I did it!

When I started this blog two years ago I said I would lose weight and beat my parkrun PB of 28:13 within a year. COVID-19 may have put actual parkruns on pause but last week I completed a (not)parkrun at Littlehampton in 28:01! Strava even kindly recorded a 5k time of 27:57, thank you Strava!

A windy morning at Littlehampton

I admit, Littlehampton is a flat course, but a PB is a PB! And there was quite a headwind!

As I have previously admitted, although I had made good progress, it was not looking likely that I would beat my PB at the end of the first year, even if parkrun had still been happening. And whilst I have loved running throughout the pandemic, for the first 7 months or so I mostly got slower.

The reason? The usual one of eating all the food and drinking all the wine! Like so many, I used the stress of the situation to justify the indulgence. After all, what harm could come from a few weeks of pigging out? Probably not much, but by October it was clear that the pandemic was here for some time yet. It was time to take back control and get into shape! So back to MyFitnessPal - after trying many different approaches, I find that counting calories is the easiest way to lose weight. It might not be new or trendy or exciting, but it works!

As a runner, there are many benefits to losing weight. The first, of course, is that running gets easier! And you get faster without even trying. The second is that when you see people you know out running they say lovely things to you! Then there is the reduced risk of injury, I am certain that my joints appreciate the lighter load. The final benefit is that some of my running clothes are now too large, so I shall have to buy new ones! Luckily, the shops are about to re-open - quite serendipitous!

As I write, it is hoped that parkrun will return on 5 June, just 8 weeks away. It would be awesome to manage a good time in that first post-pause parkrun, although as I hope to be in the Lake District (not very flat) I doubt it will be sub 28 minutes!

That first parkrun is going to be emotional, when it paused I don't think anyone expected it to be over a year before we could return. The current (not)parkrun count is 58, so we will have missed 65 by the time it returns, assuming the 5 June return goes to plan.

Before that I have an actual race coming up in four weeks - the much postponed Jigsaw Run - a flat 10k round an airfield. I ran this race at about the same time as my parkrun PB, so it will be a good test of how I am doing. I think I shall be so over-excited at running in a real race with real people that anything could happen!  Hopefully that excitement will result in a good time rather than in starting off too fast and running out of puff!

So, two years into my blog and things are looking good. I would like to lose some more weight - I call my excess weight my "super power" - until it runs out I can just keep getting faster by getting lighter. To my slim running friends, who do not have this "super power", you may need to watch out! I could be about to catch you ...

A busy few months!

When I wrote my last blog post we had just entered lockdown - it was all new and scary and everyone was figuring out their own way through.  I naively wrote about staying (getting?) fit to compete in all the races which were rescheduled to take place in September.  Well, today, the last of those has been cancelled.  To be fair, my lockdown has not been one of getting faster and lighter, so there were no PBs on the cards, but it would have been lovely to be able to run in a race again, even if I came last!

So, for me, 2019 was the year of races, and of course the bling.  So what was I to do when all the races were cancelled?

Well, I have been busy!  It turns out that there are loads of fantastic virtual challenges out there and I have replaced my love of (obsession with) races with virtual challenges!  This is what I have been up to so far.

(not)parkrun

Every Saturday at 9am(ish) since parkrun was paused I have completed a 5km run, mostly at our home alternative course at Witley and Milford Commons but I have also done some (not)parkrun tourism at Merrow Downs parkrun.  I highly recommend the cafe at Merrow Downs although the capacity is extremely limited at six socially distanced people.

Waverley Harriers Chain Relay

From 1 April to 28 April we kept a member of the running club running at all times between 6:30am and 8pm.  It got hairy at times but the chain didn't break until 28 April although it was definitely showing a bit of wear and tear for a day or two before that!

Harriers Go To Spain

We all missed the Chain Relay so much that we decided to run to Spain to have a party on the rooftop of the apartment of Alexandra, a member of the club who was stuck in Spain.  We arrived in Spain after 12 days for a Zoom party, then decided to run back again.  The return leg took a lot longer, possibly due to a few detours in the French wine regions!

Virtual Spring 10k

I will be honest, I only entered this to get a medal!  I combined the run with the Fitstuff Scavenger Hunt so it was pretty slow!

Virtual Endure24

One of the races that was cancelled was Endure24, an event I was both looking forward to and dreading in equal measures, a 24 hour team relay with 5 mile laps, described as Glastonbury for Runners. This usually runs from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday meaning runners camp overnight and most get to do a nighttime lap.  The lack of sleep scared me almost as much as the running, but only almost.  This was replaced by a virtual version where I was in a team of twelve with two one hour shifts to do and the luxury of sleeping in my own bed.  It was such good fun that I now cannot wait for the real event next year!

