Getting back to it

In the two weeks since the Marathon I have mainly been giving my body a long overdue break. I left it about a week before I did my first run and stuck to just 5km (although even that was a struggle!). All the aches and pains that I hadn't felt after the marathon suddenly appeared for that first run back. I was aching for days after. Having taken another few days off training and conscious that the Southend Half Marathon which I'm signed up for is only 6 weeks away, this week I've found my mojo and tried to get back to it. 

Tuesday's run was a little easier that the previous week although it is still slightly stiff, I guess only time will tell. With the marathon glow starting to dim I'm not having to really find the determination to keep up the running. 

My diet is also terrible at the moment and having eaten pretty much everything in sight since marathon day this week it's been back to the healthy eating with plenty of water, fruit and veg to get my fitness back and my body in shape. 

I've been amazed at just how quickly the fitness levels can drop so I'm hoping that I gain them back just as quickly. Only time and hard work will tell! 

One quote I read the day after the marathon and has stuck in my mind over the past few weeks is this...

Marathon Highlights - Chapter 1!

It's been two weeks since I completed the London Marathon, yes I completed it! The last few weeks really have passed in a complete haze but I am now back to my normal self & have gone down a little from cloud 9. 

With so much to say about the whole marathon experience, I thought I'd do a few posts over the next few days just to give you a flavour of it all. 

My marathon weekend started off on Friday when myself, fellow marathon runner Vanessa and my best friend Sam went along to the ExCel to collect runner numbers and chips. This was a part I'd really been looking forward to, that sense of pride picking up your numbers, meeting fellow runners and being part of the whole buzz surrounding the marathon. I was also really looking forward to meeting the ladies from CRUK who had a stand there. 

Sadly apart from having our photos taken in the cool photo booth at the end the rest of the experience was a bit of an anticlimax! 
When I picked up my number it felt like somewhat of a formality. The stands around the exhibition were all trying to sell you there products or get you booked onto another marathon in another country. Mine and Vanessa's standard reply to these requests was "Err can we try and run this one first!".

After spending around 30 minutes wondering around, I met the ladies at CRUK, unfortunately this felt a little flat too, I'm not sure if my expectations were too high but it really lacked the exciting atmosphere I hoped for. 

Saturday was mostly a day of getting my belongings packed into the plastic bag provided by the Marathon organisers and getting myself up to London where I was staying for the night. Before I left I had a carb packed dinner with Simon, my boyfriend. 

Throughout the whole day I was feeling quite emotional, all the build up and saying goodbye to people who although I'd see them the next day it felt like a lifetime. 

After getting very emotional & leaving Simon at the station to set off for a night in London with my belongings in their plastic bags, I must have looked like such a sorry sight, I got some of the best news of the whole 10 months. 

My fundraising total had tipped over £5000!!! 

It was the most amazing feeling to know that my friends, family, colleagues & complete strangers had contributed all that money to support such wonderful charities - Cancer Research UK & Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust. 

With tears in my eyes, calling all my friends and family to tell them the amazing news, I just felt the biggest sense of achievement. I'd set a goal and I'd reached it. Now all I had to do was run 26.2 miles! 

Today's Mantra

A tough week

The week I've been pretty much dreading for the past few months has arrived. On Thursday I'll be heading back to the hospital for my next colposcopy and to start another couple of weeks of waiting for results. 
People have asked me if it gets any easier, my answer 'No'. If anything because you know what to expect it's actually harder. The procedure isn't the nicest of things to go through but worst than that is the waiting. Your future is in the hands of someone in a lab somewhere who you will never meet! That is the scary part for me. 
Having said that, I've kept myself healthy & fit for the past couple of months so there is nothing more I can do than that, it's all out of my hands. 

This week my wonderful friend Caroline is the chosen one holding my hand through it all, it helps so much to have someone with you so take note, if you ever need to go through something like this, never try to soldier on alone, it does not help anyone, least of all you! Caroline, as with most of my friends, has been an absolute tower of strength for me throughout all of this and that really goes a long way to helping me keep my chin up, stay positive and smile on through it. 

I'll be resting up for a few days after the colposcopy so the training will need to ease a little, I've re-arranged my schedule for this week so that I am still running the same distance just on different days and thankfully I've saved my rest days for Friday & Saturday. Sunday will be a tough run as it's 1 hour 50 minutes but I'll be taking things slow and only doing as much as I can.  
If you are friends with me on Facebook, please 'like' my Nike+ update on Sunday morning, that's when I'll be needing all the cheers and support I can get. 

