Race Report: Gillian

Firstly – an apology for how long it has taken to write this post. With a crazy few weeks it has been hard for Gillian to sit down and write, and harder still for Hazel to get to a computer past her now very active toddler to upload her race report. This is Gillian’s last big post, so brace yourself: here it comes.

Gillian

Our final 3 and 4 mile runs went without a hitch although I was tentative about placing each trainer down in case I tripped at this late stage. The carb-loading for the final week was ably assisted by my nineteen month old grandson who really enjoyed being let loose with the hand mixer making our chocolate brownie race fuel.

On Wednesday the running husband took a day off work to drive us to the Expo to pick up our race numbers so that we wouldn’t wear ourselves out on public transport. I as completely overwhelmed by the scale of the event. As we walked excitedly along the concourse to the entrance for what seemed like a couple of miles the BBC marathon coverage theme music blasted out. That was it. I was gone – tears rolling down my face. All those years of listening to the BBC coverage every year and here I was. Hazel grabbed my arm and ushered me forwards to the appropriate booth to collect my number and plastic rucksack. My legs turned to jelly as I was asked for ID and if this was my first marathon. For once in my life I literally couldn’t speak. All I kept thinking was that I hoped I could hold it better than this on marathon day Everywhere I looked was the race sponsor’s logo and a sea of RED. I have never seen so many metres of wall to wall red carpet. I had a great time and it was a really useful well organised event. We gained some valuable pre-marathon advice.

On Thursday my husband dashed to Heathrow to collect my son (Hazel’s brother) who had travelled all the way from Australia to see his mum run the London Marathon (no pressure then!). More tears, and lots of hugs. By the time we had caught up and it was time for bed my mind was working overtime. Strict instructions from Hazel’s running husband said that I should be getting extra sleep but I laid there wide awake for quite a few hours.

By Friday my daughter Hannah, her husband and my new twelve-week-old grandson arrived to complete the family support crew. It was lovely. Carb-loading followed (celebratory marathon cake) but an alcohol free evening for the competitors. Everyone kept talking about my need for rest, so after a large family reunion meal I went to bed a little earlier. Once again sleep eluded me and I started to go over stupid scenarios in my head. What if I got separated from Hazel during the race? Had our year of training been enough? What if I hit the wall and couldn’t finish? I suddenly became aware of my new grandson crying so I jumped out of bed and kept Hannah company while she did the 2.30 am feed. Plenty of rest? What was I thinking? I went back to bed for what felt like three minutes and the alarm went off. It was Saturday morning and time for our last run.

I couldn’t believe this moment had finally arrived. Hazel and I had been building up for months for this run. Adam borrowed running gear from Hazel’s running husband and off we went. Hazel, the running husband and Adam all ran along the Thames path to Eton supporting me and chatting. More tears from me. It was a very special run for me, even though it was only 3 miles, and a perfect end to my training.

I packed my bag for the big event, pinning on my number and getting my clothes ready in the afternoon. We all tucked into our last supper of salmon and pasta after the babies went to bed. The rest of the support crew packed their bags. Adam said he would be at mile 19 with a mug of tea. The running husband packed a huge rucksack with all sorts of emergency food, plasters, clothes and footwear. (A couple of weeks earlier Adam and the running husband had had a strategy meeting on skype planning where they would go on the route and what they would need to carry. It took a good few hours.)

The pair of them were amazing and thanks to their attention to detail, the day went like clockwork. Paula Radcliffe would have been envious of our support team. Talking of Paula Radcliffe the running husband pointed out that he had read somewhere that she drinks a half of Guiness the night before a big race. Thanks to this suggestion I slept like a baby for five hours and woke up on marathon morning quite relaxed. I managed to eat a large bowl of porridge, but little else. This was it. Marathon day. Our support crew drove into London dropping off my grandson with Hazel’s in-laws in Ealing, before hot-footing it on the underground to the 8 mile mark. Hazel and I travelled by train from Windsor (suddenly aware that all the other occupants of the carriage were carrying the same plastic marathon rucksacks). We tried to relax and Hazel encouraged me to eat more food as we sat quietly listening to the other runners recount their marathon experiences. I don’t use a mobile phone very often, but it was lovely to receive so many messages from well-wishers on the train on the way in. Particular thanks go to Diane, my oldest friend, who said that her sister Denise would be on Embankment to cheer us on. It was lovely to think that I might be seen by someone I knew so close to the finish.

