Home Run

After several weeks seconded to the Hatfield Forest parkrun I thought I was long overdue a return to my home parkrun of Great Notley. It also happened to coincide with the monthly parkrun outing of Michelle's Running Group who I train with a couple of times a month. Each month usually has a theme and it had been decided that we'd wear something yellow for spring. I pulled back the curtains Saturday morning to be greeted by overcast sky, it wasn't looking promising, hardly the image of spring I had in mind! Yellow isn't exactly my colour but it just so happened that I had a race t-shirt from the 2014 Hatfield Broad Oak 10k, I may have finally found a use for the countless race t-shirts I seem to have accumulated over the years! I was running solo as Paul had been struck down by flu and despite being desperate to get out and run, his hopes were purely aspirational.

An excellent turnout of runners from the Michelle's Running Group

I decided to run to parkrun to add on some extra mileage. At just over 2 km it makes for a good warm-up and is far easier than taking the car and forking out the £3.50 parking. It's also a good indicator of how I am feeling, after almost a week off of running my legs were feeling pretty fresh for the rest. However, I didn't feel capable of pushing for a parkrun PB (set back in September 2014) as my recent times would suggest I am way off.

I met up with the group who had congregated by the cafe sheltering from the wind and rain, they were not difficult to spot dressed in yellow, we certainly brightened up the park! It was a fantastic turnout for the group with 24 runners in attendance, some of which were making their parkrun debut! After a catch up and chat we headed out for a warm-up, this is one benefit of running with a group as I am totally hopeless at having the discipline to give myself a proper warm-up and stretch despite being more than aware of the benefits!

By the time 9 am came around the rain was lashing down, luckily I had opted for trail shoes which made the recently soaked park a bit easier to navigate. I set off at a comfortable pace and found myself going along with the crowd dodging a few runners on the narrower sections of the start. Great Notley is a 2 lap course with the second lap sending you up the infamous 'hill of doom'. I find it sometimes difficult to get the pacing right for this course as you have to take into account the hill and that it's going to add time to your pace at kilometre 3. Looking at my pace it was more or less consistent which is an improvement as I often have a habit of going too fast on the first lap only to find myself unable to keep up the pace on the second.

Descending the 'Hill of Doom' on lap 2

Kilometre 3 and 4 usually involves a lot of looking at the watch trying to work out if a PB is on or not, this time I couldn't tell so decided it was best to keep pushing on as hard as I could. I passed Michelle who was coaching her daughter Angelina around the course, they were looking really strong and they egged me on to catch Rob, Michelle's Husband who I had in my sights but catching him was unlikely. I then passed a young girl who must have been no older than 10 and she complimented me on my running! Taken back a little by her comment I responded by telling her to keep up with me which she did for a short while! With half a kilometre to go I knew I had roughly 2 minutes to finish if I was to be in with a chance of getting a PB. Despite my spirited sprint finish I crossed the line at 26:02, 27 seconds off of a PB time. I was a bit disappointed as I had wanted to ring the old fashioned style school bell to indicate I'd got a PB (I think this must be a new feature of the Great Notley parkrun, it's pretty cool), but to take a positive away it was the fastest I'd gone around the course this year so perhaps some progression is on the cards. I keep telling myself that I'll go around the course faster once it's dried out but I know there are several other factors slowing me down at the moment.

Sprint finish - another dreadful running face photo to add to the collection!

Paul unable to help himself had dragged himself out of bed to come along and support. We stood at the finish together cheering in as many people in yellow as we could. Unfortunately having been soaked through and not having anything dry to put on meant I got cold very quickly and opted for a lift home with Paul rather than running home. It was fantastic to see so many of the group taking part in parkrun and enjoying themselves, another great effort from everyone with quite a few setting new PB's!

Conscious I am supposed to be running a marathon in a matter of weeks, Sunday was an opportunity to stretch my legs a little and register a long run. Training for this marathon has been far from ideal. When I signed up in January I had ample time to put in the training, however it seems that the past 5 months have been nothing but a struggle with injury. Up until Sunday I had never run further than 13.1 miles, a half marathon. I knew this was going to be a problem if I was going to go ahead with the plan.

