Posted on

Boston Marathon Goals

So my next marathon is the Boston Marathon, which is Monday 18th April. Less than two weeks away. I fly to Boston, with my mum, on the Friday (15th) beforehand, which should hopefully give me time to de-jet lag and acclimatise.

image

Source

I’m really excited. I’ve done big marathons before (Paris and Berlin) but never a US marathon. There are apparently going to be around 30,000 people running. I think Berlin was around 40,000 so I imagine it to feel similar. I will never be alone on the course and it’s like London in terms of supporters and crowds. I’ve never done London but I’ve heard it’s amazing. So yeah, I’m really excited.

When I PB’ed (3:24:06) and got my BQ in the Liverpool Marathon last year I thoroughly enjoyed myself but it was hard work and I was very much focused on getting a good time (for me). For Boston, I’m not aiming for a PB because a) I’m not in as good shape as I was before Liverpool and b) I’d quite like to enjoy the marathon and feel somewhat relaxed so I can take everything in.

image Source

I’m not saying I’m not aiming for a PB to then secretly go out and smash a PB and be like “oh it just happened, didn’t I do well la di da”. No. I am literally not in that shape and as the course for Boston is quite challenging I would need to have the clear intention of going for a PB. I’m not the type of person to just go with whatever pace I fancy on the day. I am a Type A personality and will have paces written down that I aim to stick close to (as I have done in previous races). I just haven’t decided exactly what my time goal is right now.image

Source

The Boston marathon is somewhat undulating – long downhills and short, sharp uphills throughout the course which can “trash your legs”. The first four miles are downhill. I’ve been advised by everything I’ve read and heard to NOT just go off flying at a ridiculous pace “banking time” as this would then ruin my quads and kill me later on when I hit the four clustered hills from mile 16 to mile 21 (this includes the Heartbreak Hill). Handily, I found a very cool pace calculator from the Runners Connect website which takes into account all the undulations and gives you paces to stick to in order to reach a certain time goal.

image

I’ve plugged in four different time goals: 3:45, 3:40, 3:35 and 3:30. Despite saying I have no time goals, I’ll be honest, if I go over 3:45 I’ll be disappointed. If I go anywhere near 3:30 (8:01 pace) I’ll be really pleased. I just need to think sensibly about how I’m feeling as I get closer. I’ve been running most of my long runs around 8 minute/miles but the undulations of this course (especially being so far through the race) make me doubt my ability to have that pace as an average. In all likelihood I’m probably going to aim between 3:40 and 3:35. I see those range of paces as achievable (8:12-8:23 min/miles).

My big fear is the weather as last year’s weather was awful. I don’t mind a cold start, I just don’t want relentless rain and/or wind. I’ve done that for other races but never for a whole marathon. I’d like it to be enjoyable and I’m not sure almost four hours of rain and wind could make that possible! But you can’t control it so there’s no point worrying.

My absolute number one goal is TO NOT GET INJURED. I am scared that, despite my training going really well (bar one foot niggle that lasted a week due to poor trainer choice), I could have an injury crop up during the marathon randomly like I had in Bournemouth. I just hope that for Bournemouth it was because I had done too much beforehand and hadn’t really done structured training or had a pace strategy. Who knows. But saying all this, I do want to finish Boston so if I do get injured, it could get ugly.

image

Anyway, my bib is 13445. Feel free to track my progress on race day if you’re bored on that Monday. There are ways to track athletes I believe HERE (I’m not that self-obsessed to think you all will, I just know this for my dad as he’s not coming!). I start in the second wave at 10.25am (3.25pm British time), which I’m quite happy with (though I do have to catch the shuttle bus to the start at 6.45am and made me have major anxieties about what the hell and when the hell I’m going to have for breakfast).

And that’s that. I’ll be packing about five different race outfits for different weather scenarios (I’m sort of joking…), old clothes to wear at the start and keeping my trainers in my carry on luggage…just in case. And my passport has stayed far away from my washing machine Winking smile

Have you ever done a US marathon?

