London 2017 here I come!

I wouldn't usually appreciate anyone describing me as being 'good for my age', but when it comes from the people at London Marathon, it's actually really nice to finally, finally, hear!

In April I ran the Manchester Marathon in 3.40. I was really happy with my new 11 min PB, despite it being 5 minutes later than the Boston Qualifying time I'd been hoping for (currently 3.35 and under for my age group). I was disappointed that I'd not achieved a BQ but soon realised that missing this goal meant I had something to aim for next year. Every cloud and all that.

But I did begin to wonder whether it would ever be a realistic goal...could I ever really run that fast?

Then I remembered my first marathon in Berlin back in 2012. I was ecstatic to finish in under 4 hours (I scraped in with just 20 seconds to spare) and really really wanted to run the London marathon. Unsuccessful in the ballot, I ran it for charity in 2014 and it was the most fun I'd ever had running. It was brilliant. And I wanted to do it again.

I always looked at the Good For Age qualifying times but dismissed them as unachievable by little old me. But with a few years of solid running under my belt I finally did just that. In the midst of trying for a BQ in Manchester, I'd almost forgotten that I could potentially get a GFA for London. Just because I missed one goal didn't mean I didn't get another. So I was ecstatic when I received the holy grail of emails from London Marathon telling me that my GFA application was successful and I would be standing at the start line in 2017, having got there under my own hard work.

So it just goes to show, goals might take time to achieve, but it doesn't mean they're impossible. So maybe, just maybe, that Boston Qualifier time isn't so inconceivable after all.

Get ready London, I'm coming for you!

Finishing first and returning to my running roots

This morning, five years after running my first ever race, I came first in the Race for Life 10k in Cardiff!

I'd entered that first race (also a Race for Life) to raise money for cancer research when my mum was ill, so it felt nice running well on her birthday today. I wouldn't usually enter the RfL but I wanted to run while I was home for the weekend, and do a run with my sister who is in training for her second half marathon in Oct. So we ran while her husband and kids were our supporters.

Sisters doing it for themselves

In a sea of pink I made my way towards the front and set off. These runs are non chipped and the emphasis is on taking part and raising money - as it should be. There are plenty of other races to get your competitive spirit on! That's not to say I wasn't running hard though.

As we set off, two girls were ahead of me and totally pegging it. As I was admiring their strength and running clobber (a distraction tactic I often employ) I thought they must also be doing the 10k option and looked forward to running the rest of the race with them. But just as I was about to take the 10k turn off, they sped on straight through, leaving me with no company other than the bike leader who was waiting for some 10k runners, but was greeted by just little old me. He mounted his bike and off we went, him thankfully guiding my way through a very twisty turny and confusing route, whilst I pretended I was Paula Radcliffe leading the marathon.

I usually hate a 10k, it's too long a distance to go hell for leather but it's too short to run more comfortably. But I enjoyed today, despite the long sections of running on grass and running the whole course alone.

As I hit an out and back section I kept my eyes peeled for my sister - not easy when everyone is dressed the same. But I saw her! We did a high five and both kept going. Then I was soon running towards the finish as the bike in front radioed in to say the first 10ker was coming through. I couldn't believe it - I laughed as I saw my time (42.20!) and then collected my medal before meeting up with our support crew.

Katie had told me to run without her but I said I'd run back and find her after I was done, so we could finish together. I met her at about 8k, and as we ran towards the finish we laughed about me finishing first and celebrated Katie achieving her goal of not stopping. Just before the finish line, my little nephew joined us to run the rest, while Gav ran alongside us with my little niece in the buggy. It was a right old family affair and a good laugh.

It was the longest Katie has run since before having her first baby, and the only time I've ever crossed a finish line first - so it was only right that we celebrated with some prosecco at Mum's for lunch.

6am raving with Gloryville Manchester

It's been a long time since I've seen the wrong side of 6am - my days of drinking and partying until long after the sun came up are very much over and have been left in my (rather too late) twenties...

