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The Great Pilgrimage Marathon 2023

I haven’t been blogging for a while now. I feel sad as it’s been such a presence in my life since… 2012? Wow. Clearly though I don’t feel as compelled to document aspects of my life in this format as frequently. I tend to use Instagram more, I guess (@AnnaTheAppleBlog).

However I enjoy writing my race recaps. If only for myself really so I have something to look back at and remember. And potentially it could be helpful for others if they’re looking for more of a colloquial account of what a race is like.

So anyway, I ran a race! A marathon… shocking I know. I ran the Big Pilgrimage Marathon in August.

Originally when I signed up I toyed with the idea of the ultra distance (8 more miles on top of the marathon). But sensibly, I went with the marathon. It’s not necessarily the distance on the day that I found a bit daunting, but the training itself.

I can comfortably squeeze in the training for a marathon these days without it impacting too much on the weekend time with Isaac and Kyle. That time is so precious.

To get my long runs in I’ve been getting up at 5am to get out of the house by 5.15am. So even if I run 18 miles (the furthest I tend to go) I’m back home by 7.30ish. This means I don’t miss too much of the morning with Isaac (which usually begins at 6.30am). To train for an ultra would mean a lot more 18+ milers. Not something I’m keen to fit in right now.

This race was very handy. It started at Mayflower Park in Southampton and I was able to pay £10 and get transport from Fort Nelson, just a mile from our (new) house. That way Kyle and Isaac didn’t need to get up with me and I could sneak out. The race started at 7.30am so it was quite the early start.

The race was to finish in Fort Nelson (so basically running from Southampton all the way home!) so it was weird being at the finish already. But the transport was super smooth and everyone was friendly and we arrived at Mayflower Park with about 40 minutes to go. So I could comfortably pick up my bib and have a last wee.

The Big Pilgrimage is a very chilled and relaxed event. It’s quite a small event – I think just over 100 people for the marathon distance – which helper it feel very friendly and local. I saw lots of familiar faces which was nice.

As we lined up for the start, I got that nervous feeling I always get before a marathon. Nothing is ever guaranteed or easy, no matter how many times you’ve done the distance before. So off we went. 

Because the field was quite small, I found myself amongst the lead pack. This concerned me a little because my immediate thought was that I was going too fast and also that I wasn’t able to put the route on my watch so if I lost them and was on my own I could be a bit stuck. On that note, the route was so well marked and the marshals great, that there was only one point that I almost missed an arrow (luckily, I was running with someone at the time).

The first section of the run is through Southampton, and you head over Itchen Bridge. I was prepared for this run to be quite undulating and having done this bridge a fair few times in the Southampton Marathon, it was fine. My pace remained around 8-8.30min/miles so I wasn’t beasting myself silly.

Then we headed over towards Netley. We ran alongside the coast and the terrain became off-road (though more compacted trails then anything too gnarly). Kyle, Isaac, my parents and Kyle’s mum would be waiting in Royal Victoria Country Park for me to run through, so that was a nice little motivator. It’s a familiar area to me as well so it felt really comforting, if that makes sense?

At mile five, I got to RVCP and saw my family. Isaac shouted “mummy!” which was lovely and tried to run after me. Very sweet. 

Something that was quite disconcerting about the race was that 99% of people were wearing hydration packs. I had intended on wearing one but I worried it was going to rub me raw (like it has done previously). The only issue was that the race was very eco friendly (lovely) and so at the water stations you needed to provide your own cup or have you pack filled up. So there would be no way for me to get water without carrying something. I decided, probably quite riskily, that because Kyle and my dad were planning on getting to different areas on the course that I could just get water from them.

Of course this is a huge risk – what if I missed them? What if I couldn’t find them? But I decided to wing it. However I did feel quite naked compared to literally everyone else who were all prepared for “self-hydration”. It was going to be quite a warm day and I realised I probably looked either very stupid or a bit cocky.

Oh I should also mention that during the race there are different points where you have to grab a sticker from a marshal and then, like a bingo card, stick it to your bib. This way you know you’ve gone the right way. The stickers were all unique to the different areas.