How would you pace Boston?

When and what do you eat for breakfast before a marathon? I just feel like 6am will be far too early for breakfast but this causes me issues about having porridge.

Posted on

The Nitty Gritties–The Taper

For a lot of people who are currently training for a marathon, now is the time that the taper is happening. You’ve done the big scary miles and you’ve just got to survive until the big day.

Tapering is basically when you cut back your total weekly mileage by 20-25% approximately three weeks out from race day (e.g. if you are running 40 miles, you’ll drop to 30-32 miles). Then two weeks out from race day you drop down another 20-25% (24ish miles). Then when you hit the week of the race you’re just ticking over on a lot lower mileage to keep your body fresh for the big day.

You usually start tapering just after you’ve done your last big run, and usually the longest run you’ll do in the entire training. For a lot of people this might be anywhere between 18-24 miles. Then the following weeks your long run will drop down, probably not going over 16 miles.

For me, my last long run was 18.6 miles (I didn’t go over this as I didn’t fancy running 20 miles or above as I know how injury prone I am). Then the week after my next long run was 16 miles (last weekend), then 13 miles and then race day. I’ve tried this previously and it’s worked well. Some people like to drop down to 10 or even eight miles the week before and this is fine, whatever works for you! The intention is that you’re just maintaining everything you’ve worked hard for and letting your body freshen up ready for the race.

“During the taper, it is most important to remember this: physiological adaptations to training take a minimum of six weeks. Therefore, training hard during the final two to three weeks before your marathon is not going to improve your performance.”  Runner’s World [Source]

Tapering sounds positively delightful when you’re in the thick of your heavy mileage and tiredness. But when you actually get there it can be a bit of a shock. You suddenly seem to feel rubbish. Niggles start cropping up – does my knee twinge? Why does my hamstring feel tight? And you feel so tired. Normal runs during the week can feel hard-work. I find myself struggling to run six miles and wondering how the hell I’m going to go 20 miles further.

This is NORMAL. Your body has just been put through a rather intense amount of running and training for the past few months. It’s suddenly taking a breath and adjusting to everything it’s gone through. This does not mean you’ve suddenly lost everything. This taper madness happens to most of us!

Don’t be tempted to squeeze in some more miles because your weekly mileage suddenly looks a lot less. And don’t try and whack up the intensity to compensate for the less miles. Keep things exactly the same intensity-wise but just reduce the number of miles you’re running. Keep doing the intervals, hill training and speed sessions; just shorten them.

And whatever you do, don’t try and make up for any lost training runs you might have missed previously. There’s not much you can do about it now. It is FAR better to turn up to a marathon undertrained than over-trained, or worse, injured. Give your body the benefit of the doubt – if you’ve managed to do most of your training without a huge number of weeks of no-running you should be fine.

On race day you’ll be pumped up, adrenaline-fuelled and ready to go. You don’t want to shuffle up to the start-line tired and over-worked. Ideally you’ll feel fresh and full of pent-up energy due to your lower mileage. The marathon is the victory lap – you’ve done the hard work.

Food-wise, just keep everything the same. If you want to carb load and have some experience with it before previous races, then go for it. But if you’ve never done it before don’t start loading up on pasta for every single meal leading up to the race. You don’t want to feel bloated or cause digestion issues. You honestly don’t need to pack your body silly with carbs. Normal balanced meals are perfectly fine. Your body usually has enough glycogen in the muscles to get you through, so just make sure you eat sensibly leading up the race. Do nothing different to what you’ve done before. The night before the race have a good-sized meal that you’ve tried and tested.

And remember, DO NOT panic. You’ve done the hard part. The mind is a very powerful thing. Even if your training hasn’t been exactly what you hoped, mental determination can do absolute wonders. My first two marathon trainings were plagued with injury, but I still got through with the help of sheer determination and belief that I could do it. There will always be other people who have had worse training than you and will still finish. You CAN do this.

