Challenge 37 - The Karrimor 11K Challenge

On Sunday 1st June 2014 I took part in my first ever trail run at Keswick in the Lake District.

As we were travelling to the event in a girlie group I decided it was easier to go and stay at a friends house who lived near the race venue on Saturday evening so I didn't have such an early start in the morning.

It was a beautiful evening and still fairly warm so once I arrived at my friends house it wasn't long before a bottle of cider was thrust in my hand and we sat out in the garden! 

This was my first trail run and here I was drinking cider the night before ... probably not the best preparation but hey I didn't have any expectations of a finish time! 

My main aim was actually finishing in one piece without tripping and injuring myself!

Thankfully we managed to limit ourselves to just 2 bottles of cider before heading to bed!

When my alarm clock rudely woke me up at 7.30am the sun was shining though the curtains and it was another bright, hot and sunny day! More akin to sunbathing on the beach rather than running a race!

The other 2 girlies who we were travelling with us (and running) arrived at 8am and we all enjoyed porridge and a coffee together (in the garden again!) before setting off to the race. 

I had packed a vest top to wear along with three quarter trousers but I was beginning to wish I had packed my shorts instead! We slathered ourselves with sun cream and prepared to be toasted (or roasted!)

There were 3 of us running the 11K route and 1 who was actually the birthday girl was running the 22K route (what a way to celebrate!) which was actually made up of 2 laps of the 11K!
The 22K race started an hour earlier than our race so we had to arrive at the race HQ early but at least this meant we had no problem getting parked in the car park at the near-by Leisure Centre! 

With having time to fill we got the opportunity to watch the junior championships start (and finish!) and we were amazed at how fast they got round and how easy they made it look!

The race director made me highly nervous by announcing over the loud speakers what a big challenge we had taken on and with the weather being so hot to pace ourselves and hydrate adequately! Which is fair enough but he then went on to say

 "we call this the Karrimor Challenge for a reason. It's not called the Karrimor run because it's not just a run, the same way as the Great North Run is not called The Great North Challenge because it's not a challenge"

At this point if I could have escaped and fled I would! Perhaps it was a good job I was with friends who wouldn't let me back out!


The 22K race started at 9:45am and runners had to be ready in their pens for 9:30am. 

 We waved Jo off and wished her luck and watched and cheered as they did a lap of the field before they heading off out onto the course!

After depositing our bags in the baggage area, and visiting the facilities we headed off to our starting pen ready for our 11K race to start!


I waited nervously for the starting gun to go, wondering what I was doing here!


The first wave set off and did a lap of the field and then in no time at all it was the second waves turn, which included ME!

During the lap of the field it was very congested and difficult to keep a reasonable pace and at some points I felt like I was shuffling! However, once we exited out onto the old Keswick railway track the crowds dispersed and I could get into a better running rhythm. I was aware that there was some fairly steep hills coming up so tried to keep a steady pace on this flat part of the course (which was on fairly well made even tracks) as I wanted to save some energy for the climbs! 

The course continued along the old Keswick Railway line, crossed the River Greta over the railway bridge at Brundholme before turning off towards Wescoe. The course then climbed the first major hill which was on tarmac roads and I managed to run albeit slowly up this. Thankfully we were greeted at the top with a much needed water station. 

After this there was a nice refreshing downhill section and we even had a decision to make at one point - to go over a bridge or through the stream! Despite it being a hot day I didn't fancy running in wet trainers so I was prepared to slow down and wait in the queue to cross over the bridge!


Shortly after this was the brutal climb up and over the Northern shoulder of Latrigg Fell.


There was a timing mat at the start and the finish of this climb and all runners got a time for this section with the fastest being crowned the King of the Mountain! 

The climb was hard, made even harder by the heat and I quickly realised that there was no way I was going to run all the way up it but the views were spectacular!  It was pleasing to see that not many people managed to run all the way up and in actual fact I think I did it faster power walking then I would have if I had persevered with a slow shuffle run! 

Whilst power walking up this monster I said to a bloke "I'm pleased I'm only doing the 11K" to which he responded "I'm not and this is my second time up here!" WHOOPS! I think I may have passed out if I had had to go up there twice in a day!


