Felt good 😊 looking forward to crossing that line again!!!
Going for dinner tonight with some other runners, a lace called legal seafood. Everyone I’ve spoken to has recommended it so should be good 😋

7.55am sitting in Pret T3 Heathrow airport. Feeling calm 😊
The last few days have been a whirlwind. So much to organise and a bit of working but now I can finally relax and totally prepare myself for the task ahead.
Boston Marathon. My whole year has been about this and now it’s finally here I really can’t wait.

One week to go!! That’s all. Not long to wait.
I’ve started to feels little nervous. The tum is a bit of a washing machine, so need to keep control of that!!
Foot feels ok today. No pain when walking which is a positive. Still planning to keep off it for the next couple of days. This is only my fourth day of not running so realistically it isn’t so bad.
One year ago I this date was my second London marathon, my four marathon in total, the last marathon I ran. It came up on my time hop!!!

I’m trying to keep my week as stress free as possible. Eat well, get lots of sleep. There’s also a lot of planning to do at home, as I’ll be gone for 5 nights so need to leave the fridge stocked and write lots of lists for everyone to follow!!! There’s always something to think about!!!

The most fun I’m having this week is planing what I am going to do with the rest of my time when I am not marathon running in Boston!!!
It’s important I keep a balance between not over doing it and still seeing the city. I think a bus or a boat tour may be on the cards then I can still take in the sights whilst sitting down!!!

I’m feeling quiet eager to run. This is good 👍 when I get to that start line then I literally need to be feeling desperate to get going. That’s half the use of the taper. You obviously use it to rest tired limbs after all the months of training, but also if your feeling mentally pent up then you only going to run faster!!! Like an addict getting their fix!!!

Looking forward to my fix in Boston, it’s been too long!!! 😉

So just over a week to go until my week of marathons. Feeling slightly anxious but very excited.
The anticipation of next week is sadly a little over shadowed by the fact my foot is still not 100%. I haven’t run on it for 4 days. I have decided that instead of the week of speed training I had planned into my Taper I am taking complete rest. This is difficult in itself at this stage although I have run a lot of miles and was feeling very prepared I would really still like to be running a little this week.
I’m caught between wanting to run as it reassures me I’m ready and is good for my brain, and resting my foot 😐. So difficult but I’m thinking the right thing to do.
It can be quite depressing when you have invested so much into training for an event and the a problem like this raises its head. I have to come to terms with the fact that although I know I will complete the marathons, getting the PB is becoming less lightly. Gutting as I really was on good form.
So where do I go from here? This is my plan……
Carry on with the rest.
Lots of stretching and massage.
Taking anti inflammatory medication and arnica.
Regular icing.
Plus keeping my fingers crossed that this will pass and on the day my foot won’t take over my race.
On a positive note, up until a couple of weeks back training had gone really well and everything was on track so I am trying to put that at the front of my mind to reassure myself everything will be ok on the big day.

Foot aside, there can always be a certain amount of anxiety involved in the count down to marathon day. It’s a long race and a lot of factors can effect it. I don’t want to go down a negative path though, positive thoughts and still believing in myself are are really important over the next week.

I am concentrating on my ongoing healthy nutrition, making good food choices and carrying on with the juices and blends that I have become totally addicted to!!!
I’m putting a bit of time into the last minute organising of the trip. I really don’t want anything to go wrong so making sure I have everything in place is calming me. I’m even planning on getting my packing done today.
I’m trying to have a fair bit of feet up time ( as I’m not running this is proving quite easy!!) plus also getting as much sleep as I can. A few early nights on the horizon for me this week.
I’ve been checking the weather, and although I know things could change it gives me a bit of a idea do I can plan what I will wear.

Monday 20th is showing 12 degrees with sun and cloud so pretty good conditions 😊 just a few decisions regarding Capri/leggings shirt/long sleeves. Will be taking all options and then decide the day before.

My main goal is to have a totally amazing time 😍
Enjoy the race and totally soak up every bit of atmosphere available to me 😉
It’s gonna be fab!!!!!

#Bostonmarathon #Londonmarathon #VLM2015 #BAABM #clarelovesrunning

I’ve had an interesting time since my last post, It’s been full of ups and downs.

I completed my 20 miler, a long lonely run at 8.45 pace. I was happy with it was good to get it done. These long runs are always tougher than the main event to me. I’m alone, there are no crowds to motivate, it can be really tough.

This Sunday I took part in Cranleigh 15/21. A race in surrey were you can chose your distance on the day even during the race. Basically you have to run past the 15 miler finish line so you either go there or carry on another lap to do the 21 miler. This a tough one for the brain!!!! Plus for me on Sunday my foot had decided to act up so 15 miles was almost the race I did!! But then I kept thinking that I would have to do another 20 miler at some point so today was a good day to get it done. I was quite worried about the foot as from about 11 miles I really felt it slowing me down.

Pace ended up 8.35 so not too bad, even though the first 9 miles were under 8.00 so I really did slow towards the end. I’m not sure this is a race I would want to do again. I found it tough and although now I can look back on it and think it was great training, I didn’t find it very mentally lifting so next year I will look for something else.

On a positive note…….

My Boston Race pack arrived 🙂

This is sooooo exciting. I have been studying it in great detail everything I need to know is in there so nothing to worry about at all 🙂

And on the foot front, although I am not denying that it is a problem, I am determined that it is not go ing to spoil all the hard work I have put in to my training this year. Positive mental thinking!!

Yesterday I rested it all day and now today I was planning the same but this afternoon I started to feel really caged up as I was desperate to run so decided to go for a little pace run to see how it was. I would say it was ok. Not painful but I am aware the issue is still there. I am also adding some calf raisers into my daily routine to try to build some strength in the calves and the foot. Hopefully this will help. Also regular icing and rolling on the ball which is all doing it’s part. I will see how it is in a week.

So today being the 20th March marks one month exactly until I will be in Boston at the Marathon.

The though of this is so exciting, I can hardly contain myself at the prospect!!!!

Training has been ticking along. My foot problem has decided to pay me another visit, which is not pleasing me too much 😦 At the moment I am managing to keep it at bay with lots of icing and rolling it on a hard ball. planning a few days rest early part of next week before two more weeks of training then I will hit the taper……

So my mileage looks like this…

Week 1 – 33 miles

Week 2 – 20 Miles (foot problem)

Week 3 – 36 miles

Week 4 – 38 miles

Week 5 – 12 miles (ski holiday)

Week 6 – 41 miles

Week 7 – 50 miles

Week 8 – 49 miles

Week 9 – 45 miles

Week 10 – 40 miles

And here I am 28 miles into week 11.  After this week I would like to do another two weeks of 45-50 miles and then will cut down for the taper, foot pending.

I like to look at my mileage written down like this. It’s good to look at it and see the investment I’ve made in my training and so boosting my confidence that I am feeling prepared for the big day. Or big days actually!!!

Hopefully this time tomorrow I will have another 20 miler under my belt, and again this will boost my confidence. I find these long run very mentally challenging. It’s such a long way on your own, and I am yet to find someone who wants to join me!! understandable that this is not everyones cup of tea, but company would be nice.

I let you know how it goes tomorrow…