What greeted us when we changed trains at Waterloo was unbelievable. So many people – all runners – trying to squash onto one train. Hazel managed to manoeuvre us on to the train with a ten foot tiger and a man wearing a toilet. My head was jammed firmly under a man’s armpit and my whole body was squashed against everyone else’s. When one person took a breath, we all did. Rush hour on the underground had nothing on this. When we got to our station, the doors opened and we all spewed out. Marathon volunteers ushered us in the right direction and we all walked steadily to our starting pen. It was further than I thought it would be but it felt good to stretch my legs after the train journey.

Inside the start zone, we joined the queue for the toilets before dropping off our bags on the lorries. In the end we had less time that we thought and a second trip to the loos was abandoned. Everyone had said not to go to the pens too soon, but we only just made it to hear the start announced. We were suddenly there in our pen at the start of the 2016 London Marathon. I had made it. I looked at Hazel and blurted out how proud I was of her getting me here. My life’s ambition to be at the start of the London Marathon was finally reached at 60 years old. Whatever happened now, even if I didn’t finish I was the happiest person in the world. I have never seen so many runners. It was a spectacular sight. In front, at the side and behind us, runners everywhere. I think we were near the back of the back pen. It took us over 30 minutes to cross the start line, shuffling along, unable to run, weaving through the wall of competitors one by one.

It was a good job our tether was a pair of tights with some good stretch in it. Hazel would find a space to overtake a runner and then the runners around would close the gap and I would have to be almost dragged through a gap or pulled from side to side. All the advice we received about not blowing up by running off too fast seemed ridiculous as we still shuffled along unable to run properly until about six miles in. At the end of the eight mile mark I still felt we were struggling to run at our normal training pace. It was making my knees ache. The noise from the spectators was amazing though, and it was a real boost when anyone called my name. Suddenly in all the thousands of spectators I spotted my husband wearing his favourite flat cap and an anxious smile. He jumped in the air and ran off to let the running husband and Adam know where we were, so we managed to wave hello to all three of them. Before the race I said that I wouldn’t let it affect me if I didn’t see them, but it was a huge confidence boost to see them all.

It was very emotional reaching the Cutty Sark and by the time I ran across London Bridge with thousands of heads bobbing up and down in front of me it took all my strength not to cry. The cheering crowds were deafening.

By the time we reached half way I think we both realised it was pointless trying to go any faster. We physically could have, but the wall of runners was just too dense to weave through. We were both comfortable, with no niggling pains, so we settled into enjoying the second half of the race. It was humbling to see so many t-shirts with charitable causes and thousands of photos of loved ones.

I can’t believe that at mile 19 Hazel managed to spot the running husband gesticulating, and Adam and Terry standing to one side in a bus lane with a huge mug of tea. All those blogs about needing a cup of tea after four hours and there they were, true to their word. This was the only time during the whole race that we stopped, and it was so that I could slurp tea. We managed to spot Adam again at the 22 mile mark and by this point, I knew the race was ours. Hazel’s insistence on fuel top-ups meant that I had bags of energy. Nothing was going to stop me now. We even managed to let go of the tether briefly to give Hazel’s shoulder a rest. Along the embankment I didn’t get to see my friend’s sister Denise, but I am sure I heard her call my name after we passed her. Thank you so much for being there, and sticking around for possibly four and half hours!

Running towards and along the mall was a bit of a blur but we managed to keep a good pace going right to the finish line. It was such a thrill. Our medals were plopped around our necks, and we had coloured foil wrapped round us, just like on television! We did it.

I ran the London Marathon. In four hours and fourty-six minutes. My husband and son greeted us with a volunteer from Guide Dogs and Hazel’s running husband (who had sprinted the last three miles of the course to try to see us finish) gave us a huge smile and hug when we met up at the Guide Dogs reception in Carlton Gardens. The reception was lovely, it was great to see the other runners for Guide Dogs and it was especially wonderful to meet some of the Guide Dogs volunteers who brought their Guide Dogs all the way across London on the busiest day of the year to see us.

I have had some wonderful experiences in my life but running my first London Marathon tops them all.

Some thank yous:

My marathon journey started a year ago when my daughter Hazel said ‘Go on, you can do it. Enter the race’. Well I certainly couldn’t have done it without you Hazel. For your endless determination and patience all year and planning such fun training routes, for struggling along in all weathers through the winter months, pushing Arthur in the buggy with one hand and pulling me on the tether with the other hand. For cheerily going on long runs even when you looked exhausted after charging round with an action packed toddler all day. And on race day itself how you managed to guide me through those thousands of runners, having to create enough space for both of us for twenty six miles, I just don’t know how you did it. You have been an amazing guide. I am in awe of you and immensely proud, thank you hazel from the bottom of my heart, you made my dream come true.

And so to ‘the running husband’ my son-in-law Alex. For planning our training, keeping me on track, cajoling me into exercises and the use of the dreaded foam roller. For knowing exactly when to throw a bag of frozen peas at me for my knees. For always being there with tea and food at the end of a run. And for your endless patience listening to me rant during the winter months, giving endless physio advice and training tips. And most importantly, for giving up all your own running for six months to devote your time to supporting us. No-one could wish for a better son-in-law.

Special thanks to Hannah for travelling all the way from Yorkshire to Windsor with a new baby to stay at mission control while we left her to go into London on race day. Being able to follow the race on her phone and let the men know where we were every 5k meant they could race along the course and see us. Your info centre was invaluable. And for organising our welcome home meal afterwards – what can I say. you’re a star.

Special thanks to my long suffering husband who hasn’t seen me for most of a year while I’ve been out training, exercising, and avoiding housework to preserve my back. Thank you for charging across London all day chasing Adam and Alex, running so hard you lost two toe nails. I am eternally grateful for your support in my crazy adventures.

And last but certainly not least, a massive thank you to my son Adam. For secretly training on your bike for hours in Australia just in case you were needed to step in as a guide substitute on race day. For being prepared to travel all the way from Australia to watch your mum run the marathon, and for running all the way across London just to ensure I got a cup of tea. When you had travelled all the way from Australia how could I not finish the race?You were my secret weapon. You made my marathon a perfect day.

Thank you to all our friends and family who have supported us and given so generously to Guide Dogs. Collectively you have helped us raise over £2000 for Guide Dogs, which will make a huge difference to even more people’s lives.

When we started writing our blog – the blind leading the blind – over a year ago, I couldn’t imagine getting to this point, but as I end my marathon journey, I have memories to treasure forever. It has been truly amazing.

 

More Marathon Fuel

Hazel

Tuesday was a quick 3 miles. Gillian looked veritably disappointed at such a short distance, but I put my foot down: this is the taper. Relax, turn the legs over, that’s all we need to do. We can’t get any more fit from running this week, the only thing we can do is overdo it and ruin our chances. So light runs, and food are our focus. With that in mind, I planned a three miler to end at the Eton Fudge Shop! We arrived looking quite daft, tied together and blinking from the bright sun. But the wonderful man in the Eton Fudge Shop made a donation to our fundraising efforts (Thank you!) and gave us some hints and tips from his own marathon running experience. On top of that he sold us some of Gillian’s secret weapon. The silver bullet of long distance runners: fudge.

In the name of good science, Gillian has been systematically trialling every brand and flavour of fudge she can throughout our year of training. And we have settled on the clotted cream flavour and salted caramel flavour fudges. By brilliant coincidence our local fudge shop in Eton has the finest we have ever tasted, so if we keep running after the marathon I can foresee quite a few ‘runs’ which end at their front door….

So on the big day we will be fuelled by homemade brownies, fudge and Clif shot blocks. Not the most traditional of marathon fuels, but in my opinion a much healthier set of options than most people’s yakky energy gel pouches and wee-flavoured isotonic drinks! We’ll take water from the water stations, and hopefully get parachuted a flask of tea in the final miles from our able bodied assistants.

Fuel preparation sorted.

 

Countdown and Marathon Preparations

Gillian

What a crazy and exciting week. It started with a race strategy meeting using Skype to talk to my son in Australia, Hazel’s running husband and my other half Terry. They have given themselves roles and responsibilities during the race and intend to criss-cross London in order to be there for us. I am hopefully amongst other things going to be greeted at mile twenty by a flask of tea. I bet Paula Radcliffe wishes she had thought of that 🙂 What a support crew. I am over whelmed. I love you all.

We also fitted in a four mile mid week run and a five mile run on Saturday between people viewing Hazel and the running husband’s house. This basically meant running round all week like headless chickens clearing out all evidence of sweaty runners,wet laundry and anything baby related, cardboard box dens and toilet roll tubes all thrown into a basket and dumped on my lounge floor every time we went for a run incase the estate agent brought prospective buyers round. It also meant an anxious week waiting to hear if their offer on a new home had been accepted.
As if the forthcoming marathon wasn’t enough to be nervous about, a nerve wracking week buying and selling a house and the baby who broke a piece off his front tooth all added to the mix. “All part of life’s rich tapestry” I could hear my mother saying. Unsurprisingly by the end of the week Hazel came down with worrying flu symptoms and a sore throat which miraculously only lasted for forty eight hours.

After sluggish mid week runs I was surprised when Hazel suggested that we could fit in our Sunday eight mile run before we went to church. Our final Sunday run before the big event. This square on the calendar looked a long way off a year ago. I can’t believe the big day is only one week away.
Hazel didn’t look too well when we set off but as we ran along by the side of the river towards Maidenhead in gorgeous sunshine, we both picked up the pace and had our fastest run to date, managing to run under ten minute miling all the way. No time to stretch. I only had just enough time to shower and make it to church by the skin of my teeth ably assisted by my son in law who dropped me off in the car. I quietly sat in a pew at the back of the church with a bag of frozen peas on my kneecap for most of the service with a big grin on my face. This was my most comfortable and best run for many months. Happy, happy day 🙂

Rewarded for running through exhaustion

Gillian

It’s official. Hazel has been charging around her house today like a domestic goddess whilst I played with the grandson. Their house is now on the market. Potentially sweaty trainers and running gear will need to be whisked away as people come to view their house. So much for our taper. Any thoughts Paula?
I was tired tonight and nearly cried off from our five mile run due to the crazy day we had both had. I am so glad I didn’t. We ended up running as the sun was setting, past hundreds of deer in the park. It was a lovely scene and the lighting was beautiful on the river as we neared home. Oh, and I didn’t grimace once. Thank you knees 🙂

Motivation

Hazel

This week should have been horrific if our previous post-20 week was anything to go by. However, the gods of running are finally smiling on us. We reduced the Tuesday 7 to somewhere between 4 and 5, and ran without a watch. My aim was just to turn our legs over and prove that we felt better. I know what happens to heroes in Greek tragedy who show signs of hubris. It’s not worth the running equivalent of murdering your father and putting your own eyes out just to say that we managed 7 miles the day after a tough 20. So it was a nice no pressure run. We both ran in relative silence (aside from commands of course) and eventually I cracked and said ‘you know, I don’t want to jinx us, but I feel a lot better than I did after the last 20’. Gillian burst out laughing and said ‘I had literally just opened my mouth to say the very same thing!’ Buoyed by this positive revelation we cautiously cruised through the rest of the week, clocking up a respectable 33 miles for the week.

Sunday’s run was a 13, immediately following a 7 on Saturday. Gillian suffered somewhat, but soldiered on despite some knee niggles. Now that I look back, however, I’m not sure that the encouragement she received at mile 11 was quite what she needed. It ran along the lines of ‘look, if your pain is increasing we need to stop the run immediately, but if this is just will-power failing, the last thing I want to see on my final long run is your grimace. Look positive or I’ll assume you’re injured and we’ll have to stop’. Yes, probably not the sympathetic motivation she needed. Well, she looked brilliant by mile 13, so she’s either a very good faker, or the discomfort in her knee settled.

Next week definitely looks like a taper. 5, 4, 5, 8. This is the time to cut our miles, stay injury free and start banking sleep and confidence. The week after that we start eating for England. ‘Taper’ holds a lot of connotations. Personally I find it really exciting, especially since I love an excuse to eat everything in sight. I think Gillian is dreading it though, since it means she has only two weeks to go till the terrifying big day. She’s probably rocking somewhere or mainlining tea to try to calm down right now, but I am looking at a blank sheet of paper with the words ‘meal plan’ scrawled across the top. Good times.

Motivation: Gillian’s View

Gillian

Well I knew I would never be Paula Radcliffe but one can always dream. The creaking knees are giving me some gyp this week and at mile eleven on Sunday Hazel offered, rather churlishly I might add, to stop the run when apparently my face stopped smiling and turned into a grimace. Of all the things I thought I needed to worry about during my marathon attempt I hadn’t factored in my facial expression. Gosh Hazel is a tough training partner sometimes. I wasn’t even moaning. Nobody ever seemed to criticise Paula Radcliffe’s facial expression.

Hazel had promised me at the start of the week that this was the beginning of “the taper” and having looked this up in Runners World, I got the distinct impression after building up the miles over the past year that I was finally going to be able to wind down, put my feet up and eat lots of cake and not feel guilty for once in my life. I was so looking forward to this that I didn’t realise this still meant us clocking up thirty one miles this week. My knees were in shock and decided to revolt by mile eleven on Sunday. If it hadn’t been that I would have to walk the last two miles home, I would have told Hazel were to shove her training plan and taper. To be truthful, looking back, I think I might have reached “the wall” for the first time. Basically, I hadn’t had enough to eat before we set off. It was a strange feeling. I just wanted to lie down. After refuelling at mile ten I suddenly felt much better and was able to end the run in style.
In addition to this, our taper includes Hazel and the running husband deciding to prepare their house for sale this week, two weeks away from our marathon attempt! Consequently we have been charging around like headless chickens between the last three runs making their house look ready for photographs and possible viewings. I bet this was never part of Paula Radcliffe’s training and taper plan either. Onwards and upwards.
Never a dull moment or lack of a challenge in our family and truth be told I wouldn’t have it any other way. So get your act together knees, get on with those exercises and no more grimacing. Guilt free cake and fudge eating can wait until next week.

An off-road EPIC! Hazel’s view

Hazel

What an epic Sunday run. There is not much detail I can add after Gillian’s account. 20 miles across country, with the added difficulties of navigation (thankfully this only troubled me, and just slowed Gillian down), terrain (by which we mean ankle deep sloshy mud with surprises hidden in it to catch the unsuspecting blind runner), hot weather (this must have been the hottest day of the year so far, I got a suntan), and the unexpected issue of tourists on the path through the popular towns. Added to this Gillian had to battle with the fact that she had forgotten to take any antiinflammatory drugs for her horrible arthritis, so she was going solo pain-wise. The main thing in the second half of the run was the crazy bridges. They were unforgiving to say the least, and one of them was so far past hump-backed it actually went to a point then straight back down. It would have been funny if we didn’t have slithery, mud covered feet and four screaming knees…

We have developed a passable technique for getting moving again after a stop or walk break. Unfortunately these are sometimes necessary when you come up against pedestrians and other hazards, as well as for navigation breaks when your guide is a moron. But starting up again after stopping is the hardest thing when you’ve got over a dozen miles in your legs, and especially if you have arthritis. The technique involves me being completely unsympathetic and telling Gillian that pain is all in the mind, and asking her to resolutely focus on how she felt just before the stop. I’m working on a watered down psychology technique of visualisation, based on no scientific research whatsoever, but it seems to be working in practice. We also run with very small steps to reduce the pain of each heavy step, which is a technique from my barefoot running style. Two little hamster wheels is the effect I’m going for. It’s not stylish, but it is effective. If anyone wants to hear me give a sermon on barefoot running techniques, just ask, but you will probably be in a minority!

Anyway, we managed 20 miles, against all the odds, and I am so incredibly proud of my unstoppable mother. We crossed into the next County for Pete’s sake! What she didn’t mention is that she also had a rough fall, which really pulled at her ankle. I take full responsibility; I warned her about the dip in the path but simply missed the rock sticking out over the lip of the hole which caused her to trip. Hence the frozen peas at the end. She also didn’t mention that on arrival in Henley we were informed that the baby had been an angel in the car and had been sick, so she then spent an hour playing with us in the park to cheer him up. No rest for marathon runners. We did finally get a lovely break in the Chocolate Cafe by the riverfront, with absolutely necessary tea, and lovely sandwiches and soup. I would strongly recommend this cafe. The staff were lovely, the food normal and not faffy but excellent quality, they gave the baby some crayons and paper, and seemed very forgiving of the fact that we looked like lunatics with bright red faces and fell on our food like a pair of scavenging birds. To the staff in the cafe, I am truly sorry for the mud we left under our cafe table, and I hope you like the picture we left you.

An off-road EPIC!

Gillian

Another milestone this morning. Our final long run before the “taper”. I will let Hazel explain about the significance of the taper but suffice it to say I was looking forward to it. Hazel greeted me with an O.S. map between her teeth and a large rucksack on her back looking like Lara Croft, so I was nervous but excited before we set off on our final twenty mile run.
The weather was perfect and the route was by far the most varied and stunning of all our runs to date. The entire run was off road. We followed the Thames Path from Windsor all the way to Henley.
I had assumed we would be on a cinder track by the side of the river for most of the run. I was so wrong. The Thames path took us through numerous locks and weirs, several marinas and picturesque villages, boat yards, across open country fields, the grounds of a National Trust property and past hundreds of boats of every shape and size. We zigzagged from one side of the river to the other over steep wooden bridges. This was fun to start with but quite brutal on my knees by the end especially as at least half of the route was through slippery mud with challenging ruts under foot. It was so much fun though. We ran past many beautiful riverside houses with their own boathouses and moorings. Quite a few had their own tennis courts and swimming pools. Carpets of flowers dared do nothing but stand to attention and not a blade of grass blew in the wrong direction. Oh how the other half live 🙂 In some cases we seemed to be running through their gardens. It was very pretty. We even saw someone selling home made ice cream from their houseboat.

At one point Hazel made me stop to look up and directly above us was the most beautiful Sparrow Hawk circling around our heads. Just magic. I don’t normally see them but this one was so low I couldn’t miss it.

Some sections of the route were bustling with tourists and picnickers by the waters edge. Quite a challenge to navigate past. I’m told we got some funny looks as we weaved among them in their Sunday best since by now we were caked in sloppy mud up to our knees. The challenge of the terrain (and fear of an injury at this stage) slowed us down somewhat, but made for a fantastic run, one which I will store in my bank of treasured memories. I still keep pinching myself. I can’t believe I did it. Mind you, I was nearly on my knees by the end. We were out running for four hours and eighteen seconds, only having walked twice for a couple of minutes to take on fuel and water.
We managed to run through Berkshire into Oxfordshire. The run ended at a bridge in Henley and as if I hadn’t been punished enough, Lara Croft made me squat by the town sign for a photo.
We were greeted by my smiling grandson and Hazel’s running husband who was a real trooper and ran to buy a couple of bags of frozen peas to put on my ankle and both our knees. He also opened a picnic hamper with a large flask of tea and a variety of food. Who couldn’t love a son-in-law with a large flask of tea, an egg custard and a bag of frozen peas after running for four hours?
I went to bed thinking I would sleep like a brick but found myself lying in the dark grinning and reliving every moment of the run. I was buzzing. After a couple of hours I got up and did a few exercises thinking that would knock me out but it made no difference. I was getting angry now as Hazel keeps telling me that sleep is an important part of recovery but I just kept grinning and arguing with myself as to which part of the run was my favourite. Crazy. I think I eventually drifted off to sleep at about three in the morning. Thank you Hazel for a spectacular run and a very special day:)

Marathon Fuel Recipes

Hazel

Gillian and I talk about cake a lot. Some of this is because we are vegetarians, so you have to take your culinary kicks where you can get them, but it is also because we need to find good calorific snacks to get us round those 26.2 miles.

