Had a great day doing the British Heart Foundation's London to Brighton Bike Ride on Sunday.
We were lucky enough to get guaranteed the early start at 6am, which is ideal as the roads are clear and there are far fewer cyclists, so much more space. 54 miles from capital to the coast!
Very early alarm - up at 3am and having a good breakfast of toast, peanut butter, banana, tea and a croissant and sips of lucozade as I finished getting my gear ready. It was a bit of dilemma what to take - I could either take a backpack to hold more food and sparer change of clothes, but have it sitting against my back all morning. Or I could travel light and squeeze everything I needed into the saddle bag and the pockets of my jersey. In the end I traveled light. Cycled over to Ray's just after 4am, then we made our way to Jim's to get the bikes on the car before getting a lift down to London. We were very grateful for the lift at that time in the morning!
London is a 24 hour city so plenty of people out, although seemed like mostly people on their way home from a night out! Got to Clapham Common and joined the crowds ready to set off.
First 8-10 miles I set off at an easy pace. Still in central London so just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere and be part of a big cycling group. There was lots of space so very few bottlenecks, but we did have to stop at junctions and big traffic lights. Soon we came out of the city and into the outskirts - I began to get my speed up here. The 4 of us in our party separated, although i did see Jim from time to time. The ride is not a race - but I and many others wanted to push ourselves and get a good time or a PB. I was thinking that with rest stops and any hold ups it would be around 4.30 - 5 hours.
A few hills as we carried on - managed these ones alright but knew there was a nasty one just before we got to Brighton! Got some good speed on the downhills. The scenery was getting really pretty now, good open countryside and nice roads for cycling. The roads were either closed, one way only, or we had the left hand lane. I stopped briefly at mile 22 for some fresh water and a quick break. Many people rest for a while at one of the many stops along the way - for a pub lunch, BBQ or picnic, but I had energy gels and drink with me so just wanted to crack on. Better to get to the cafes at the beach having finished the ride and can have a big breakfast and celebrate!
Great riding through the countryside as we came closer and closer to Brighton. Eventually came to Ditchling Beacon, the horrendous hill 7 miles from the finish! I saw it looming in the distance and couldn't see how on earth we were going to get up it! It was steep and long, and sadly I did not manage to ride very much of it at all. I soon got off and walked as it was faster and easier than trying to pedal up. Very impressed with those who did especially the Tour de France wannabes who came up fast behind us yelling "on your right!".
Amazing views from the top though! And plain sailing downhill into Brighton after that! I couldn't believe the time as I came the outskirts of Brighton in under 4 hours, so knew I was smashing my target time. Great last few miles and it reminded me of the Brighton Half Marathon as we finished at the same place as that race. Plenty of crowds and an great fast finish! Came in at 4h 08m 50s! Very pleased!!
Had a lazy few hours having breakfast and hot chocolate at a beach cafe when we met up with the rest of the team. It was quite cold by that point and was raining a bit, but lovely to be there and enjoy the rest of the morning. Unfortunately all I had with me was what I had been cycling in - so no extra warm jacket or extra layers. Was good to be having breakfast by 11am by the sea!
We stayed around until about 1pm and then headed up Madeira Drive to find our coach home. The bikes go in a lorry and riders take a coach back. Finally arrived back in Clapham Common where we cycled to Victoria to get a lift back to St Albans.
Got home at about 5pm, exhausted but very pleased! certainly want to do that one again next year and have another crack at Ditchling Beacon.
Friday, 21 June 2013
Monday, 17 June 2013
HSV Aquathlon
Had a good aquathlon on Saturday with the triathlon club, held at the sports village. This was a 400m pool swim, followed by a 5k run.
Unusually, this was an afternoon event, with the first in the pool just after 5pm. So had nearly all day to rest and go into town for a bit before getting my gear together. It was odd not taking the bike and bike gear! Felt like i was missing an awful lot of stuff for transition!
Arrive early and got a good spot on the transition just outside the pool, then changed into my tri suit and headed for the briefing and pool.
The swim went well - did it in 9m15s so beat my previous time at the HSV triathlon although could have done it faster if there had not been a bit of congestion about half way through. managed to overtake a few people although that holds you back a bit as can only overtake at the end of each length/lane.
