2015 - The Run Down

This time last year I set myself 5 'Runolutions' - running goals and resolutions for 2015 - and boy did I have fun trying to achieve them.

Without a marathon to concentrate on, 2015 saw me become a triathlete after completing the London Triathlon; run with Paula Radcliffe; be a poster girl in the This Girl Can campaign; learn to swim front crawl again, and take part in my first 24 hour race at Equinox24 which included getting up and running in the dark at 1.30am! Phew!

So let's see how I got on with the rest of my goals...

1) Join a running club
This is probably the best thing I've done for my running all year, hell probably ever! After a few tentative visits, in January I signed up to the Manchester YMCA Harriers and haven't looked back since. Running with these lovely lot has meant going to wonderful races I'd never have entered alone, tackling a 24  hour race and coming top ten, winning the Christmas 5K Handicap as well as lots of brilliant social outings - not to mention chat chat chatting all the way through our weekly club runs.

Harrier!

2) Go to parkrun and make it routine
As soon as I completed my first parkrun early last year, I knew I would be back. The atmosphere en route; waiting for the text later to confirm your time and the feeling of being back in the warm tucking in to a post run brekkie by 10am, have all contributed to the best start to the best weekends. This weekly free 5k has also helped in increasing my speed (my 5k PB is now 21.34) and kicked me into gear to up my mileage by incorporating it into a long run. I've run in a number of different parkruns and when I'm away always check if one is nearby! Brilliant.

Impromptu Harrier parkrun meet up

3) Try out Cross Country
Not too long ago I did my first Cross Country race with the club. The wind was howling, the rain was pouring and the mud was slippery. But it was lots of fun. I've only completed one race so far but the season is young and I will be back for more in Jan!

Mud mud mud

4) Properly train for half marathons and try and break 1.45
Along with completing my triathlon, this is the running achievement I am most proud of in 2015 - completing the Wilmslow Half Marathon in 1.39! A new PB and much faster than the 1.45 I was hoping for. It was really hard work, but I really felt like I put the effort and training in, and unsurprisingly it paid off. I must remember this in my marathon training for Manchester 2016.

5) Have a clear out and lend a hand
A mile in her Shoes is a charity which helps women who have been affected by homelessness help find their feet through running. It's great, and I was really pleased when my new club told me they'd read my blog and were also doing a collection of running clothes to donate to the charity. So after sorting through my kit drawer I added my donations to the pile. In fact, having complained that my drawer is currently bulging, it's about time I had another clear out. I also volunteered to marshal our club race this year. It's nice to give something back and I should very much make it my goal to do more volunteering this year.

So there we have it - a pretty busy 2015 with lots of achievements I'm proud of. But the over riding bonus of the last year are all the lovely crazy people I've met and trained with along the way. From swimming, cycling, triathlon training and of course running, it's been the people who have been crazy enough to do these things with me that have really made it a brilliant year.

The long run - Friday Photo #38

A round up of Crandon Runs in one weekly photo

Triathlon training is all go this week. All my spare time currently consists of swimming, biking and running, and sometimes, like twice this week, all three in one day. Which is great! But the extra sports for me seems to mean shorter runs and I've found I'm missing my long run fun. Running makes me do this...

Disco run!

...and not only when there is a giant glitter ball around (although obviously it helps). When my brother in law suggested we run to and from parkrun last weekend whilst he and my sister were visiting I was so happy. A 9 mile run! With long working hours and tri training I haven't been able to get above 6 miles for weeks.

So off we went. I remembered how much I like longer distances, and so did what anyone would do while training for a triathlon: signed up for my next half marathon in a couple of weeks. That should get me back into double digits where I belong whilst also attempting to become a triathlete.

Do you prefer short runs or are you more of a longer distance runner?

Kit kit kit - CR Friday Photo #34

A round up of Crandon Runs in one weekly photo

Another week, another new toy to play with. I might have 'accidentally' made another big triathlon training purchase this week: please meet our new lodger...

Pictured here with my (ahem - also new) road bike for my upcoming triathlon with Team Tricurious, this wet suit is the latest addition to my kit bag.

Although these are big bits of kit and necessary items for competing, I've made sure they've not blown the bank. The wet suit is brand new but hired with the option to buy at the end of the season (much cheaper than hiring each time I go for an open water swim), and the bike was at the lowest end of the range and on a massive reduction. I've also invested in a tri suit for the bike and run legs, which cost a very reasonable £15 from Aldi. So although three sports means more equipment it doesn't have to mean three times the money. Which leaves me with more money to spend on my other love - FOOD.

