Sarah's Marathon: Archive

My Marathon Day Story! 25th April 2010

This is it, this is what I’ve been training for and now it’s here! The big day, London Marathon Day. I’m excited and nervous all at the same time. Normally I would have the telly on with a cup of tea and watch the build up, the elites running, awe at their times and running pace. But today is my day, today I’m not watching, I’m taking part, today I’ll be part of history… A few bathroom...

May 12th

The Night Before the Big Day!!

Saturday morning, I was already packed, checked and double checked I had my number, chip and trainers plus all my other gear. Today the whole family was coming to London and as we set off the nerves were setting in. We stayed in a flat at Butlers Wharf which over looks Tower Bridge, I was now in full blown nerves but also quite excited to be here after the long months of training. Macmillan had...

May 11th

Marathon Expo

On Thursday 22nd April I set of by train to London, I was on route to Excel London, the biggest venue in the country (some say the best) to collect my running number and chip ready for Sundays Marathon. I had my passport as photo id and my letter confirming my entry and number. It was very easy to get to on the train and I soon had my official envelope with my number and chip. I found Peter who...

May 11th

A Big 'Thank You' to all my Friends and Family

I just want to take the opportunity to say “Thank You” to all my friends who have put up with me not returning calls due to training, for looking after the girls so I can go training and to those of you who have trained with me:-) A special thank you to my family and especially to James for his very big donation!! You have all been very patient and kind and I love you all. Sarahxxx

Apr 20th

On the Taper! 11 Days to go.

I can feel that I’m definitely on the wind down now to the big day. My long run this week was only 10 miles and yet it seems only a few weeks ago 10 miles seemed a daunting task to me. This week is even lighter and I’ve started to enjoy them again, probably due to the change in weather and the fact I can wear less :-) well when I say that I mean shorter leggings and short sleeved...

Apr 13th

Apr 5th

I Stepped Outside...

and had to put my sunglasses on! lol!! yipee! At last, short sleeved t-shirt and no coat, a sunny day to run, that’s not to say the wind was still a bit chilly but NO RAIN. Now for the hard bit, 18 miles, my last long run before the big day in 3 weeks. Next week I have to start to taper, still that means a 5 mile, a 9 mile, a 3 mile and 15 again on Sunday, so much for the taper!! I...

Apr 5th

Good Friday?

Wednesday - the girls were invited to a school friends for a play, her mum said I could leave them if I needed to get a in run, well I can’t not take up the opportunity especially as they are on Easter break. So gear on I dropped them off “you’re not going in this are you?” Belinda said. Story of my life. Rain but worse today was the wind that was driving it. :-( Umm the gym or...

Apr 3rd

Run Like a Dog

This is from my RW magazine. I thought I would share it with you as I found it really funny. The ‘Run Like a Dog’ Workout (including warm-up and cool-down). Walk eight seconds. Trot four seconds. Stop. Sniff. Sprint seven seconds. Freeze. Walk five seconds in another direction. Stare nine seconds. Lunge at rabbit. Double back. Urinate. Repeat six times. Collapse on rug.

Mar 30th

School Run!!

Hehehehe!! James needed my car to pick up some wheels so I got him to drop me and the girls at school so I could run home. It actually felt quite liberating to leave school on foot, I took a different route home as the road I come in on is quite dangerous. I ran through the town and down onto the cliff top, at Highcliffe I ran along the beach for a few miles before looping back home and adding...

Mar 30th

"You ((may)) be feeling more tired than normal...

… (from my RW email). Who are they trying to kid? Pete sent me this, how I laughed and it’s all true, I’m so tired right now. Anyway on with the story We all survived the girls party and I think they all enjoyed it, I was so tired Sunday though that I didn’t go out running and felt very guilty about it. However, there is no point at this stage in pushing too hard and...

Mar 29th

Club Half Marathon - 19th March

I set off at 12.15, it was quite warm and I was wondering if I needed my coat, the first half mile was up hill so by the top I felt I definitely didn’t need it but kept it on a while anyway. I felt surprising good seeing as though only 5 days ago I had run 20 miles, this time though I had music and my ipod was behaving itself (yipee!) I also had a couple of carb gels to keep me going :-) ...

Mar 26th

Please Sponsor me, I need to know it's all worth...

Even though I am under no pressure to run for anyone I decided to run for Macmillan Cancer. http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx Cancer affects us all. We can all help. They have a good set up for family/friends to come and watch and also a pre race pasta party and post recovery center too, I’ll definitely be needing that!! With a little of your help I’m hoping to raise £3000 :-) ...