There followed an aimless month or so of just running and walking although a relaxation to lockdown did allow me to meet my friend Jane for a run - funny when you think of all the things we used to do that we just took for granted!

Then I discovered two new challenges:

Operation Bletchley

This 100 mile codebreaking challenge kept me happily occupied throughout July.  I flew to France aboard a Halifax bomber where I parachuted into Nazi occupied France.  My mission was to make it to Paris on foot, decipher codes and deliver a message to Winston Churchill.  I am pleased (relieved) to say that I was able to solve all the codes although some had me scratching my head for a day or two!  Throughout the mission I was prone to quoting from 'Allo 'Allo - how could I not?!

Great North Run Solo

This seemed like a great idea at the time.  The Great North Run had been cancelled but a shiny medal could be earned by just running 40 times in 78 days, how hard could that be?  For me it simply required the addition of one run per week, so instead of running 2-3 times per week I have to run 3-4 times per week.  The problem is that does not allow for niggles or injuries.  As I write I have completed 21 runs and am about 3 runs behind where I should be with less than a month to go.  I guess I had better start stretching and foam rolling a bit more consistently if I am to get through this in one piece!

Now the Great South Run has been cancelled there is also a Great South Run Solo starting on 1 September - this one is 25 runs finishing with a10 mile run on 18 October.  I am trying really hard not to enter this.

Lands End to John O'Groats (LEJOG)

After the end of Operation Bletchley I again felt a lack of purpose so thought I'd tackle the 1,084 miles from Lands End to John O'Groats.  Both running and walking count and I have given myself 40 weeks to complete the challenge. After 15 days I am in St Austell and about a day behind where I should be - I need to pick up the pace!

Zombies, Run!

This is my latest discovery and I am loving it.  I now run whilst being chased by zombies and doing heroic deeds for the people at Abel Township as Runner 5.   Luckily the zombies run quite slowly so sometimes I even outrun them! 

How am I not broken?

This is a mystery to me.  Before lockdown I saw my osteopath every 3 weeks and had a sports massage most weeks and thought that was the only way I could keep doing the running that I wanted to do.  I now run more often than ever before (if a little more slowly) with nobody fixing my niggles!  I really hoping I can keep getting away with it - Scotland is calling!

Over the past few months, I have felt more like a runner than ever before, albeit a slow one. The joy of running and not looking at the clock has been a wonderful thing to discover.  I shall have to make the most of it as, once parkrun returns, there is that PB to chase!

What a difference a year makes!

I started this blog just over a year ago with a clear plan for what I was going to achieve - which was to beat my parkrun PB within 12 months.  At that time, I was frustrated with how my running was going and felt I needed a goal and some accountability (that's you lovely people who are reading this) to help me improve.

I could never have imagined that one year on not only is parkrun not happening but that I am so grateful every day just to be able to run.  Worrying about times and personal bests has become completely irrelevant.  Instead I worry about tighter restrictions being imposed on our daily exercise and, of course, about getting sick.

One of the reasons that I wanted to get better at running was so that I could enjoy the social side of it - after all, most of my friends are runners - and again this is something that has gone out the window, if only temporarily.  The technological wonder of Zoom may allow me to take part in my weekly Pilates class and post "not parkrun" coffee but I have not yet seen anyone successfully leading a club run over Zoom.  Although both my running clubs are being very creative and setting challenges for people so that we all still feel part of a community.

For Fitstuff this has included a timed mile (to help keep track of the effect of lockdown eating maybe?), sprint intervals and a hills session.  Waverley Harriers has set up a virtual chain relay.  This is a competition between two teams and is now into its 6th day with teams running consistently from 6.30am to 8pm each day.  I am in the Blue Team and, aside from the impressive running, there have been some very creative virtual baton hand overs.

An added and new challenge to running is having to stay at least 2 metres away from anyone that you pass.  There has been a bit of criticism of inconsiderate runners on social media and I am determined not to be thought one of them, even if this means scaling banks and running in the road - a kind of extreme interval training!

About that PB ...

So how did I get on with my 12 month goal?  Not bad, actually!  I have lost over 10kg and brought my parkrun time down from 35:39 to 29:11, just 58 seconds slower than my all time PB of 28:13.  I also managed a parkrun pace which would have been a sub 29 minute 5km so all was looking promising.  However, as the last two parkruns of March were cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis, we will never know if I would have hit my target ...

After my fastest parkrun in three years!

