It's been quite a while since I posted about running and in all honesty, I think it's because I didn't have any races in the pipeline so I was feeling like I'd lost my running mojo. I was still running but instead of going out 3 or 4 times a week and following a strict plan, I was just running as and when I felt like it.  I have to say, I am definitely one of those people who needs a goal or something to focus on.  I really like have a training plan as it means that I can quite literally tick off my training and get a sense of accomplishment from that...I do love a list! After all the marathon training, I was genuinely worried that I might lose my love for running.  I had heard horror stories of other marathoners who, after accomplishing the marathon, just completely fell out of love with running and stopped completely. I went out on the Sunday after the marathon to run the 3.7 miles for Matt Campbell, the man who sadly died in this year's London Marathon. ...

Despite running half marathon/half marathon + distances consistently every weekend for over a month, Sunday was my first official race. I chose to take part in the MK Festival of Running 2018 Half Marathon as it's only a few minutes down the road from where I live, and I figured that MK would be a relatively flat course.  The weather has been utterly vile recently so I was pleasantly surprised to find that Sunday was warm and sunny and finally felt like a proper spring day! The race itself had a nice downhill section to begin with and then felt pretty flat all the way round until...the HILL OF DOOM at the very end.  The last mile required us to run up Campbell Hill and good grief, I cannot imagine a worse hill to do at that point in the race.  Most people seemed to be power-walking or slow jogging up it and I did a mixture of the two.  Thankfully, the finish line was flat so I was able to do a sprint finish...hurrah. In terms of times, I wanted under ...

"How's your marathon training progressing?" That's a question I get asked on a regular basis.  I'd definitely say its going well but it's been somewhat hindered over the last few days with the arrival of the 'Beast from the East' and all its wintery havoc.  We should, by rights, be moving into Spring now; I have definitely seen crocuses poking their little heads up although I'm guessing that they're now completely smothered in about 4 inches of snow! It's also probably worth mentioning that I HATE snow: it's cold, it's wet and it's very slippery!  Yes, like everyone else I coo at the pretty snowflakes when they first start to fall on Christmas Eve but after that, I'm done! Training outdoors for a Spring marathon has been an absolute nightmare this year for me.  My circulation isn't great and I've come home on a number of occasions from long runs barely able to feel my legs let alone my fingers!  I have invested...

Three Legged Dog This is a nice pose to transition to when you feel like your downward dog is strong and balanced. The benefits of this pose include: strengthening of the arms stretching through the hamstrings stretching through the hip flexors of the lifted leg improving balance helps to still and quiet the mind Contraindications of this pose: high blood pressure issues with wrists, i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome

If you’ve just started a running plan or schedule, well done!  Whilst running may have initially seemed reasonably uncomplicated – put trainers on, go for run – the more you get into it, the more things you discover!  Here’s 5 things I wish I’d known before I started running: Choose the right trainers 1.   Get the right trainers.   I think all of us have started running in whatever trainers we already owned, irrespective of whether they are gym trainers, running trainers or the trainers we have had at the back of the wardrobe for the past 5 years. As you start getting more serious about running and increasing your distances, it’s really important to ensure you are wearing the right kind of footwear.  Everytime I get new running shoes, I go and get my gait analysed as I know my running style changes with the distances I am building up to or the speeds I am working towards.  For example, I used to over-pronate when I ran.  This means that as ...

Running towards a goal: London Marathon 2018 I' ve been really lucky to secure a ballot place for the 2018 VMLM.  I’m so excited as I used to live in London and watch the marathon runners go past.  It’s also always been a dream of mine to do a marathon but I’ve never been sure I would have the time or tenacity to complete the training. I’m going to start a series of posts focused on my training and what I have learnt/am learning along the way.  Hopefully, this will be helpful to anyone else considering taking up running or increasing their distances. I already run so am not starting from scratch (thank goodness!).  If you are completely new to running, there are lots of beginners schedules and ‘couch to 5k’ plans to try, such as  this podcast based one  from NHS Choices.  It’s worth having a look at the different options and seeing whether you would prefer to follow a schedule on an app or podcast instead of a printed out plan.