Sunday morning I set out to complete 15 miles. I met up with a few people we regularly run with on a Sunday from Rayne Station, we headed out along the Flitch Way in the direction of Dunmow. I became aware within the first couple of miles that my pace was far slower than the rest of the group and insisted that they pushed on and I would run with them if I was able to catch up, I knew though that this was unlikely as my strategy was to walk/run to achieve the target of 15 miles. I decided that I would run 2.5 miles in one direction and then return to Rayne Station before running the 2.5 mile to Braintree Station and repeat until I clocked the ambitious 15, this meant I wouldn't be far from home should injury disrupt my run. Seemed like a good idea at the time but it made the run really drag on and quite mentally testing!

Flitch Way a pretty straight and lonely run!

The weather hardly helped, it was one of those mornings where I was unsure what to wear. It'd probably be cold initially but would warm up rapidly as I was running. I decided on wearing a long sleeve top and shorts which was fine until I got soaked through and the wind started blowing. I like to be organised when I run as being unprepared just stresses me out so I had thought ahead and packed my new Inov8 waterproof into my hyration vest (or bottle bra as a friend called it!). It probably seems an overkill to wear a hydration vest on a 15 mile run but I refer to my earlier point about being unprepared, at least I can carry all the stuff I think I need and get some practice using it. I decided to stop and walk for a moment during mile 4 to get my waterproof out and give me some chance of holding onto some body heat, I honestly thought I would overheat and end up stopping in around a mile to take the jacket off but as it happens it was exactly what I needed on the more open parts of the Flitch where you can get caught in a cross wind. Feeling comfortable again I pressed on.

Brief stop at 7.5 miles to refuel and catch my breath

When I got to the halfway point at Braintree Station I rewarded my efforts with a quick break and took on an energy gel. Again debatable whether I really needed one but wanted to give myself every opportunity to complete the distance and it also gives me practice using the gels. After a quick breather I turned myself around and headed back in the direction of Rayne Station. Along the way a few of the guys that I had started the run with powered past me, they were out with the aim to run for 2 hours, it was evident that they were a lot quicker than me. The rest of my run was fairly lonely, I was missing my usual running partner, Paul. From around 9 miles I seemed to throw in a walk every mile, it was around this time I could feel my hamstring pulling and all my injuries complaining. The final 3 miles was a real challenge to take me over my furthest distance, I focused on finishing and telling myself how pleased I'd be once it was done! With a bit of determination I made it back home, 15 miles in 2 hours 36 minutes, hardly world beating but it was still 2 miles further than I have run before.

A new record!

The rest of the morning was a bit of a write off which wasn't unexpected. After a shower I crashed on the sofa and managed to catch some of the London Marathon coverage on TV. Knowing how I felt after running 15 miles made me really question whether my body was strong and resilient enough to take the beating of 26.2 miles with the limited training I have had. With 3 weeks to go I am still undecided but have an inkling that I already know what my decision will be. I managed to see Paula Radcliffe complete what would be her last London Marathon as a professional athlete and was slightly taken back at just how emotional I felt as she crossed the line. What a woman and what a career she has had, a true role model and inspiration to all. It is amazing that her world record marathon time of 2:15:25 still stands to this day, 12 years after it was set and I wonder how long it'll be before it's beaten. I was unaware of the extent of the injury setbacks she has faced since her withdrawal from the Team GB squad for the London 2012 Olympics which made her marathon time of 2 hours 36 minutes (slight coincidence that this is the exact time it took me to run my 15 miles) even more incredible. It gave me some hope that if Paula could do it perhaps I could too... Then I realised I am not a professional athlete nor do I have the team of physiotherapists, coaches etc helping me along the way!

One of the best things about a long run is the feed afterwards! My Garmin informed me that I had burned 1500 calories during my run and I was going to try my best to feed my tired and aching muscles. Paul is a total sweetie, not stranger to distance running himself he sympathised with my post run slump on the sofa and served me food and drink for pretty much the rest of the afternoon. He had even been to do the food shop and foraged me some post run treats of Bounty cookies which were delightful with a cup of coffee. Lunch was a spicy corn chowder soup with some jalapeño and three cheese bread which was just what was needed to warm up from my run.

I may not have made my mind up on my forthcoming marathon but watching the London Marathon has inspired me to enter the 2016 ballot which opens on Monday for the second year running. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed with no doubt hundreds of thousands of other runners! All in all it was a good weekend of training and what was satisfying was it was all on my doorstep, no cars or travelling required. I feel privileged to have such enjoyable running routes close to home.

Run Forest, Run!