Being brutally honest, it wasn't likely, and would have required a downhill course, a strong tailwind and a lot of luck, but I am still very pleased with my progress.  I am hoping to beat 28:13 later this year although right now we have no idea when parkrun will be back.  On the one hand, that means I have a lot of time to get lighter and faster.  However, without my weekly parkrun time to keep me focused, I may well get slower!

That said, pretty much all of my Spring and Summer races have been rescheduled to September so this is no time to slack off.  I shall have to think of all the bling that is to come!

The medal for my "virtual" London Winter Run - this one cancelled by Storm Ciara!

Stay safe everyone and keep running!

2019 - my year of 10k races

A little later than planned, here is my review of the year of 10ks! Late in 2018 I decided that it would be a good idea to run a 10k race every month of 2019 as this would really help me to improve my running. I am also (as you have probably gathered by now) addicted to bling so the thought of 12 shiny medals was very appealing. I actually ended up with 16 shiny 10k medals as I got a bit carried away in May and June and decided to run three 10k races in each month. Note to future self - three 10k races a month is too many.

The plan, such as it was, was to get faster each month, although as with most plans, it didn't exactly pan out as hoped. However, the good news is that I did end the year a faster runner than at the beginning of the year. I got slower in the first three months which led to me starting this blog. I then sped up a bit in April and May before deciding to cut carbs from my diet which was a big mistake and meant that June's times were pretty bad. However, since July my times have steadily improved to my best time of the year which was 1:02:29 at Bushy Park in November. For these purposes I am ignoring my time for the Wimbledon Santa Run due to the somewhat challenging course conditions!

I shall not bore you with a rundown of 16 races, as most of them have been mentioned at some point in my blog, but thought I would recap my five favourite races of the year. I guess it should be no surprise that four of the five were also my best times of the year.

Bushy 10k Series

These are such lovely races, they are basically twice round the parkrun route so lovely and flat. They are quite small so you can turn up and collect your number and have a wee without having to allow loads of time. The medals are fabulous and they are excellent value for money. Plus I got my fastest time of the year in the November race at 1:02:29 so of course this makes my top five.

London Winter Run

Well, what can I say about this run? I love a big London 10k as you get all the fun and crowds and music and landmarks of a marathon but only have to run 10k! And this one has polar bears, penguins and huskies. And it is mostly flat. And there is a cool medal. Even after all my races this year, this may still be my favourite race ever. I am excited to be doing it again next month - I hope it lives up to expectations!

Hart 4 Relay Race

OK, so this is not a 10k, but I ran four 4k laps so more than 10k, and it is one of my top races of the year. It consists of teams of four people running 4k laps for four hours. There is a great atmosphere, it is fun being part of a team, and a 4k lap is very manageable, particularly since the last 2k is mostly downhill. But I think what really made this race for me is that it is when I first noticed the benefit of having lost 8kg.

Guildford 10k

Wow - what a race! I had such low expectations as I had a niggle, the course was going to be boring and started uphill and it was forecast to rain. But I absolutely loved it! As it was an out and back course there was always someone to wave to which meant I got to 5k without really noticing the running getting hard, and then there was a lovely downhill finish. I was thrilled with my time of 1:02:33 which was 2 minutes faster than my previous 10k and the medal was glittery! I was a very happy runner after this.

Wimbledon Santa Run

This race made the list not because of my time but because it was a lot of fun. It was the Sunday before Christmas so most people were in festive fancy dress and in the mood to enjoy themselves. There was even a womble helping with the warm up! The course was mostly flat but very muddy and with a lot of puddles and therefore a few detours through undergrowth, so there was no point worrying about time. This meant I could just enjoy the run in the sunshine round a pretty common surrounded by happy Christmassy people! I was extremely grateful for my Salomon Speedcross shoes which meant I was unlikely to end up actually in any of the puddles, it was interesting watching people in road shoes trying to navigate the course!

So my takeaways from 2019 are:

• Running is easier when you are lighter! I know, not exactly rocket science! I reckon losing another 5kg will really help so that is the current plan.

• Running is more fun when you don't obsess over times.

• But getting a good time always feels amazing.

• Running with friends is great, as long as you can keep up without thinking you are going to die. Maybe next year I'll manage to keep up and hold a conversation at the same time!

• I will never stop wanting shiny medals, no matter how many I have and how many extension bars to my medal hanger I need (thanks Rob!).

Best of all, I am going into 2020 knowing that I have so much more in me - I can't wait!

I love running

After September's ups and downs, October has been a great month for me. I realised that I had been getting a bit (ok, very) obsessed with my times and that this was detracting from my running experience. I decided it was time to take the pressure off and just enjoy running for its own sake.

