This day I love.......: running

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I started November injured and feeling rather fed up. I missed running, I wanted to run but didn't want to ruin the chance of running New York. We had a Disney cruise booked for the week before the marathon, a chance to relax and unwind and generally prepare myself mentally for the race ahead. The Disney cruise had the opportunity to run the castaway cay 5km. I hadn't experienced any major pain or discomfort in my ankle for over a week and thought it might be a good tune up run before the marathon.

The second I set off my ankle flared up again. The pain went through my leg and I instantly regretted my decision. The course is flat but incredibly warm and the heat does get to you almost immediately. I finished and the pain intensified. Too late now.

I was now struggling to walk. My ankle had swollen and I was now very worried. I spent the day on Castaway Cay stood in the salty sea water, somehow hoping the sea salt might soothe any muscle injury, it made sense in my head at the time.

We had a mad dash to catch out flight from Orlando to New York. Actually though everything went really smoothly. One of the first off the ship, straight onto the Disney coach our bags had been checked into our flight from the ship so we didn't need to worry about those. We arrived at the airport with 3 hours to spare. Security was really quick and we were sat looking for breakfast in the airport.

Our flight took off on time and arrived into New York early. It took us 15 mins from leaving the plane to leaving the airport with our bags. Luckily our car I had booked was sat waiting for us, it did take some finding but we were still earlier than predicted which actually gave me plenty of time to get to the convention center and collect my number.

I had worried I would not make number collection so to make it with plenty of time to spare was a shock. The process was really straight forward. I decided not to spend time at the expo as I wanted to get back to the hotel and my family. It had been a long day travelling and I had a very early start in the morning.

I can't remember what time my alarm went, I feel I was on the subway for 5.40am. I had laid out all my clothes the night before and scrambled in the dark to get ready without waking anyone. The subway system would not accept my credit card, as it is registered to a UK address and therefore it would not recognise my post code which you have to enter to get the machine to work. I luckily had some cash on me but not wanting to have change making noise as I ran had to buy a full day pass rather than a single ticket which annoyed me slightly.

After the messing with the ticket system I was now tired and stressed. The station I was at was one of those you see in all the horror films, dim lighting and a few kids on the bench at the other end of the station all wearing hoodies. I had an internal panic that I had got the day wrong, there were no other runners. After what felt like forever a runner sat down and so I started talking to him.

It really helped ease the nerves, we chatted all the way to the ferry terminal where he went to join the queue for a drink and I tried to make some sort of sense of the chaos of people. It really was chaos. I figured I would just stand and watch and see what was happening but sort of got swept with the crowd and ended up on the ferry. No one was checking times we were simply herded on to the ferry to make our way to the start.

The ferry journey was quite peaceful and I got to watch the sun rise over the water and New York. After leaving the ferry it was simply a case of follow the other runners. The chaos then started again. Coaches would arrive and people would just push to try and get on them. I started walking down the street and discovered the long queue of buses. My advise is to keep walking as the front few seemed to have some order to them and we stood and waited.

The coach journey wasn't too long and once off we were straight into security. The waiting game now began. I followed a sea of people towards the pens. There was no where to sit so instead I just wandered around. They had run out of the free bagels and hot chocolate by the time I arrived. I stumbled across therapy dogs and it was here I stayed for around an hour.

Therapy dogs are trained dogs and their purpose was to calm down the nerves of the runners. Well I sat there at the side of the tent and just talked to the dogs owners and generally forgot about the pain in my ankle and the fact I was about to run a marathon.

For future reference take cardboard to sit on and some warm clothes that you can discard at the start line. I had just about begun to warm up and was stood on the start line in my charity vest. Unsure how this would go but I was here now. The start is on the bridge, and we were going to be going over, some ran under the bridge.