Have you ever suffered from taper madness?

When do you do your longest marathon training run?

Do you carb load for races? I tend to stick to normal meals all week and then have a shop-bought pizza the night before if I can

Posted on

The 5 Best Cars for Fitness Enthusiasts

Today I have a guest post regarding on the subject of cars (ooh er, bit different for me!) and the best one for your personality and needs.

You cycle to work, take the stairs instead of the lift, drink plenty of water, hit the gym five times a week, and always get your five-a-day – or at least you try to. If this sounds like you, you’re a bona fide fitness fanatic and a new car is never likely to be top of your list of priorities.

The trouble is, when it comes to cars, your needs are very specific – not only do you need something big enough to fit all of your weekend sports equipment into, it could do with being good on the gas for those trips to the coast and probably have four-wheel drive for when you venture out into the wilderness.

So here are the five best cars for all you fitness enthusiasts out there…

Nissan Qashqai

This is the model that has arguably come to define the crossover and SUV class and is an outstanding all-rounder with an excellent driving position, great handling, and surprisingly low running costs.

Inside, it has enough room for a full five-a-side team (including subs if you opt for the +2 version) a versatile boot with a fully adjustable shelf and a reversible floor with a wipe clean surface that’s perfect for muddy boots or sandy wetsuits.

imageImage Source

Skoda Yeti

The Skoda Yeti is a firm favourite among families and outdoor types alike as it is as adept at the school run as it is a cross-country run, particularly if you plump for the four-wheel-drive model.

And despite being one of the few crossovers that looks more like a good, old-fashioned estate car than a scaled down traditional 4X4, it handles the great outdoors better than most and is equally at home in a muddy field as on a motorway.

It has a versatile interior in which the rear seats create extra load space by moving independently or coming out completely.

imageImage Source

Citroen C4 Cactus

If the Qashqai and the Yeti look a little too run-of-the-mill, then look no further than the Citroen C4 Cactus – although it has no 4X4 option, it is chunky, has a relatively high wheel clearance and ‘Airbump’ panels on the sides that protect the body work from all sorts of scrapes.

It’s economical – some models promise up to 90mpg – and has a spacious interior and a good-sized boot. Not one for the off-roaders, but certainly a great option for those who like to stay on the beaten track.

Range Rover Evoque SUV

If you’re looking at the higher end of the SUV market then you need look no further than the Range Rover Evoque – it has all the handling and power you’d expect from a Range Rover, but with some seriously good looks and luxury interior.

In short, you can take this car absolutely anywhere – it’s just as at home tearing across an open field as it is pulling up outside an expensive restaurant.

And although they don’t come cheap, they do hold their value remarkably well.

Audi Q3 SUV

If you want a crossover with a little more refinement than a Nissan, a Citroen or a Skoda can offer, but can’t stretch as far as an Evoque – then the Q3 SUV is the car you’re looking for.

It re-houses the best of the A3 hatchback in a study SUV shell with an elevated driving position and a plush interior. And although it’s not as fuel-efficient as the others on the list, it’s great to drive and has bucket loads of space.

There’s even an RS model if you prefer your ride to have a bit more power and excitement.

Whether you prefer the down to earth ruggedness of the Yeti, or the refined thrills of the Evoque, the crossover you drive says a lot about your personality – find out exactly what your car says about you in the We Buy Any Car Personality Quiz.

imageImage Source

What car do you drive?

What do you look for in a good car?

Posted on

Rants and Raves #29

Instead of doing my usual weekend catch-up post I thought I’d start off Monday right with a good old rant and raves post.

Rave: I never really used to be one for buying stuff around the house. But now that I live on my own I’ve really gotten into the swing of making it a home and somewhere cosy and that I love being. I’ve really been enjoying buying bits and pieces. My recent purchases have been cushions. Now I never used to be a cushion person because, let’s be honest, they don’t do anything. You don’t really use them on the sofa (well I don’t…I kind of move them out the way) and you certainly don’t sleep on them. They are purely for decorative purposes (some may say superfluous home items…but then, what’s a picture on the wall?)