I still recorded my runs as I love to reflect on the stats but I stopped looking at my watch when actually running. I stopped setting myself targets for a particular run and thereby putting unnecessary pressure on myself. The effect of this? I began to enjoy my running again and even managed a couple of amazing and speedy runs!

Guildford 10k

I was not looking forward to this race. It was an out and back road course with an uphill start. So it was going to be both hard and boring. However, I needed an October 10k and it was local and lots of my friends were running it.

To further depress my expectations, I picked up a hamstring/ITB niggle at the gym on the Monday before the race. Oh, and it was forecast to rain. I also ran around 7km on the Friday and did parkrun the day before the race on Sunday so my legs were far from fresh.

I fully anticipated that I would need to walk part of the route and feared that I was risking my niggle becoming an actual injury by taking part. I therefore resigned myself to a slow time.

What actually happened was that I finished the race in 1:02:33, almost 2 minutes faster than my September 10k, and enjoyed every bit of it! The out and back course meant I saw loads of people that I knew which kept the race interesting. The uphill bits were offset by some lovely downhills. My legs felt strong and my niggle held off. And it didn't rain until after I'd finished!

The Guildford 10k has now become one of my favourite races and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Sub 30 parkrun

Fast forward a couple of weeks (with a Caribbean holiday in between) and I was back at parkrun after missing the two previous Saturdays due to St Lucia not yet having a parkrun.

We ran up and down the beach for 5k in lieu of a parkrun

The weather forecast was shocking, consisting of strong winds and rain. I had just started back at work and I had enjoyed a few glasses of wine on the Friday night. I decided just to get round and not worry about a time.

A few friends and I went to Ifield Mill Pond parkrun as my local run was cancelled due to fireworks. This is a relatively new parkrun; it was appealing to me because it was on tarmac paths and was flat. It also suited some of my friends who needed an "I" for their parkrun alphabet challenge.

Before the run - slightly damp

After the run - drowned rats

It was an unusual course with several out and back sections. As I was running with quite a few friends this provided a great distraction from the driving rain. It also meant a few tight turns which were not so ideal. Again, I didn't check my watch, but I did notice that my speedy friends did not seem to be too far ahead which boded well for a decent time. I also noticed that they all looked like drowned rats - it really was a grim morning. However, this did provide an added incentive to get the run over with!

My official time was 29:14, which was much quicker than I thought possible and I was thrilled. I spent most of the day annoying my other half by reminding him of my amazing time!

Lessons learned

• Running is much more fun when you take the pressure off.

• I love out and back courses.

• When you have low expectations and then have a good run, the high is amazing.

• I am in great danger of getting obsessed with times again and will have to try hard to avoid this.

• I love running.  I love running.  I love running.

September - a mixed month

I was going to call this post "Highs and lows" - then I realised there were lots of highs and only one low. Then I reflected that the low wasn't really a low at all, just not a high. The problem is that the "not high" was one of the last runs of the month which has affected my current mood. I think it is fair to say that I am not being very logical about all this!

So let's just get this out the way - my "low" or "not high" was running Guildford parkrun 6 seconds slower than the parkrun two weeks earlier. Yes, I know, that shouldn't be a big thing. I know you can't expect a PB or improvement every week. It's just that is exactly what I have been enjoying! I have been knocking chunks off my time for weeks now. I kind of got used to it.

To put my mixed month into perspective, let me tell you about the highs.

High 1

On 7 September I took 1 minute 27 seconds off my Guildford parkrun time - completed in 30:36. This was actually faster than my Brooklands parkrun time, which you may recall I was thrilled with. Given that Brooklands is flat and Guildford is undulating, this felt pretty good.

High 2

On 15 September I completed the Reigate 10k in 1:04:24. This was 3 minutes 21 seconds faster than the Spitfire 10k in August and almost 8 minutes faster than the Richmond 10k in July. The route also included some killer hills.

High 3

I have run with the Fitstuff Friday group 3 times in September and enjoyed it! They are always a lovely group but I am now able to enjoy running with them rather than worry all the time about being too slow.








High 4

Total weight loss to date of 12.4kg.

High 5

A beautiful Lake District run, dodging the rain, not thinking about pace, but actually running my fastest time in three years for that route.

Pretty good highs, right? In fact, as I write this I feel like a bit of a muppet for making a fuss.

So let me tell you about the not high on 21 September.