The mood on the start line was good. Everyone seemed happy and chatting away. I was with runners aiming for 5-6 hours so automatically in a pen a lot slower than I was now comfortable with. We set off up and over the bridge. The views were something else but the pace was not comfortable at all and I was struggling to get into a stride. I am not sure if it was this uncomfortable pace, the fact we start on a hill or perhaps a combination but my ankle just went no. I hadn't even covered the .2 of the 26.2 miles and I was in agony and feeling rather sick from pain. No where to stop, we are on a bridge so I pushed on. The pain was getting to me.

I don't really remember the last time I started a race knowing full well I really should not be doing this and 2 hoping I didn't make whatever was hurting worse and finally if I was going to actual make it round. Experience tells me when you don't respect the distance it will rip you to pieces and that is what happened. I decided to run and walk and stop and take lots of photos.

I kept looking for markers, signs and interesting things to take photos of. Trying all the time to just distract myself from the pain I was in. I knew I had no chance of any of the times I had been working towards and this was a matter of survival rather than a run. I was disappointed in myself and feeling frustrated, this does not make for good mental preparation for a marathon. I was beginning to walk a lot more than I would like and the frustration in me was growing. I was now just angry.

Half way could not have come soon enough. My fear of bridges was really been tested and I had this anxiety to deal with on top of everything else. Running was simply uncomfortable and I was hoping the next half was going to pass by quicker.

I bumped into a lady at half way from Ireland who had recently lost her husband. She was running for a charity and was in tears. I talked to her for about a mile before she slowed down further and it hurt me too much to keep up with her pace. I felt really guilty for leaving her but the pain I was in was simply not sustainable at the pace she was going at and I had to get round.

More and More bridges. I recognised this bridge from the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel and so now had a rough idea where we were heading. I also knew how long this bridge was but hadn't realised quite how up hill it was!

My temperature would not stabilise and I was going through removing long sleeved tops [Which were under my vest top] to attempting to put it back on whilst continuing forward. There was simply too much going off and I know my focus should just have been on getting round. Manhattan approached.

The support throughout the course was amazing. Simply first class. Had I been in the right frame of mind and running they would have given me a real boost and provided the support needed to complete the marathon. As it was the pain was just getting to me and I was loosing focus. Just when I needed it I spotted a runner I recognised and a good friend of mine went zipping past me. I did my best to catch her up and for a few miles we stuck together. I couldn't keep up and knew I was slowing her down. The Bronx was approaching and mentally I knew the final stretch was coming.

The race weaves around the Bronx with some fantastic support. On the map it looked only to be a mile or two and whilst it probably is the pain I was in made it feel a lot longer. The final bridge of the race was here and now I knew it was a straight run down to Central Park and the finish line. Not long to go.

It was beginning to get dark. I was getting cold and I felt like I had been running along the road for forever. I was mentally expecting to run through the park and not alongside it, not sure why but this got to me. I had to push on. Eventually it came the turn into the park. I knew I was almost there now and started to hear the crowds getting louder. I must be nearly there. The finish sort of came out of no where. My face says it all.

Relief it was finally over. Shocked I had actually got round but the pain was intense and I knew I was in serious trouble. The second I got home I would be going to hospital to get it looked at. Now began the very, very long walk back to the hotel.

I would love to go back and run New York again, as marathons go it is a great course with plenty of support and I do not feel like I have done the course any justice. I feel grateful that I managed to get round but unfortunately the injury sustained means it will be next year before I can even think about running again. It turns out running a marathon on a fractured ankle is not a good idea. I am now waiting for further hospital tests and results to find out just how much damage I really did cause. The fracture I sustained prior to the race, no wonder it hurt!

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Loch Ness marathon has been on my bucket list for some time and when the entries opened for this year I was one of the first to sign up. We made a weekend of it and traveled to Inverness on the Friday night.

Staying a short walk from the finish line, which is also the park for the local parkrun meant Saturday morning my daughter and I collected our letter I on one of the flattest parkruns I think I have ever done before collecting my race number.