After this massive climb it was a time for the fantastic downhill section towards Keswick. I really enjoyed this and it was also timed in order to "defeat the Demon Descent"  to see who the quickest descender was. 

Although I had felt like an OAP going up I felt like a big kid whilst coming down! I almost wanted to put my arms out and be an aeroplane! I'm sure I had a big smile plastered over my face the entire time! I had dreaded the downhill section but in actual fact loved it!


Once down, there was one sneaky very steep climb which took me by surprise at around the 10K mark before returning to the event field towards the finish line. It was great to see the finish line and there was plenty of spectator support cheering us on down the home straight!

I think I would have cried if I had entered the 22k and had to do it all again!


On crossing the finish line we were given a goody bag which contained a medal and a t-shirt as well as some sweets and energy bars etc. I was disappointed that the T Shirt was just a cotton one and not a proper technical running one!

 

I had finished my first 11K trail race in 1:13:13 which considering the monstrous hills I was pleased with.  I was also pleased with the position I came in my age group and in the female group!  I'm not sure how my "King of the Mountain"  or "Demon Descent" times compare with others lol 

Click to enlarge!

Not long after passing the finish line the others in my group finished too.  Jo had managed to run the 22K and keep fairly consistent splits for both laps which is some achievement!  

I would have been upset if I had done the 22K as the medal, T Shirt and goody bag were all identical to the ones we got for going half the distance!  I think the extra effort they put in should have been recognised in some way!

After sunbathing on the grass for a short while we headed off to the pub and enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea made up of sandwiches and far too many cakes to eat!  A great way to refuel after a race!

 You can view the hills on my Garmin here.

Liverpool Rock N Roll Half Marathon

On Sunday 25th May 2014 I took part in the inaugural Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. 

This was my 11th half marathon and my 8th race I have run for my very inspirational running buddy Haddie from the I run 4 group. I have been buddies with Haddie since December 2013 and hearing how much effort she puts into daily life to gain strength and control of her body has given me the extra strength I need to believe in myself when the going gets tough! I give myself a good talking to and say if Haddie can ... I can!

Haddie!

When I booked this race several months ago the start time had been advertised as "TBC" so when I received my runners pack last week I was dismayed to see a 8am start time for the Half Marathon and 9am for the Full Marathon!

I have never known a Half Marathon start so early which is a bit of a problem when you aren't local.  I looked for accommodation for staying the night before but by this late stage all the cheaper hotels were already fully booked so it looked like an early alarm call for me!

After a fretful night's sleep my alarm woke me up at the unearthly hour of 5am.  

My original choice of outfit!

My change of mind outfit!

After having my usual pre-race porridge I got dressed in my running gear.

 I had already planned my outfit and attached my race number to a T Shirt the previous evening but when I opened my curtains on race day morning the sun was already making an attempt to shine, so I quickly checked the weather forecast for Liverpool!  The forecast was for sun so I hastily changed into a running vest and reattached my number!


I was feeling very cool, calm and collected when we left our home town of Kendal at around 5.45am for the 80 mile journey to Liverpool, which is very unusual for me on race day!

Just as we were approaching Preston the weather changed and the sky went incredibly dark, a few miles further on we went through torrential rain!  

The driving conditions were hazardous as there was so much lying water on the motorway!  

We saw a car on the opposite carriageway aquaplane and spin out of control hitting the central barrier - thankfully the barrier did it's job or we would have been in it's direct line!

This made us more cautious and we slowed down to be safe!

I was beginning to fret about what sort of running conditions I was going to experience.  As the forecast had been so good I was ill prepared with just a running vest and three-quarter trousers!  I had no running jacket with me or anything waterproof to wear pre-race!  
Thankfully as we approached Liverpool we left the black skies behind and were greeted with blue!

The start line when we first arrived @ 7:34am!

The traffic was very light on our approach to the car park and we got parked easily. 

On the walk from the car park I ate my banana to make sure I was fully fueled up and ready to run! 

By the time we walked to the race village where the start line was it was just after 7.30 am.  

Although it was dry it was very chilly so I had several layers on to try and keep warm.  