But this morning before work, I found myself at an actual real life rave....albeit one fuelled by coffee and smoothies after a full nights sleep, rather than alcohol and partying on through to daylight.

Morning ravers

I'd been invited by Gloryville Manchester to experience their pre-work sober clubbing experience and 'rave my way into the day'. They are on a mission to shake up the usual morning routine and get people dancing before their working day.

I'd arranged to meet some girls from running club there at 7am - not your usual social engagement hour but as runners we're no strangers to doing ridiculous things and often find ourselves in situations asking each other 'what are we doing?!'  This morning was no different and this thought was certainly going through my head when my early alarm went off. But as I got dressed in my loudest running gear, I was feeling pretty excited! I had no idea what to expect but on arrival at one of my favourite bars, Gorilla, I was greeted with a hug and directed through to the dance floor.

Once inside you could have mistaken it as a club night still going strong. The dance floor was full of people and more ravers arrived as the morning went on. The music was loud and the coffee was strong. People were dressed to the nines; sequins, glitter, head dresses and light-up hoola hoops were all on show, and we cracked out the face crayons and sunglasses, and partied on stage. I bumped in to a couple of yoga friends and everyone kept agreeing how mad it was and how much fun we were having.

The event blurb promised 'music, dancing, dress up, super food breakfast, smoothies, coffee, yoga and massage'. The yoga seemed to be just a few mats on the edge of the dance floor for people to practice on but not a teacher-lead class as such - whilst the super food breakfast, smoothies and coffee were all at an extra (pretty high) cost - which for £16 on the door I thought was a little steep (advance tickets were £10-£16).


I like doing things a little out of the ordinary and waking up early to spend over an hour and a half dancing your heart out with your mates first thing in the morning, is a brilliant way to start the day. It was mad, and we kept saying so. As Jill pointed out, it was better doing this sober! We revelled in the craziness and felt really energised. I noticed people occasionally glancing at their watches while on the dance floor, almost forgetting that we all had to work to go to.

Stepping outside into the morning light while people were making their way to work was similar to my long gone clubbing days, although instead of an almighty hangover already kicking in, I left to make my way to work with an enormous grin on my face, feeling like I'd been let in on an almighty secret. A rave for breakfast is the way forward.

I was invited to go the Gloryville for free and they knew I would be blogging about them. 

Chester Half Marathon

I wasn't aiming to get a PB at Chester Half Marathon this weekend. I didn't want one. I hadn't trained much since the marathon 5 weeks before and only managed to get one run in the double digits since, mostly as I was concentrating on recovery and enjoying not marathon training.

My reasons for running Chester were basically to do a half marathon, get a long run in with some mates from the running club and enjoy it.

Medal selfie

However, I promptly forgot all this come race day. Instead I managed to get swept up in the race atmosphere and set off in sub 7 min miles and on PB pace. OOPS! The uphills were much more frequent (for some reason I thought it was a flat course!) and much sharper than I had anticipated. My mind said slow down but my legs kept going. What was I doing?! This lead to me hating the first 5 miles of the course and fighting an internal struggle. I really had to remind myself why I was running (whilst also cursing my mate Jill whose idea this had been). 

Mid way through and I had to have a stern word with myself. I reminded myself I didn't want to PB nor did I deserve to on so little training, and should slow down so I could achieve what I'd actually come to do.

After a little self ticking off, and at a slower, more reasonable pace, I began to enjoy myself - even despite running near a man who annoyingly breathed like Darth Vadar.

The route starts at the racecourse and heads out through the town centre, towards the countryside before a little loop and heading back. I must say the whole race was really well organised (take note Manchester Marathon) - barely a queue for the toilets and a really great atmosphere at the race course. The route itself was not only challenging with the hills, but also featured stretches of quite long boring roads which was pretty unexciting. But two bands on the course really stood out and kept spirits lifted, as did the heroic man at about mile 11 showering everyone with a hose. (This is not a euphemism).