An early start on Sunday morning for race day. The race is a point to point race so the start line is 26 miles away and as a result coaches are arranged to transport you to the start. There are plenty of porta loos at the finish line, which is where you collect the bus from, and getting on the bus was straight forward. Once on you instantly try to get a little bit of sleep or rest as the early morning and windy roads begin to take their toll on all the runners.

We arrived in what can only be described as the middle of no where. Open Scottish highland, the wind blowing and the rain coming down. It was freezing. We joined a queue, turned out it was a queue for free tea. We joined another queue, this one was for the toilet. Just over an hour of queuing in the cold and all our joints had frozen but it was finally time to start.

The bagpipes played and the race was underway, the Proclaimers playing 500 miles started pouring out the sound system and I crossed the start line. The pace was comfy but it was ever so crowded that it was difficult to get into a proper stride and relax into it. A downhill came but it was hard to capitalise on it and instead I just held back and ran as best I could.

The course profile on line looks to be downhill for the first half, then flat with a few bumps followed by a hill at mile 18 before descending into Inverness at mile 21. I can tell you now that this is all lies. The whole course is undulating and by that I mean hilly. Short sharp and little nasty hills that just zap your energy. Just as you have recovered another one approaches. My legs ached, but my word the scenery was beautiful.

Mile 17 and we hit a beautiful village with loads of support and I knew the big hill was coming. My right leg was cramping up and it was beginning to feel very tight, almost like a rubber band about to snap. I stopped to stretch and try and ease it off. It worked but then the hill came, and the hill kept going and this did not help. Instead my leg got more and more painful and so I knew I had to run and walk so as to not cause myself injury.

Not the race I had wanted but I knew that even doing this I was on for a PB, and figured this was a great achievement. The last few miles once you hit the Tesco feel like they go on forever. The support from here is fantastic and the worst part is you run past the finish on the other side of the River Ness.

Crossing that bridge and coming into the home straight was such a relief. A PB was on the cards and a sub 4.30. My kids were in the crowd cheering me on and as I crossed the line I felt so much relief. I had finished.

Loch Ness marathon is incredibly well organised and there are sections of support which are fantastic. I can safely say it is the most beautiful marathon I have ever done and would love to do it again. I would however train more on the hills to get used to the undulation of the course and I would highly recommend taking some warm trousers and a top which you can leave at the start line as it is a long wait early in the morning on the exposed Scottish Highlands!

After the marathon my right leg was incredibly sore and my left ankle. I attempted a recovery run the week after but both my ankle and leg were far too painful so I abandoned the run. Another run a week later resulted in even more pain so I decided the best plan was to rest before New York and not attempt to run again in October.

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September started with a warm up race and the last race before my next marathon in October. A 6 hour timed challenge in York organised by See York Run York, Turpin challenge. I had wanted to break the 3 hour marker for 20 mile and knew I could do the pace needed to do this. The race however just didn’t go quite to plan in that sense.

The route went around the race course and then up into some woods before starting over for the next lap. I had had pancakes for breakfast, which my eldest daughter had made specially for me, the problem is my stomach does not get on well with pancakes and so I paid for it during this race. In fact I had problems early on but decided to keep going.

I might not have hit the sub 3 mark but I absolutely smashed my 20 mile PB and my 10 mile PB and had enough energy to walk a final lap to round it up to a full marathon. The race was well organised and there was a good supply of cakes at the end, but my stomach unfortunately wasn’t in the right mood for one.

There was no rest and training continued the next week. My watch started playing up and recording runs as running 1km in 25seconds, I can assure you this did not happen and so now all my strava records are completly wrong. I ran to feel and training was going well.

Towards the end of September I attempted a parkrun 5km with the aim of a PB. My PB at parkrun was 27.30 and I knew I had it in me to beat that time. I went to Goole, as the course is relatively flat and minimal turns which I thought would help. I literally ran with my heart and just focused on that finish line. I achieved a new PB of 25.03 and could not have been happier. Although those 3 seconds are now bothering me so I need to break the 25 minute barrier now

Taper then began and my weekly miles started coming down. This doesn’t make training any easier for me, although it is quite nice to be able to go out and get the run done with the majority of my day left. Not long to go now until Loch Ness marathon and I am really looking forward to it.