Anyway, I got my RCVP sticker, drank some water, waved goodbye to my family and off I went.

The unique part about this race is that you have to catch a little ferryboat from Hamble to get to the other side of the river. So that’s where I was now heading. I was still in the lead pack, which was now spreading out a bit more. There were ultra runners already on the course as they’d started earlier so that was nice.

As I got to Hamble (mile 7 or 8 I think) I decided not to stop at the aid station for any snacks (or stare at water I couldn’t have) so ran straight to the boat. I think there were a few boats that would be going back and forwards but there was one literally about to leave and I hopped onto it. It seemed I was the last person and it left straight away! Fantastic timing.

It was very odd immediately stopping (I didn’t stop my watch of course). Everyone was taking photos and talking good naturedly which was nice. I chatted to an older woman who had been running ultras for many years. So interesting. The ferry ride was about 8 minutes long I think and as we came to stop we all hopped off and off we went again.

Now it became clear that there really weren’t many other marathoners, just ultra runners.

We ran to another coastal path and ran alongside the sea, which was lovely. And then we ran across a shingle beach which seemed to go on forever and that was a grind. Though the views were gorgeous. It was a little up and down but nothing crazy. You just had to be careful of your footing. 

I caught up to a man and we started chatting. He was another marathoner. We soon realised that we were actually the two lead runners! Mental. I think because it was such a small race and because we’d both been so lucky with catching the first boat, we’d managed to get ahead.

The coastal path went all the way down to Hill Head, which is very close to where my parents live and again the area became super familiar. At this point the other marathoner, Phil, and I had were having a lovely chat. We were chatting about training, races and all things in between. It was great. We were similar paced and the miles just ticked on by.

I was going to see Kyle and my dad again soon, at mile 10, and I explained my water situation to him (so he didn’t think I was mental not having water on me). I saw them and grabbed some water – which at this point was now an essential. It was becoming very warm. The sun was beaming down and there wasn’t much shade. But the water helped and off we went. It was unspoken that we didn’t wait for each other but just slowed down for the other and let them catch up again (when he stopped for a wee, or I stopped and grabbed water for example). It was nice to be running with someone, but no pressures. 

We ran down the Titchfield Canal path which I know very well. A path that seems to go on forever (about 2 miles). But it’s beautiful. I saw Kyle and my dad again, water was drunk again, and off we went through Titchfield. Past Titchfield Abbey, where the 15 miler racers were to stop, and then headed towards Wickham.

Now the route became less familiar to me. And from what I’d read about the course, I knew it was going to get a lot more hilly. Phil had run the race before so he gave me a good idea of what was to come.

Eventually we got to Wickham, where we ran along the old railway line. This was around 20 miles. As I reached Kyle I grabbed the water and realised it was almost empty and he’d forgotten to grab the other one. The water bottle isn’t a clear bottle and is quite heavy (one of those thermos style ones) so it isn’t very obvious when there’s not much in them. This panicked me a bit as I was so thirsty. Of course this is my own fault for not carrying my own water but Kyle was really worried and felt terrible for not bringing the spare, bless him. Not his fault at all!

I tried a bit of Diet Coke from my dad but ooof that didn’t go down well. I ran off burping away! But anyway, it is what it is. That was the risk I took after all.

I caught back up with Phil and we headed for a big climb. Because I’d built it up in my head it actually wasn’t that bad thankfully. But I knew it was only going to get harder. We had a long downhill stretch on a road and this actually felt so much worse. My legs were not happy at all. My pace had remained fairly consistent through the whole race – probably a bit faster than I thought I was going to go for an off-road more hilly event but I generally felt comfortable the entire race.

At mile 24 I suddenly saw Kyle pop out of the bushes. He’d wanted to find me again before the end to give me more water. I was so pleased to see him because I was really quite thirsty and the thought of more miles in the heat was going to be a struggle. Phil had offered me his water but I had declined because I knew he didn’t have much and would probably need it. Very nice of him though.

I had a big glug from Kyle’s water, thanked him profusely and off we went. Not far now!