Thursday we took a break from our usual running routine. Instead after work I headed a few miles across north London to Wood Green where I met up with Paul. I had booked myself a belated birthday treat of tickets to the Ben Howard gig at Alexandra Palace that evening. Having never been to Alexandra Palace before I did a little pre-event planning which is when I learnt of the Festival Hall. The Festival Hall is as the name suggests, it's a festival style undercover space offering street food stalls and bars. We did a circuit of the food stalls to see what was on offer and to my delight we discovered the Buddha Bowl van with an entirely vegetarian/vegan menu, something of a rare treat! A Buddha Bowl is a noodle box crammed full of tasty, wholesome awesomeness, organic short grain brown rice, Massaman curry with new potatoes, soya chunks and pineapple, steamed kale, carrot and kimchi pickle, grilled halloumi (vegan without) topped with an omega seed mix and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.

Delightful, wholesome veggie goodness!

I of course went for the big buddha and it was out of this world! When I got home I had to track these guys down as I knew that wouldn't be my last Buddha Bowl. The Buddha Bowl van is at Whitecross Street Food Market most Thursday and Friday's 12:00-2:30pm, check them out!

Saturday is parkrun day. I must confess that I am only recently a convert to parkrun! I used to struggle with the concept of getting out of bed early on a Saturday morning to run 5km especially if I had to drive further to get there than I'd be running. However, when the Great Notley parkrun started up last year (this is now my home run) I thought I would give it a try and it didn't take me long to understand its appeal. Once you have set your first course time it becomes an addictive pastime striving to better your personal best. The social aspect also adds to the enjoyment, I have made many friends running and I often bump into someone I know at parkrun. The people definitely make this event what it is, from the runners to the enthusiastic volunteers who give up their time every week to ensure that these events continue to happen. It seems once you have run one parkrun you become an ambassador for parkrun, I am always trying to encourage friends who run to give parkrun a go. So if you're reading this and have never been along to parkrun, what are you waiting for?! Register at parkrun website, print out your personal barcode and turn up to your local run, 9am every Saturday. I also forgot to mention it's completely free!

For the past few weeks we've volunteered at the newly launched Hatfield Forest parkrun. For anyone who read my last blog will know that the Run Director for the Hatfield Forest parkrun is my friend Chris. Over the past few months prior to the event launch we've helped out by testing various versions of the route, however we had not yet officially run it for ourselves and with the weather being warmer and drier of late we've reached the final few weeks of the winter course so knew we had to grab the opportunity to run on this version of the course whilst we still could. The weather Saturday morning was glorious which made a pleasant change compared with the past few weeks. It even gave us the opportunity to break out our new 'runglasses'. It felt strange turning up at the forest ready to run and not be directing traffic, setting out route markers, marshalling or time keeping. We were also technically tourists at this event given that our home parkrun is 15 miles away!

Testing out the 'runglasses' in the glorious spring sunshine

9am came and the run started. I set off with a steady pace as I was fully aware of a couple of niggling injuries I've been carrying of late. Chris, who despite being the RD also was running the event for officially the first time. Having recently taken time out for injury himself, we both found ourselves running together at a similar pace and we stuck together running and chatting as we went around the course. 

Chris and I going strong at around 3 km

The winter course covers a combination of grass and road intended to avoid the muddier parts of the forest. It is a one lap course which really appeals to me, I can find courses that require more than one lap a little psychologically defeating. Although relatively flat there were a few gradual inclines which pinched the legs slightly, especially in the first km as you leave the grass and join the road. I expect at this stage my legs are still warming up so it comes as a bit of a shock. The most enjoyable part for me was the finish, not just because it was the finish but because the final 300m are around the lake. I haven't got the experience of running many parkrun courses but I'd take a chance and say it's probably up there with one of the best finishes around! Chris and I had run around the course together but in the final km I decided that I was feeling capable of picking the pace up a little. With the finish line just the other side of the lake I attempted to sprint finish but Chris had the legs on me and finished just ahead of me. I'd like to pretend I let him beat me as it was his first official run at his own parkrun, this was not the case though, he was just quicker than me (but don't tell him that)! I finished in a time of 27:43, not my slowest and not my fastest parkrun time. 

Getting pipped to the finish by Chris!

I am intrigued to see how fast I can go around the course when fully fit. It has the potential to be a quick course and without any hills it must be able to rival my parkrun PB at Great Notley of 25:44.

As far as runs go, this course is pretty stunning, you get a great sense of open space when running around the forest with some amazing views. A couple of weeks back when volunteering we had been setting out some of the course when a herd of deer (30 odd) ran across the grass car parking area. The most open sections across the grass plains could be a bit punishing during the winter, even though a reasonable day, it did feel as though we were still quite exposed to the wind. Since running I have realised that I enjoy running off road far more than I do on it! The forest was a perfect location for me and it delivers a good mix of terrain, I felt as though my body was constantly adapting as the course changed underfoot. There are a few bits I'd call 'bobbly' where you need to watch your footing otherwise you could easily turn an ankle.

Paul giving the thumbs up for the Hatfield Forest parkrun

This parkrun is only in its 5th week and each week has seen a respectable number of runners turn out to each event with 100+ (188 at the inaugural event) in attendance and it's only going to to from strength to strength. It has also attracted many runners who are new to parkrun, I hope they become regular faces to parkrun.

Sunday we were back at the forest to run again. This time to trial the summer route with the aid of just a map and no signage. It was looking likely that the summer route could be going live in a matter of weeks which had come as a surprise as we'd tested the route back at Easter when we'd had wetter weather and it was pretty swampy in places. We separated ourselves into groups and set off at 5 minute intervals with the intention of all finishing around the same time. We headed off into the forest with radios and a map. Fortunately each group had someone who'd run the course on a previous test run so we relied on recalling some sections from memory. We've had a few weeks of reasonably dry weather so the grassy sections had dried out and were bone dry, the only downside to this being where it had been churned up by the footfall runners, walkers and wildlife when it was wet, it had dried to a pointy, uneven mass! The summer route is quite a different route to the winter. It it mainly on grass with very little road and takes you through more of the forest. It also has a few more ditches to run through which add to the interesting variation of terrain. Having had the opportunity to run both I think I prefer the summer route, the only downside is that it doesn't finish by the lake, instead back in the main car park. You can still enjoy the lake views once you've finished and grabbed a hot chocolate from the cafe! Not a National Trust member? Don't worry as the awesome folk at Hatfield Forest parkrun have organised free parking for the first year of the event. Don't take my word for it though, give it a go for yourself!

That's me signing off for this evening! I have a parkrun to run in the morning, I'm returning to my home run after an extended loan period to help a neighbour out, very much the parkrun spirit it seems.

Team Um Bongo does the Flitch Way 10k

I was pretty excited when I heard that Challenge Running were organising a series of new races for 2015 along the Flitch Way. The Flitch Way for those of you who are unfamiliar is a former railway line running for 15 miles from Braintree to Bishops Stortford. It's flat, free from traffic and covers some beautiful Essex countryside. It is also where I do most of my running these days as it's on my doorstep.  

Paul and I were not going to miss this one so signed up right away. Our friends Chris and Alec also signed up, Team Um Bongo assemble! Chris some while ago bought himself an Um Bongo running vest. I am pretty sure at the time we laughed at him as it is a pretty mad vest. Now we all own these running vests and enter events under the name Team Um Bongo (when not Team BBQ)!

The days leading up to the race were less than ideal. Paul and I had been doing some decorating and were moving furniture on the Thursday evening. We were lifting a sofa which wasn't at all heavy just a little awkward to grip when I felt my upper back twinge, I shook it off and thought nothing more of it. Then Friday morning I got up to go to work when my back twinge went into spasm. Back to bed I went! Then Friday evening I started to feel like I was coming down with a lurgy. I felt like it was a conspiracy to stop me from running on the Sunday. I didn't want to see those dreaded letters against my name DNS (Did Not Start) so did everything in my power to get myself better. A bit of gentle yoga, some natural anti-inflammatories and every cold/flu remedy known to man seemed to do the trick.

One of the best things about running is that it gives you a license to eat, especially when you have an event coming up. That's an excuse I use probably far too often to justify my eating habits! So Saturday lunchtime I had a tough decision to make, go to the supermarket to do the food shop on an empty stomach or make Marmite pasta for lunch. I chose the pasta of course! To most Marmite pasta probably sounds a little random and like something from a student cookbook but I assure you it's flipping awesome. My dear friend Patsy put me onto the recipe (it's from Nigella Lawson), it's so simple that if you're a Marmite lover then you'll probably already have the ingredients to make it - spaghetti, butter, Marmite and some Italian hard cheese (vegetarian).