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The summer holidays meant I had to get a little creative with my training. Juggling three children and fitting training in wasn’t easy but for the most part I managed it. One day a week all three children would go to holiday club and it was on these days I would fit in my long runs. One evening a week I would do a speed session. Anything else I tried to fit in as and when. Sometimes it would be buggy running and others it would be running alongside the girls on their bikes. Often though it would be late at night once the kids were asleep but on the whole I managed between 4 and 5 runs a week.

The high of Endure 24 but the high distance meant I had to start the month of steady. Luckily for me my body seems to be adapting to the high mileage and it wasn’t long before I could be back at distance. I struggled a lot mentally with my running in July and in August. Having lost J in June I was running places where I ran with him often and I would instinctively look for him. I broke down in tears on a number of my runs, even now in September I find certain routes mentally tough.

The heat was relentless throughout the summer months, even if it wasn’t always sunny the heat was always there and it made several of the training runs tougher than perhaps they should have been. I don’t think my mental health was in the right place either and I think that added to the issues I was experiencing.

Beat the street finished and our team won, which also meant I could start running normal routes again without stopping to tap loads of boxes on the way. Although there is a part of me that misses them. Whilst I hope it is not the case I may have also had my last buggy run with Little Man, fingers crossed we do manage to go out again as I have loved running with him but I cannot foresee it happening.

I only had the one race in July and August, Round Donny Run. I ran it last year with my friend, who is known as my ultra hubby as we spend a lot of time together training and running ultras. Round Donny Run is a 35km staged event. Each segment is of a differing length some are short and only a few hundred meters, the longest is just over 10km.

Last year when I did this I had no idea how long each stage was and therefore found it hard to pace it. Running 100m for example is a different pace to running 10km. This year I knew how long each stage was and could therefore work out what pace to run at. It seemed to work and went really well. The last stage however the heat got to me and I was feeling really poorly. A little disappointed with myself and my time, as I know without the heat I could have done much better, but still pleased to have been significantly faster than the previous year which shows progression.

With the kids on school holidays we also made the most of the ability to travel and went to tick off some of the parkruns further away. Our alphabet challenge is almost complete and over summer managed obtain most letters with the letters I, J, Q, U, Z left to complete.

July and August were certainly tricky months to fit training in but overall I am pleased with the amount I did. I couldn’t have physically done any more. Not long now until Loch Ness!

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June can only be described as a month of two halves. Had I known what was to happen in June I think I would have done things very differently, but that is the beauty of hind sight for you.

June started off well, a sport of tourism parkrun for my daughter and I. Even though she claims it was hilly. It was run on a racecourse in one of the flattest parts of the country so no hills. In fact it is flatter than a track run according to my strava.

Training started to increase now as Loch Ness marathon starts to get closer. It does mean fitting training in when I can and so that can often be late at night or early mornings.

Beat the street started in our local town for 6 weeks and this actually made long runs really interesting. It really broke them up as we would run from post to post to tap our beat cards and collect points for our school.

It also made the kids want to get out more and so they would ride their bikes as I would run alongside them. In some ways it made training easier as they kids wanted to be outside and in others it made it harder because pace is very much dictated by them. It was lovely though to spend time together outside, regardless.

Once again there was more volunteering and helping at parkrun and races, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Even Little Man has started getting involved.

Beat the Street really started to take over as the leaderboard became quite close at the top. Runs were planned with the most beat boxes to tap and so whilst not the best routes it meant training and playing the game could still take place.

Training was going well. J was enjoying the extra walks as we played beat the street with him and getting more runs in together. My first race was approaching, an ultra with my friend Sean. I had helped him with his training and we came up with a plan for the actual race. You can read about how we got on here

After the high of the previous week everything was about to come crashing down around me. I had developed a Grade 2 sore on the back on my foot and was advised not to run as if it burst it could cause a sepsis and infection risk. If it did burst I had to go immediately on to antibiotics. I decided it wasn't worth it and instead planned to rest as advised until it healed.