The last few miles the conversation grew less and less and I felt the hills getting harder. We’d both agreed that if one of us felt good they should go and it didn’t surprise me when Phil slowly peeled away from me. 

We had two miles left, full uphill climb to the finish and I had nothing left in the tank to keep up. I watched him go and then slowly sunk into my pain cave. It was a tough old slog but I still felt pretty good considering the miles we’d run and the terrain. I was comfortable knowing that I’d be first female and second overall (wowee!) as no one was behind. I wanted to finish as strong as I could though. But it did feel like a crawl and the final stretch across the field towards Fort Nelson was brutal. No shade and a long stretch ahead.

I finished with a smile though as I saw my family, Isaac running alongside me yelling “mama!”.

So in the end, a happy second place, a first place female and 3:50:08, Not too shabby at all!

So all in all, a really great event. Well organised by the Big Feat Events, felt very local and friendly, and a fantastic course. It was beautiful. Varied, interesting, tough but enjoyable. I fully recommend. I hope to do it again!

My legs the next day definitely felt the trails… I’m definitely not used to this trail running business!

Do you like running with strangers in a race?

Do you prefer trails or road races? I’m a road girl but like the trails from time to time.

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London Marathon 2023

The lead up to the London Marathon was not ideal for me. I’d been ill for about two weeks, was suffering from a bad cough and was almost feeling better but not quite there yet. Basically I needed a few more days and I’d have been absolutely fine. But no, I decided to run the marathon.

Look, I know it was a silly decision but it’s the London Marathon, which is pretty damn epic. We’d also already paid for the Airbnb and the trains – non-refundable. So off to London we went!

With Isaac staying with my parents, Kyle and I headed to London on Saturday morning on the train. Kyle’s brother, Adam, was joining us on route. This was really lovely as it was, of course, nice to have Kyle there but to have Adam as well, it made it even more special.

We grabbed some lunch at Waterloo. We had some wraps and chicken bites from a place called Pure which was rather tasty and then headed straight to the Expo. Lots of tubes and DLRs later, we go there.

I picked my bib up and moseyed about a bit and then we headed to our respective hotels/Airbnbs. We met up later to get dinner at Franco Manca. We had a pizza each and a pizza to share as well as a vegetable platter. Exactly what was needed for the race ahead.

The next morning we woke up and got ready and had my little porridge pots for breakfast.

an Despite the email saying we should arrive at 8.44am for my wave 2 start we decided to not go that early. I’d only be standing around getting cold as my start time wasn’t until 10.05am. However we definitely left it too late.

As we headed on the tube and train we quickly realised how ridiculously busy it was. Then the final train to Blackheath stopped because the platform was too busy. While I was having a lovely chat to a girl who was running for the Guide Dogs (she gets to play with puppies after the race!!), I was starting to get worried. It was now 9.45am. Whoops.

Finally the train arrived and I kid you not, we ran to the blue wave. I had literal minutes to spare. Got a quick photo and then said goodbye and off I went.

I arrived at my wave just as they started moving off. No time for a pre-race wee!

So to the race itself. I didn’t feel my usual hype. I felt sick with worry. This was obviously not the right thing to be doing when I didn’t feel 100%. Running this would definitely not make me feel better.

The first few miles are quite boring. It actually reminds me a little bit of the Reading Half weirdly. A lot of residential buildings and people standing on pavements cheering. My main focus as I began running was to find a portaloo on the course. It started raining but I wasn’t cold thankfully.

I had such a low level of dread during this whole race. Basically knowing I wasn’t feeling well and knowing that was only going to get better. So I didn’t feel like I could fully embrace the euphoria of the start. I really didn’t know if I was going to finish or not. I was so worried and felt so sick, whether by nerves or just feeling ill I wasn’t sure.

Anyway, I found a portaloo. So that was one stress gone. As I was running I was finding I needed to cough a lot though. I couldn’t properly cough while running so decided I’d keep stopping in the portaloos so I could have a proper cough and wouldn’t freak out other runners. I did this 4-5 times during the race. It was funny because the first time I was like “be quick, be quick” but by the third time I was like “yeah just take your time, no stress”. Time was not something I was going to be worried about today!