The last mile was the worst - all uphill and seemingly never ending. But then finally, finally the finish was in sight. Louise Minchin off of BBC Breakfast gave me my medal at the finish line, and the post race goodie bag had actual useful things in it - sweets, 9 BAR and the best tasting Double Decker I've ever eaten in my life.

Finish line Medal from Louise

We stayed on course until the very end to cheer through all the last runners, and the organisers were on hand and came to chat to us to ask our opinions of the race.

It wasn't my best or most enjoyable run but that was due to my own legs and lack of prep. I think the fact that I eventually enjoyed it, despite the tough course speaks for itself.

Good job Chester.

Harriers on tour

An unexpected award

Last night was my running clubs annual AGM. As well as a look back at the club's achievements, this is also the night where two trophies from the past year are awarded; the Benidorm Cup, for Best Overseas Achievement and the Morris Kaplan Trophy for Most Improved Runner.

The former was awarded to Jill for her stellar achievement of completing her first marathon in Paris a few weeks ago. She promptly and heroically filled it with gin. The second was awarded to little old me!

Unexpected trophy

Although we recognise and revel in our PBs when we get them, it's not often that we stop and take stock of our full achievements. It was only when our captains, who decided on the recipient of the award, mentioned it in the prize giving that I realised I'd recently gotten PBs in at least three distances this year; 5k, half marathon and the big one, the marathon.

This wonky trophy might look like it's been sat on or dropped on the floor, but it's been around since 1968 and clearly been very loved! Or maybe someone did actually sat on it after a few beers....who cares?! I've only been running with the Harriers for a year and a half, so I feel very honoured to be recognised among some pretty amazing runners.

Eat Pasta Run Faster at Vapiano

I do not need any encouragement to eat more carbs, or more of any food for that matter. I literally think about food all day long, so when I was asked by Vapiano to pop in and try some of their new menu designed specifically for runners, I of course said yes.

It's now been three weeks since the Manchester Marathon and I'm still eating a lot! At the end of my two week taper, I really did feel that I'd misjudged my food intake. I think I ate WAY too much in the lead up to the marathon and I did feel sluggish as I stood at the start line.

It's a tricky thing to get right and your nutrition when training is very personal to each and every runner. Vapiano's new 'Eat Pasta Run Faster' menu has been devised by nutritionist Dr Sarah Schenker especially for runners to provide the right amount of carbs, protein and healthy fats to keep runners feeling fit and energised. You can read more about the menu here.

So how was it?

The food was really nice. Everything is prepared freshly on site that day, from the pasta to the homemade sauces, and pots of growing herbs litter each table allowing you to add to your food as you like. We started with the caprese salad to share which was enormous but tasty, and the freshness of the ingredients really shone through.

From the runners' menu plan we opted for the Risotto Funghi with Chicken, and the Vapiano Salmone pasta. The risotto was amazing, really creamy, rich and tasty but if I'd been paying for the Salmon pasta I would have taken it back. Although it was nice, our chef was way too heavy handed with the fresh chilli and sadly this was all you could taste. Word to the wise. go easy on the chilli here!

The concept of the restaurant took a while to get used to. Each diner is given a card which keeps track of everything they order so you pay for only what you eat and drink - a great idea for big parties. You take your card up to each station and wait while your food is cooked to order in front of you. This means you can add various different flavours to your meal, or leave out ingredients which you are less keen on. It does however mean that you are standing and waiting mid meal which is a little different and does impact on your dining experience. I think this would be a great place to go for families, or a large group for a relaxed lunch.

The next day I went for a run and felt the best I had since the marathon. This could be down to any number of factors; a successful recovery period, enough sleep, or even a tasty Italian meal the night before. I'll let you decide.

We were kindly invited to Vapiano to dine for free and they knew I would be writing a blog about my experience.

Manchester Marathon: Race Report

I moved to Manchester about four and a half years ago. Yesterday, I ran my fourth marathon, 26.2 miles through the streets of my adopted home city and had a total blast - coming in at 3.40 with an 11 minute PB to boot.