So I went a bit cushion mad and bought a load from Next Home no less (!!) and some really fancy bedding.IMG_9663

Incidentally the rectangular cushion is actually from M&S and my mum gave it to me. She loved that I was getting so into sprucing up my home and wanted to help, bless her. I mean, the bed would clearly look awful without that final small rectangular pillow, am I right? Winking smile

Rant: The bed now longer to make in the morning.

Further bed-related rant…: I washed the bedding and my bottom sheet so it would be all lovely and fresh for that night. However my stupid washing machine-come-tumbler dryer did a half-hearted dry (or what really happened is I didn’t put it on to dry for long enough…) and parts of the bottom sheet were still slightly damp and I didn’t realise until I was making up the bed just before I was going to go to sleep.

So I had to improvise a bit…

IMG_9602

It worked but it took bloody ages.

Rave: My Boston pack came in the post!

IMG_9698

This is all very exciting. I pick up my bib when I’m out there at the Expo (which I guess should be quite good!). I go to Boston with my mum in less than two weeks – Friday 15th to be precise. The marathon is on the Monday. NO PANIC. So far I’ve survived marathon training (*touch wood*).

Rant: I know runners aren’t huge fans of dog walkers and dogs during a run. Even I, a dog owner, get annoyed at some people’s lack of awareness and control of their dog. However, as a regular runner and a regular dog walker I do think there should be a bit of give and take from both parties. No one owns the pavement – it’s shared. When I walk Alfie I try my hardest to keep him under control, pick up his poo, and not be the annoying long lead person. I just wish that a local runner near me would also be as considerate.

She runs every single morning in loops around the park where a lot of dog walkers walk their dogs. When I first moved in I tried so many times to say good morning and engage a bit of smiling and politeness. She point blank ignored me. So I’ve given up. She gives Alfie such a look of disdain as well – like how dare he be there. This morning I was walking on the left side of the path and Alfie was on his long lead also to the left (normally he’s running free but it was a bit wet). I saw her coming towards me also on the left and, because I had Alfie on the left too, I assumed she’d move to the right WHERE THERE WAS ENOUGH SPACE TO PATH. She just ran at me and then tried to run past me on the left and then saw Alfie’s lead and had to do a big arc around it on the grass. She looked so annoyed. It’s not like she couldn’t have seen 100 metres ahead of her and moved slightly to the right to make life easy for herself. It just annoys me that she expects all dog walkers to give her priority. It’s a shared park!!

Rave: parkrun at Netley Abbey was beautifully sunny this Saturday.IMG_9699

And we were on the normal course again – with only three hills! I was glad to have my shorts and t-shirt on (arms out for the first time in ages!). Sadly my legs felt rubbish during the run. This was probably because I was too busy chatting rather than doing any sort of warm up before.

Netley Abbey parkrun April (1)

(Photo credit: Ken Grist)

I got 22:06 and third female which is the best I’ve done at Netley in a while (August last year!) – though it is the easier course. I did manage a fairly good negative split though so I’m happy with that!

image

 

 

 

Rave: Seeing some lovely little ducklings in the little nearby lake near my home.

IMG_9595

Where I walk Alfie is just full of wildlife and birds, it’s lovely.

Rant: This is how my work deal with health and safety issues:

IMG_9694

Potentially trip risk due to cables coming out of the floor? Totally fine, just put a chair with a printed out sign over it. It’ll be fiiiiine.

It concerns me that this entire post has nothing about food in it…this is odd for me. I did enjoy some good ribs at the weekend, but are you surprised…?

How was your weekend?

Dog walkers and runners…opinions?

Do you enjoy decorating your home?