Mar 22nd

Mad March 20

I’m going to skip over last weeks runs. Needless to say I wasn’t in a very good place mentally and found all my runs very trying. So that over with let’s talk about Sunday. What a lovely day, really bright and sunny and my girls gave me beautiful Mothers Day cards which they had recorded messages in. Ahh bless! Ready to go… Toes bandaged - check Gels - check Phone - check Sun...

Mar 18th

210 Training Miles later and a Monster Month Ahead

This weeks training plan said that I’m in my most critical four weeks of training. “Juggling the demands of your schedule with other life commitments will always require moving or tweaking sessions, and it’s more important than ever to make sure you stay fit, focused and balanced at this stage in your preparations. Don’t be tempted to start playing catch-up if you feel...

Mar 10th

16 miles

Friday before I left for a weekend in the Cotswolds I embarked on my long run of the week - 16 miles I woke worrying about the run but not todays, no, next weeks Mad March 20. I had received an email from the organisers about where to pick up my number and chip. To remember my number in case I lost it en route and in big bold letters ‘the use of iPods is strictly prohibited’. Well how am I to...

Mar 9th

Doctors Orders

Saw my chiropractor today, he is pleased with my progress. I had a few problems with my hip, possibly due to carrying twins, but he has sorted me out with some exercises, manipulations and acupuncture and I am now balanced. I do need to carry on with the exercises though. We were talking about my training program and I mentioned that after losing a few days training because of having too many...

Mar 5th

1 note

30 Mile week

Week 8 over and my mileage logged was 30. My long run on Friday 26th Feb was 10 miles but I did it at race pace and had Mandie for company, she is much faster than me which meant she pulled me along. I can honestly say I was knackered after that one. On another note I’ve now done 3 runs without being rained on. Bonus!! Then I went to the hairdressers for some pampering and a nice cup of...

Mar 4th

Mud, Glorious Mud.

Wednesday, at last, some sunshine :-) I still got an absolute soaking though! Club run today and fortunately John had sent out a message ‘Conditions look perfect. Plenty of mud on the course and the weather forecast is for more rain. Consequently your shoes will be a mess when you get back so its not the day to bring out the shiny new pair.’ So I left mine firmly in their...

Mar 2nd

Week 8 - half way there

Week 7’s mileage = 25 Lower than I would have liked but the girls were on half term break. My training plan sent to me by Runners World said this week - “Before you get started on this week’s schedule, take a moment to congratulate yourself - you’re now halfway through your marathon preparation!” Yeh Took my new trainers for a run - down to the gym, well I don’t want to...

Feb 23rd

New Shoes :-)

Monday I went to buy some new trainers and after trying on numerous pairs and road testing them I finally went with Saucony, again! Stick with what you know I say. Take a good look because they will soon look like these…

Feb 23rd

Longest Run...EVER!!

Yes Friday I did a massive 14 miles, the farthest I have ever run. I’ve done half marathons before (13.1 miles) so to do 14 miles as a training run felt really good. I started off with my club on a 6.2 mile course, we were handicapped but for some reason I didn’t have one so went off with George first. I couldn’t stay with George, sorry George, but you were too slow even for...

Feb 22nd

Hill Sprints and Cowboy Hats!

It all went slightly wrong today (Wed) as I was supposed to be out with my club but I didn’t manage to get to the start in time. I saw most of my fellow runners as they passed me one shouting ‘your hats in the changing area’. ‘Hat, hat what hat?’ It all became clear as I got to the club house to find one of my girls cowboy hat on the notice board, not just any hat,...

Feb 18th

Completed a Marathon...

OK it took me a week!! now all I have to do is try and do it in 4 and a half hours…on the same day. ;-) Miles logged this week = 27.5 I’ll just take you back to Thursday, my dinner was delicious and I did have a vodka tonic with a slice of lime and a glass of wine, more importantly I had a pudding !! and it was yummy! So to Friday, I set off in trepidation of the 12 miles in...

Feb 15th

100 Training Miles logged

I’m half way through week 6 and have managed to log just over 100 miles. I did a circuits training session at the gym this morning followed by a 5 mile run at a steady pace. Doing a 12 mile run tomorrow. James taking me out for dinner tonight and I think I’ve earned a pudding!! :)

Feb 11th

Gone to the Dogs! Week 5 over...

Week 4 ended with 24 miles on the log, then the whole family went down with some bug and that was it for 2 days, on the sofa watching movies all feeling sorry for ourselves:( Wednesday I did the club run, 5K, I tried to put some effort in but it still took me 31:16. I again jogged down to the start and home making it 5 miles. Thursday I had another rest day. Friday I managed a slow 5 and...

Feb 8th

Hail to the British Weather!

Friday Caroline (Christchurch runner) popped over and we set off on what was to be a slow 3 miles. It was cold, nothing new there then, but dry. We set off down to the beach and along to Mudeford Quay chatting, cause that’s what we girls do best, and the fitness mags always say work at conversation pace, so that’s what we did. What did we talk about? Husbands, holidays and horses! Now the cold I...

Feb 2nd

Circuits with a bit of Interval training

Went to the gym this morning for a circuit training session, thought I would throw something else into the mix! Before the session I decided to do some interval training on the treadmill. I had to work out the km to miles as for some reason the machines are set to km’s, I did ask for them to change it but they decided against that as they think most people would get confused, however the...

Feb 1st

Negative Split (- with Hills)

The club run today was a 3 mile out and back with hills. Basically we had to run a mile and a half route where our times were noted, then we had to run back the reverse and be back quicker than we went out. Penalties for those who got back slower. Luckily I picked up the pace and returned 45 seconds quicker so no penalties for me. I made it 5 miles by jogging to the start and jogging home...

Feb 1st

Miles trained this week - 19

Well it’s the end of week 3 and I managed to clock up 19 miles. I was going to go out Sunday morning but I had a bit of a blow out Saturday night and didn’t come until the birds were tweeting in the very small hours!! Sunday morning became Sunday afternoon and I really didn’t have the head for a run. A cup of tea and a chat with my neighbour was about all I could manage… ...

Jan 25th

Friday - part 2

I think I was a little tired on Friday hence my outburst on the rain!! I did, believe it or not enjoy my run on Friday, I went out with Pete, who is also running the Marathon. We left the club house that Friday, it was very chilly with a biting wind but the rain had ceased for a while anyway. Our route took us through Mudeford woods which in parts we really needed our wellies, we continued down...

Jan 24th

Friday, 8 miles, pissing rain, rain, rain…

…oh actually 8.25 miles did I mention the rain? Ok let me tell you more, it rained, it was cold, we ran 8.25 miles, the .25 extra because we went the wrong way not that it mattered as we were already soaking wet because it was RAINING! My new socks

Jan 22nd

Club Run - Stanpit Marsh

After Mondays run into nothingness I had a rest on Tuesday, yes I know I also had the weekend off but this weather does nothing to motivate me to WANT to go out and run. Wednesday I set off to run with my club (Christchurch Runners) mainly for some company, I jogged down slowly to the start line, about a mile and then we all set off together towards Stanpit Marsh nature reserve where in late...

Jan 22nd

Pea Soup

Yet again I struggled to get any motivation to get out and run, I needed to do 4 miles today so I did a route along the beach and back. I could hear the waves rolling in but couldn’t see them as the fog was quite thick, it was weird to know it was there, to hear it but not see it. Everyone and there dog was out though, maybe because I was a bit later than normal, almost tripping over a few...

Jan 19th

The Second Week

Mileage = 19.5 Friday was my long run day and I really struggled yet again to get going. By mile 2 I was thinking of only doing 4 miles, if when I get to the bottom of the hill at mile 3 I can just turn left and run back home making it 4 miles, well you will be pleased to know that by the time I got to the bottom of the hill I had forgotten this thought and turned right! It wasn’t until I...

Jan 18th

Arctic Monkeys

Well I really really didn’t want to go running today but after 3 hours of cleaning the house I decided enough was enough I couldn’t put it off any longer! I had to go. So, I summoned up the courage, put The Arctic Monkeys on my ipod and off I went. My route today took me past Highcliffe castle and down onto the path along the beach towards Chewton Bunny. I was supposed to do 1 mile...

Jan 14th

Rest Day/Highclere Day Out

Today’s plan was to rest, which was just as well as I had a day out with the other volunteers from Highcliffe Castle. Today we were off to Highclere Castle in Hampshire about half an hour past Winchester. Of course what we didn’t realise was, yes you guessed it, it had snowed! Our coach driver did very well but couldn’t do the half mile of driveway so the Earl of Carnavon very...

Jan 13th

3 tags

The First Weeks Training

Miles run this week = 15.6 Well there I was all set and ready to go, all planned out exactly how my week was going to go, Runners World had emailed me my Marathon Training Newsletter, the girls would be back at school and I could get back out there and run, run, run… and then it snowed!! So, the girls had to be picked up and my plan, well that got scrapped… Despite the weather...

Jan 12th

Dec 7th