LONG POST ALERT!! But it was a long run!
So today is the day I plan to not only run to Poolsbrook again but to run around Poolsbrook as well this time pushing that distance a little more. With a week in Holland coming up I really wanted to get the distance in today so alarm was set for 6am, breakfast of porridge and a cuppa ready for the off just after 7am.
You may or may not be asking what do I run with on longer runs. So here is a bit of kit advice, I’m no pro but these are what seem to be currently working for me.
My water ruck sack was off of amazon I think it cost me £14.99 if I remember rightly but it has been fantastic. So far no rubbing, easy to wear and not even that heavy when the water bladder is full. Holds a 1.5 Liter water bladder with pockets at front for all your nick nacs. I normally fill mine with my energy strips, dextrose tablets and phone so all easily accessible and the small zipper pocket is where I always keep an emergency note or two just in case. (I’ll post pictures next time ive got it out)
I did look at the waist ones but knew that I needed more water, how can you get through all those miles on 2 small bottles? I know there are water points on main race day but I didn’t want to waste time and energy filling up bottles and there are no re fill points apart from half way on my pre race run. Plus they would annoy me swinging round my waist whilst running. At the end of the day its personal preference but one thing I discovered is you don’t need to pay an arm and a leg for some equipment. That’s not to say other equipment isn’t worth investing in. My best buy so far is my trusty running trainers which were fitted at a running store in shiregreen, definitely worth having gait analysis and spending an investment in this piece of kit. After all these are what are going to house your precious feet for all those training miles and most importantly the day its self. Mine were £120.00 but have never let my feet down once, I know they wont see me to my Marathon so already dropping pre Christmas hints lol. Another piece of kit I wouldn’t be with out is my Tikkaboos, they even come on holiday with now!
I’ve avoided using gels as I have a sensitive stomach and really don’t want to experience those moments so I’ve been using Revies strips. Normally one as I set off and then one half way but I am still playing around with things like this. Not sure if they actually make any difference or not as I am too busy just wanting to get through he miles to spend time and energy debating if my energy has increased or not, but I got through 12 miles so far today. I’ve also used Dextrose tablets on today’s run someone suggested them to me so Ill keep you posted on that one.
Suited and booted off I went heading out of the back gate across the car park and down onto the trail. I really am so lucky to live within distance of a trail and connections to two country parks without having to plan to take the car out or run endlessly around streets and houses.
At 7.15 the sun was already starting to feel warm, a fantastic change from the dull rainy weather we have been having but not ideal for longer run days so pleased I had stuck to my pan and set off early. Cyclists and dog walkers were already hitting the trail routes. One thing I’ve found with running is everyone seems to say good morning something I never found when I was a walker, which is strange. Maybe they think I need a hello or good morning to spur me on to my destination. Either way I think it’s nice.
My aim today was to pace myself, today was not about speed (although secretly I had an idea of how long I wanted to be out) it was about covering the distance and covering further than I had ever gone before by adding on the distance of running around the country park once getting their before returning.
I wanted to try and lower my pace today (you may be thinking no one ever said they wanted to go slower) last time I covered this run the first 5k I zoomed off strong then around 7k started to really feel it knowing I had gone too quick too soon. I don’t know if its the upbeat music in my ears when I run alone that sends me into a speedy pace or just me thinking the quicker I go the quicker i’ll be finished.
But I knew I defiantly couldn’t keep that pace all the way through the half marathon let alone the full one. So my aim was to go no faster than 6.30 but no slower than 7.00 per km.
It felt like ages before I felt the buzz of my watch on my arm indicating the firs 1k was gone, I had found a pace I was comfortable with so kept going at that over the next few k’s I did glimpse at my watch a few occasions o discover I was sitting around 6.15 even 6.05 at one point but told my self I needed to take it a step back and slow down as I knew there would come a harder point in my run when I would have wished wasting energy earlier going to fast. It wasn’t long before I hit the turning point directing Pools brook one way and chesterfield the other. I knew it would not be long before I would be tackling my 20 miler to chesterfield and back but not today, today was to tackle the country park, so that’s the way I went.
When I hit the main road I used this is a walk for 60 seconds opportunity. Up until now I had ran all the way at a steady pace and surprisingly never once felt out of breath, don’t get me wrong the legs knew they were covering distance today and were beginning to show show those ache signs but so far I felt good and knew it was just a little way down the track till I hit the half way point. I love a half way point, halfway points to me are a commitment and my motto is if I can get half way I’ll be dammed if I’m giving up at the half way point, whats the point when you’ve already done half the work!