Sunday morning provided us with some glorious weather conditions, spring finally felt like it had sprung. The race started and finished at the Great Notley Country Park which is just off of the Flitch Way. It made a great race HQ and provided all of the essential facilities. It is also the home of the Great Notley parkrun, our local parkrun so we were in familiar surroundings and felt like we were at home. We caught up with a couple of other people we knew who were also running, Matt from Michelle's Running Group and Helen who we run with on a Sunday. We listened to race briefing given by Lindley (the Race Director) before heading to the start line. The race was a straight out and back course, starting at the Great Notley Country Park, picking up the Flitch Way along to Bannister Green Halt where we'd turn around and come back on ourselves. The start was just outside of the park and the finish at the top of the hill, affectionately known to Great Notley parkrunners as the 'hill of doom'. Luckily I was already aware of this (I volunteered for the New Years Eve Flitch Way Marathon and this also finished at the top of the hill) and it didn't come as a surprise but the reaction from the 200 field of runners would suggest that they were shocked why anyone would end a race at the top of the hill! The same sort of person who makes a 10 km course 10 km-ish (10.3 km according to my Garmin)!

Team Um Bongo L to R: Alec, Chris, Paul, Emily (and the hill of doom in the background)
(Photo credit: Katrina Leamey)

At 10am the air horn sounded and we were off. I started with a steady pace trying to keep myself around to 5 min/km, I wasn't aiming for a set time as I knew the hill finish would mean that I'd have to bank myself a couple of minutes to be within a shot of a PB and I was well aware of the niggling injuries I have. The first km the field started to spread out a little and I registered a 5:03 km so all was good. Then a girl next to me tripped and took a nasty tumble, she looked like she landed on her shoulder and grazed her knee. I stopped to check she was ok as did another chap who helped her up to her feet. She was just a bit shook up and was able to carry on. I was unexpectedly greeted by cheers at Rayne Station where the group I do my long Sunday run had finished their run and were enjoying a cup of tea. This gave me a boost and I tried to pick up my pace a little before I hit the bypass bridge which on a bit of an incline.

One of my reservations about the race was as it is an out and back race, before you get to the turn around checkpoint you'd be passed by other runners coming in the other direction on the home straight and I thought this could be a little demoralising. The first few runners who passed us were cheered on by the the other runners and given words of support and encouragement, it added a great vibe to the race. Then to my surprise I was passed by Paul who was on the home leg, he must have been 2 km ahead of me at this point and was looking strong considering he'd had issues with his achilles a few days earlier. I'd not been paying much attention but I was sure he was in the top 10 at this stage. Every runner I knew and passed going out or coming back got a high five, I forgot to mention to Chris that he must be less enthusiastic with his high five as I think he almost dislocated my shoulder! At the checkpoint I grabbed a much needed cup of water. I decided not to run with water as it was a short enough distance not to need any and if I'd hydrated well enough I should be fine, however in hindsight I wish I'd carried a small bottle.

On the return 5 km I really found a good rhythm and found myself getting faster and slowly making my way up the field passing a few runners. I even managed to register a couple of sub 5 min/km. Passing Rayne Station the running group were still there and again gave me some great encouragement. With just over a km to go one of the runners said to me "I could really do with a carton of Um Bongo right now", all I could say in reply was "me too!", I was gasping. The last km was torture, all I could think about was how thirsty I was feeling and how close yet still so far I was from the finish line where water awaits. I tagged along with a couple who were clearly going for a time, keeping up with them pushed me on and before I knew it I was over the bridge and back into the park nearing the finish. Just the hill of doom to conquer!

Climbing the hill of doom to the finish line
(Photo credit: Katrina Leamey)

The hill was lined with people cheering and supporting which really helped me find that final bit of effort needed to keep on going. Then I spotted Paul and his parents and my Mum, knowing that they'd be waiting for me at the finish line had really motivated me throughout the race. "Touch the bird to stop the clock" was all I remembered so I crossed the line and reached out for the concrete sculpture that sits on top of the hill. Lindley awarded me with my finishers medal (which is super cool) and I grabbed a much needed drink. Then I went to see Paul and Alec who had already finished and were waiting, they asked if I had stopped my watch, of course I hadn't I'd been too distracted!