I decided I needed a nervous wee so headed to the nearby portoloos. I was appalled to see there were very few loo's and I was ever so slightly rattled by the length of the queue and the diminishing time!  There was no way I was going to get the the front of the queue in the 20 minutes I had before the race started.  

I decided to have a quick gander around to see if there were anymore loo's hiding and was delighted to see a sign saying there were toilets in the Echo Arena. I had a quick dash inside and thankfully there were loads of toilets and no queue!

I rushed back to the starting line, and made my way to my starting coral.  I was in coral 2 which was near the front, and furthest away from where we were!  I just made it to my area, got my layers off, said goodbye to my husband and the countdown started for coral one to go!

PHEW!  It was a little close for comfort but at least I had no time to get nervous!  

Austin Healey, former rugby player started the race (apparantly he also held the finish line tape for the winners and greeted runners into the finish!).

A minute later there was another countdown 

10 ...9 ...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1..

and this time I was off!

I had decided to run with my virtual pacer on my Garmin and had set him to run at a 8:46 minute mile pace which would give me a PB finish at around 1:55.  This is the first time I have tried this strategy!

The race started at the Albert Dock on Liverpool’s Waterfront which was lined with cheering spectators and music before heading off towards the World Famous home of The Beatles – The Cavern Club. 

Despite there being approximately 3500 half marathoners this early part of the course wasn't over crowded at all and there was none of the usual pushing and hustling for space that sometimes happens in these larger events.  I think having a staggered start with small numbers in each coral and then each coral starting a minute apart stopped this happening! 

The first band performed just beyond the start line on a pontoon boat in Salthouse Dock and the next was near The cavern Club.

We then passed the Liver Buildings before heading towards Chinatown and running through the Chinese Arch. There was plenty of spectator support during this part of the course!  

The red guitar square indicates where the live bands played! The blue numbers are KM markers!

I kept glancing at my Garmin on the way round to check I was still ahead of my pacer but I had no idea of the actual pace I was running! I managed to resist flicking to the screen that would tell me my minute mile pace etc as this usually "floors" me mentally as I start to panic when I think I am running too fast or too slow!

 I took my first gel at around the 3 mile mark when I could wash it down with a bottle of water!  Thankfully the water was BOTTLED - not cups or those awful pouches!

The route then took us through Princes Park, the beautiful Sefton Park and Otterspool Park.  The heavy rain that we had experienced on our journey down must have fallen over Liverpool during the night as there were areas in these parks that were extremely wet and muddy! However, despite this hazard the parks were beautiful to run through with the sun shining through the trees highlighting the flowers and bushes! There was plenty of bands playing at regular intervals going through the parks along with plenty of spectator support. 

At around the 6 mile mark whilst going through one of the parks it was time for another gel to keep me fueled and rocking and rolling!

After leaving the parks behind we headed towards and then along the promenade where at around 9 miles I took my final gel.  At around 11 miles we hit the first and only part of the course that I didn't enjoy!  We seemed to hit the back streets and there was no spectators to encourage us at all! 

However, I was soon running towards to the finish line on the Waterfront alongside the Liverpool Echo Arena close to the start.

The final mile was lined with spectators. A quick glance at my pacer confirmed I was ahead of my PB time.  I tried to pick up the speed as I headed to the finish.  I could see the clock counting upwards on 1:50:45 and realised that with the staggered start if I really pushed hard I might get a sub 1:50!

Running down the home straight with determination!

The cheers lifted my spirits and I soared through the finish feeling on a total high as I stopped my watch and saw the time of 1:48!

Over the finish line and checking my watch for my time!

I felt overwhelmed and close to tears that I had achieved a time that I had thought was unachievable for me!  I waited with bated breath for my official time to be recorded on my FB page!  

A few very long minutes passed before it was confirmed that I had infact run a 1:48:52 Half Marathon slicing 7 minutes off my previous PB!

On crossing the finish line I was immediately presented with a very large and heavy medal along with a bottle of water! 

Just as I was heading off to collect my goody bag from inside the Echo Arena I bumped into a friend from the "Run for Fun" facebook site! She had also run a fantastic race finishing in a super fast 1:34:41 also getting a PB! 

We waited a while to see if any more RFF-ers came through before going into the Arena to collect our goody bag and T shirt!

Along with the technical T Shirt (I got an XS size which is still big!) we got a Lucazade drink, crisps, Haribo's and a Banana but the best bit was a voucher for a FREE beer! Not an Olympic athletes idea of an ideal post race goody bag but it hit the spot for this run for funner!!

Once outside there were numerous stands where they exchanged the voucher for a free pint!  If you looked under 25 they were asking for ID - luckily for me they didn't ask!  lol 

Free beer - would be rude not to! CHEERS!

Once I had my beer in hand I was reunited with my husband! He commented that I was drinking beer at 10.30 in the morning!  To be honest with being up since 5am I had no thoughts that it was still so early!  I had run hard and deserved it!

Waiting for the first marathoners to finish!

We sat down for a while to enjoy the sun and the live music being played on the main stage and to partake in one of my favourite hobbies - people watching!

After a while we headed back to the finish line to see the stragglers of the half marathon finishing and then the first few fast marathoners!

All in all I had a fantastic day in a wonderful race and got a "only in my dreams" PB!

 Life is good!

I enjoyed the race so much I have already signed up for the 2015 Half Marathon!

There was 235 runners in my division, 1855 females and 3485 runners in total, so feeling rather delighted with my efforts!

I had run at an average 8:20 minute mile pace instead of the planned 8:47, but had no idea whilst I was running what my pace was!  I am pleased I just ran to "beat" my virtual pacer and didn't stress about the ACTUAL pace I was running!  No mental running wars going on in my head!

I definitely try this strategy again and hope it works just as successfully next time!

You can view my run here on Garmin!

The target times I set myself and my actual race times.  I don't know why 6K didn't register!

Challenge 35 - Kendal Sprint Triathlon - April 2014

Today, Sunday 27th April 2014 I completed my first "proper" triathlon – the sprint distance Kendal Tri which involved a 400 metre pool swim, a 18K bike and a 5K run.

As I am a slow swimmer I was put in the first wave therefore I had an exceptionally early swim start time of 8am!

Last year I did a "time based" triathlon for newbies but this was my first time competing with the big boys and girls and I was exceptionally nervous!

Yesterday I got all my gear ready and I packed what was required into the plastic box I was going to use in transition!  I opted to put my stuff in a box with a lid as the forecast can be so hit and miss I didn't fancy coming out the pool to a wet towel, clothes and shoes should there be a sudden downpour!

I tried to have an fairly early night and I set my alarm for 6:30am. 

However, a mix of nerves, a distinct lack of alcohol and my husband snoring meant I was awake more than I was asleep and I was actually thankful when my alarm went off that I could finally get up and get on with it!

I was delighted when I peeked out the curtains to see clear blue skies and no rain!

I headed downstairs to try and eat some breakfast and managed one Weetabix with milk, followed by a banana and a few slurps of coffee!

It was soon time to go back upstairs to put my tri suit on, as well as some other clothes to keep me warm!  By now I was feeling exceptionally jittery and was wondering why I was putting myself through this on a Sunday morning!

I did a quick double check of my box, checked that my bike tyres had enough air in and I was good to go!

As I live less than a mile to the start I decided it was easier for me to cycle there and let my husband follow in the car with THE all important box!

I had to be at registration by 7.30am and on the poolside ready by 7.50am so time was tight!

I arrived at registration dead on time at 7.30am!  There was no queueing so I was quickly ticked off the list, given my swim lane number as well as a gym bag which contained my race number, a number for my bike, a race belt (although I already had one) and lots of literature about other races!

It was now time to head to the transition area and find the correct place to rack my bike! I was bib number 11 so I had to hunt down rack number 11!  Thankfully, there was a very helpful and friendly Marshall who showed me the way and advised which way to face my bike for an easy exit! (something in my highly nervous state I would never have considered!)

I stuck my bike number on the stem of my bike and then battled to fix my race number to my race belt! (Note to self "bring a small hole punch to make a hole in bib first").  With the help of a Marshall carrying a penknife I managed to get it attached eventually.

I was now time to head into the pool changing rooms, get undressed and have a nervous wee - not an easy thing to do when wearing a tri suit!  

Cap on and goggles positioned on my head - I was ready to face battle.

I arrived at poolside at around 7.50am and walked into a sea of equally nervous first timers.  There was a short time to chat before we had our race briefing and given our timing chip to attach to our left ankle!  Everyone was very friendly and it was nice to know we were all in the same boat!

We were told which lanes we were in and our position within that lane.  I was to be first to go in lane 4 and then the other 3 in my lane would be set off at 5 second intervals after me.

We were given our instructions to get in the water and prepare to start.  The start was in the deep end of the pool, so I had to tread water whilst I positioned my goggles and checked for leakages! 

I  clung nervously onto the side waiting for the starters whistle.

20 ........ 15 ..... 10 .... 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... 

I was OFF!

I tried to remain calm and talked myself through my stroke, my position and my breathing and all felt good for the first length and a half and then the woman behind me, overtook me and then threw herself over enthusiastically into a tumble turn kicking me in the head in the process ( I think tumble-turns should be banned after this experience!)

I clung to the side trying to regain my composure before setting off again but the nerves were now on high alert and I couldn't get back into my rhythm or breathing.  

I could feel panic setting in and I could actually envisage a full-on panic attack happening.  I felt dreadful!

At the end of each length I stopped and tried to steady my breathing before setting off again but the gremlin inside my head had truly taken hold and all my confidence had gone.  I have never been so pleased to see my "lane counter" raise the red float that indicated to me I only had 2 lengths remaining. 

As I hauled myself out the pool (via the steps as I didn't have the energy to clamber out the side!) I could feel tears of disappointment welling up.  

I told myself to get a grip and hoped that now I was on dry land things would get better!

I have no recollection of leaving the leisure centre, running over the grass to my bike and I certainly didn't register the cold air on my wet skin as I exited into the great outdoors!  

I had obviously gone into my own little world determined to right the awful start!

I threw my goggles and hat onto the grass, quickly towelled myself off and then put my helmet on before I forgot in the panic (didn't want disqualified before I started!). 

Next I put on my cycling jacket and race belt with the number on my back (Tri rules state your number needs to be on your back for the cycle and on your front for the run!) before sitting down to fight with my cycling shoes and damp feet!

I was soon good to go!  

I ran/walked through the transition area as fast as I could push my bike and it was only once I had mounted my bike and I was hurtling down the road with the sun in my eyes that I realised with despair that my cycling glasses were still in my box!

Too late, I would just have to squint!

Once on my bike my confidence returned especially as I was now overtaking all the swimmers who had left me in the pool!

My smile returned and I relaxed.  The sun was shining, the birds were tweeting, lambs were baaing and life felt good!  

I thoroughly enjoyed the cycle route even the biggish hill which had to be navigated twice once at mile 4 and then again at mile 9 (or should I say especially the big hill) as a few cyclists were actually pushing their bikes up this and I just glided past!.

Approaching the leisure centre at the end of the cycle route I quickly dismounted, ran into transition, racked my bike, threw off my helmet and jacket and changed into my running shoes which was much easier now my feet had dried out!

I had a few quick slurps of my energy drink before heading off for the final leg and the one I felt most confident about - The Run.

However, as I headed off I couldn't see a thing!  I felt very light headed with black dots in front of my eyes!  I was feeling slightly freaked out by this and was a little worried I was going to embarrass myself and pass out! To take my mind off it I started to count my strides and thankfully within a short distance it cleared and I felt "normal" again!

I'm not sure why I realised but all of a sudden after the first mile or so of the run it dawned on me that I hadn't "swivelled" my number to be at the front! Whoops, hopefully it went unnoticed!

The run felt good and apart from the hill at mile 2 that slowed me down quite significantly I felt like I had a good run.

I could feel a big smile spread across my face as I crossed the road and headed into the finishers funnel and over the timing mat!

Just over the finish line I was greeted by a friendly Marshall who rewarded me by placing my well deserved (in my opinion!) medal over my head and even bent down to remove my timing chip from my ankle!

I had done it!  

I AM a Triathlete!

Apart from the horrendous swim experience I had a thoroughly enjoyable time!

I can't wait to beat my swim demons and do it all again!









So how did I get on?