With this in mind I have been practising and perfecting recipes I trialled on the running husband when he was training in Snowdonia last year. The first is pre and post run flapjack, and the second is mid run brownie. Both recipes are adapted to incorporate as much calorific benefit in the smallest number of bites while still being inherently ‘good-calories’. So I use a lot of dried fruit and nuts. To all you dieters out there, nuts are not evil. Nuts are brilliant, and they pack protein in huge quantities into something that tastes like cake, you can’t lose. Why chow down a big ugly slab of dead animal when you can eat cake instead?! So I won’t pontificate too much, but suffice it to say, I love these recipes now. Flapjack is perfect for pre-run fuel crumbled over or dipped in yoghurt, or immediately after running with a big mug of tea. The brownies can be gobbled down while running, as they are so soft and just shy of gooey, but they are crammed full of nuts, fat, salt and sugar. Perfect for long runs.

Flapjack

3 tbsp golden syrup (get a grip, you’re going to run the calories off)

250g butter

140g sugar

220g oats

30g flour

300g fruit nut and seeds

I use various combinations of cherries, cranberries, figs and dates, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, sunflowerr seeds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts. All of these needs to be chopped up small enough that you don’t lose your dentures, but since the flapjack isn’t intended for mid-run fuel, I don’t worry about a bit of interest as you don’t risk choking.

Melt the syrup, butter and sugar in a pan, and don’t leave it too lo so it starts to go dark. Then throw in the oats, flour and nuts and mix like crazy. Keep the fruit aside. Lay half the mixture in a lined, greased oven tray (mine is about 6 inches by 12), then sprinkle the fruit evenly on top and put the rest of the oat mixture on top of this. It will need a good bit of pressing down and around with the back of a spoon. The aim is to ensure the fruit isn’t sticking up out of the top where it will burn and inflate horribly.

I put put mine in the oven at 140C for around an hour, checking every 20 minutes and adjusting if it looks like it is burning on the edges too much. Make sure there is no wobble in the middle, but keep the edges from burning. Stick it on a wire rack and chop into your required slices before it is completely cooled otherwise you’ll have to use a chainsaw.

Fruit and Nut Brownies

75g dark chocolate

150g butter

3 eggs

300g self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

200g nuts and dried fruit

I strongly recommend ground almonds for about 50g of your fruit and nut allowance. Cherries are also wicked. Because it has to be soft and easy to gobble on the move I use: 50g ground almond, finely chopped pecan, walnut, pistachio, cherries, figs and maybe dates. I avoid raisins, cranberries, brazilnuts, hazelnuts and whole or flaked almonds and seeds, because they are too crunchy and risky on the run, but it’s all personal taste.

Heat the chocolate and butter in a bowl over hot water, then mix it into the rest of the ingredients. Pour this into a lined, greased baking tray to a depth of about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Put in the oven at 170C for 35 to 40 minutes. Because they should be gooey, you won’t get a clean skewer when they are done, but it shouldn’t wobble in the tray.

You’ll see in the photo of my brownies that in the background are also some packs of Clif ShotBlocks. These are our other mid-marathon fuel of choice. Running husband recommended them, so we are sticking to those, the brownies and fudge. On a personal level I know I have faded in previous marathons in the last two miles and lost a lot of time compared with my relatively good pace in the early miles. My biggest fear on marathon day is holding Gillian back when she could be running faster, so I am not prepared to let my energy levels drop this time. Food is the answer. I know we have done all the training we can so the only mistakes we can make now are not eating, sleeping or drinking enough. I will reveal closer to the time what Gillian and I intend to eat the day before and the day of the marathon, but the gist is high protein, high carbs, no fear of sugar for a few days, and plenty of liquid.

April!

Gillian

April is here. No going back now. Our final three weeks of training. This is our last weekend of heavy mileage before the big day. Seven today and twenty tomorrow. After an easy week so far and only doing two miles on Thursday, I felt well rested and had a cracking run today. It was sunny and warm which helped my arthritic joints navigate the Great Park with ease for once and we kept up a good pace. The knees only really hurt when I stop running now. I’m not sure whether that is a good thing or not. Coach Hazel tells me the pain is all in my brain rather than my knees at the end of a run, and keeps quoting scientific research. I’m not entirely convinced but I gave my brain a good talking to just incase. Then I ate a big cake which definitely helped!