PB and a Pint

The week before the marathon the nerves began. Despite a great run at the Cardiff Half World Marathon Championships (where I ran a PB of 1.37) a couple of weeks before, I began to doubt myself. I felt sluggish and full during my taper and I felt like I'd forgotten how to run. Oh, how the taper plays with your mind.

I had decided pretty early on in my training that I was aiming for 3.30 and a Boston Qualifying time, and in the week before really began to feel the pressure. Thankfully a couple of days before the run I had an epiphany and realised that I was the only one putting this pressure on myself, and that if I didn't get it in Manchester then I could just bloody well try again next year. After all, my marathon PB stood at 3.51 so this jump was a pretty big ask.

Phew! Once I realised this, I relaxed a bit and began looking forward to getting out there, enjoying myself and seeing how my training would pay off.

The day of the marathon arrived with a glorious sunrise and I felt like a kid at Christmas, all full of nervous excitement. After dropping my bag off and popping to the toilet three times (just to be sure) it was time and soon we were off! I was actually running another marathon! The first few miles were congested and my legs felt a bit heavy and tired, but I was bang on for the 3.30 time on my pace band and I enjoyed the atmosphere and running through streets I knew.

As always my champion supporter boyfriend, Jamie was at multiple stops on route and I almost tripped someone up running up to him for a quick kiss around mile 9 - sorry about that runner! My brilliant running club pals also traveled all over Manchester by bike so I had lots of unexpected cheering posts along the course which was brilliant. I even saw my physio Trev at around mile 23 - at which point I REALLY could have done with an on route massage.

The first half of the race was fine and pretty uneventful, I was just enjoying the run. Through Sale the crowds really increased and I was looking forward to getting to halfway. At this point it was still pretty congested and the sun was getting stronger. The strong breeze was a welcome relief and thankfully there were loads of water points along the route. By about mile 14 the dream of 3.30 began to slip but around mile 17 I was still on for about 3.32/34 which I was happy with. I actually couldn't believe I was already this far along the course, the time seemed to have flown by. By mile 22 however my legs were screaming at me. They were tired and on the cusp of cramping. I kept collecting water at the stations and pouring them on my battered quads which really helped. By mile 23 my new goal was to just keeping running and not stop and walk, which a lot of people were doing by this point. I was determined to run the whole thing and knew I could run it no matter how slowly it felt.
Finally there was less than a mile to go, and after seeing Jamie one last time for a final boost, I could actually see the finish line. But man alive, it was far away! The crowds in the home straight were amazing and I felt like a total rock star as I pushed and pushed and ran over the finish line at 3.40.

It was at this point I promptly burst in to tears as I have done now at all four of my marathons. I put it down to the sheer relief.

A few points to note on the organisation of the Manchester Marathon. Whilst I had a great run, this was down to the support on route and my training, while the organisation left runners with a lot to be desired. The start line was quite far from the race village; the start line was not clear at all, even as you crossed it; and do not get me started on the baggage fiasco at the end. I queued for over an hour for my bag and was absolutely freezing after running, but I know people queued for well over two hours for theirs. The organisation of that was dire. Queuing for almost as long as you ran, with no food or drink or word from the organisers is appalling. I also read online that there were huge problems with parking, and many runners missed the start due to this. It was absolutely ridiculous and really left a bad taste in the mouth to an otherwise great day. I don't know what happened but they really need to sort it out for next year. I'll be astonished if they collect 'Best Marathon' again this year in the Running Awards, they really don't deserve to.

But enough of that. Thanks to everyone who sent me their good luck wishes - they came from near and far, from family, friends and people I've never even met. It was overwhelming. And thanks to everyone who came and yelled and cheered and supported on the day - it is such a boost to have people on the course there as your own personal cheerleaders, and just as important for the post run beer celebrations - it really means so much.

As always after a marathon, my heart is lifted and I feel all in love with the world.