I managed to get within my finish goal time with faster times for everything except the swim so I am chuffed with that despite the bad start!

So here's my goal times compared with what I did! 

10 minute 400 Metre Swim, actual 11:54
3 minute transition, actual 2:52
54 minute 18K Cycle, actual 50:21
3 minute transition, actual 1:58
30 minute 5K run, actual 26:54

Goal Finish time: 1 hour 40 minutes actual 1:33:59

All in all a good day!  A very friendly and well organised event and superb for a first timer!

I would recommend it to anyone thinking about doing a triathlon!

Challenge 33 - Sports relief 6 mile - March 2014

Today, Sunday 23rd March 2014 I ran in The Lancaster and Morecambe Sport Relief 6 mile run. 

The run was due to start at 10.45am with a warm-up at 10.30am.

When I woke up this morning I had somehow developed a heavy cold overnight and I felt lousy.  

I lay in bed contemplating whether I was actually going to bother getting up and going but then convinced myself I might as well as it was just a fun run with no pressure!

I had a bowl of porridge and coffee and was soon feeling a little brighter - and the sun was shining!

We left our home in Kendal at around 9:30am for the 30 mile journey to Salt Ayre Leisure Centre which is situated half way between Lancaster and Morecambe where the race HQ was situated.  Traffic flowed nicely and we got parked really easily in the leisure centre car park arriving just after 10am for the 10.30am warm-up! 

Although I already had my race number I still needed to register to say I had turned up! 

After registering and visiting the loo I took residency in the track club house to try and keep warm!  

Although it was a lovely sunny morning it was still incredibly cold and windy!  

Thankfully I had dressed in long running pants, a long sleeved base layer with a vest on top and gloves!

Despite it being a National charity event I was amazed at how few runners it had attracted despite it only being £3 to enter!

At 10:30am prompt we were all summoned to a central point where a man fancying himself as Mr Motivator took us through a warm-up and stretch routine.

There were 3 runs taking place at the same time - a 1 mile, a 3 mile and a 6 mile run basically all running the same route just a different number of times!  

The 1 mile group ran one and a bit times around a set course where as we ran 7 and a bit times round the same course!

I was dismayed when I discovered this was actually a lap run as I usually detest this sort of thing.  

The run advert said "Take in the stunning views of the River Lune and the Historic City of Lancaster" so I wrongly assumed it would be a fairly interesting route!

Instead it was laps of a cycle track which gave us a 100m stretch along the river with the city in the background!

However, since I was there I thought I might as well make the most out of a bad situation and decided to try and use the laps to regulate my pace and see how much I could push myself for future 10K runs without expiring! 


Once we had warmed up the 1 mile group were led off to the start point, then the 3 mile group then finally the 6 mile group.

Despite it being poorly attended there was still a fair amount of spectators giving support.

We were soon on our way and 7 laps loomed large!  

However, once I got going and I got my head round doing laps I thoroughly enjoyed the run and liked the no pressure aspect that the "serious" races have!

During the first couple of miles there was lots of little toddlers and children taking part in the 1 mile event which made me smile to see them having fun running and also a fair few wheelchair participants who were being pushed by runners!  

Hats off to the runners I wouldn't fancy running with a wheelchair for 6 miles!

I completed the first mile in an 8:11 minute mile and vowed to try and maintain this pace throughout if possible. The 2nd mile was slightly slower at 8:15, then  8:22, 8:23, 8:28 and the last mile was also 8:28 giving me a finish time for the 6 miles of 49 minutes 13 seconds working out as an average 8:20 minute mile pace!

I was disappointed that this wasn't in fact a 10K race as I would have got a PB by a couple minutes at around 51:46!  

Anyhow, as this was my first 6 mile race I still got a PB!

I was still chuffed to bits with my achievement and was one of the first of the 6 milers to finish!  

On finishing I got a bottle of water and 2 medals!  

One for myself and one for my running buddy Haddie!








All in all a really enjoyable experience and it goes to show just relaxing and running as your body dictates really works!  

I would never have dared push like I did today in a "proper" race in case I couldn't finish but today I didn't feel it mattered if that happened!

Thankfully it didn't happen!

You can view the run here!