It was pacer week at Guildford parkrun. Full of optimism from my recent runs, I thought I would try to run with the sub 30 pacer. I have never run with a pacer and had no reason to think that I could run a sub 30 parkrun, so what could go wrong?! Apparently I shouldn't start off too fast (although I always do) so I started off more slowly in order to pick up the pacer, which I duly did after the first hill. I then lost the pacer on the second hill and failed to catch him again, although I could at least always see him! My legs were tired from three runs in the past six days, including the 10k and a timed mile, and two excellent PT weights sessions. The whole run was a slog as I strived to stay ahead of the 31 minute pacer (which I did manage to do). The upshot was that I finished in 30:42, 6 seconds slower than my previous time. Bear in mind that two weeks earlier, I was thrilled with 30:36, so surely 30:42 was still a good run? Well, I did tell you that I have left logic behind. For the record, I blame the 6 seconds on trying not to start too fast. I have therefore learned two things - I like starting fast and I don't like running with pacers! So not a total waste of a morning.

So, whilst it may be (and is in fact completely) illogical, picture the scene at the finish. I'm tired and a bit fed up. I just want to get my breakfast and forget about the run. Now imagine a friend calling me over for a mock interview about my run, pointing out how another friend ran so much better than me!  Picture me smiling and laughing and playing along whilst feeling a bit miserable. Now I am glad my friend ran well, I truly am, I just wish I had also run well. But then I did run well really, I was just having a moment. I am over it now, well almost.

I dithered about whether to write this blog as recently I have written my blogs when I am on a high. But then social media is full of people showing off their best life so I decided to share a day when it wasn't all great, or at least it didn't all feel great at the time.

I have come across two quotes in the last couple of months which really resonated with me:

"There are people who would love to have your bad runs ... remember that."
"Don't let a time ruin your time."

Good advice for me!

Hot days and cool medals

Since I did not do a parkrun on Saturday, and therefore have no further parkrun news to impart, I thought I would provide an update on August's races. I did two races in August (parkrun is of course not a race) and both were very different and very cool.

Hart 4 Trail Relay Race - 11 August

The first was the Hart 4 Trail Relay Race, an excellent event consisting of teams of 4 running 4km laps for 4 hours. Fitstuff had 4 teams entered so we had quite a crowd of us. As the slowest member of my team "Team Gorgeous" I elected to run last so that the others would each be able to fit in 3 laps before the cut off, leaving me to run 2 or maybe 3 laps, depending on how fast we went. The rules state that as long as you start the last lap before 4 hours has elapsed, you can then finish and count that lap.

"Team Gorgeous"

As it was a hilly trail route, I had no great expectations, estimating that I would take around 30 minutes. I was therefore very happy to finish my first lap in 26:48, a pace of 6:42min/km. It was very much a course of two halves, starting with an uneven grassy stretch, then around 1km of hill climb, then from around 2km it was mostly level finishing with a lovely fast descent. So as long at you could push through to halfway, you were pretty much there.

Going into the second lap, my legs were a little tired but I knew what to expect so didn't feel too daunted. It felt like a slow lap so I was surprised and happy to complete the second lap in 26:54, only 6 seconds slower than the first lap.

As we were all running well, I had no excuse not to do a third lap, tired legs meant this took a little longer at 27:51 but I am proud to say that I still ran up the hill, even though at that point I could have taken it easy as we were outside of the 4 hours. Maybe the thought of the Prosecco waiting for me at the end helped with the motivation!

Well earned fizz!

I love how grumpy the deer looks!

This race was a real confidence boost for me as I had run 12km with not a step of walk including some rather long hills. It helped me see how far I have come over the last few months. After all the running was done, we got on to the serious business of chilling out with a picnic and Prosecco. It was lovely to be a part of the day with the wonderful Fitstuff people.

Pristine came too!

London Spitfire 10K - 31 August

I am a bit of an aviation nut, so when I found out there was a Spitfire themed 10k around the historic London Aerodrome and RAF Hendon site, it had to be done! The race started with a wiggly route around the grounds of the RAF Museum, then out to two 4km laps following the old airfield, then back to the museum to run through Hangar 1 and under a Short Sunderland flying boat before heading to the finish. Each runner had the name of a Battle of Britain pilot on their back which made the run feel very special. I had Sergeant Holmes who was best known for using his own aircraft to ram a German bomber.

I must admit, the 4km lap around paths and streets did not feel particularly special, just a bit crowded and narrow. But I did enjoy running past the Spitfire Gate Guardian and running through the hangar was extremely cool.

RAF Museum Hangar 1

I had decided before the race not to think about my time but just to run, so I did not look at my watch the whole way round. My time was 1:07:45, which was around 4.5 minutes faster than my last 10k, four weeks earlier. Still trending faster which makes me happy!

Check out the medal, the propeller actually spins!

One of my favourites so far!

The Spitfire Gate Guardian

So, overall, August was a pretty good month. Now, on to see what September will bring.