Posted on

Books Lately

I’m a big fan of books. I’m always reading something and as soon as I finish one book I’m on to another. That’s not to say I’m a particularly fast reader or that I read intellectually challenging or deep things but I always like to have something on the go.

I used to be one of those people who would always, without fail, finish a book. But actually I’ve realised life’s too short for books you don’t enjoy. It’s supposed to be pleasurable after all so if something really isn’t interesting to me I’ll drop it and move on. Here are some of the books I’ve enjoyed lately.

Room – Emma Donoghue

OK strictly speaking I actually listened to this as an audiobook. The book is told entirely from a child’s perspective so it was narrated as so. At first I was a bit dubious thinking “Oh god, do I really want to listen to a 5-year old tell a story?” but I kept at it as it instantly drew me in.

From Amazon:

“Jack lives with his Ma in Room. Room has a single locked door and a skylight, and it measures ten feet by ten feet. Jack loves watching TV but he knows that nothing he sees on the screen is truly real – only him, Ma and the things in Room. Until the day Ma admits there is a world outside.”

I’m desperate to see the film now as it was such a moving and fascinating story. Yes the subject matter is pretty grim and it can be very dark at times, but the book’s tone and overall story was not dark. There is such an innocence as well with it being from a child’s perspective. Obviously if it had been told from the mother’s perspective it would undoubtedly be a grim and different story.

Behind Closed Doors – B. A. Paris

I do look at the bestseller lists for a lot of my books. You kind of know you’re going to get a fairly decent read as the masses have gone for it and like a sheep I follow (though ‘decent’ can be a stretch for some books…). This is about a husband and wife who from the outside look perfect but as you find out more and more it turns out it’s a horrible fabrication.

It’s fairly unbelievable I have to say but it was a definite page-turner. I was desperate to find out what would happen. The characters are a bit one dimensional but as thrillers go it was pretty good. Good holiday read!

The Diet Myth – Tim Spector

I do love a bit of myth busting when it comes to so-called nutrition facts and ridiculous diets.

From Amazon:

“Drawing on the latest science and his own pioneering research, Professor Tim Spector demystifies the common misconceptions about fat, calories, vitamins and nutrients. Only by understanding what makes our own personal microbes tick can we overcome the confusion of modern nutrition, and achieve a healthy gut and a healthy body.”

Really interesting. A little repetitive at times as it obviously had a slight agenda with the whole microbe and gut focus but it really opened my eyes. I knew our gut health was important but never to this extent. There are some great anecdotal and scientific research which is really fascinating. It’s not quite the page turner but still interesting.

Bossypants – Tina Fey

I was at a loss of what audiobook to go for (I have the Audible subscription of getting one book a month) and had heard so many people rave about how funny this was and how brilliant Tina Fey is and as she was the narrator for the audiobook it sounded good. Don’t get me wrong, she is funny and I did laugh but because I didn’t know a huge amount about her and had never watched Saturday Night Live it wasn’t as good as I hoped – some stuff was lost on me. I have a lot of respect for her though and she’s clearly very talented.

Happily – Sophie Tanner

I was contacted by the author to read this book. It sounded like such a bizarre but interesting story so I was intrigued!

From the author:

“Happily is a story about a woman who marries herself. In a case of life imitating art I married myself in a performance at Brighton Fringe Festival last May – you can read more on that in a feature I wrote for Stylist.com here.”

This sounded like quite a refreshing and weird book to read. I was a bit dubious at first but it’s such a fun and light read I found myself really enjoying it. It’s got a really good theme running through it that basically you need to love yourself before you can love someone else, which I fully believe. Don’t expect someone to be your missing piece or to fulfil you. Fulfil yourself first! A nice change form the usual “must find man” themed chic flicks.

You can download a copy on Amazon. You can find more about the author here:

Do you read a lot?

What’s your usual book of choice?

What’s your favourite book? 

**Full disclosure: I received a pdf copy of Happily by Sophie in return for a review. All opinions are my own honest ones.**