LOST!

14th March, 2010

Ran over 11 miles today, really good running, listening to The Best of Groove Armada to spur me on.

Was going really well, the weather was great and I decided to be adventurous and go "off piste" taking a new route deep in the Foret de Soignes, a massive (10,920-acre) forest to the south-east of Brussels.

It is a great place to run. It's very difficult to get bored, with a lot of different paths and surfaces to run on and a lot of other people: horse-riders, bikers, Sunday strollers, to gawp at, as well as other runners to pace with and overtake(!).




















After a while everything began to look a bit "same-y" and I ended up having to ask for directions and run back along the road.

On return home, the Garmin map shows I was actually on the right track before I turned around, but it enabled me to add a few more miles to the tally. I will definitely run here again, as I increase my mileage ahead of the London marathon. Might consult the map a bit more carefully next time...















www.zonienwoud.be

Distance: 11.15 miles
Time: 1 hr 56 mins
Pace: 10 mins 27 seconds per mile
Calories: 1, 274

Boshing Out The Miles

10 March, 2009

Sunny but very cold this morning. Got up, went running, ipod ran out, I cursed, asked myself WHY am I doing this again? Made it home, chalked up another 5.5 miles to the marathon prep...!




















Ran: 5.68 miles
Time: 54 mins 59 seconds
Calories: 664

Icy Cold And Forced

9th March, 2010

This morning I decided I couldn't be bothered to run all the way down to the Bois de la Cambre. It was cold and I was tired. In fact, I had a hard time getting out of bed at all.

I ran to my local park, Parc Tenbosch, which is about 5 minutes away from my flat and one of my favourite places to hang out in the summer.

It is very, very small but -- to use a cliche -- perfectly formed and very beautiful. Once owned by a botanist, the 2.5 acres are well landscaped and great for lolling about reading in the sun, or sitting chatting with your friends and a drink. Tourism Brussels describes the park as "a green miracle in the heart of Ixelles," which is probably a bit over-the-top but you get the idea.

There are sandpits, tennis courts, benches, fountains and 50 trees, including the only horse chestnut tree in Belgium (who knew they were so rare).

Anyway, all this beauty and smallness is great when you're hanging out with a book in the summer, but not so great when you're trying to clock up at least three miles in the cold. I managed 2 loops of the park before leaving and running a circuitous route home.

It was an icy cold struggle. For more on Tenbosch, click here

Ran: 2.16 miles

Time: 22 mins 28 seconds

Average time per mile: 10 mins 23 seconds

Calories: 246

Leeds, Yorkshire & A Short Run

7th March, 2010





Spent the weekend in Yorkshire, visiting a friend who lives in Leeds.

Two of my friends are currently training for half marathons so we went out for a little jaunt in the rain on Saturday morning.














Running in hilly Yorkshire made me remember how much I hate running up hill. Our route took us along the side of a valley, down from the house and then up again at the end. Even though we only ran 2.5 miles, it was tough and the incline slowed us down.

One of my friends said she'd read about "pumping the arms" to get up hill, in a book by Bob Glover, called The Runner's Handbook. The theory is that you pump your elbows back and forth at the rate you want your feet to go. This creates momentum and your legs follow, driving you up the slope.

I tried it. It didn't really make that much difference if I'm honest. Maybe I wasn't doing it right or trying hard enough, or maybe my heart just wasn't in it when the Obviously a lot of people have problems running up hills, as there's a lot of info/tips here

We also went for a rather blustery walk in the Yorkshire dales, up Almscliffe crag - which is a great outcrop of millstone grit, really high with fantastic views. It's on the northern side of Wharfedale.
















Established in 1954, the Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 680 square miles in the north of England. It's divided into different dales - the most famous of which is probably Wensleydale - home of the famous white crumbly Wallace and Gromit cheese.

www.yorkshiredales.org.uk

www.wensleydale.co.uk

Ran: 2.6 miles

Total time: 29 mins 10 seconds

Average pace per mile: 11 mins 15 seconds (what were we doing??)

Total calories: 297

The sun is shining, the weather is sweet!

2nd March, 2010


















Not a lot to write about today, a gorgeous day here and a fantastic morning run: sunny, frosty, fresh.

