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!

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.

Peaks and Troughs: a tough few weeks

Gillian

Tuesday 22nd March
Hazel changed our seven mile run to five after our long run on Sunday, which was a good job as my whole body felt as if it had been covered in concrete. She had warned me how tired I would feel after the twenty miler but I was still shocked. I felt so heavy. On top of that Hazel had to push the buggy as my husband was away all week. I think we were both relieved when it was over.
Thursday 24th March
We did at least manage to run the full seven miles today, although I have to say I still felt as stiff as a board and absolutely drained. I couldn’t believe it was taking me this long to get over the twenty mile run. Hazel’s running husband reassured me that this was normal after a heavy training week but I couldn’t help but think that Paula Radcliffe never walked around looking as if she had been dipped in a vat of concrete after her long runs.

Saturday 26th March
Eureka. The concrete feeling has disappeared at last. I had a good seven mile run today. I get the feeling it doesn’t take most people six days to recover properly after a twenty mile run but I will try and not dwell on that thought.
Easter Sunday 27th March
I thought I would cheer myself up on Easter Sunday. No pasta carb loading for me. A huge chunk of Easter egg was my fuel of choice last night and I must say I felt much better on our fourteen mile run today.
The route was lovely but the weather was atrocious. We ran off road and along the River Thames to Runnymede and back, through driving rain, wind and hailstones for the first fifty minutes. I had to listen with extra care to Hazel’s directions as we slithered along some sections of the route but it was great fun. There is nothing like having to battle against the elements now and again to help you focus. Not sure Hazel agrees. As a result we made good time.
Tuesday 29th March
Hazel changed our seven mile run to six today as I have a bit of a niggle in my leg. The run was o.k. though and as usual I settled into it after four miles. I am focussing on my daily exercises.

Thursday 31st March
Our final seven mile run in March was abruptly shortened by Hazel to a couple of miles tonight. We had to wait today until my grandson was in bed before we could set off today and the light faded quite fast. I think we are both getting a little nervous about possible hazards and the possibility of injury so close to the marathon. In addition to that Hazel looked absolutely knackered after a very hectic day. We both knew it was the right decision. Daylight runs only from now on.

Ice and Quagmire

Hazel

Sunday’s run began, as usual, when my son started to look like he might fall asleep because we are still timing our long runs around his naps. This might not continue as we get further into the plan, and it would be nice for Gillian to get a fair few long runs done at roughly race time. This will allow her to do proper fuelling practice, which is a runners’ euphemism for eating different breakfasts and seeing what leaves you hungry, nauseous or desperate for a poo. Unless you have trained for a long running event you will not understand the last of these, but it seems to be a perennial problem for runners. As I have mentioned before I am blessed with the ability to eat anything and everything without any effects on my digestive system during runs. But I have seen a woman sprint to the side of the road for a poo five seconds after the gun went off, and in the same marathon I saw a runner at mile 16 with a strange gait and dubiously stained capri-pants! So there must be something in it. Anyway, with this delightful thought in mind, we will be doing a few runs at the right time just to be sure about the advisability of our breakfast.

We decided to go off-road along the river, because Yoda (otherwise known as Uncle Nick) told Gillian she should save her knees by avoiding pavement pounding. The Thames Path was mired in 6 inch deep, sloppy, satisfying mud. So we skiid and squelched and slithered about on the way to a very comfortable 11 miler. I think the fact that we were forced to slow down the pace put us both in good spirits, and on the rare occasion where we hit some solid ground we absolutely hammered it. So not a bad time either. It was a bit of a challenge to guide Gillian in all the filth, especially with the added bonus of a swim in the Thames if I let her drift too close to the edge of the slippery path. But all in all we were both pleased. Gillian said it felt like a lot less than 11 miles and I was overjoyed that I guided her over protruding tree roots, around ice filled pot holes, and through dark wooded areas.

Only when we got home did we realise how cold it had been. Yes, there was ice splashing in our faces as we ran through puddles, but surely it shouldn’t have taken me as long as it did to warm up. I also had the misfortune to test the water for my post-run shower with frozen hands and feet, so didn’t notice that the water was boiling until I scalded my bum! So at least I can say I have discovered a new amusing running specific injury: cold-weather burned bottom!