Kyle had told me that Adam and him had planned to be at mile seven. In my mind I was just trying to get there. Don’t think of anything further, just get to mile seven. We got to Cutty Sark which was a great experience. Lots of crowds, the cool boat and just general atmosphere was like “YOU ARE RUNNING LONDON”.

Then finally I got to mile seven and I amazingly saw Kyle and Adam. It was so lovely to see them. It definitely picked me up. Though they were utterly soaked, I felt so sorry for them to be supporting in the rubbish weather. True legends that they were.

Kyle rung me a while later to say that would try to get to mile 14 to see me. At this point I wasn’t feeling great. Running was hard work. I felt like I was at mile 18, not mile seven. It just felt like such a monumental task to get to 26.2 miles.

I kept my focus on halfway though, knowing that it was just after Tower Bridge, which would be epic. I decided to put on a podcast. I wasn’t really taking in much around me, I was just looking down at the road and keeping myself moving forward. Let me tell you, so many gel wrappers! I basically just went into myself, like I was in my own little bubble.

To be honest, I didn’t really listen to the podcast. I couldn’t hear it properly anyway over the crowds. It was more something I could listen to for a bit and then fade out of. I just needed something else to focus on at times. I wish I’d have had my name on my bib because I really needed the boost. I was jealous of other runners get cheered along. I saw a few people along the course I knew, which was so lovely, but mostly I was in my own head in a little world of hell.

We went across Tower Bridge and that was amazing. The crowds were incredible and so loud! I felt such a buzz which was great. And I knew I was almost half way and that in itself was incredible considering how I was feeling.

Sadly Kyle and Adam didn’t get to mile 14 – the trains were just rammed. He rang me and let me know. I updated him on how I was doing and said I would try to finish. I’d made that decision at mile 11… in a weird way I thought “well it’s only 15 miles, I can do that”. Obviously that’s a long way still though!

My next focus was getting to Canary Wharf. We’d been to dinner there last night and I knew it would look cool with all the high-rise buildings. It was also around mile 18 and that in itself is a great milestone. So that was my next focus.

I’d say around this point, from miles 13-18, I was probably feeling my best. I’d stopped going to the portaloos to cough and I was feeling like I could do this. My pace was fairly stable and I wasn’t declining. I got to Canary Wharf and of course my watch satellite went crazy with the high-rises. As if I was running a 6 minute mile!

My watch then went a bit doolally and became a mile out. So when I hit mile 20 my watch was telling me I was hitting mile 21. This was very depressing! Anyway Kyle’s next point was mile 21 so I was really looking forward to that. Especially because it was only around five miles before the finish! In fact as I’d hit mile 20, 10k seemed very doable. Hard doable but definitely doable.

I tell you what though, those final miles were tough going. My legs, which had originally felt absolutely fine during the whole race now were feeling really ropey. They were feeling very battered and like they could seize up. This was crazy to me because I wasn’t even running that fast compared to some of my other races. And yes despite not running that much during my two week’s of sickness, I had done decent training leading up till that point. Clearly this illness was really taking it out of me.

Anyway, the final miles seemed to crawl by. I’d switched to music at this point and was really trying to draw strength from the songs and crowds. When I finally saw Big Ben I knew I was almost there, a mile! But my God that mile really took it’s time. I saw the “600m to go” sign and it was like I was running through porridge. I couldn’t get my legs to move any quicker. Normally at this point during a marathon I’m all hyped up and speed up, but Jesus I absolutely could not.

We got to the Mall and all I cared about was that finish line. As cool as everything looked, I just wanted to finish.

3:47:59 – an utter slog and my hardest marathon.

Kyle rang me and told me he was stuck at Tower Hill because of the trains. I burst into tears. I just wanted to hug him and go home. It had started to rain again and I was getting cold. I had the aluminum foil blanket clutched round me but I was still so cold. I didn’t know where to go because Kyle wasn’t nearby. I just hobbled along, my legs in pieces, in a forward trajectory to just keep moving.

I found someone to take my photo and just as they were doing it a woman who worked at Sweaty Betty handed me some flowers which was lovely!

Then I stumbled to the Admiralty Arch, which was the only shelter I could see around me. I literally stood there looking like a sorry soul having no idea where to go. Eventually I was getting far too cold (after enviously watching people with their families putting on layers on GoreTex coats and hoodies) I decided to head towards a tube and make my way to Waterloo.

Communication between Kyle and I was tricky because he was stuck in the underground and had no signal so I just text him explaining what I was doing and hoping he’d head my way. Eventually, after I crawled towards Embankment we met up. Thank God! It was so lovely to see them both. They’d had a nightmare with how busy the tube had been and it sounded very chaotic. I was so grateful to see them though.

We headed to Waterloo and then squeezed on a rammed train to get home. At this point I was still so cold and feeling incredibly sick. My legs were in pieces as well. Basically I was not having a good time. The train was so full we had to stand/sit in the doorway of the train. There was just no space. It wasn’t ideal but at least I was warm and I could hear about their adventures – always more exciting than me just running!

Anyway long story short, I definitely shouldn’t have run the marathon. It was unbelievably hard work, I didn’t feel my usual marathon joy as I ran and finished. I just felt utter relief for it to be over… but then the realisation that I now felt so much worse. The sickness I felt continued overnight and even the next day. Food was the last thing I wanted, which is MADNESS as usually I’m ready to eat all the foods immediately after finishing.

I wouldn’t recommend running a marathon when you’re ill. Despite saying all that, I don’t regret it. It was an experience and I had a lovely weekend with Kyle and Adam. Just another lesson learnt!

Have you ever run when you’ve been ill?

Have you ever run the London Marathon?

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To run or not to run the London Marathon

So clearly blog writing and me aren’t exactly a big thing right now. But I do still enjoy popping on here and writing down some thoughts from time to time, regardless of whether people read them or not (and if you do, that’s so lovely thank you).

I think the main issue is that I use Instagram as a daily update on life, so this long form of writing seems superfluous and unnecessary. That said, the nuances and details do get lost in those tiny little squares. No one there wants to read an essay but at the same time I can post frequently enough that I don’t feel the need to write a lot here.

That said, I felt the urge so here I am.

A little update then I suppose. I knew that having children would change my life. I knew sleep would probably suck (yep, it did and still does – no lie ins and still consistent nightly wakes). I knew I’d have to de-prioritise things I love, like going further afield to run marathons, more frequent holidays or weekend trips. Of course these things aren’t impossible, but they’re just further down the list for the things we want to spend our time and money on.

I can still train for and run marathons thankfully. Since having Isaac in July 2021 I’ve run five marathons. I’m very proud of this. At the same time though, it is a juggling act and requires the goodwill and patience from Kyle and family members who help with childcare and support.

But yes, I was aware things would change post child. What I didn’t realise though was the illnesses. The never-ending string of sickness that Isaac and then consequently Kyle and I are have to deal with. It’s not an exaggeration to say every month something hits us. I’ve been told this is an entirely normal issue and it’s due to Isaac being all brand new and going to nursery, which is riddled with bugs and bacteria, all of which he’s new to. It’s great for his immune system and if it doesn’t happen now, it’ll happen later when he goes to school.

That doesn’t make the present feel much better when we’re constantly sniffing, coughing, or wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa slowly dying.

Currently I’m suffering from a rather grim cough and flu/cough-like experience. Thankfully COVID negative, but to be honest it might as well be for how bad I feel! And of course I have the London Marathon in a mere few days. Nightmare.

Honestly, when I was hit down with this last week I thought I’d be fine as I had well over a week but now midweek on race week I’m starting to get nervous. I haven’t run since Good Friday (a week and a half ago).

Now London was never going to be a super fast time and to be honest I’m OK just plodding round enjoying the atmosphere. But I don’t want to have a miserable experience and feel awful running. I also don’t want to knock myself down for another week afterwards for pushing myself all those miles, because regardless of how fast or slow you run you’re still running 26.2 miles.

I’m going to make my final decision on Friday. I intend to run tomorrow morning to see how it goes as well. It’s a delicate balance of testing the waters but not pushing my body to regress back to peak illness.

If by Friday I’m still feeling dreadful, Kyle and I will still go to London and enjoy ourselves. My parents are looking after Isaac, we have an AirBnb all paid for (past the point of refund) and some expensive train tickets to use. So we might as well go and enjoy ourself (i.e. go to lots of foodie places away from the crush). I hasten to add, I highly doubt I’ll be doing any supporting. We will probably head back home early Sunday to beat the rush. I know that seems a bit miserable and mean but I think I’m just going to feel a bit too grumpy. I want to run the marathon and I will be annoyed I can’t. A pathetic thing to admit I realise this but hey ho.

So fingers crossed it works out OK. Either way, we’ll have a good time either running around London for the marathon or for lots of food.

Have you ever run when you’re ill?

What would your advice be?

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Portsmouth Coastal Marathon 2022

The Portsmouth Coastal Marathon is one of my favourite races of the year. It’s local, it’s festive and it’s a great time of year when there isn’t much going on in terms of big races. This is the fourth time I’ve run it and it didn’t disappoint.

This was going to be a special kind of marathon for me because on Thursday 15th December we lost Alfie, our 13.5 year old dog. Words can’t describe how much I’ll miss him and how much of a hit this has been to us. So, as silly as it might sound to some, I decided to run this marathon in his memory and use the time to just reflect and mourn.

The race started at 8.30am. This was fine as having a toddler means lie-ins don’t exist and we’d been awake since 5.30am anyway. This meant a relatively leisurely morning of breakfast, tea and us all getting ready. The weather was looking to be a bit pants… rain scheduled and nippy.

After Kyle’s mum had arrived, we got down to Southsea for about 8.15am where we met up with my parents. I hurried off to go to the loo (the great thing about Southsea is how many toilets they have around the place so I didn’t have to use a portaloo). Then I said goodbye and hurried to the start.

It was cold. It was windy. Rain was scheduled to come. I felt really sorry for my family because it’s one thing running in these conditions but an entirely different thing standing around in them. But they weren’t going to be standing outside the entire time. They would be driving to two different locations and then spending some time in The Ship Inn, which is literally on the course.

As the race begun I was just keen to get warm. I probably started faster than I’d intended but my mission was to make haste in the first few miles so I wouldn’t get bottlenecked when we hit the small path to get on to the pebbles. Having run this race three times before I was well aware of these things.

To be honest, I had zero plans for this race (do I ever?). I was just going to see what the legs did and sit at a comfortable pace and see how long that lasted. The wind was a south easterly one so while it was annoying in the first couple of miles to have it against us, I knew I would be grateful at mile 24 to have that behind me for the end.

I made a very rapid pitstop at mile two for a wee. I needed to get it done fast as to not hit the bottleneck which came just after. Thankfully I was super speedy and hadn’t lost much ground. We got to the little path to get onto the pebbles and it was plain sailing. The pebbles at this point aren’t that annoying, but the wetness of the sand and mud here made for slippery and soggy work, but it doesn’t last long.

Then back onto more firm ground and off we went. I was in familiar territory now as we were cruising along routes I regularly use during the week. I had my phone and headphones with me but was quite happy just letting my mind wander and listening to the outside world.

I was still clipping along at a relative speedy pace (for me) but decided to just embrace it because the wind was in our favour as we headed north to Farlington Marshes. I knew it would be harder on the way back so I might as well use the wind while we had it. As such, the first 6 miles flew by. Annoyingly though the rain had started a lot earlier than I thought.

I saw my family at Farlington Marshes (a great spectator spot) and they cheered me along. I saw big smiles from Isaac which were lovely. And then I was off again past the marshes to get to the more boring and less supported part of the course.

I really like this course because you can break it down into different sections. I love an out and back as well because once you get to the turnaround point you know you “just” have to make your way back the way you came and you know exactly what is to come.

There were some precariously muddy and slippery parts which I knew would only get worse on the way back and I questioned by choice of road shoes. That said, I’ve never worn trail shoes on this marathon and it’s only brief moments that they’re needed I think.

Then we hit the another pebbly bit. This is a real ball ache in the marathon. It’s a significantly long distance to be running across uneven terrain and really does sap the energy. Knowing you have to come back that way is mentally hard as well.

Eventually though we were back onto easy terrain and heading towards the road again. This part of the race is very dull because it’s through an industrial bit. However as most of the race is relatively scenic going along the coastal paths, it’s actually quite a nice change.

At this point a man, who I now know is called Justin, was running next to me and we started polite conversation. To be honest, at the start of the marathon I really didn’t want to talk to anyone. I was in a bit of a low mood and just wanted to be in my own head with my thoughts. But this was now at mile nine (I think!) and it was nice to chat to someone.

My amazing support crew

We actually ran together for a good few miles (I think it was 6 or so?) and it really did make the miles fly by. We chatted about all things marathons, training, races and even children. We ran past my dad and Kyle (the mums and Isaac were nice and snug in the warmth of the pub) and they cheered us on. Then we headed down to the turnaround point.

I can’t actually remember much about these miles because I was so lost in conversation. I was aware though that we were clipping along at quite a speedy pace. We decided to pull back just a little so not to burn ourselves out though. But I remember feeling that this just felt really nice and comfortable. Of course we still had half the race to go though!

We headed back past my dad and Kyle once again and then off we went back to where we’d come. As we hit the industrial estate bit again Justin said I should go on as he wanted to pull back a bit and I was speeding up. We said our goodbyes and I gradually pulled away.

I felt really good. I was so chuffed that we’d hit 16 miles and I was feeling strong.

OK I still had over 10 miles to go but I knew what I had left in the course and knew at some point the wind would help. I’d also decided at mile 20 I would pop some music on which I knew would keep me going. The rain was definitely picking up and it was getting colder though.

I saw my family again at Farlington Marshes, only 6 or so miles to go now. I then went to mission Get Music On. This involved taking a glove off, taking my Airpods out of my FlipBelt, popping them in, then grabbing my phone and getting to the Spotify playlist on. It was really raining and really cold now and this wasn’t pleasant. Then trying to get my glove back on afterwards was a near impossible feat. The glove fingers had gone inside themselves and peeling them out was taking so much time, while trying to run and not let my hand freeze to death.

Anyway, I got it done and then went into “go go go” mode. I had some good music. I had thought we’d be going the winding route round the houses as I’ve always done in the previous races because the tide comes back in and makes the pebble route impossible. However we were sent back to the pebbles as the tide wasn’t in. This wasn’t a welcome thing I have to say. My legs were tired and the pebbles were handwork. This was my hardest mile.

I knew I just needed to get to the seafront as then it would be two miles left and plain sailing with the wind behind us. I could convince myself that it was the last half of the Southsea parkrun as well (a particularly hard parkrun!).

It was such a relief to hit that seafront and I just knuckled down and pushed as much as I could. I knew my time was looking pretty good and I just had to hold on. I was almost nearing my PB but realistically I knew that wouldn’t be possible now in the final miles. But faster than my Goodwood time earlier this year? That was looking possible.

I got past the Pyramid centre and suddenly my mum was on the pavement waving. I almost collided with her! It was lovely to see her but I could barely manage a smile as I was pushing so hard and was now so cold in the biting rain.

And round the corner, Kyle and my dad cheering me on, and I was finished! Whew! 3.17.37 – my second fastest marathon! And what a marathon to dedicate to Alfie.

Gun time on the clock

I was so cold at the end, I was grateful for the foil blanket I was given (and firmly told to put on quickly). I felt so grateful to those volunteers, they were true legends.

Then we got in the car quickly, I headed home for a very quick and hot shower before we headed out for lunch.

Chicken and chips

I’m so pleased with how this race went. It means a lot to me, because of Alfie, I while I was definitely giving my all by the last four miles, the previous 22 felt really relaxed and comfortable. A completely different story comparing it to Goodwood at the start of the year where most of the race I was pushing hard with concerted effort. So it’s nice to finish the year with a race like this!

Now time for Christmas!