Total distance: 4.27 miles
Total time: 41 mins 49 seconds
Average Pace: 9 mins 47 seconds
Calories: 497

6.46 miles and a crazy plan

1 March 2010

Sunday was a bit of a wipe out for me. I was tired. It was RAINING.

I mean seriously raining. Big fat drops of rain and lots of wind to blow them right in your face. I really didn't feel like getting out of bed, but I had committed to run. And, when you've set a time in the morning to run and told members of your newly created running club to meet you at a certain point at 11am, there's not really much room for manoeuvre.














In the end it was fine. I dragged myself out of bed and donned a lot of waterproof gear and a warm hat. We ran for a while, jogging for 10 minute stints and then stopping and walking for two minutes. We totalled just over six miles in a little over an hour. I surprised even myself at how good I felt at the end. Little stiff today.

Actually there's an interesting study somewhere that shows the run-walk-run approach to running can actually work out faster overall than just keeping going. The logic is that the recovery segments make the next bit of running more powerful and faster. More here.

Also -- in a late addition to my running calendar -- I have enlisted to run the London marathon in eight weeks time. ARGH! Diet and running plan need a lot of work :-)














Total: 6.46 miles (around 10K)
Time: 1 hr 7 mins 31 seconds
Average pace: 10 mins 27 seconds per mile
Calories: 724

A Paris et cinq miles

20th February, 2010

The weekend: partly perfect, partly annoying.

Late return from work trip to Dublin cancelled out Friday night plans. A very happy and very sunny day trip to Paris on Saturday involved a lot of wine, cheese and cocktails. Planned to return in a few weeks for the Turner exhibition which has just opened and runs until May 24th.



















Sunday was a lazy day of paper reading and cinema going. I managed to cram in a 5-mile run and was pleased not to have lost much of my fitness despite drastically reducing my running in recent weeks.

Ran: 5 miles
Time: 49 mins, 21 seconds
Calories burnt: 584 (two lumps of cheese)

Spa-ah-ah

Saturday 30th January, 2010

No running this weekend, more snow and a visit to Spa, a town in eastern Belgium.

Leaving Brussels on Saturday morning, it was pelting with snow and we wondered if we would make it -- Spa the town is at the bottom of a deep valley in the Ardenne. After laughing at other unfortunate drivers who had spun off the road and avoiding a few very icy patches ourselves, we arrived in the beautiful white valley.

The Thermes de Spa are amazing, like being some 1970s science experiment or scifi movie. There's one massive indoor pool, which is over 800 square metres and a host of other indoor and outdoor pools. Light currents swirl around the pools and jet streams pummel the tension out of your shoulders. Sitting in the outdoor pool, being gently massaged with hot water, while snow fell down and coated the forest was a magical experience.

Spa at night: blurry

Back in Brussels, I finally got round to sorting out the running club: we will have our first meeting this month.

First Run Of The New Year

Saturday 23 January, 2009

For the first time this year I woke up feeling like a run on a Saturday morning. I was taken by surprise because so far 2010's been sluggish and I've had to force myself out of the flat even to get the gym.

Not wanting to scare off the resurrection of my enthusiasm and concious that it could start to wane at any point, I dressed for running and made my way outside as quickly as possible. This took a while, since my running kit's been redundant for several months and was scattered about the flat and buried in different drawers.

I stuck to my normal route, down Avenue Louise to the Bois de la Cambre and around the pond, clocking up four easy miles. It's not the prettiest time of year in Brussels. Those who criticise the city for being grey should avoid visiting in mid-January, when it is cold, rainy and composed singularly of shades of grey.
















The woods look stark and unwelcoming now the snow has melted. On the upside, all of the pathways have been redone and are fresh with yellow sand.

A restaurant has opened on the island in the middle of the man-made lake: Chalet Robinson, linked to the shore by an electrical raft which looks precarious... Apparently it was first built in 1877, but was destroyed by a fire in 1991. There's a Belgian restaurant on the ground floor - which I'd like to check out - and a ballroom on the first floor.

www.chaletrobinson.be

Ran: 4.1 miles
Time: 38 mins 45 seconds
Average pace: 9:40 per mile
Calories: 467

Then It Snowed

January 10, 2009


Beautiful weather here in Brussels over the weekend, lots of snow.