The Training Plan Begins: Hazel’s View

Hazel

Gillian stated confidently that this week we are now on the sixteen week beginners’ marathon plan from Runners World. I should say that this is slightly misleading, because the marathon plan has had a number of alterations and improvements. The running-husband and I have been ‘tweaking’ most weeks. In particular the fact that Gillian is doing so well already and has reached a good distance for long runs, it seemed mad to go backwards and start back as if she needs to increase the miles from 5 again. Added to this we are confident that the training plan will be interrupted and modified when the golden-child of the North has her long awaited baby. Obviously Gillian will want to visit and see her daughter and new grandson, so we thought it wouldn’t hurt to get some more miles under the belt while we can.

Saying all that, the short midweek runs were almost as tough as the long run this week because of the weather. She has played down the water on our three milers. On one of them the husband got home from work and we set off in the very nearly dark to run along the Thames Path. So it was a double workload for me guiding as Gillian is totally banjaxed in the half light and has to flap her arms and slow down if I don’t give extra guiding. On top of this the entire towpath was flooded to a depth of about an inch, with puddles of up to twelve inches. The safest way to deal with this, rather than slalom dodging and slipping on the mud was to career straight through the middle. It’s not often that the water seeps up your leggings to wet your groin! Not a pleasant experience. The funny thing was that it wasn’t raining that hard, so we appeared back in town looking like we’d been swimming in our clothes.

The long run was pretty sluggish, and we struggled with both the heat and the aftermath of stopping for a drink with Gillian’s knee, but in the end it was a decent time, and we did a very successful section of rope-running in the crowds on the Long Walk so I’ll take that.

Thanks again to to the lovely lady who shouted to us that she had read the blog, it was such a boost.

The Training Plan Begins

Gillian

This is our first week of following the Runner’s World sixteen week marathon plan for beginners. We managed our three, four and three mile runs without a problem. Unfortunately my husband was working abroad all week so Hazel valiantly strode out with the baby in his buggy. The four mile run in head wind and a torrential down poor was impressive. I was flagging by the end so Hazel must certainly have been, but she didn’t let on.

On Sunday Hazel’s running husband was left entertaining his son whilst we disappeared for an hour and a half completing our long slow run. I felt a little sluggish for the first three miles. It takes me about four miles before I get into a rhythm and I can’t put that down to my age or sight loss as it has always been the case.

Hazel had a rucksack for the first time, carrying water and food so that we could get used to taking on fuel while running. I managed to drink some water after six miles which proved more challenging than I thought but this paled into insignificance compared to the knee pain once I started to run again. It took me two miles to get going again before my knee settled down. The jury is still out on whether running off-road through wet boggy grass for a mile to relieve the pain or stopping and starting again was the culprit. I suspect a little of both. I am determined to increase the knee exercises next week and remember jaw exercises eating left over Christmas cake don’t count! On the plus side, by the time we reached the eight mile mark my knee had settled again. Week one of our training completed.

I can’t believe that I forgot to mention the highlight of our long run was being recognised by a walker who said she had been reading our blog. It made my day. Thank you so much.

Proper Sunday Running

Gillian

Still with only four hours sleep in me, I found myself opening the door once again to Hazel and off we set for our first eight mile run. No rain today but the gale force wind along the Thames tow path and around Dorney lake proved quite a challenge. My knee felt sore by the end of the run which so far in my training is unusual. To date it has only been painful for the first three miles and then settles down. I couldn’t decide whether it was due to my being pulled about by the physio, my new exercises or my new trainers. Hopefully, the ice pack on my knee at the end of the run will do the trick. I had another good run though and pushed along by Hazel was back to my ten minute miling pace. Well chuffed!

Marathon spectating: Gillian’s view

Today was the son-in-law’s marathon race in Abingdon. I was part of the support team which included: my husband at the start and finish, Hazel’s mother and father in law with amazing calorific cake at certain points along the route, and Hazel, myself and baby and buggy as the mobile jogging crew. Map in hand we headed off with everything but the kitchen sink in a rucksack on my back and stuffed under the buggy. I now know we perhaps don’t need to run next time with two big flasks of tea and a kilo of bananas.