The race medal was designed in the style of an old railway ticket

We waited at the top of the hill to see all the runners we knew home. Being a local race it was nice running alongside some familiar faces we know from parkrun and the circle of running friends we've grown. The whole event had a really nice and friendly atmosphere to it. Once Team Um Bongo were all accounted for we headed to the shelter of indoors at it had been quite breezy on top of the hill. Chris had put on a special treat by making some 'non-sausage rolls' especially for Paul and I as a thank you for the volunteering we'd done at Hatfield Forest parkrun (of which he is Run Director for).

Finishers with our race bling

It was never going to be a PB course due to the 0.3 km extra & the finish hill, besides the day was about enjoying myself in the company of friends. The official finishing times for Team Um Bongo were: Paul 43:19, Alec 50:14, Emily 52:42, Chris 58:54. Annoyingly, according to my Garmin my time at the 10 km mark WAS a PB of 50:58 (beating my 2014 Hatfield Broad Oak time of 51:12). However I was pleased with my efforts for the first 10 km race of the year and to my surprise I finished as the 10th female. Paul did fantastically well finishing 9th overall.

Huge thanks to Challenge Running for a fantastically organised event and the volunteer team who were always happy and helpful! If you fancy one of their Flitch Way events they've organised a Marathon in May, a half in June or if you're totally insane a New Years Eve/New Years Day double header of marathons! (Edit: an Autumn Flitch Way 10 km has just been added for September).

A special thank you to Scimitar Sports who were able to arrange a bespoke vest for me so that I could run with my fellow Um Bongoites. It was great fun wearing the vest and it attracted may comments and smiles from the crowd. The power of advertising is strong, I am sitting here drinking a cold glass of Um Bongo whilst writing this blog. Ever since someone had mentioned it to me on the run it's all I've fancied!
            

Hey there!

Hi, I'm Emily and as you have probably already gathered from the name of my blog, I run and I'm a vegetarian girl who likes her food! Running has always been a part of my life one way or another, but it has only been in the past year that it's become a big part of it.

I have my Husband Paul and good friend Chris to blame/thank for that! Football was once my thing but I hung up my boots at the end of the 2013-14 season and soon found the need to replace it with something. I've run on and off for around 6 years completing 2 half marathons and a handful of 10k races but have never really been able to give it my all as most of the time training for races clashed with my football commitments.

Chris would often badger us into entering races and rather cleverly combined it with some sort of after food/social (check out his cool blog - Run for the eat) which given my love of food would usually lead me to cave in and sign up to said race! This tactic worked at least a couple of times a year! Chris although carnivorous himself has always gone to remarkable efforts to ensure us veggie folk are well catered for (his home made bean and nacho burgers are a personal favourite of mine). The May Bank Holiday Hatfield Broad Oak 10k has become something of an annual group outing under the team name of 'Team BBQ', you guessed it we run then have a BBQ regardless of the somewhat predictable British Bank Holiday weather! One thing Chris has taught me is running is better when with friends!

Post Hatfield Broad Oak 10k 2014 with a celebratory PB ice cream

Moving onto my Husband Paul and his part in this. He's the annoying sort that makes running look easy, he went from running a 10k race to 50k ultra-marathon without bothering to try a half marathon or marathon in between. He has often struggled regulating his pace and had a habit of trying to run 50k at a 10k pace!

For years we've not run together, there's a foot in height difference between us so Paul has a much longer stride. When we attempted to run together I'd either feel like I was holding him back or I'd struggle to keep up he'd inevitably become a speck in the distance in no time at all, not much fun. Then one day I had an eureka moment, my natural pace is around the pace that Paul should be running for the longer distances so we started training together but running at my pace.

Paul, my Husband, running partner and best friend

With the assistance of my running partner I have a new found love of running, no longer does it have to feel like a chore that I did because it kept me fit or I was training for a forthcoming race. What's more is we now love running together, I am quite happy leaving the headphones at home and enjoy being in the company of my best friend and appreciating wherever the adventure takes us.

So what's this blog about? When I get into something I really eat, sleep, breathe it, this blog is an outlet for that passion and to give those around me a break from listening to me obsessively chunter on about running! At the start of 2015 I decided that I wanted to take my running to the next level. It was time to challenge myself and push my physical limits so I entered a marathon. Before I have even run the marathon I also entered a couple of ultra-marathons just to be sure I was challenged enough! I thought it'd be timely to start a blog to document my journey to 26.2 miles, the ultimate running achievement. Expect to read about injuries, training, mistakes, food, race reports, adventures, product reviews, the odd whinge, did I mention food?!

Life is short, love what you do and don't care what anyone else thinks! Happy running!