Interestingly there were also a lot of strong swimmers for this - these events obviously attract a good deal of club swimmers, compared to my first tri which had a lot of runners and cyclists but who were very new to swimming.
Straight out out of the pool and into transition - bit quicker with not bike to worry about! Straight off into the run. It was easier on the legs having not just done a ride, but not quite as pleasant doing the whole thing still soaking wet from the swim! Luckily you dry off quickly!
Run went fine although still not getting the times I was hitting last Autumn, this was around 29 minutes of actually running but 30.56 including transition.
Total time was 40m 11sec.
Pleased with that especially the good swim time but slightly miffed that it was just outside the 40 minute mark! Would have nice to shave off 12 seconds and get a sub 40m!!
Enjoyed it though as it was a bit different and overall pleased with the result.
Unusually, this was an afternoon event, with the first in the pool just after 5pm. So had nearly all day to rest and go into town for a bit before getting my gear together. It was odd not taking the bike and bike gear! Felt like i was missing an awful lot of stuff for transition!
Arrive early and got a good spot on the transition just outside the pool, then changed into my tri suit and headed for the briefing and pool.
The swim went well - did it in 9m15s so beat my previous time at the HSV triathlon although could have done it faster if there had not been a bit of congestion about half way through. managed to overtake a few people although that holds you back a bit as can only overtake at the end of each length/lane.
Interestingly there were also a lot of strong swimmers for this - these events obviously attract a good deal of club swimmers, compared to my first tri which had a lot of runners and cyclists but who were very new to swimming.
Straight out out of the pool and into transition - bit quicker with not bike to worry about! Straight off into the run. It was easier on the legs having not just done a ride, but not quite as pleasant doing the whole thing still soaking wet from the swim! Luckily you dry off quickly!
Run went fine although still not getting the times I was hitting last Autumn, this was around 29 minutes of actually running but 30.56 including transition.
Total time was 40m 11sec.
Pleased with that especially the good swim time but slightly miffed that it was just outside the 40 minute mark! Would have nice to shave off 12 seconds and get a sub 40m!!
Enjoyed it though as it was a bit different and overall pleased with the result.
Friday, 14 June 2013
Friday training and Thursday's running commute
Fridays are usually mostly a rest day, but as the weather is decent i am well into the habit of cycling to work, so i have been on the bike today. I also wanted to get in a quick swim before tomorrow's aquathlon, so I cycled to work and headed to the pool before going to the office.
Being Friday, I like things to be a bit different. So instead of cycling in my casual commuting cycling shorts and tee-shirt, I wore my one piece triathlon suit, snazzy black lycra. It's more unusual this one, as it has short sleeves. I had been looking for a tri or cycling suit with sleeves for months and never found one that i could afford (or many at all, for that matter). I found this at the Blenheim Palace triathlon expo - for £20! Bargain! Ok so it is the Ironman brand and has the distinctive logo across the back, and i have not (yet) done an ironman. Should I wear it? It certainly motivates me to train harder and certainly want to do a half iron distance tri one day! (Full? Um, ask me sometime in the future!).
Then for my swim, i went for the bikini instead of the swim suit. Feels good to wear that sometime, and is perfect for swimming. It's not the sort you'd get in River Island though, with sequins and beads and whatever cut out which would probably fall apart the moment it got wet. It's cute but believe it or not you can actually train in it. The pool see a lot of triathletes, so I take the opportunity to wear my tri gear once in a while so I am used to it come race day. Just don't want to ruin them with too much exposure to the chlorine though.
Fridays - good excuse for showing off gear. Gives the day a bit of an edge.
Yesterday I ran to and from work. That was awesome. I did 5 miles before work, the longish way, and then a shorter, slow 3 miles back in the evening. I now have a running backpack with a water pouch which was brilliant (when i worked out how to use the valve!) as it stayed in place nicely and didn't bounce. The only problem is that the webbing rubs my shoulders, so i think i will need to wear a tee-shirt and not a vest. Oh and it was £12 from tesco!
Tonight I will take it easy, and tomorrow i have an aquathlon at the sports village in the afternoon. 400m swim and 5k run with Tri Force. Should be good!
Then Sunday it's London to Brighton cycle ride, whoohoo!!
Total Training this week
Monday - cycle to work and swimming with TF
Tuesday - cycle to work and 3 mile recovery run
Wednesday - cycle to work, cycle to Colney Heath, 10 mile cycle TT (in the pouring rain - slow time at 40 mins!)
Thursday - run to work 5 miles, part cross country, with backpack, and slow run home 3 miles
Friday - cycle to work, short swim session before work 800m
Being Friday, I like things to be a bit different. So instead of cycling in my casual commuting cycling shorts and tee-shirt, I wore my one piece triathlon suit, snazzy black lycra. It's more unusual this one, as it has short sleeves. I had been looking for a tri or cycling suit with sleeves for months and never found one that i could afford (or many at all, for that matter). I found this at the Blenheim Palace triathlon expo - for £20! Bargain! Ok so it is the Ironman brand and has the distinctive logo across the back, and i have not (yet) done an ironman. Should I wear it? It certainly motivates me to train harder and certainly want to do a half iron distance tri one day! (Full? Um, ask me sometime in the future!).
Then for my swim, i went for the bikini instead of the swim suit. Feels good to wear that sometime, and is perfect for swimming. It's not the sort you'd get in River Island though, with sequins and beads and whatever cut out which would probably fall apart the moment it got wet. It's cute but believe it or not you can actually train in it. The pool see a lot of triathletes, so I take the opportunity to wear my tri gear once in a while so I am used to it come race day. Just don't want to ruin them with too much exposure to the chlorine though.
Fridays - good excuse for showing off gear. Gives the day a bit of an edge.
Yesterday I ran to and from work. That was awesome. I did 5 miles before work, the longish way, and then a shorter, slow 3 miles back in the evening. I now have a running backpack with a water pouch which was brilliant (when i worked out how to use the valve!) as it stayed in place nicely and didn't bounce. The only problem is that the webbing rubs my shoulders, so i think i will need to wear a tee-shirt and not a vest. Oh and it was £12 from tesco!
Tonight I will take it easy, and tomorrow i have an aquathlon at the sports village in the afternoon. 400m swim and 5k run with Tri Force. Should be good!
Then Sunday it's London to Brighton cycle ride, whoohoo!!
Total Training this week
Monday - cycle to work and swimming with TF
Tuesday - cycle to work and 3 mile recovery run
Wednesday - cycle to work, cycle to Colney Heath, 10 mile cycle TT (in the pouring rain - slow time at 40 mins!)
Thursday - run to work 5 miles, part cross country, with backpack, and slow run home 3 miles
Friday - cycle to work, short swim session before work 800m
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Blenheim Palace Triathlon
So I have survived my first open water triathlon! It took place in the beautiful grounds of Blenheim Palace, and is a very popular race - always well oversubscribed. I'd signed up for it last year - back then all I'd done in the way of triathlon was the 10k run at the end of a relay team for the London Triathlon. I could hardly even swim!
It was another early start as I headed off to the venue, got there around 9am to pick up my timing chip, rack my bike and set up my gear for transition. I had a while before my wave went off at 11.10am, so had a bite to eat and watched the elites for a while. At 10.30 I got changed into my tri suit and wetsuit and checked one last time everything was in it's place, ready to go. I was super nervous about the swim, having not swam in open water since I was a teenager on holiday by the sea, or in the lake district or rivers in Yorkshire!
Our wave gathered by the swim assembly point by the edge of the lake and we had a short briefing. The guy was very good and knew most of us were -probably bricking it! We were given our swim hats (dark green for our wave) and then starting getting into the lake. Some people jumps in (it was a pontoon entry) but I just slipped in! It wasn't too cold, a nice 16 degrees actually which was fine. The wetsuit helped a lot with buoyancy too. We had about 5 minutes to get used to the water and get near the back or sides if nervous (which i did!). Then we were off! Swim went mostly well. I took it gently and did not go off too fast, just tried to get my breathing very steady and relaxed. It was strange not having any walls or floor or having to turn every 25m. I was like Dora from Finding Nemo - "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!". I couple of times I took too deep a gulp of water and my breathing messed up. I tried not to panic but had to come up into breast stroke for a few moments to get relaxed. This happened several times particularly when I felt my wetsuit was feeling tight - I wasn't used to it enough! But we finally came to the final turn after about 500m and turned back to the exit point (750m total). It was good to finish and get out of the water, but very disorientating. I was thrilled to have completed the first leg of the tri and my first OW swim!
Staggered up the hill to transition, trying to pull my arms out of the wetsuit. Got to the bike and was still struggling with the wetsuit but it came off eventually! Dired my feet and forced my feet into socks and trainers. On went the cycling jersey, sunglasses, race belt, helmet, gloves, and took the bike and ran off towards the bike start. Onto the bike and I was off!
Good bike route - very exciting and certainly not boring. It was 3 laps of a 4-ish mile route and was quite hilly. A lot of steep downhills with a sharp turn or two, and long slogs uphill. But it was great to be on the bike though and exciting to build up the speed. It was just as I was starting out on the first lap that i saw two friends, Victoria and Rebecca from skydiving, also out on the bike course! We waved and shouted encouragement at each other! I took plenty of gels on bike so I had energy left for the run.
Although I enjoyed the bike course the most, it was great to get back into transition and finish off the race with the 5k run. It was just as i was coming into transition that I realised I had not taken my running water bottle out of my bag and left it out ready to grab. This meant spending valuable seconds opening my bag to find it! Luckily it was right at the front so i got it out immediately. I also took off my jersey as it was quite warm now, and as I ran out of transition I twisted my belt round so the number was on the front.
The run was tough. I was shattered!! It was also hot and I was getting exhausted. Luckily the run was much flatter than the bike course so no hills to contend with but still felt more like 10 miles, not 3! It was 2 laps, and for a while I was worrying I wouldn't get in under my target time of 2 hours. But finally came round towards the finish and still had time to spare, which was great as couldn't manage much of a sprint finish. Came in at 1.58 in front of really great crowds!! Whoohoo! i was so pleased to have finished my first OW tri and under 2 hours!
Looking forward but also very nervous about my next tri, which is an olympic distance in less than 2 weeks time. After that I am doing the sprint London Triathlon and 2 super sprints in the same day at the Jenson Button Triathlon in Luton.
Next challenge though; Saturday's HSV Aquathlon followed by Sunday's London to Brighton bike ride! Bring it on...!!!
It was another early start as I headed off to the venue, got there around 9am to pick up my timing chip, rack my bike and set up my gear for transition. I had a while before my wave went off at 11.10am, so had a bite to eat and watched the elites for a while. At 10.30 I got changed into my tri suit and wetsuit and checked one last time everything was in it's place, ready to go. I was super nervous about the swim, having not swam in open water since I was a teenager on holiday by the sea, or in the lake district or rivers in Yorkshire!
Our wave gathered by the swim assembly point by the edge of the lake and we had a short briefing. The guy was very good and knew most of us were -probably bricking it! We were given our swim hats (dark green for our wave) and then starting getting into the lake. Some people jumps in (it was a pontoon entry) but I just slipped in! It wasn't too cold, a nice 16 degrees actually which was fine. The wetsuit helped a lot with buoyancy too. We had about 5 minutes to get used to the water and get near the back or sides if nervous (which i did!). Then we were off! Swim went mostly well. I took it gently and did not go off too fast, just tried to get my breathing very steady and relaxed. It was strange not having any walls or floor or having to turn every 25m. I was like Dora from Finding Nemo - "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!". I couple of times I took too deep a gulp of water and my breathing messed up. I tried not to panic but had to come up into breast stroke for a few moments to get relaxed. This happened several times particularly when I felt my wetsuit was feeling tight - I wasn't used to it enough! But we finally came to the final turn after about 500m and turned back to the exit point (750m total). It was good to finish and get out of the water, but very disorientating. I was thrilled to have completed the first leg of the tri and my first OW swim!
Staggered up the hill to transition, trying to pull my arms out of the wetsuit. Got to the bike and was still struggling with the wetsuit but it came off eventually! Dired my feet and forced my feet into socks and trainers. On went the cycling jersey, sunglasses, race belt, helmet, gloves, and took the bike and ran off towards the bike start. Onto the bike and I was off!
Good bike route - very exciting and certainly not boring. It was 3 laps of a 4-ish mile route and was quite hilly. A lot of steep downhills with a sharp turn or two, and long slogs uphill. But it was great to be on the bike though and exciting to build up the speed. It was just as I was starting out on the first lap that i saw two friends, Victoria and Rebecca from skydiving, also out on the bike course! We waved and shouted encouragement at each other! I took plenty of gels on bike so I had energy left for the run.
Although I enjoyed the bike course the most, it was great to get back into transition and finish off the race with the 5k run. It was just as i was coming into transition that I realised I had not taken my running water bottle out of my bag and left it out ready to grab. This meant spending valuable seconds opening my bag to find it! Luckily it was right at the front so i got it out immediately. I also took off my jersey as it was quite warm now, and as I ran out of transition I twisted my belt round so the number was on the front.
The run was tough. I was shattered!! It was also hot and I was getting exhausted. Luckily the run was much flatter than the bike course so no hills to contend with but still felt more like 10 miles, not 3! It was 2 laps, and for a while I was worrying I wouldn't get in under my target time of 2 hours. But finally came round towards the finish and still had time to spare, which was great as couldn't manage much of a sprint finish. Came in at 1.58 in front of really great crowds!! Whoohoo! i was so pleased to have finished my first OW tri and under 2 hours!
Looking forward but also very nervous about my next tri, which is an olympic distance in less than 2 weeks time. After that I am doing the sprint London Triathlon and 2 super sprints in the same day at the Jenson Button Triathlon in Luton.
Next challenge though; Saturday's HSV Aquathlon followed by Sunday's London to Brighton bike ride! Bring it on...!!!
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
20 mile Pink Ribbonwalk - 1st June 2013
A few months ago I signed up for the 20 mile Pink Ribbonwalk with my friend Pat, which is hosted by the charity Breast Cancer Care. We both wanted to do another charity walk, having done Shine, a night-time walking marathon for Cancer Research UK in 2011. We'd not been too impressed by our time for it (my first crack at the 26.2 mile distance!) and wanted to have another go. Unfortunately I couldn't make Shine in 2012 or 2013, nor the Moonwalk (a similar event in the spring) and all the marathons we found on suitable dates were for runners only. So we were quite pleased to find the Pink Ribbonwalk, at 20 miles (there was also an option for 10 miles).
The event started from the grounds of Petworth House, a grand old estate in Sussex. It was an early start for the drive down, but looked like it was going to be nice weather. I spent ages trying to decide what to wear and bring in the way of a bag/puch - being a walk, it was going to take much longer than a run, but there was more flexibility to wear a larger bag and take more supplies with me. Eventually I settled on a running tank top, with the charity event tee-shirt (unfortunately it was cotton and unisex cut, not wicking material!), running capri tights, old running trainers, cap and large bum bag.
We were off at 9.30am - a lovely, warm day but with a bit of a breeze and not too hot. There were several hundred people taking part - all ages but almost all women (we saw about 10 men!). Pat and i stayed together at the beginning, but she urged me to go off as unfortunately she has sustained an injury earlier that week and could not go at her fastest.
Walking was very strange compared to running. I was aiming for a time of under 5.5 hours but whenever I got into a pace walk I found it almost impossible not to break into a jog. Running wasn't permitted, as it was not a race and was not geared up for runners - I wouldn't have wanted to run this anyway but it was tough not to jog it. After a few miles though, i met up with another women, Denise (I think, if I can remember her name!) near the front who was doing a very slow jog, barely that, just short, bouncing strides instead of long walking strides. I caught up and di this as well, alternating with normal walking. I call it a "tab" or a "scout" but I'm not sure what the actual term is and I think a tab is something the military do with full bergens on (which we did not have!). We used to do Scout's Pace in the Guides which was walking for a minute then slow-jogging for a minute on/off so I'll call it that!
At 6 miles in I was actually the first person to reach the second check point! Although only because the 4 girls in front had stopped to use the portaloos! Here I had a drink and borrowed a pair of scissors to cut the sleeves off my tee-shirt and widen the neck. It was getting hot and i was wishing we'd been able to wear material better suited to exercise - no one wears cotton any more when we expect to get hot and sweaty!
We couldn't believe the pace the girls at the front (with the male guide/marshal) were going. They looked like they were walking along at a very casual pace, chatting and eating, but it was probably a good, steady 14 min/mile (people get round the the major marathons a lot slower than that). Most of the time I was either near them or less than half a mile behind. They walked faster than we jogged.
Denise and i stayed pretty close from about 10 miles onwards. We went through some gorgeous grounds, with great views over the countryside. Country estates, polo grounds, golf courses. Very nice. At 10 miles I stopped for the portaloo and filled up my water bottle. There was a huge range of sweets, fruit and snacks at the rest stops but I stuck almost entirely to water and energy gels but did have some orange at some stops (I discovered oranges at the Great North Run - very refreshing for endurance events!). We saw a few guys out on a cross country run and had a very quick chat - they saw our bibs and our "20 mile" tee-shirts and asked how we were getting on. I am not sure how far they were running but looked like they were in for the long haul as they had camelbak rucksacks and belts with gel loops.
The route was stunning but hilly. There were also some very narrow paths, a lot of mud, and un-even ground. If it was a run it certainly would have been a tough trail run. I started to wish i'd worn my trail shoes instead of trainers as some of the terrain was quite rough and muddy. The bum bag was also not that well suited to jogging (even the slow jog I was doing) - if worn on the back it bounced up and down, and it worn on the front it was a bit cumbersome. I probably could have done away with a lot of what I packed into it (e.g. keys, iPod, arm warmers, snacks) and used my normal running pouch instead and just taken phone and gels. The cap also felt too warm round my head, but then did a good job of keeping the sun out of my eyes so pros and cons there! I quite enjoyed the scouting, and am thinking about doing a long trail run/walking race at a the same sort of pace. There's something really appealing about being out for 5+ hours and covering long distances at a comfortable run-walk pace, without the pressure of running it as a full-on marathon.
At 16 miles we came back to the 2nd rest stop, having done a long loop. It was now almost to the finish! We met up with a lot of the 10 milers, who did the first part of the route. The final 4 miles were fine, I was not aching too much due to the very gentle pace, and by mixing up the walk and slow jogs I had spread the work over more muscles. I remember from Shine, in the last 6 miles of the marathon, my legs felt dead and the only way I could continue at a decent pace was to make a slight jogging movement as it used different muscles.
I don't think 20 miles was particularly accurate, as my Garmin had measured mile markers all over the place. It was certainly not an accurately measured road race, so 20 was really just a guide! The final mile seemed particularly long! My Garmin logged 20 miles early on knowing we still had to walk round the lake to get to the finish, and Denise's logged 20.5 near the finish. Mine logged 20.3 at the finish line. Came through the finish line in 5.24 so pretty pleased with that! If it was a run I would have aimed for 4 or 4.15 (as it was hilly) so was happy with this time for what was mainly a walk. Tempting just to sprint finish the last 200 meters though!
When we finished we were given a medal, goody bag full of drinks and good, and a voucher for a BBQ. I went and got a leg massage and had some tea and cake while waiting for Pat to arrive. Sadly Denise vanished - I didn't see her again after we collected our medals. Pat came through about an hour later doing really well! We went and had our BBQ before driving home - I was shattered and had a very early night!
I ached a lot more the next day though, which lasted 2 days until the Monday. Definitely up for a long trail run/walk though and have started looking at possible events. Even a marathon that does not have a time limit (or a limit of at least 7 hours) would be great. I did find one fairly local event (the Fairlands Valley Challenge - 12, 18, 26 and 30 mile cross country options for walking or running) but sadly I've already got a race planned that day.
The event started from the grounds of Petworth House, a grand old estate in Sussex. It was an early start for the drive down, but looked like it was going to be nice weather. I spent ages trying to decide what to wear and bring in the way of a bag/puch - being a walk, it was going to take much longer than a run, but there was more flexibility to wear a larger bag and take more supplies with me. Eventually I settled on a running tank top, with the charity event tee-shirt (unfortunately it was cotton and unisex cut, not wicking material!), running capri tights, old running trainers, cap and large bum bag.
We were off at 9.30am - a lovely, warm day but with a bit of a breeze and not too hot. There were several hundred people taking part - all ages but almost all women (we saw about 10 men!). Pat and i stayed together at the beginning, but she urged me to go off as unfortunately she has sustained an injury earlier that week and could not go at her fastest.
Walking was very strange compared to running. I was aiming for a time of under 5.5 hours but whenever I got into a pace walk I found it almost impossible not to break into a jog. Running wasn't permitted, as it was not a race and was not geared up for runners - I wouldn't have wanted to run this anyway but it was tough not to jog it. After a few miles though, i met up with another women, Denise (I think, if I can remember her name!) near the front who was doing a very slow jog, barely that, just short, bouncing strides instead of long walking strides. I caught up and di this as well, alternating with normal walking. I call it a "tab" or a "scout" but I'm not sure what the actual term is and I think a tab is something the military do with full bergens on (which we did not have!). We used to do Scout's Pace in the Guides which was walking for a minute then slow-jogging for a minute on/off so I'll call it that!
At 6 miles in I was actually the first person to reach the second check point! Although only because the 4 girls in front had stopped to use the portaloos! Here I had a drink and borrowed a pair of scissors to cut the sleeves off my tee-shirt and widen the neck. It was getting hot and i was wishing we'd been able to wear material better suited to exercise - no one wears cotton any more when we expect to get hot and sweaty!
We couldn't believe the pace the girls at the front (with the male guide/marshal) were going. They looked like they were walking along at a very casual pace, chatting and eating, but it was probably a good, steady 14 min/mile (people get round the the major marathons a lot slower than that). Most of the time I was either near them or less than half a mile behind. They walked faster than we jogged.
Denise and i stayed pretty close from about 10 miles onwards. We went through some gorgeous grounds, with great views over the countryside. Country estates, polo grounds, golf courses. Very nice. At 10 miles I stopped for the portaloo and filled up my water bottle. There was a huge range of sweets, fruit and snacks at the rest stops but I stuck almost entirely to water and energy gels but did have some orange at some stops (I discovered oranges at the Great North Run - very refreshing for endurance events!). We saw a few guys out on a cross country run and had a very quick chat - they saw our bibs and our "20 mile" tee-shirts and asked how we were getting on. I am not sure how far they were running but looked like they were in for the long haul as they had camelbak rucksacks and belts with gel loops.
The route was stunning but hilly. There were also some very narrow paths, a lot of mud, and un-even ground. If it was a run it certainly would have been a tough trail run. I started to wish i'd worn my trail shoes instead of trainers as some of the terrain was quite rough and muddy. The bum bag was also not that well suited to jogging (even the slow jog I was doing) - if worn on the back it bounced up and down, and it worn on the front it was a bit cumbersome. I probably could have done away with a lot of what I packed into it (e.g. keys, iPod, arm warmers, snacks) and used my normal running pouch instead and just taken phone and gels. The cap also felt too warm round my head, but then did a good job of keeping the sun out of my eyes so pros and cons there! I quite enjoyed the scouting, and am thinking about doing a long trail run/walking race at a the same sort of pace. There's something really appealing about being out for 5+ hours and covering long distances at a comfortable run-walk pace, without the pressure of running it as a full-on marathon.
At 16 miles we came back to the 2nd rest stop, having done a long loop. It was now almost to the finish! We met up with a lot of the 10 milers, who did the first part of the route. The final 4 miles were fine, I was not aching too much due to the very gentle pace, and by mixing up the walk and slow jogs I had spread the work over more muscles. I remember from Shine, in the last 6 miles of the marathon, my legs felt dead and the only way I could continue at a decent pace was to make a slight jogging movement as it used different muscles.
I don't think 20 miles was particularly accurate, as my Garmin had measured mile markers all over the place. It was certainly not an accurately measured road race, so 20 was really just a guide! The final mile seemed particularly long! My Garmin logged 20 miles early on knowing we still had to walk round the lake to get to the finish, and Denise's logged 20.5 near the finish. Mine logged 20.3 at the finish line. Came through the finish line in 5.24 so pretty pleased with that! If it was a run I would have aimed for 4 or 4.15 (as it was hilly) so was happy with this time for what was mainly a walk. Tempting just to sprint finish the last 200 meters though!
When we finished we were given a medal, goody bag full of drinks and good, and a voucher for a BBQ. I went and got a leg massage and had some tea and cake while waiting for Pat to arrive. Sadly Denise vanished - I didn't see her again after we collected our medals. Pat came through about an hour later doing really well! We went and had our BBQ before driving home - I was shattered and had a very early night!
I ached a lot more the next day though, which lasted 2 days until the Monday. Definitely up for a long trail run/walk though and have started looking at possible events. Even a marathon that does not have a time limit (or a limit of at least 7 hours) would be great. I did find one fairly local event (the Fairlands Valley Challenge - 12, 18, 26 and 30 mile cross country options for walking or running) but sadly I've already got a race planned that day.
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