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Alton Towers Half Marathon

Ages ago Kyle and I had signed up to the Alton Towers Half Marathon. Sadly when the time came around for it, Kyle was only just coming back from injury from his London Marathon. So he dropped down to the 5k instead, which was also on the Sunday. But to be honest, he was far happier with that distance anyway!

The great thing about these races are that after you’ve finished the race you can then go round the park and do all the rides. We both love theme parks and rollercoasters so this was perfect. And handily my grandad lives about 30 mins from Alton Towers so we could kill two birds with one stone and visit him as well. I don’t get to see him enough so this was really lovely.

After lots of thought, we decided to leave Isaac at home with the Nanas. The drive from Portsmouth is a long one (3.5 hours) which would be hard going for him and then be stuck in the running buggy for most of Sunday. Anyway the Nanas couldn’t wait to look after him so it worked nicely. Of course I missed him and it was hard leaving him… the longest time I’ve been away yet. He had a great time tho in the end.

We arrived at my grandad’s on the Saturday and had a lovely dinner catching up with him properly and then headed to bed early. We were shattered from an early wake up (Isaac doesn’t understand lie ins yet!) and a long drive.

The next morning, after breakfast, we drove up to Alton Towers. The race felt so well organised. We parked and walked to the race village. It was very misty and a bit chilly, but a lot warmer than you’d expect for mid-November.

As my race started first I said goodbye to Kyle and headed off to the start. We did a minute silence for Remembrance Sunday, which was a nice touch, and then the race began.

Having been to Alton Towers many many times in my youth (due to my grandparents living so close) I was well aware that it would be hilly. I mean, straight away, as we began the first 200m, it’s literally uphill. But it was such a cool race in that you were literally running through the park and past all the rollercoasters that I didn’t mind.

We ran past Oblivion and the Smiley, then headed off to other parts of the park. I was behind the 1:40 pacer, tho I didn’t think I’d go that fast. I was keeping to just under 8 min miles and felt comfortable there.

We whizzed through CBeebies Land where there were Telly Tubbies to high five. Then headed round past the gardens (thankfully not down into the gardens because that would be a very steep uphill!), past the Wicker Man and the rapids. There were lots of themed people wearing costumes cheering us on which was cool.

Eventually after going through the park, past all the rides and through the different themed areas and the castle, you head out to the less exciting part which goes round the car parks. To be honest it was fine. There was loads of support from spectators and volunteers so it didn’t feel boring. And you can’t expect the whole race to be exciting all the time. It’s a two lapper, which I quite like. It means you know what’s coming for the rest of the race.

The car park was quite hilly but there were also good downhills to get some speed back. Towards the second lap I put on some music to keep me entertained and I felt myself get far more into the race. I always find the further into a race the better I feel as I warm up. I naturally sped up and felt like I had more energy so this was encouraging.

As I hit the second lap I was really enjoying myself. During the week proceeding I’d felt very tired and demotivated running but now I felt back to normal and was loving it.

I saw Kyle a few times as he’d finished his race and had headed back to the car to get changed and pick up our stuff. He waved and cheered me along.

The crowds as you got back into the park after the car park section were really strong and the cheering was fantastic. It helps that none of the rides are open yet so all the spectators are just watching the race. I high fived loads of kids which is always good fun. Honestly, I had such a good time during this race!

I was so pleased to finish strong with 1:37:30. Far faster than I’d expected.

I met up with Kyle shortly after. He’d had a good race and finished with a time of 21:30. Coming back from injury without much training, he was really chuffed.

And then I popped to the loo, got changed and we headed to the rides that were now slowly opening up. We had such a good rest of the day enjoying all the rides and being like kids again. Kyle got a doughnut chicken burger. And I got a sausage baguette. It was a great day.

Then eventually after doing as many rides as we could be bothered – the queues were so short because there weren’t as many people in the park – we decided to head back home. That evening we had a lovely carvery with my grandad to coelenterate.

All in all it was such a good weekend. Seeing my grandad, doing a great race and enjoying Alton Towers. We’re definitely signing up for next year!

Do you enjoy roller coasters?

Would you do a race around a theme park?