I was using it as an excuse not to run and went on a long walk in the forest. What shocked me was the number of runners who were out in the cold, decked out in hats, gloves, scarves and trainers with special grip, lolloping through the forest. And loads of them where wearing STABILicers.

Made from steel, STABILicers strap over your trainers and provide extra grip so you don't skid over in the snow. They cost around £30.

I wondered if I should get some, wrap up warm and get out there, but I settled for a snow fight, building a snowman and a hot chocolate while watching Mad Men series two instead!

For those of you who are more keen, there's another blog about running in the snow here



http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=115725&sectionid=351020605

New Year - No Incentive

4th January, 2010

Day four of the New Year, back in Brussels after a long time away and an amazing holiday. No runs yet, no desire to run yet.

Another toe nail has fallen off, but I grossed so many people out with the first set of pictures that I can't blog about it. Still, it made a good Christmas present for one lucky person.

Need a new challenge for the New Year. A friend suggested Everest, I suggested no. Another friend suggested a triathlon, I suggested psychiatric help.

Got to thinking another marathon wouldn't be too much. The pain, knee anguish and lack of time for anything other than running are all a distant memory.

Berlin 2010? Sub four hours? Need to find something better to do with my time...

NEWSFLASH: Toe Nail Fell Off 2

5th December, 2009

I've been waiting for this moment for a while now.

The second toenail on my left foot - let's call him Fred - has been black since the Brussels marathon, threatening to fall off. For the New York marathon, I strapped him on with zinc oxide tape, but to be honest he'd already given up the ghost.

Not even a post-marathon pedicure at New York's uberspa, Townhouse could save him.








Nope, Fred had had enough of this world, he wanted to go.

Tired of being bumped about endlessly, sweated on and encased in a trainer, he dreamt of a more glamorous life, of Christian Louboutin, parties and pedicures.















And so, this Saturday, after a particularly intense dance class, Fred The Nail gave in, abandoning his nine brothers and sisters, jumping off, hoping for a better time in the next life. The nine remaining nails wait and watch in earnest to see if another nail will grow back in his place...

NYC: Post-Marathon

1 December, 2009

I know, I know. I haven't updated for ages. I've been busy and I didn't think anyone would notice. Some of you did and here we go, this is for you:

NEW YORK, After the marathon

After partying pretty hard on Sunday evening, wearing our medals, we woke up ridiculously early and ridiculously stiff on Monday morning.















I had come off pretty well, and had to cope with some pretty stiff quads, one blister, some rubbing from my sports bra and a very sore neck (the physio says the neck pain could be caused by the knee injury because "the body is like a train of dominoes").

We did some stretching and took a stroll across the beautiful autumnal Central Park to the Lexington Candy Store.






















On the way we picked up a copy of the New York Times, where we were both named in the Marathon Special pull out. There we sat, eating, relaxing and planning the rest of the trip, mainly around the shops, bars and restaurants we were going to visit. The rest of the trip passed in a blur of fun, with one of the highlights being a visit to the newly created High Line Park.

The High Line is a disused railway for short-haul freight trains which has been converted in to an elevated park. It's located on Manhattan's West Side, running from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. It is beautiful and free to enter so if you are in NYC definitely take a look.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/08/highline-new-york-garden-martin




















Back in Brussels, I was straight back to work and off to the thrilling Annual European Bond Conference at the Conrad Hotel. After sleepwalking my way through the two day conference, I rewarded myself with a weekend of culture and relaxing in Amsterdam.

I've had so many people say watching me train for the marathon has been inspirational, spurred them to go to the gym more, or made them think - just for a second - about running a marathon themselves, that I've decided to set up a running club, launching in the new year, to provide support and encouragement to people who already run and to show those that don't the benefits that can be derived from running and how easy it becomes if you put your mind to it.

The support and kindness and understanding I've been shown while training and while coping with the injury has been really humbling, but the biggest compliment I received came from a fellow reporter, a hardcore, scary Polish hack, who until now has barely spoken to me: "You ran a marathon, then from now on, I look at you with respect."

26.2: NEW YORK MARATHON

1st November 2009

The day of the marathon dawned and we were up super early and bussed out to Staten Island.