The site of the country park was so pretty as I ran down the steep slope to the footpath that circled it, the sun shone off the waters and it looked so peaceful as it waited for all its day visitors. Apart from a few fishermen and a couple of cyclists the site was empty. I loved these times of day, no dodging other people required (you’d be amazed at how mentally and physically draining that can be when already tired.) I also liked the peace and quiet although that’s a bit of a strange one since my ear phones were blasting out 90’s music to keep me going, I really need to give this route a go with no ear phones one day, after all ear phones are apparently a nono on race day, although some allow bone conducting ones, maybe a google moment as what the hell are bone conducting ear phones? It sounds like some sort of torture device! Maybe I should read the entry info and find out! If not how will I keep myself occupied for well over 2 hours? The thought of listening to my own voice in my head is boring me already, i’ll put it on my to do list whilst on holiday. Any tips welcome!
Before I knew it I was at the foot of the steep slope back up to the exit, again I used this as a 60 second walking opportunity and a time to pop a dextrose tablet, not sure if I needed it but now well over half way I knew the return journey wasn’t going to be as comfortable as the inward one.
I’m not quiet sure if my brain had just switched off on the return down the track or if I was just fueled full of dextrose tablets but I don’t recall passing some of the markers I’ve used in the past that make me aware of how far I’ve covered and also how far I have left to go. As I just hit over the 9 mile marker I knew my muscles were starting to feel there mornings work, I was struck by tight bum! Know you may be laughing at this but it felt like my bum had suddenly developed cramp and tightened up. Ive heard of muscles tightening in the legs but cant say ive heard of it in the backside, it wasn’t painful just strange and did go off after about 5 minutes, unfortunately the tiredness starting in the legs did not follow.
I kept setting myself little goals to reach certain trees, bench’s (how good do benches look at these points in training? No time for sitting down though, that and if I sit now I may never get back up and then stu would have to send out the search party, wouldn’t be the first time) also I loved it when other runners or people in general were coming towards me cause I would tell myself I couldn’t possibly be seen taking a 60 second walking break by other people so would have to pass them and wait till no one was in front of me, once they were behind me I wasn’t bothered I couldn’t see them. All in all I think after the road crossing going and returning I only actually had 4 other 60 second walks and 2 of these were on hill sections.
All of a sudden the turn off of the trail appeared, where did that come from? I had been waiting for the gap in the hedge I normally use as a marker for knowing the trail end is near, something I’d used in my earlier couch to 5k days (They seem so long ago now) and it would appear I had completely bypassed it with my running games and was now at the exit!
I could do this, just along the horses field, out onto the main road and up the hill to go. There was a chair with my name on it the garden to bask in the glorious sunshine all day.
As I came out of the trail I knew my legs would not run up that hill (they actually probably would have, I think it was my brain that wouldn’t let them) so I speed walked up it, as I turned the corner to near the entrance of our back car park I glanced at my watch to discover I was currently on 11.94 miles, there was no way I wasn’t getting that 12 miles, not after all that effort! So off down into the neighboring culd e sac I went around their car park and back up into our car park, nope still not quiet there so a couple of laps of the car park and boom!! 12 miles completed, a little bit of a stretch then to find that chair!
As much as I wanted to stay in that chair in the garden all day I knew my muscles would become cold and start to cease quickly so after a glass of strawberry milk, yes you read right something else a leading nutritionist had advised me to do after a run. I made my way up to my hot bath with my epsom salts, non of this cold bath milarky for me, I’m not that daring. Before then settling down to a pasta lunch to pasta, onions, peppers, bacon and primula cheese, I was starving and knew I needed to refuel on the right sorts of food.
So things I’m really proud of on this run:
1) I never once felt out of breath (Maybe I didn’t push myself hard enough? Or maybe I really have just found that pace that’s right for me and will get me though my marathons? I am hoping its the latter one.
2) I did it, I ran not just to Pools Brook which I have done twice before but I ran around it which is what I had set out to do!
3) I ran 12 miles!! The most I have ever ran!
4) The thought of now completing 13.2 miles was feeling more achievable than it did a couple of weeks ago, this week was a moving forward week!