What is really motivating me throughout all of this though is that I am supporting two amazing charities and that by me putting myself out there, my kind friends, family, colleagues and even complete strangers are donating to something I feel very passionate about. 

Thank you all so much! 

The Big Event

Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments about my story and the fundraising video, it means so much that it's really touched so many people. 

Now for my next announcement!! 

As mentioned in the video, ITS have kindly offered to put on a fundraising/celebration day with all proceeds going to the two charities I'm supporting. 

The one day event on Saturday 18th January will be held in London & I'm really very excited about it. 

I'd love it if you are free & can join us, for full details click the image below. 

http://www.itsnlp.com/celebration-day-living-generously/

Motivated Monday!

Preventing Running Injuries

Yesterday I posted 'Common Running Injuries' so today I thought I'd share some tips on treating those injuries and most importantly preventing them in the first place. 

Here are my top tips!
Warm up and cool down

It’s essential to warm up properly before you start running. Five to ten minutes of brisk walking or gentle jogging before you start will warm your muscles up and help prevent injury. To cool down, carry on running at an easier pace or walk for five to ten minutes. This will help your body recover after your run. 

When I first started running I never done this and soon learnt that was a bad idea. I was getting really sore muscles and everything felt very tight. 
Wear the right shoes

As I mentioned in a previous post this really is my key to a pleasant running experience. It’s so important to buy the correct running shoes, and it’s best to go to a running shop to get fitted. 
Build up slowly

Don’t be tempted to increase the intensity or distance of your running too quickly. Do a similar run at least three or four times before you increase your pace or distance.

It took be such a long time to build up to 10K but now I'm adding a few KM each week and feeling much better for it.
Stay motivated

As I know very well, being injured can be very frustrating. When I first started running and got minor injuries I was tempted to just give up. But by giving myself goals, 5k charity run, this really boosted me to get back out there. In general I find that if you have something to work towards, it really helps. 

Always remember at the first sign of any running related injury...

An inspiring day

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to go to the Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium. It really was an amazing experience. I hadn't got the opportunity to go to the Olympics so this was a perfect time to go along to the see some amazing athletes & experience the best atmosphere.

I was not disappointed, the stadium is just fantastic, a little like Wembley and so much bigger than I imagined. Whilst waiting outside we saw Lord Seb Coe walk past which pretty cool. 

Then we entered the stadium & although our seats were quite high up it was just fantastic, what an atmosphere even with only a few people in there & it just built & built as the day went on. 

I've always been a fan of athletics (hence my love of Iwan Thomas & Jamie Baulch) but having never experienced it in the flesh I never realised it could be quite as exciting as it is. 

Probably partly due to the post Olympics frenzy but I've never heard a crowd like it. 

We had a treat of a day too watching Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah & Usain Bolt. 

The whole day got me thinking about motivation & inspiration. 

Some of these athletes are complete inspirations to me, they train all the hours they can, they leave their families for weeks on end to make sure they are top of their sport. 

I would love to get into the minds of one of these top athletes just for a small time. It'd be fascinating to find out what it is that keeps them going, especially through the hard times, bad weather & long days. It's something I'm not relishing  over the coming months one bit. 

I know the task in hand & I know I can do it, I just need to keep the motivation up. 

If only I could channel Mo or Jess... 

All in all I had a great day with my family & the atmosphere was something I'll probably never experience again, well until the marathon that is. 

Oh & just to make the day even better, I saw one of my crushes from the athletics world... 

(yep if you zoom in & squint a little you'll see Iwan Thomas!) Happy days! 

Running after treatment

Last night I completed my first run in 2 weeks. I was injured a few weeks ago with a stress fracture to the 3/4th metatarsals in my foot so had to rest for a while.

Then I was at the hospital last Thursday for treatment of my abnormal cells. But 5 days on and I felt well enough to go out for a light run. Managed 4K which isn’t a lot but I know I can now start building on this once again. 

It just goes to show what a PMA can do for you. 

Hoping to go out again this evening for another light run and see if I can stretch myself a little. Then a few days off before I really go for it at the weekend. 

Literally the best feeling in the world too, sounds silly but I’m sure those of you who also have been told you can’t do something that you enjoy so much will understand. 

Happy Running! 

"We all go through tough times. We have those obstacles that seem too large to overcome or that extra mile we need to run. We have to decide what matters to us – our passions."

— Clare Smith Something that came to mind when thinking of my marathon quest!