We dashed from the start to the five mile mark and then having seen our guy, offered jelly babies, before I nearly ate them all in my nervousness. We then ran to the thirteen mile mark, dashing and weaving our way through the crowds, sounding like gold prospectors in an American wild west movie as the stainless steel flasks clanked together. We spotted our guy and by now I was desperately trying to get rid of at least the weight of one banana from my back. The son in law refused any sustenance and soldiered on, with knee pain but managing to keep up a decent pace.

The mobile support caravan then dashed off to the seventeen mile mark where once again our guy refused any of my sizeable picnic hamper, looked good and ran off to the sound of our cheers and his baby son clapping (by now wondering why his daddy kept running away very fast).

It was quite a challenge to get back to the twenty three mile mark but we did it and by now I gave up trying to offer my bruised fair trade bananas. I ate the biggest one, drank half a flask of tea, the baby played in the dusty gravel, we scooped him up and off we ran as fast as we could to the finish. It was all very exciting. The son in law managed a p.b. even with his knee injury. It was such a shame as he was so fit this time and I know he would have been at least thirty minutes faster without the injury, but as all runners know this is often the story of the marathon runner. Next time Alex. Well done. The in-laws, the out-laws, wife and baby all finally met up for after marathon picnic followed by a pub lunch and well earned ale all round.

Marathon Spectating

Hazel

Today was my husband’s big marathon day, so we had the dubious honour of supporting a potentially injured runner around a fast marathon course. Never one to shy away from a challenge Gillian said that would gladly support her son-in-law with me and the baby, in full knowledge of my kamikaze methods and scant regard for personal safety when it comes to supporting runners. So we were up at 5 am packing bags and bundling the infant into the car and then I drove us to Abingdon. Alhough seemingly normal, this is in fact a hair raising challenge for all passengers as my infrequent driving is tentative at best, terrifying at worst, and I am well out of practice on motorways.

Arriving at the race venue, we wished the runner well, lied about how well his knee would hold up and oversaw the exchange of starting and finishing kits. Then it was off! Husband ran one way, and we blasted off in the other direction. The buggy was full to the gunnels with flasks, food, emergency supplies like plasters and jelly babies, and of course the infant and all of his gear. So I was map reading in a town I don’t know with a pixelated map, pushing a deadweight buggy, and completely ignoring my blind runner who gamely scampered along beside me.

We made it to our first meeting point, with time to wave at rowers on the river and talk to the ducks (mostly the baby rather than us, though it has been known), before the front runner came through. We then cheered every single runner, and did some impromptu marshalling work when cars started coming the wrong way up a one way street into the oncoming runners (!), and finally saw an uncomfortable husband. Now seriously worried about him we changed our support plans to get to more points on the course, and eventually covered 8.5 miles at a near sprint with the buggy. This included at one time running along an A-road with no pavement where we had to alternate between sprinting and lifting the buggy onto an embankment to avoid cars. Quite the workout. At the later points the husband seemed happier, though the injury was still clearly slowing him down. His slower pace allowed us to stop slightly longer in one place though, so that the baby could get out of the buggy and play on the floor. This, in transpired later, entailed gathering pebbles and grit and funnelling them into our flask of tea.

At the final meeting point we saw a relatively happy husband, with only 3.5 miles to go. Our change of plan meant, however, that we would have to finish our run along the same route as the runners, so there was no way to beat him back. We fought through the crowds of runners as well as we could without taking out any legs, and Gillian coped admirably with my fierce pacing and near non-existent guide commands. I’m convinced that the reason I couldn’t get my head into guiding was not that I was supporting my husband but that I didn’t have my Guide vest on! It will, henceforth, be known as the vest of power, or the vest of wonder or some such. I’ll work on that.

Huge congratulations to the husband for a new PB of 3:48, despite horrid knee injury. As a summary of the Abingdon, I would say it was generally well done, with nice goody bags and generous tee shirt and medal provision, and super friendly and committed marshals, but that some terrifying lack of marshalling skill or perhaps just planning, meant that there were at least two areas of actual danger for runners with cars. I’d like to see that improved in future years.