A grumpy Monday then after I was told I could not run and a very poorly Little Man who was up all night unable to breathe. I think I managed two hours of sleep on Monday and very nearly ended up in hospital with my son.

Upon waking up Tuesday morning I discovered the kitchen floor was covered in sick from J. He had an appointment booked at the vets anyway as his back legs had been hurting him instead I rushed him to the vets, where he was kept in. He returned Tuesday night but was exhausted from the pain killers and really not very well. Queue another sleepless night. Wednesday J just got worse and he could not cool down. He was visibly in pain and I kept giving him all his pain medication as directed. Up again all night this time trying to cool him down and a call to the vets at 2am. Thursday there was nothing for it but to rush him to the vets, he died on Friday.

Exhausted from a week of hell, unable to run with injury and grieving the loss of J. I just was not functioning well at all. I no longer had my running outlet and no longer had J to talk to, he was such a good listener. I tried to take my mind of everything with a walk in Malham helping to unmark the Pennine Barrier route. It was nice to be out in the fresh air but the whole time I was thinking how much J would have loved it.

After two weeks of pure hell and no running it was time to lace up my shoes and get back out again. I met my Ultra hubby/long distance training partner and we headed to Endure 24 Leeds. Our plan was simple, keep running.

We were running Endure 24 as a pair. This meant only one of us could be on the course at any moment in time. Laps are 5 miles each through an undulating terrain, which meant you were almost constantly running for 24 hours. We had to guess how long each lap would take us and be ready and waiting in the exchange area to meet each other and hand over for the next to go out and complete a lap.

It was really tough. Absolutely no sleep for the full 24 hours, there simply wasn't time to get back to the car for a sleep and then walk back to the exchange area. We both gave it our absolute everything. With temperatures hitting over 30 at 4pm it was even more tough in the heat. In fact it was so hot I ran just in a crop top and shorts.

We managed 12 laps each or 60 miles, and out total of 24 laps put us in joint 4th place on laps. There was one more lap for third and whilst I am incredibly proud of our achievement it would have been nice to have finished third, we were so close.

I managed a total of 245km, which is 53km more than May. That is with two weeks of not running and goes to show how much more I have increased my training. I am proud of my achievements through June but I think I will always remember it as the month I said goodbye to my running partner and best friend J.

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A year of planning. A year of training and here I was stood with Sean ready to support him as he undertook his first Ultra and perhaps his biggest challenge to date. A year ago Sean and I were discussing what challenge he could undertake in 2019 and I planted the seed of an ultra. There were requirements for the race though. A run that was flat [ish] so no major hills to climb and the surface had to be solid, and by that I mean not mud or grass or fell. Sean also wanted a distance of around 50km. After extensive searching we found an It's Grim up North event the canal canter. That was it the race was booked, the date set and the training began.

Now I will admit I am not a fan of canals. I mean they are pretty enough to walk down for a short walk but when you've raced many ultras along them they become repetitive and rather monotonous. In fact running an ultra along them becomes a real mental strength test. At the same time they are also really peaceful and you kind of know what to expect so I guess there are plus points.

Sean had opted for the earlier start and so we set off our race as soon as registration had opened and a good hour before the other runners. It was a little strange starting before everyone else, yet at the same time was really relaxed and peaceful. It felt like a training run than a race and Sean and I headed the 5km down the canal towards Leeds.

This first stretch was really nice and relaxed. Not much in terms of undulation just the odd lock to contend with. We passed the museum and watched someone scale the wall to promptly here the crash and twigs snapped as they fell over the other side. Rather amusing as about 10m down the path was an actual turn off and so we wondered why said effort was put into scaling the wall.

We completed the first 5km at target pace and made our way back up to the start line. The main race was about to start as we approached the start line and the cheering and encouragement from those waiting gave us a boost. We now had an 11 mile out and back to complete.

This section of the route was harder than the first. The scenery changed from City canal to more rural. We passed trains, cows and fields. Lots of fantastic tea rooms dotted along the canal banks and slowly made our way into a town.

This canal run felt different to the others some how. Perhaps it was because my focus here was on Sean and the pace and not my own race. Perhaps it was the differing scenery, who knows but whatever it was I was enjoying running along a canal.

The turnaround came and we started the run/walk back to the start line. I could tell Sean was really starting to feel it at this point. I was trying to take his mind of it by counting the other runners and working out who was running which race. We began joking that we could trip up the other ultra runners into the canal and then it would only be the two of us in the race. Well, I was joking anyways!

It was quite nice though seeing other runners and having a chat with them, it broke up the race and took focus else where. The weather was beginning to turn and it started to get colder and the rain began to fall.

We passed the start line after already covering over a marathon distance and with the rain starting the final 10km [5km out and 5km back as we had done earlier] really wasn't appealing. We were asked to stop as we had exceeded the cut off time but I couldn't let that happen and so made a promise to stay in touch as we completed the final 10km. We were off back on that same 5km section again.

It was much harder this time round. The pouring rain really didn't help. I think we all just wanted it to end. We continued though, second guessing when the turn around would come until eventually it was time to turn back. A final 5km to go and we would be at the finish. Those last 5km were really tough but Sean dug deep and got it finished, despite wanting to call an Uber. The goal was to finish within 10hours and 30 minutes and we finished in 10 hours and 21 minutes. Perfect pacing and I could not be prouder.

After a short walk back to the car there was only one way to celebrate our achievements!

I think one day I would like to go back and run the race again, despite it running along a canal I actually really enjoyed it. I am unbelievably proud of Sean and his achievement of running an ultra and cannot wait to see what his challenge is next year. I also want to say a massive thank you to the IGUN team for all their support!

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Ok so I am fully aware that it is currently July but I have actually been really busy and June took a bit of a tumble which I shall cover later. In May I ran a total of 18 days and increased my number of days per week that I did run.

The majority of May was spent training with only one major race, the Dukeries 30. I really enjoyed the race and you can read a full report here. It was one of those races I left with no regrets. Although I know I could have run it faster I also thoroughly enjoyed myself.

My daughter set herself a challenge to complete the parkrun alphabet challenge this year. We have done so much touring together to try and collect some of the harder letters and we seemed to travel all over the country in May to do so

Whilst is wasn't my running achievement I am so proud of my daughter for winning her athletics club Winter league. She did amazing.

Little Man will on occasion sit in the running pushchair still and whilst he is getting heavier it does mean I can still get a run in.

May saw me explore some new routes and make some new discoveries but I made the most of the warmer weather on my long runs.

We travelled all the way across the country as a family to undertake a parkrun and it was great spending time all together. Little Man tried to complete parkrun on his scooter, which actually turned into me carrying him and a scooter for 4.9km!

As well as running we also volunteer not just at parkrun but at races too. I love running with GB ultras and completing their races so a chance to volunteer for them at a relatively close race was fantastic. The girls decided to bake some treats the night before, which the runners appreciated and they loved handing out food to them as they ran through our check point.

I think my biggest achievement in May was completing my Guide runners course. After the accident last year where I temporarily lost my sight I decided I wanted to give something back. I have to say it was a really rewarding course and now my license has come through I am really looking forward to guiding.

In June is the boundary race and even though I wasn't taking part it gave me the perfect excuse to run one of my favourite routes, repeatedly!

The end of May saw the kids off school with half term, with the nice weather we made the most of it with them riding bikes and me running alongside them.

May was a good mix of running and volunteering. I covered 192km total distance and climbed 1073m elevation gain. My daughter made great progress on her alphabet challenge and we visited some lovely parkruns!

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