Robin Hood Marathon 2014 Preparation Evaluation

Robin Hood Marathon 2014

The robin hood marathon marked my 4th ever marathon and the second in my three in three months series.

I found the last few weeks in the build up to the run tough to say they least as you might have gathered from some of my previous posts, here and here. 

In the few days prior to the race I didn't feel ready to run mentally or physically and kind of stopped thinking about it in the hope that it somehow wouldn't happen. 

I was annoyed with myself for being so unorganised as well. Usually the few weeks prior to a big event I am very organised and focused on my preparations and rehearse my race build up and warm ups to replicate what will happen on race weekend. But due to a few other commitments the last two weeks didn't go to plan and I wasn't able to practice as I would have liked coupled with the fact I didn't feel well enough to run long and my preparations were far from ideal.  

I was also unorganized about a few other important factors including:

Pacing - In thinking about what kind of pace I was going to try and run, should I try and push for sub 4 even though I didn't feel like i was in the right shape to do so?

Trainers - I knew i needed new trainers prior to this race but left buying them too late and although I still had around 3 weeks to wear them in I didn't feel that this was enough. 

Race hydration & nutrition and logistics - I kept deliberating and procrastinating about what to do during the race. Should I wear my hydration pack? Should I bring energy gels or rely on the lucozades on the course? If I choose to carry gels should I then bring my hydration pack to carry them in or hold them in my waist strap? Should I carry my phone with me on the run and if so should I use my arm strap or pop it in my hydration pack? 

Toilet troubles - Over the last few runs prior to the marathon I was troubled by toilet troubles and needing to stop for both number ones and number twos! Not ideal preparation to leave you in a positive mindset! This issue was weighing heavy on my mind as no runner wants to have to factor in bladder and bowel complaints into their race strategy.

So basically I think I got a bit psyched out by the mental challenges that a marathon presented and I got too caught up in things without focusing on the basics of just running. 

Hopefully that's lesson learned and I wont fall into the same trap again! 

While thinking about marathon build up I wrote an article called Final Week Marathon Preparation for takitinyourstride.co.uk, please check out not only my article but also the site as an interesting and useful running resource.

Thanks for reading, I would love to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences, full race report to follow...........

48 hour marathon countdown

With around 48 hours to go until the Robin Hood Marathon on Sunday, my 4th ever marathon and the 2nd of my 3 in 3 months challenge how am I feeling?

The answer in short is not that great!

I suppose the thing is I always think I feel amazingly super fit and well pre marathon so when I don't feel all energised bouncing around like the Duracell bunny I feel a bit disappointed. Although there is no doubt that I am fit enough, strong enough and ready to run and hopefully even able to run faster than I have before there is always that disappointment when the transformation into a Mo Farah replica doesn't take place during your training programme.

Then there is the doubt, the crippling doubt. 

Have I done enough training, have I done the right training?

Have I ran often enough? Or ran too often?

Have I done enough speed work and ha my speed been fast enough?

What about my long runs? Have they been long enough?

So many questions with no real answers and I always have the voice in the back of my head trying to convince me my whole training plan has been an utter shambles!

This last week I have taken it very easy, 13K on Sunday, gym on Monday, 7K Tuesday, circuits Wednesday and then 3.5K last night. I fear I over did the squats and lunges on Wednesday though as I have felt a bit achy and stiff since.

My run last night was not great as my calves felt so tight and stiff and I struggled for energy despite massively increasingly my carb intake. 

I have been foam rolling twice daily in an effort to get my calve into good shape but they aren't great and I think this will really hamper my time as they will prevent me from running a good pace for the opening few miles while they warm themselves up.

My marathon preparation has been blighted by a feeling of disorganisation

The problems have been should I run with my hydration pack? If I do will it slow me down? Do I really need to carry water when there are regular drink stations? Do I nees to carry energy gels or should I just rely on the energy drinks provided? If I choose energy gels should I carry this in my hydration bag or in my running bum bag? Then what about my phone? Its easier to carry in my bag as I don't get on that well with arm straps, or should I carry it at all? 

Too many questions that I haven't given enough thought to and made definitive decisions to, I have just kind of muddled along with an answer. My plan is to carry a few energy gels, ditch the hydration pack (on account of not wanting to look like a prick!), take advantage of the energy drinks on route if I need to and carry my phone in my arm strap and hope it doesn't cut of circulation to my arm over the course of the marathon!

Realistically I know a sub 4 marathon is out of the equation so my aim is to turn up, run well, enjoy the run, enjoy one of my favourite cities and hopefully be able to look back on the marathon as a positive experience.

The weekend is a big marathon weekend with Berlin and The Loch Ness marathons also taking place. Good luck to everyone running a marathon or racing another event this weekend. Thanks for reading! 

1 marathon down 2 to go, what have I learnt?

So after 1 of my 3 marathons in 3 months challenge where am I and what have I learnt? 

My challenge was to run 3 marathons in 3 months, I entered theses in early 2014 as I felt I needed something to work on and needed to achieve something positive and challenging prior to turning 30 in early 2015. My other motive was to give myself a great chance of running a sub 4 hour marathon, firstly so I can just say I have achieved this milestone and secondly so I could have the challenge of achieving this before turning 30. 

The first and third marathons in my mini series are trail marathons so the second marathon in Nottingham on the 28th September which is a standard city marathon on a flat course with strong PB potential was always going to be the ideal opportunity to crack the magical sub 4 barrier. 

I am pretty desperate just to get a clear run at a marathon and have a good crack at a sub 4. As you can read from my post run report of my first marathon it didn't quite go to plan and didn't give me any kind of chance of running a good time. 

As I train more and run more I continue to learn more about what it takes to train for a marathon and how to run one and I am increasingly eager to put this into practice and to try and run a 'perfect' race.

With the Notitngham Marathon coming up in September I know this city marathon will be my best chance of cracking sub 4 and probably my only chance of running sub 4 pre 30. 

So what have I learnt from my training and running the first marathon?

Drink more water - I am not talking about the actual race but more on a daily basis, although I have always drank a lot of water and stayed well hydrated I have realised I think I am not drinking enough especially when I am training a lot. So I have started to make a conscious effort to drink more before and after training as well as drinking more while at the gym as well.

Eat more protein - Putting in some serious mileage and training every day obviously puts a great strain on your body and your muscles and again I figured I wasn't eating as much protein as I could/should be. In the week or two before the marathon I started eating steak and chicken all the time as well as increasing the amounts of protein shakes I was consuming.

Now I am trying to pack my diet full of as much protein as possible with my main protein sources being chicken, steak, kidney beans, chick peas, hummus, brazil nuts, almonds, tuna, and mackerel.

Run more - I have finally broken some kind of mental block I had which stopped me from running on consecutive days and seemed to hold me back from running too much. Now I am quite happy running day after day within reason and have put together several 4 and 5 day plus runstreaks. It goes without saying really but running on more days means I am able to train more and get in more mileage which will benefit me massively. 

More strength training - A neglected part of my training regime as its hard and it hurts and its generally not as fun as running is. But unfortunately doing weights, circuits and body weight exercises such as press up, lunges and squats are integral to any training plan if you want to get faster and stronger and I am now making a real effort to include 2 or 3 strength training type sessions into my weekly routine.  

Thanks for reading and I hope you found this post useful for your own training.

Vanguard Way Marathon Report

Time to reflect on my third marathon yesterday and my first of three marathons in the next three months. Warning this blog may turn into a bit of a marathon read and doesn't even fully cover everything that happened along the way! 

Yesterday I completed the Vanguard Way Marathon, a small local trail marathon starting out in South Croydon following the Vanguard Way trail out to Limpsfield and back. The race was organised by a member of the 100 marathon club and I was in awe of some of the runners I ran with who were rightly introduced and acknowledged at the start of the race, a few had run in the region of 500 marathons and one gentleman was on the verge of completing his 1000th marathon in the coming weeks! If that didn't motivate me to run then I don't know what would have!

The run turned out to be really enjoyable with some great trails, countryside and scenery to experience. I enjoyed some great running and felt stronger and ran more than in previous marathons. I also experienced some great camaraderie with my fellow runners along the course. 

The marathon turned out to be a rather eventful few hours of running.

Preparation

In the week leading up to the marathon I had very much enjoyed 'the fun part to marathon training', that is the bit where you get to eat loads under the guise of 'carb loading'. Despite eating lots I managed to keep it all healthy and clean with lots of potato, flapjacks and tortilla wraps, you can read about some of my carb loading fun here. 

I felt pretty good in the build up to the run although I had missed out on a few long training runs due to illness and injury, see previous blog articles here.

The start of the marathon was about an hours drive from home, so I made sure I was all organised and ready to go the night before with only a little bit of packing in the morning. We set off in good time and we managed to find our way their easily and got there in plenty of time. I say 'we' as although I wasn't running with anyone I had my number one supporter my wife with me acting as driver, support crew, photographer and cheer leader.

This was my first event with my camelpack and I must say it worked out well as it was comfortable to wear, allowed me to stay well hydrated throughout the run and I was able to carry energy gels a lot more comfortably than my running bum bag I used previously.

The Actual Run

The marathon was a small scale trail marathon only in its second year. The course was marked out with tape and spray paint arrows which required a certain amount of self navigation and awareness to ensure you stayed on the right track.

Lets just say that although I didn't have any real running problems my navigation wasn't as successful! 

Detour number 1

After around 3 or 4 miles I was part of a largish group of maybe ten runners coming down a trail picking up a decent speed enjoying a decline in the trail. We came to the bottom of the section, over a crossroads in the path and I followed everyone through another gate up onto the next part of the trail. As the trail started to get steeper I was now part of a group of maybe 20 runners when 2 or 3 runners started to raise questions over whether we were on the right path and if any markers had been spotted. After a bit of discussion they decided to head back but I made the decision to press up following the majority of the other runners ahead of me.

It turns out we had missed our turning and had ended up going up and around the golf course rather than along the bottom of it an up the other side. After a mile or two we met up with the proper route again and I think the detour only added a short distance to the course. Although I was at fault for not observing course markings and getting caught up with the group I don't consider this error to be my fault which is frustrating as it cost a lot of time in deliberating and discussing which way to go and how to proceed.

Detour number 2

Just after the half way turnaround I was running with another guy who I had been running with for several mile and we had struck up quite a bit of conversation about the course and the run. The route took us onto a bridge over the motorway and back onto an off road track into a wooded area. I was confident we should then veer off to the left down a few steps onto another trail. Following the guy in front I kept my eyes peeled for this passage to the left but couldn't see it so I thought I must have been mistaken and kept on running up the track. A few minutes later and I started having serious doubts over where we were heading and sure enough shortly after the other guy stopped to question me. We consulted the map and decided we were unsure of where to head so should continue to the next junction before deciding how to reconnect back with the real trail. We were soon caught up by another runner who confidently reassured us we were on the right path and should keep going straight on. I voiced my concerns that we had missed a turning to the left through the woods and although the other two thought this might be correct we decided going back would waste too much time and we should just try to reconnect to the real route. After pressing on for several minutes with the three of us having contrasting views on how to proceed I decided it was time to whip out my phone to consult my mapmyrun app which had been tracking my run. I quickly identified where we had gone wrong and where we needed to head to reconnect with the route. A few hundred metres down the side of a busy road and we met up with familiar territory and the course. Easily a mile wasted and more time lost in discussing where to go. 

Worse than the detour upon trying to quickly navigate the most direct route through a field of cows I failed to notice a rather large muddy patch and ended up taking several large squelchy steps. As if that was bad enough the mud wasn't pure mud and contained the kind of smelly stuff you unfortunately find in cow fields! My trainers got pretty dirty and wet which made them heavy for the next few miles but the worse thing was the stinking smell caused my the cow excrement coming from them which thankfully only lasted for a few miles! 

Detour number 3 

Coming into the last 4 or 5 miles the trail passed through some woods before coming out onto residential roads towards the finish in Lloyd Park. I was managing to find my way OK while trying to make ground on two runners a few hundred metres ahead of me. I remembered from the way out that there was a tight poorly signed corner which I think I managed to take, I was then heading straight along a path for ages waiting for the path to come out onto roads. It took me too long to realise I had gone to far and obviously had missed a turning. Upon consulting my phone to check mapmyrun My heart sank as I realised I had ended up a long way off course. I quickly planned the most direct route to link me up with trail again determined to get back on course and complete the route. My heart quickly sank as I realised it was around 3 miles to join me back up towards the finish line and the start of this journey was a steep long hill! I walked/jogged my way towards the finish carefully checking my map to make sure I was heading the right way and taking the most direct route. 

I decided to keep going until I hit the marathon distance and then to just concentrate on getting back to the finish line. I had spent so long looking at my map and trying to navigate that my race time had suffered greatly.

After an age I caught sight of the park where the finish was, I felt like a right idiot heading towards the finish line in pretty much the opposite direction of the actual course and my wife was shocked to see me creep up on her from the wrong direction! 

So the finish brought a range of emotions, I was so pleased with my actual running performance as I ran throughout the 5 hours it took me to complete the course and my legs were full of running in the final miles. I was so disappointed to have messed things up so much though! 

I was very downhearted to have put so much effort in and sacrificed so much to end up with a disappointing time caused largely by my detours and the delays and stoppages they caused. 

Recovery

Post race apart from the anguish, frustration, disappointment and annoyance of taking so many detours physically I felt good, really good! Throughout the day I kept waiting for the pain to hit me but it never came. 

Directly after finishing I did a bit of a shakedown and cool down and as well as taking on plenty of water I consumed an energy drink, a protein shake, a banana, a mars bar and a tortilla wrap. As well as no physical pain I didn't suffer any stomach issues either during the race, directly after the race, after eating or during the drive home.

I did take a huge amount of satisfaction from feeling so good after such an effort and knew it meant I had trained and prepared very well.

First thing I did when I got home? Before I jumped in the shower I popped my favorite source of post run dirty carbs in the oven and as soon as I was washed up I devoured it pretty much as quick as I could.

A Chicago Town takeaway style filled crust pizza, hits the spot every time! 

Thanks for reading and I plan to share more thoughts from the marathon and my experiences soon.

Finally getting out for a proper long run

On Sunday despite my niggling big toe injury I headed out for a long run and managed to complete 29.3Km!

I was so relieved to be able to get a good distanced long run in before my fast approaching marathon in two weeks on 3rd August. I was also thankful my toe allowed me to complete the distance and has showed no signs of worsening since the run.

My aim was to try and cover 20K and then if my toe held up to try and push into the higher 20s towards 30.

My long distance stamina isn’t where it should be as it has been two weeks since I complete 20K and three plus weeks since I completed anything longer.

I did find it a struggle and my legs started to wain a little around the 14K mark but I dug in and completed a distance I was really pleased with.

I was also able to successful practice my race preparation and race strategy. My pre-race schedule looked something like this on Sunday morning:

My carb loading strategy worked well and I felt well fuelled throughout the run, I was also able to get some much needed experience of using my new hydration pack on a long run.

I also took along a fee energy gels and took four during my run which helped maintain my energy levels. I was happy with how they helped my performance and was satisfied I was able to digest them with no stomach issues.

The run has to go down as one of the most enjoyable runs I can remember. Firstly the relief at being able to run after injury, secondly with not being sure how far I would be able to run being able to run such a good distance felt great!

It was also such a great summer’s morning, warm and bright even though the sun hadn’t quite pierced through the clouds fully at 8.30am when I started out.

It was the kind of day where summer felt in full peak after a few days of really hot and humid weather, the grass was all sunburnt and straw like and the ground mostly dry and crisp despite some heavy downpours a few days previously.

Running through fields in the country park I was often running through a vibrant cacophony provided by what seemed like a million grasshoppers/cricket providing at times an ear piercing backing track to a lovely summer morning. At times it was a relief to leave a fielded area to get reacclimatised with the silence and you then realise how loud the cricket orchestra had been.

Post run I feel great although I have painful blister on my right heel and sore, damaged nipples which will take a few days to heal over. The run has reconnected me with why I love to run, the feeling of pushing yourself towards your limit and the physical and mental excellence you are rewarded with as a result.

I can’t wait to get out and run the marathon on 3rd of August and am looking forward to many more long runs as I train towards the following two marathons after that.

Thanks for reading, I hope you are enjoying your running and your training is progressing well.

Performance problems in the heat

With the British summer now in full swing, well until the rain that is bound to come now that Wimbledon and Glastonbury are upon us, running is becoming a hot, sunny and sweaty affair.

Here is a look at problems running in the summer can course:

Dehydration - the first thing you think about when it gets hotter. Drinking plenty is a fairly obvious solution but a hydration strategy is less obvious and is necessary to make sure you get enough fluids. Think of hydrating as a marathon not a sprint as you need to drink plenty and increase your fluids over a long period not just a short time before your run. My strategies include; drinking a pint of water first thing when you get up, carrying a water bottle with you at all times and eating plenty of water dense fruit and vegetables like cucumber and melon.

Rehydration tip - my quick, cheap and easy tip for staying hydrated or re-hydrating after a run is to make a pint of fairly strong fruit squash and add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar so you can replenish your salts and sugars lost through sweating. Give it a good stir and it works a treat! 

Dehydration can then lead to cramps and stitches as direct negative affects of not getting enough fluids. I am aware of a noticeable increase in cramps while running in the summer compared to the cooler months. Once you develop a cramp while running it can be hard to shift but its a good indicator that you haven't been drinking enough and you need to increase your fluid intake.

Tiredness - I for one feel much more tired in the heat and can often feel pretty drained from being out and about in the sun before I even start running. I try to keep in the shade where possible, dribk plenty and stay cool by drinking icy drinks. The main way I try to increase my energy levels in the heat is by taking glucose tablets to keep my blood sugar levels up and replace what I lose in sweat, these are so easy to pop in your pocket when you are out on a run.

Sweat in the eye - one of the most painful ailments known to man surely!?! Certainly one of my least favorite issues caused by running and can be much more debilitating than it sounds as if you cant see cause your eye is clenched up in pain then you cant see to run! There are no real cures for this other than trying to mop sweat from your head and face before it can run into your eye and being careful not to rub your eyes with sweaty hands.

Sweat - sweat is an inevitable consequence of running in the heat and sun and sweat soaked running kit clinging and sticking to you can quickly become very uncomfortable. These days there are so many materials that are marketed as 'sweat resistant', 'climate control' or 'breathable' that are designed to make running more comfortable. Try out different materials to find what works best for you. My tip is to wear a top that's a little baggier and longer than normal so you have a bit of extra stretch and material to mop sweat from your face to help you feel a bit less sweaty.

Bright sun - when we are lucky enough in Britain to have a bright sunny day we are often so quick to complain about it! I don't want to complain or moan about bright sunny days but some strong sun can cause problems when running by limiting your vision either of whats around you or of your footing below you. Sunglasses and caps are obvious solutions but not everyone, myself included likes running with these but a bit of extra care needs to be taken to avoid running into anything or any trip hazards.

Hayfever - last but by no means least hayfever, sniffly nose, runny nose, swore sinuses, swore throat, head aches, runny eyes are all hayfever symptoms that can then impact upon running. Of course hayfever can be so debilitating it can leave you housebound with a trail run in the countryside the last thing on your mind. Recently I have been struggling with a dry throat that feels coarse and makes you feel you always need to cough and this has been problematic as it has affected my breathing but I am thankful that the affect of hayfever on my running are so mild and I can still run. I suppose the best ways to combat hayfever are to take medication as appropriate and in terms of running avoid rural routes or route containing allergy causing trees, flowers or plants. Running at different times of the day can also be beneficial and with pollen forecasts now being widely available its easy to gauge when hayfever is going to be more of an issue and try to avoid those times and days accordingly. 

Summer is of course the ideal time for running with warmer temperatures, longer evenings and sunnier skies. Whatever the negative factors and problems get out there and make the most of it because after all the British summer never lasts that long! 

Prep diary for HM 31st May

My pre run diary for me to track my progress and how I felt and prepared in the run up. 

Wed

Exercise: Boot camp wednesday evening

Food diary: brown rice for lunch, flap jack as afternoon snack, small portion of potato wedges in evening.

Physical: 7/10 feeling strong but tired

Nutrition: 8/10 plenty of carbs

Hydration: 7/10 not enough water post bootcamp.

Thur

Exercise: 5K recovery run, stiff and sore but felt good. Not enough time for thorough stretch but did small roller & stretch session before bed.

Food diary: brown rice for lunch, ikea meatballs & mash in evening. Ate late and was stodgy. 

Physical: 8/10 aching and stiff in glutes, hams, hips and lower back but felt good during run and much better after.

Nutrition: 6/10 disappointed with eating stodge other than that good. 

Hydration: 8/10 doing OK but should be drinking more

Fri

Exercise: Gym in AM weights and abs/core, stretch. 

Food diary: Burrito for lunch

Physical: 8/10 felt good

Nutrition: 7/10 good other than 3 pints and a chicken burger on an impromptu night out.  

Hydration: 7/10 tried to drink plenty 

Sat

Post run I had a banana and a flapjack and had a bottle of iso sports drink

Felt good well fuelled and had plenty of energy.

Did 21K in 1 hour 55