The atmosphere on the coach was a mixture of anticipation and heightened nerves: people feeding off each other, offering encouragement and reassurance and swapping stories about their training, their previous runs and their various injuries. I found the constant chatter quite difficult to manage, preferring a quieter approach, and was happy to sit - somewhat unsociably - pensively and silently in my seat.

I needed time to prepare mentally for the day ahead. Throughout training, I hadn't allowed myself to entertain the prospect of not being able to finish the race, I hadn't let myself think about what a serious problem the knee injury could be or what I would do if it totally gave way.

Now, I allowed myself time to think through those issues and plan what I would do in each situation, thinking about how I would start the race, how I would finish it and how I would approach the water stops, the cameras and the "dreaded" bridges.




















Lining up at the start, I had a sudden rush of energy and the realisation that I COULD DO IT.

Somewhere deep down I knew it was going to be fine. This was it: one final push.

All that stood between me and glory were 26.2 measly miles and around five hours. A stereo pumped out the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys song Empire State Of Mind

In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,
Let's here it for New York, New York, New York

And then we were off.




















The first two miles were "bitty": I wasn't comfortable, in a sort of nervous frenzy, I couldn't visualise finishing, I wanted to run as fast as I could but was unsure of my pace, worried about my knee. On top of that I felt claustrophobic as other runners wove around in front of me on the bridge, each looking for his own space in the shoal. Thoughts of other things going on in my life turned over and over in my head: work, love, life, death.

I needed better focus.

Coming off the bridge, we wound around a slip road and caught sight of the first supporters. One of them held a banner: "You're About To Do Something Totally Amazing, SMILE!"

And so I did.

I kept it together and smiled all the way up 4th Avenue in Brooklyn, cruising past the 10K mark in 55 minutes. The crowds were incredible, 20 people deep, clapping, shouting, whooping, offering up tissues, energy bars, drinks, donuts and sponges. A women wearing gold trainers sped past me in a blur, yelling "C'mon Brooklyn, I can't hear ya." Brooklyn yelled back riotously.














At the halfway point, 13.1 miles, on the Pulaski Bridge, which connects Greenpoint in Brooklyn to Long Island City in Queens over Newtown Creek, I felt invincible. I knew my time was fast, just shy of 1 hr 59 mins and I thought I could keep it up. I imagined myself crossing the finish line in under 4 hours!

Darkness hit me around the 15 mile mark in Queens. The bank of supporters was at its thinnest and the horrendous Queensboro Bridge loomed large. The acute pain from my knee had transferred itself to my left bum cheek and was making itself very evident. I thought I might not make it over the bridge, which connects Queens with Manhattan, passing over Roosevelt Island in the East River. It's the star of the poster for Woody Allen's film Manhattan, where Woody and Diane Keaton sit on a bench, looking out at the bridge.

I took an energy gel, a dextrose tablet, an ibuprofen and gave myself a pep talk. I remembered my mum's endless refrain when teaching me to swim: "Keep kicking, keep kicking." What came next is a blur, up 1st Avenue in Manhattan. I remember miles 16, 17 and 18 being particularly bleak: long, hard, slow, heavy-legged.

Somewhere between miles 19 and 20 I regained my stride. We crossed in to The Bronx over the Willis Avenue Bridge and a man with a portable mic was beat boxing using a mic and a portable stereo. "You can do it, put your back into it." A woman held a banner, "Run the last six miles with your heart." A second banner read "If your feet hurt it's because you're kicking ass." A third: "Pain is temporary, pride is forever."




















Coming off the Madison Avenue Bridge and back in to Manhattan, an Australian woman shouted, "What's five miles?"

What indeed.

The end of the race was very emotional: I knew I was running well and was set for a good time. Suddenly I found myself transported back to the Bois de la Cambre in Brussels, where I'd first began training for this marathon. I remembered in particular one gorgeous early morning run of about four miles I'd done in May, where - after a very difficult relocation from London - I'd been able to see for the first time the benefits of my move, the wider view of what was happening in my life, and that my reasons for moving and all my hard work were coming to fruition. They were all culminated in that one run, with the sun coming up over the man-made lake in the park.