Apologies to my very understanding boyfriend for turning our spare room into what looks like a transition zone.

You can read more about my open water adventures here and follow my fellow Team Tricurious members here.

What's top of your kit list? Do you splurge or save?

Making a splash - a Tricurious post

‘Countdown to Rio – 497 days’ was the unexpected sign that greeted me at my local pool on Sunday.  Surely intended to instill motivation and inspiration to the pro swimmers that frequent the Manchester Aquatics Centre, to me it screamed, ‘YOU DON’T BELONG HERE CRANDON!’. Still, I was pool side by this point; too far gone to back out now.

Having spent three weeks dutifully heading to the pool alone to try and remind myself how to front crawl, I was told about a local swimming group who offer coaching sessions. I knew I was in need of some tips and help from someone in the know and was looking forward to rounding off my weekend with a Sunday night swim. Despite the unnerving Olympic countdown, it wasn’t as scary as I thought. Put in a newbies group, I had lots of fun doing all different types of swimming strokes including an attempt at one armed butterfly – thankfully not a requirement in the forthcoming London triathlon – as well as various team relays. On my cycle home (is this a brick session then?!), I realised I’d swum way more than I had when swimming alone, and tried out lots of new techniques. So, all in all, a very minor swimming success.

Having fun in the pool was all well and good, but how would I fare in the open water? I was keen, and anxious, to find out. Although I’d once swam in Hampstead Heath on a hot summers day, this was something totally new. I wasn’t sure what I was more scared of: the wetsuit or the freezing temperatures of the water in Salford Quays. I spent my lunch break reading up on the open water section in ‘Tricurious‘ and tried to remember the tips for getting into my wetsuit like a pro. It turns out, these were a success. I slathered my wrists and neck with baby oil to prevent rubbing and popped a plastic bag over my arms and feet to get the wetsuit on with ease. Thankfully, I had my friend Sheila with me to show me the ways of the open water and I was glad to have her there to chat to whilst we swam. Like running, I’m learning that swimming is way more fun with friends.

Pre-dip - nervous anticipation

The temperature outside was cold, little waves were lapping in the quays, and there was a breeze in the air. The sky was a greyish blue and the walk to the quays was cold enough without being in the actual water. But I knew I had to get on with it. For about 5 minutes, my face was one of shock as I ducked into the cold water and filled my wetsuit with water before pressing it out again (*proud Tricurious student face*). My arms and feet were pretty numb and I had a little brain freeze, but I soon forgot about these. What I noticed more than anything was the fun that I was having.

I must admit, I mostly did breaststroke while I got used to my new environment, and having Sheila there to laugh with when we got freaked out by the ‘things’ in the water (possibly a leaf, possibly a pre-historic creature) made it all the more enjoyable. We did a short lap of 300m followed by the longer course of 500m, and I changed between front crawl and breaststroke as much as I could.

Open water - DONE!

Finally taking the, literal, plunge has put my fears of being in the open water to rest. How would I cope in a wetsuit? Would I freeze in the cold? Would I be able to actually swim with that distance? Would I need to be rescued? These were all genuine concerns. I wasn’t at all fast, the other triathletes have nothing to worry about here, but I did it and I loved it. As my wise friend Sheila said, “it’s nice to do something ‘real': not be in a boring gym or running a treadmill, but outside in the elements reallydoing something” and she’s right. I’m looking forward to going back next week.

This post first appeared on the team Tricurious blog - where you can follow the journeys of my team mates, as we venture into the world of triathlon.

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Into the Open Water - Crandon Runs Friday Photo #33

A roundup of Crandon Runs in one weekly photo

This week has seen me tackle some swimming and last night I did something I once thought I would never do - I willingly went swimming in Salford Quays. 

Anxious before

As part of my forthcoming triathlon, open water swimming is something I need to get used to. So, despite the cold wind and greying skies, I literally took the plunge. Thankfully I had the all round awesome Sheila there to help me navigate the way and chat and laugh with. It was surprisingly warmer than I thought, and way more fun than expected. Full post is coming soon but in the mean time enjoy these before and after shots!

Open water - I didn't drown