I became very circumspect and a bit teary, thinking about how and why life picks us up and drops us off at different, funny places without reason. I felt very lucky now to be dropped here, in Central Park, in this, the most glorious, sweet and perfect moment.

Crossing the line I was ecstatic, much happier than I'd been when I finished the Edinburgh marathon and with a much greater sense of achievement. I felt I could have gone further, I didn't want this fantastic feeling to come to an end.




















It was - without doubt - one of the most wonderful moments of my life, something I will remember forever, I only wish I had the depth of memory to encapsulate and preserve every detail, every supporter who willed me on, every banner that made me smile and each and every runner who crossed the line alongside me.

Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins 5 secs
Average per mile: 09:45

New York - The Lead Up To The Big Day

Pre-Marathon

Arriving in New York at about 4pm on Friday, we scooted over to the official Expo to pick up our race numbers and join in the pre-race build up.

I’ve been to marathon expos before – in Edinburgh and in Brussels – but the New York one was a lot bigger and a lot more commercial. All the big name brands touted for business: racks and racks of brightly coloured lycra were interspersed with banners carrying huge logos: Asics, Adidas, Nike, Mizuno.

Stall after stall offered caps, gels, water, fingerless gloves, pac-a-macs and whole host of other things you never knew you needed but all of a sudden wanted.

I took a shine to the Asics official marathon rain jacket but decided $120 was a bit steep and settled for The Stick – a self massage tool – instead, hoping it might aid my recovery and the ongoing problem of my knee.

The Stick is a space-age plastic rod covered with spindles which roll independently over the muscle. It’s supposed to provide a “stripping massage” to your muscles by pin-pointing the tender spots. Apparently the US Olympic team use them...

Buoyed up with our new purchases and our race numbers and chips, we headed over to The Spotted Pig in the West Village, where we shared a Brooklyn Brewery “Local 1” – brewed in NYC – and the attentions of two locals, who delighted in our English accents and marathon running prowess. Their special brand of all-American enthusiasm and confidence was infectious, reminding me how special this experience was going to be and what an incredible achievement running a marathon is.

After putting away a goat cheese and onion tart, a cheese burger and shoestring fries and a massive slice of banoffee pie, we both glazed over, as jetlag and food induced stupor set in, morphing us in to one of those couples that sit across from each other not speaking. Home to bed was the only option!

Saturday morning came along with the pre-marathon jog in Central Park. This was one of my favourite parts of the trip. The park was beautiful and we ran three slow and achy miles around Jackie Onassis Lake.

A trip to Brooklyn to visit some relatives of mine and indulge in marathon-boosting pasta and American style trick or treating rounded the day off and I went to bed feeling relaxed and ready for the next day...

HOME!

And so I've made it home in one piece, having completed the marathon in 4 hours 15 minutes and 5 seconds! You can link to search for my official time here.



















It was such an incredible experience I'm going to split my posts in to three: pre-marathon, marathon and post-marathon, more to follow very soon!

Three Days To Go - Packing

Packing The Suitcase And A Word On The Weather...


Off to a bad start today when I opened my case and a massive greeny-brown spider scuttled out, leaving me to get rid of its web before I could start packing.

It's amazing how much stuff you need to run a marathon, at the bottom left you can see all my pills and gels and energy tablets, then two pairs of trainers, 2 outfits, warm clothes to wear pre-race and throw away. This shot doesn't even include non-marathon stuff.

Everyone talks about the bit of the NYC marathon where you have to line up for hours at the start line before the race gets underway. It's because they shut the bridges so everyone has to be bussed over before that. To keep warm, most people wear an outfit they are going to discard.

Paula Radcliffe has shared some gems of wisdom on this and the other difficulties of the NYC marathon here:

"New York is a difficult one in terms of the start because everybody has to get out to Staten Island and people doing it for the first time don't realise how early you have to get out there and how long you're out there," Radcliffe said.

"The other thing is that the road surface is very different in New York to London. "Where London is pretty good tarmac most of the way, in New York there's a lot of concrete and a lot of potholes! So when you're running with a lot of people you have to keep your eyes down and be very aware - a lot of people twist ankles.

"There's a bridge when you go into the Bronx - around 18/20 miles - and that's metal grid. That's pretty hard on your feet at that stage as well."

Weather forecast for Sunday not looking so hot: