The Immodium Experiments..... and other Marathon training tales

Well, it's been a long while since I updated this......  I got my London Marathon place back in the Autumn, started training for it, haven't done any events over winter, and my training, whilst going very well and on schedule, would just read like a rather dull and repetetive weather forecast.  I've run in the rain, cold, fog, sleet, snow, hail and even sunshine on occasion, just enjoying plodding the prescribed miles away and ticking them off on the training plan.  So far I've run 639.22 kms (397 miles) in 4271 minutes (71 hours 11 mins) with 9427 mins (157 hours 7 mins) of total training time (yoga, kettlebells, swimming, core work, plyometrics etc.) and I've raised just over £1700 for Great Ormond Street Hospital already!  Last Sunday, with 6 weeks to go to the Marathon, I very reluctantly competed in the "Spen 20" - a very hilly 20 mile race around my neighbourhood.
My previous longest distance was 16.5 miles in 3 hours around Rutland Water the weekend before in the relentless pouring rain, but I didn't know what effect those extra 3.5 miles would have.  I am nothing if not obedient, so I have followed Paul's training plan to the letter, so I knew that I should be OK for 20 miles, but it was a big unknown, and to be honest, I'm not keen on public demonstrations of the effects of "unknown"!  It was a running club event, and my previous experiences of these club runs have put me in the very bottom percentile of the competitors, so I was worried about coming in hours after everyone else as well.  It was also on an isolated countryside course with no "facilities" on route, and I was a bit concerned that I might need "facilities" - without being indelicate, I often do whilst out running.  This has been the case for years, and I've tried everything short of eating superglue to combat it, to absolutely no avail.  So I now just accept it and plan training routes around facilities - I know people in every pub, cafe, McDonalds (hey, they are good for something!) and other public building in West Yorkshire now!  The Marathon will be fine because there are loads of er, opportunities to go, but this race was a problem and I'd wound myself up about it.  I finally started mentioning the problem to other runners to see if anyone had any ideas, and tried a few.  Without going into gruesome detail of all of the things that I have tried, I've finally discovered that 2 Immodiums 1 hour before I run does the trick! I normally don't like taking tablets of any kind, but this "race day only" last resort worked, and I'd finally run out of excuses for not doing the Spen 20! 
Sunday morning saw me quite positive, but very nervous and quiet (yeah it is possible!).  Everyone was being very encouraging, and as we lined up on the start line, the sun was shining so I just thought "what the heck, enjoy it!", so I set off at my normal tortoise-like pace, but with buckets full of my normal steely resolve!  By the time we'd all done a lap of the track and were heading out onto the road I was very near the back, but felt good and settled in to get my breathing and stride right.  The first 3 miles was an uphill drag from Cleckheaton through Scholes, and, by pacing myself, I managed to run it all at the same steady rate, unlike some of my colleagues who were by this point walking and I overtook a few.  That was a boost!  As I came into the village, I saw my friend Myra excitedly jumping up and down and cheering me on whilst handing me a bottle of water, and I finally began to enjoy myself.   We then went right past my sister & brother-in-law's house, and they were outside shouting for me.  This gave me another big lift which carried me to the top of the long hill, hill and down towards Clifton.  This, the "mad mile" is all downhill, and I thoroughly enjoyed it and even speeded up a little.  Out through the pretty village of Clifton took me to about 6 miles, already with an hour behind me, and we began to climb again.  We got nearly to The Grey Ox at Hartshead (v nice food incidentally!) and I had my head down, doing my little hill climb steps when someone started running next to me and I heard "you don't mind, do you?".  I looked up and was amazed to see my good friend Alison running alongside me!  She said she was going to do this 10K loop through Roberttown & Hightown with me, and we started happily running and gossiping, and before I knew it, the next hour had gone and I'd done 12 miles!  She left me then with a big smile and a wave, and I carried on on my own again for the next loop.  I was comfortable and happy, and keeping up the 9km per hour pace that I had started out at, so carried on running with a light heart.  The next loop saw us doing some hideous climbs again, but I got my head down and carried on until the very welcome return to the downhill "mad mile".  Half way down, I saw Myra again, who by this time had managed to drag her Dad out to add support, and she handed me another very welcome bottle of water and more words of kindness and excitement.  So we dragged on up through Clifton again and I got to about 15 miles feeling a bit tired but comfortable.  Imagine my surprise when I saw two other good friends, Carol & Stacey waiting for me at the top of the next hill, and my delight when they started running with me!  They did a very welcome & pretty tough couple of miles with me, and then hurtled off back to their car so that they didn't miss the finish, leaving me with a very happy heart and only three miles to go.  I felt great, absolutely on top of the world having been running now for 3 hours.  I had my last energy gel (one an hour - obedient girl!), and thought about my finishing time for the first time.  3 hours with 3 miles to go meant that I was going to be WAY under the 4 hours that I'd optimistically predicted, and I had bags of energy left, so I decided to step up the pace to 10Km per hour and gave the last 3 miles my all.  Luckilly they were 3 fairly easy miles (gradient-wise), and I found myself running back into to the stadium in no time.  Alex, Sam, Andy, Graham, Carol & David were all excitedly cheering me in, and I was choked with emotion as I managed a little spurt for the final lap of the track and the finish line. 
3:33 was my incredibly respectible finishing time, and do believe that whilst all of my training was responsible for the fact that I finished and was able to run it all, I owe alot of this amazing time and my utter enjoyment of it to Paul and my other friends and family for providing the breathtaking support throughout the race, and for all of the messages of encouragement on my sponsorship page which I had re-read before I set off.
As for the marathon, those last 6.2 miles are still the great unknown, but this has given me great insight into my preperation, stamina, speed, strength and ablilites, and the power of people's kindness and generosity to lift me to new heights.  So sincerely; thanks to all of you; my husband, friends, family & colleagues, YOU ROCK!

Paul and I at the end of the race - Paul had torn both calf muscles and still finished the race strongly. It's not the good days that make the man....... Big respect Sir Paul!

Helwith Bridge Duathlon

Well, I’ve just about calmed down from yesterday now!  Jeez, the more I think about it now, the more stupid I think I am...... J 

My first ever Duathlon (a 4 mile run, a 23 mile bike ride then another 4 mile run), held at Helwith Bridge between Whernside & Pen-y-Ghent in North Yorkshire  could not have been held on a worse day.  The forecast was pretty bad, and as soon as we set off for the run it started to spit with rain.  I was happy at the time, because it kept me cool for the 40 minutes that I was on my feet.  As I got on the bike however, the big raindrops began to come down, and by the time I’d done a mile I was soaked to the skin.  The rain then just got persistently worse, the wind got up, and in all my years as a cyclist, I have never been out in such bad conditions!  The fact that we had over 700m of elevation to contend with on totally exposed roads didn’t help, and it was even impossible to gain time and respite on the downhill sections, because we had to go slowly so that we could see where we were going through the horizontal stinging rain!  At one point, I saw a brave little Yellowhammer fly sideways into a hedge!

I feel good today; a bit saddle sore, and my legs & back ache alot, but just from being wet and cold & tense I think, nothing damaged.  I’m giddy with achievement though!  Everyone else had thousands of pounds worth of proper racing bikes & gear, and I had Graham’s old mountain bike, Alex’s helmet & my trusty old running stuff on.  The bike stuck out like a sore thumb in the bike rack at the start; a complete case of “spot the amateur”.  So to only finish 5 mins after people on “real” racing bikes is a huge buzz.  Mind you, I think that for under-water cornering and for not getting blown away the heavy bike and lumpy tyres were an advantage!  And, to be fair, riding a pushbike is one thing at which I am supremely confident so I wasn’t scared – I was very cold, & becoming increasingly worried about changing gear from about half way round because I couldn’t feel my hands, but at least I wasn’t fearful!  I must have emptied about a pint of water out of each trainer at the end of the cycle ride!  Those big old legs come into their own though and did what (I am sure) they were designed to do, and got me round without stopping once, and the 23 miles took me 2 hours 10 minutes and brought me in last!  A couple of the steep uphill cycling sections were actually slower than my running sections (guess who’se been messing around with her Garmin data?)! 

Carol & David (my sister-in-law & brother-in-law), came up to support us and were magnificent – they stood in the rain for 3 hours and photographed, encouraged and generally looked after us all; and had even brought big flasks of coffee for us at the finish!  In fact they did everything that “holidaying Graham” would have done (apart from the mickey taking!).  How kind!  They must have been just as wet and cold as we were, and probably more fed up!  I rang them last night to thank them again, and they said they got talking to one of the winners who has been doing this stuff for many years and he said that he has never been out in anything that bad and described it “like climbing Everest in the Apocalypse!”.  And he was only out half the time that we were......  Betty has got bruised ribs from getting blown off her bike but is otherwise OK!  I am so glad that the organisers were on the ball and were able to pick her up in the van so quickly after it happened. The route was brilliantly signposted, the event was great, and, (spoken like a true Englishwoman), only the weather spoilt it!  I’ve a score to settle with that place, I’ll be back next year!

Pictures will follow when David's camera has dried out........

http://www.vlaevents.co.uk/vlahelwith.html

Treadmills are for poofs!

Today I set up my Great Ormond Street Hospital sponsorship page on Virgin Money Giving, and immediately people started generously supporting me! Wow, thanks guys! :-)
I had my first potential "commitment wobble" at the prospect of this season's first inclement training session yesterday evening, but managed to beat off the "go to the nice warm dry gym and run on the treadmill instead" demons and get out of the door. I'm glad i did, because despite some huffing & puffing (& swearing if I'm honest) whilst pushing up my current nemesis that is the steep hill in Birstall called Smithies Moor Lane, in horizontal rain, intermittent hail (yes really!) and gale force gusts, it turned out to be nothing that a huge bowl of soup and a hot shower couldn't cure, and I'm pleased to report that the training is still well and truly on track :-)
You can sponsor me at www.virginmoneygiving.com/SallySalter

Well It's real!

Against all odds, I've succeded in getting a ballot place in the Virgin London Marathon on the 22nd April 2012 and I could not be more excited.

I will be running for Great Ormond Street Hospital, a cause very dear to my heart, and one so emotive that it will (I am sure) give me the strength and courage to dig deep on those dark cold winter mornings when I don't feel like getting out of bed to train, and during the inevitable tough times in my training and the race itself.

I've been quiet on here for a while, but I've not been idle, I've been training for the Worksop Half marathon which is on the 30th October, and which I am very much looking forward to. As you can see below from my 17 week 1/2 marathon training plan, in true Sally fashion, I've been busily recording & counting off the miles!

As always, it's the innovative work of my tireless (and relentless!) trainer & friend, Paul Woods, & the support that my friends (both "running" friends and the "normal" ones who just look at the old lady & shake their heads in disbelief & pity!), and family and wonderful husband, that keeps me going on this journey.   Sincere thanks for that; and thanks in advance for everything that I know you will all do to help me to successfully reach the end!

Helen Windsor 10k, Halifax 06/07/11

The Halifax Harriers' web site http://www.halifaxharriers.co.uk/races/helen-windsor-10k.html states that their new route "eliminates the many tricky road crossings we had plus the hill at 4 miles so this should also be a faster course", so the run sounded like just what I needed after a day at work! I did suspect that it might be a bit undulating after having done the Halifax Bluebell 10 mile race earlier in the year, but describing this course as "undulating" is like describing sharks as cuddly sea mammals! It was relentless; in fact we had 236m of elevation according to Garmin. Thats like climbing 1/4 of the way up Snowdon! I can't imagine how the old course was harder, it might eliminate the hill at 4 miles but it still incorporates the hills at 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6 miles!
Anyway, a much depleted Team Woods consisting of just me, Sam & Alex showed up, had a bit of a warm-up jog, positioned our substitute support crew of Sam's parents (Wednesdays being Beer & Curry night for our regular crew!) and waited for the start.
There were about 200 runners, and we all set off fast down hill. Lovely! "Lovely" soon turned in to "oh god" as we rounded the first bend and saw the first hill! Up we went, made it it the top with some huffing and puffing and briefly enjoyed a downhill respite, just to meet the next tortuous incline. I could describe the rest of the course, but just repeat the previous sentence several times and you have the gist. The flattest thing to be seen was my hair, and even that was sticking up by the end! God it was hard. The weather however was kind, and whilst the clouds were threatening, they didn't spill much until we got back in the car! I was quite pleased with my time of an hour and two minutes, but overjoyed for Sam who did 47 minutes and came in as 12th woman. I'm sure she's superhuman! Alex got a very respectable 51 minutes and we all got some lovely technical running sox as a goody bag! Well worth the £10 entry fee!
This was one of those races I retrospectively enjoyed - beautiful scenery and a great atmosphere, and a fantastic feeling to finish. Will I do it again next year? Yeah I think so :-)

Leeds Jane Tomlinson 10K. 19/06/11

Lovely weather (for ducks!)
Shivering Sal, Paul & Myra

As you can see, it was a miserable day in Leeds and we were all soaked before we ran a step.  I did think that Paul and Angela (both Leeds dwellers) were being overly dramatic about the rain when I looked out of the window to see a gloomy, but only mildly-damp Batley on Sunday morning, but it seems that the downpour was localised over the event!
My preparation for this race was truly dreadful; one way or another I excersised every day last week (twice on Weds & Thurs if you count Kettlebells and Netball!) so I was already a bit stiff and sore, and then had a tough early Netball match on Saturday morning followed by a late night!  Ah well, there is a life outside running, even for one as obsessed as me. 

Despite the rain, I have never seen so many people in Leeds before - both spectators and runners - and it did little to dampen anyone's spirits.  Team Woods was much enlarged, with the "hardcore members" of me, Lucy and the great team namesake himself; plus first time 10K runners Stacey, Jason, Dave, Angela and Myra; so Graham's "Support Crew" duties were hectic!  Just trying to get all of us into one photo was like trying to herd cats, and, as normal, we had to have many photos! 
Once all of the wet coats, brollies and other personal effects was deposited into Graham's trusty Tesco bag, we waved him goodbye and fought our way to our respective start areas (Paul & Lucy - Green - superstars, the rest of us - Red - mere mortals). 

In no time at all, a huge cheer went up and we were off, and us "mere mortals" started walking towards the start line.  As we crossed it, we were still walking which was very frustrating, because every other 10K I've ever done has miraculously cleared at the start and I have been able get into my stride straight away; albeit with sometimes having to weave in and out of slower runners.  We did start running soon afterwards, but for the first 4km, every time we came to a narrow bit of road or a bend, we all slowed down again, and I was really struggling with my breathing.  We were also up and down quite a few pavements, and the roads were slippery, which made for more looking down than normal. 

When I was eventually able to settle into my pace and concentrate on my running, I knew that a personal best was out of the window - but luckilly Paul had warned me that the combination of busyness, and the hilliness of the course wouldn't contribute to a PB anyway.  A glance at my new, high-vis GPS watch (yeah another "must have" gadget!) told me that if I tried hard, I could manage the race in under an hour, so I gritted my teeth and setled in for that.

There were loads of spectators around the course, and they were all shouting encouragement, and I also came across lots of people I knew running, so the time just flew and very soon I found myself very near the finish.  My geography of Leeds is so poor, that I didn't actually know where I was at any time once the Town Hall faded from view, so the "400m" sign was a welcome sight and I started sprinting.  I saw Paul and Graham cheering me on, and crossed the line in 59:30.  I was pleased with that!  I had enjoyed the course, with the up-hills just gentle and long enough to be comfortable and the down-hills long and flat enough to give some recovery.  The runners in fancy dress had provided some entertainment, and I'm ashamed to say that I was beaten by a pink Clanger (but Paul was overtaken by Scooby Doo so that puts it a little into perspective!).
After the finish, we were corralled into a collecting area to be issued with drinks & tshirts, and Team Woods re-convened opposite the Town Hall for more photos and a debrief.  Everyone had done so well, because I think that, especially for a first race, it was really hard!  Paul did a fantastc 49 minute "sprint" again, Speedy Jason ("it'll take me at least 1:10") was under 53 minutes, and Dave and the girls came in just over the hour. 
Excellent organisation ensured that everything went smoothly, and a good morning out was had by all.
I am very much looking forward to running with my new team-mates again soon!

 

The victorious finishers! 
Sal, Jason, Dave, Myra, Paul, Stacey and Angela



Walking A Marathon 05/06/11

Beep beep..... beep beep...... beep beep....... alarm clock at 6:00 on a Sunday morning, Noooooooo!  Oh, IT’S WALKING MARATHON DAY, YIPPEE!  Up, dressed, abluted, “Go Faster Porridge”’d and ready with rucksack packed by 7:30 to set off to Kirkstall (North Leeds) where the walk would begin.

The meetings of the Hilltop Coven that week had consisted of little but walking marathon planning, and Sam and I eventually decided that we needed to wear running trainers and “layers”, and take sunscreen, rainwear, 2 litres of water, money, IPhones (with gps for the mileage & speed), a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack and a spare snack!

Sam had come up with the inspired idea of walking along the Leeds Liverpool canal tow path, which was brilliant because it would be pleasant, interesting, flat and we wouldn’t have to stop to cross roads or anything.  She’d calculated that 26.2 miles would take us from Leeds to Skipton and we had cajoled poor Graham into sacrificing his Sunday lie in to drop us off, and part of his afternoon to retrieve us afterwards (bless him!).  The forecast (stunningly enough) didn’t include rain, so we jumped in the van in high spirits!

8:00 on a Sunday morning on the canal bank was busier than anticipated, with herds of dog walkers and runners already out in force and we joined them at a fast pace.  It was dull but dry and fairly cool; in fact the perfect day for outdoor exertion and I soon had my tattoos out!  I had promised my friend Rob that I would take a picture and post our progress on Facebook every 2 miles, so I set the GPS to go beep every mile and announce our pace.  I normally have this feature turned off because it’s a bit embarrassing when your arse announces in a loud robotic voice that sounds like the Queen doing a Stephen Hawking impression “pace 6; average pace 6.1, distance 2, time 30 minutes and 6 seconds”!

Just after the first hour, we’d uploaded two photos accompanied by witty captions, covered 4 miles (over a seventh of the way there!), the time had flown (never stopping talking helps!) and we both still felt really good.  This was going to be easy! 

At 8 miles, whilst it wasn’t exactly equatorial, I just couldn’t wait any longer to try out the “zip off leg” feature of the new walking trousers and successfully managed to remain vertical during the one leg balancing act and quickly transformed the outfit!  To be fair, I wasn’t actually cold once we got going again.....

10 miles saw us at Saltaire, where we came across an outdoor Zumba festival in a park adjacent to the canal, so decided to use their “facilities” and weaved our way through some very strange women who were dressed like a cross between P Diddy and Waynetta Slob.  We took the opportunity to have a drink and our morning snacks (me nuts, seeds and dried fruit; Sam loads of fruit), did the facebook thing and sprang back into action!  Despite the distractions, the “facility break” had only cost us a few minutes, so we were still on target for 7.5 hours!

According to Queen Stephen, 3 Rise Locks at Bingley was exactly half way, which we celebrated with lunch (protein bar for me, bagel for Sam) and an extra photo and Facebook before continuing for the last half of the event.  Wild Irises was the subject of the 14 mile photo journal, and during the upload I noticed that the battery on my phone had got alarmingly low, so had to make the sad decision to stop taking photos and messing about online to save the battery for the important task of Distance Meister!  Sam was promoted to official photographer but without the ability to add commentary to the photos, we decided that in each we should hold up the number of fingers to correspond with the mileage so we knew where each picture was and I could retrospectively finish the updates accurately!  We both now looked like retards in the photos, but at least the data would be right!  Luckilly Sam's husband Alex is a "scientist" too, so she's used to all of the "essential" statistics and attention to detail!

The tarmac’d path had deteriorated after Bingley to a grassy / dry mud track which was a bit uneven, so after about 20 miles we were both complaining of sore ankles, but otherwise all was good.  With just 2.2 miles to go, we came across a family of swans having a siesta on the canal bank, and decided that they needed capturing for posterity as the 24 mile marker.  Unfortunately, Mrs Swan decided that she didn’t want her privacy abused in this way, so reared up and hissed loudly, frightening Papparazi Sam (Swans can break your arm you know!), which, of course, I found highly amusing.  A fit of tired giggles overtook us for a while, after which, we both guiltily admitted to each other that our legs were pretty tired and we were glad to be near the end!  We veered off of the canal when it ran parallel to the main road into Skipton, and the 26 mile photo was the blessed “Welcome to Skipton” sign.  The last 0.2 miles was spent hallucinating about coffee, and by the time we saw Tescos we had completed the marathon in 7 hours 17 minutes.  I’m afraid that all we were interested in at that point was whether Tescos had a cafe and a loo!  Sadly, no cafe, so we had to walk EVEN FURTHER to Morrisons, who, happily, had both!  We called International Rescue who said he’d be with us in about an hour, bought beautiful big cups of the brown stuff and gratefully sank down into chairs. 

To say that we were pleased was an understatement, and as the coffee went down, our energy and enthusiasm came back up and we started excitedly reviewing our success!  The story soon changed when we tried to get up.... neither of us could walk properly, and we just about managed to shuffle off to meet Graham, both looking like we’d had an embarassing accident.....

The Coven conclusion was that it was hard but good!  I was happy because I’d now got my head around the distance and how long it would take me to walk a marathon, so could start mentally preparing to run one (which was the whole point of the excersise), but we both ached in lots of new places and Sam actually said that she was worse after my walking marathon than running the Edinburgh Marathon in 4 hours 12 mins and 18 seconds!  http://samsedinburghmarathontrainingblog.blogspot.com/

It just goes to show that training for stuff works..........

Race for Life, 5km, Sunday 12th June

To be fair, I wasn't taking this race too seriously........ It was Graham's birthday on Saturday and we'd arranged to go out to some friends for dinner that night, which, for one as obsessive as me, would normally be a no-no the night before a race.  I don't drink, but I'd still want to control what I ate and get an early night.  A very relaxing eveing, lovely lasagne, a huge slice of birthday cake and a late night were the inevitable result, but (as always!) I slept very well and woke up on Sunday morning feeling good. 
I dressed myself nearly "from head to toe" in pink as per the sponsorship conditions of my firend Bev, had my "go faster porridge", found some safety pins and my entry pack, grabbed Graham and headed off to Bradford. 
On the way there, I got a text from Paul which said "Good luck Sal, looking 28 mins today", which, I thought, I could probably just about do if I pulled my finger out and would go for!
As always with the Race for Life there were literally thousands of people, and it was a proper party atmosphere.  I saw everything, from a lady in a very smart pink sari / headscarf combo who looked like she'd just come from an indian wedding apart from her trainers and running number, a poodle and it's mistress both becomingly dressed in pink tutus and angel wings, and numerous kids with their faces painted all eagerly awaiting the race.  I also read some of the "I race for life for ......." messages, which put the party into perspective and crystallised my prospective 28 minutes into more determination.
I sort of joined in the "grape-vine aerobics" warm-up with a few arm-flails and stretches (g-v aerobics not really being my thing), and followed the "runners" (as opposed to "joggers" or "walkers") to the start. 

I set off really near the front and went for it from the off.  Nobody overtook me, and I overtook several people as we went round the course which was full of short up and down hill sections, as we wound round Lister Park.  I made sure I didn't slacken my pace on the up hills, and literally sprinted on the down hills.  In no time at all I was at the "500 metres" marker, could see the finish and that the course was flat, so started  my sprint finish - earlier than normal!  By the time I got near the finish line I was struggling with swallowing and breathing at the same time, and as I crossed the line I couldn't believe the clock which said "25:15".  WOW!  Amazing time, way better than anything I thought was possible.

I got my medal, goody bag and water, then met Graham, who was jumping up and down with excitement about my time!  I couldn't actually talk at that point, but I tried to smile at him whilst collecting my thoughts and breath........
Part of my thought collection process produced this interesting statistic.  In a running club race organised for "proper runners" I finish in the bottom 7%.  In a race organised for mere mortals, I finished in the top 3%.   Enough said!

Preparing to walk a marathon

Jump back to the night last April when I confidently announced that I was going to walk a marathon in 7 1/2 hours.......  That's a very "Sally" thing to do - rashly make such a bold committment, then wonder how the hell I'm gonna deliver - because deliver I must!  Once I've set myself a challenge, I have to face it!  I'm a box ticker (that stupid box again!) so am always very uncomfortable if, for any reason my plans aren't progressing.

So the first job in the cold light of day was to verify my initial calculations with a treadmill and a calculator to just check that my challenge was physically possible.  Off to the gym for some science (I really should get a job on Mythbusters - I'd have to work on my welding but I'd be ace at the rest!)......  My maximum comfortable sustainable walking speed was 6 kilometers per hour which is 3.7 miles per hour.  At a constant speed of 3.7 miles per hour, 26.2 miles would take 7 hours and 8 minutes. so yes, it was possible, but with minimal stopping and no slacking of pace!  I have GPS and a clock on my phone, so I knew that I could monitor my pace, and I'm a determined beggar (OK stubborn!) when I get the bit between my teeth, so I knew I could push through whatever pain my body threw at me and sustain it; but what would I actually have to stop for?   Being female, I can easilly eat and walk, drink and walk, talk and walk and even facebook, text and phone and walk (woman, know thyself :-) ), so no need to stop for any of those life essentials   But wee and walk?  I guess I could but I wasn't going to!  So the only thing that I would have to stop for was to wee!  In fact I had a whole 22 minutes to wee.  Luxury!  I was happy, I'd figured out how to do it!

So I then, excitedly, started telling anyone who would listen all about the latest crazy Sally scheme!  One of my first victims was Sam at one of our post-work coffee drinking pow-wows sat at my kitchen table, and I ran all of the science past her.  Her eyes started to twinkle.  "You up for it too?" I asked hopefully.  "Yes as long as it's after Edinburgh" were the best words I've heard all year! 

Sam was running the Edinburgh marathon on the 22nd May, and obvoiusly wasn't going to do anything to jeapordise her training, so she went and got her diary and we settled on Sunday 5th June as "Walking Marathon Day".  "What if the weather's rubbish?" was the immediate joint husbandly response.  "We're doing it anyway" was the stubborn united wifely reply!

I AM a runner!

“I’m not really a runner but......”.  The times I have heard that stupid phrase.  “Are you doing such an event?”.  “Well, I’m not really a runner, but I’m going to have a go at it”.  “How did you get on with the run?”.  “Well, I’m not really a runner, but I managed it in an hour”.........

The dictionary defines a “runner” as “a person, animal or thing that runs”.  Which makes all of you self-depreciating folk “runners”!   You may be running to get fit for something else, you may not be a fast runner, an efficient runner, a distance runner, a stylish runner, a competitive runner..... but if you run you’re a bloody runner!

So, since I am suddenly so keen on labels (I know!) I would describe myself as a “slow runner”, and I’m completely cool with that!  Most people couldn’t even run a bath...... 

Summary of this year's races, times and forthcoming events :-)

6/2 Dewsbury 10K - DONE 1:00:18 http://www.dewsburyroadrunners.co.uk/cgi/index.php#
12/2 Hellrun 12 miles - Hell In The Middle - DONE 3:01:38 http://www.hellrunner.co.uk/
20/3 Bradford 10K - DONE 1:00:48 http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/involved/bradford10k
1/5 Bluebell Run 10 miles - DONE 2:17:22 http://www.stainlandlions.com/
7/5 Clumber Park Trailblazer 10K - DONE 1:03:11 http://www.rwtrailblazer.co.uk/venues.html
15/5 Hull 10K Jane Tomlinson - DONE 57:56 http://runforall.com/
28/5 Climb Snowdon - DONE 3:00:00
5/6 Walking Marathon, Leeds to Skipton 26 miles with Sam :-) - DONE 7:17:00
8/6 Spen Greenway 10K - DONE 59:49 http://www.spenac.co.uk/

12/6 Race for Life Bradford 5K http://www.raceforlife.org/choose-your-event/bradford.aspx
19/6 Leeds 10K Jane Tomlinson http://runforall.com/
6/7 Halifax Harriers' 10K http://www.halifaxharriers.co.uk/races/helen-windsor-10k.html
31/7 York 10K Jane Tomlinson http://runforall.com/
7/8 Total Warrior - Shap - 10 Miles http://www.totalwarrior.co.uk/
11/9 Hellrun 12 miles - Hell Up North (Last year 2:24:44) http://www.hellrunner.co.uk/
25/9 Harewood House 10K Trail run http://www.yorkacornrunningclub.org.uk/?p=2999
30/10 Worksop 1/2 Marathon http://www.worksopharriers.co.uk/worksop-half-marathon-fun-run-c2.html
20/11 Abbey Dash 10K (last year 57:43) http://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/events-and-challenges/leeds-abbey-dash/?itc=0&ito=2791&itv=1035074439909

Greenway 10K - the reality :-)

After a very stormy day, the evening seemed to want to continue in the same vein......  Whilst it wasn't raining when we left home, by the time we'd driven the 3 miles to the Spenborough Running Track where the event started, it was spitting.  Luckilly, such professional support crews as ours have umbrellas so that was OK!

The signing on was quick and easy, the pinning on of numbers went without mortal injury and there wasn't even a queue for the ladies' loo!  Good start :-)

We all headed down from the clubhouse to the Greenway as the rain started to fall, did team photos (the most important part!) and lined up for the start.  There were only about 100 runners and I was suddenly worried that I might come last.....  OH GOD!  With a running club event such as this, most of the competitors are somewhat more proficient and rapid than my good self!  Sam fought her way towards the front, and I made my way towards the back with my head down.  Paul (bless him) stayed with me.  Some instructions were read out at the front but we couldn't hear them and then all of a sudden, we were running! 

The Greenway is 7 miles of disused railway line which runs from Ravensthorpe to Low Moor, and has been converted into a public footpath.  It's lovely, and I often train on it so I knew what to expect.  Low Moor is poorly named - it should be High Moor - every bloody milimetre of it from Ravensthorpe to the end is up a slight incline.... I always enjoy running back down it!
So off I went!  Paul disapeared off like 10 men with a grin and a little wave, a few people passed me, and I was concentrating hard on trying to breathe and run.  The first kilometer is always the worst; getting your breathing right, sorting out your pace and becoming comfortable with the conditions; especially when setting off uphill.   The first km marker flashed past, I was settled and (thank God!) I could still hear a couple of sets footsteps behind me - and I was determined that they wouldn't bloody overtake me!  As I slogged on uphill, I saw that I was very slowly gaining on a couple of people, so I made a determined effort to overtake them.  The running gurus say that you should imagine that they have a magnet on them which you are drawn to - so there I was, lumbering along, thinking about magnetism....... which, by passing 4 other runners, occupied me for about the first 3.5km! 
All of a sudden, I saw the leading runner approaching me coming back!  Hell he was motoring and I gave him a clap!  Then my brain went into "maths" mode (it often does when I'm running!) and I was trying to work out how fast he must be going if I'd passed him at around 3.5km - he had therefore done 6.5 ish km, I do 6 roughly minute kms so it must be about 22 mins in and..........  A cry of "SAL"! interrupted my calculations, as I looked up and saw Sam speeding towards me, closely persued by Paul.  Both took the time to give me beautiful smiles and great words of encouragement, and I jealously continued my uphill slog thinking "lucky beggers, they're on the downhill now!". 
Before I could resume the maths, I heard distant bellows of "COME ON SAL", "GO SAL", "WELL DONE SAL", I looked up and there were Graham and Alex at the 4.8km water station clapping, shouting, whisteling and cheering me on!  I'd forgotton that they said they were going to try and do a bit of a Colin McRae after the start and attempt to find a place further up the course to see us run, and it was such a welome and uplifting sight!  I managed a grin and a wave and made it happily to the 5km marker and turned around for the blessed downhill half of the race! 

I stopped at the water station and took a gulp of the wet stuff, but by this time, the wet stuff was also coming out of the sky again.  Big, slow, meaningful raindrops.  I didn't mind, I was hot and my hair was already a mess!  I then resumed my calculations about the winning time (and reached the correct conclusion of 33 minutes!), which distracted me for a couple more kms.  By now it was getting darker and more miserable, and I felt very sorry for the shivering marshalls.  I got some banter going as I passed them all, and this and approaching finishing line got me to 9km.  As I saw the last km marker, I started to count seconds because I wanted to start my sprint finish 2 minutes from the end.  I did have my fancy Baby G watch on (Andy McNab wears a Baby G so I'm sure mine makes me look equally cool and would be hugely helpful if I ever had to walk out of the desert under fire!) but unfortunately, due to my advancing years, I can't acutally read the bloody numbers on it any more, so that was a complete waste of time - note to self - next time forget the fashion, go for visibility!  So I counted 240 seconds and started to speed up.  I could just see all of the people at the end, and as I got nearer the finish line, there was even more bellowing of encouragement, as the already impressive voices of our support crew were joined by Sam and Paul who had both finished and were waiting to cheer me across the line! 

I'd done it but I was blowing!  God that was hard!  Sam brought me a very welcome bottle of water which I necked in one, Graham came to give me a well done kiss and I just stood there trying to get my breath.  I asked Sam and Paul how they had done, and Sam said she thought she was slow.  They had also just been listening to lots of other people saying the same thing.  Baby G's conclusion (verified with Graham's glasses) was that I was just under the hour, making me slow too, but Paul was happy with his 48 minute time, albeit a bit flushed from trying to keep up with Speedy Sam! 
The official results put Sam and Paul at 48 mins (yes, a bit slow for Sam but good for Paul), and me at 59:49 - slow for me too.  I felt that I was going alot better, and it was alot harder than the Hull 10K, in which I bettered this time by just under 2 mins...... and I came 99th out of 107 runners.  At least not last! 
Sam & I held the inevitable post-mortem over coffee and reached the conclusions (or formed the excuses) that a) It was 3 days after we'd walked 26.2 miles (I'll write that up soon!); b) It was an evening race which is hard to fuel up for, c) we'd both been busy all day so were tired, d) we are morning people anyway; e) It was sh1te weather and e) 3 miles constant uphill is hard work!
Sam says that she was "slow" (everything is relative!) because she got her tactics wrong, but I really don't know what I could have done differently............. Ah well, bank it and move on!
Am I still smiling?  Yes, of course, and very much looking forward to the very different and busy atmosphere of the Race for Life in Bradford on Sunday morning!
The Spen Valley Greenway 10K was organised by Spenborough Athletics Club, and was a very friendly and well organised event - thanks to all who gave their time!  http://www.spenac.co.uk/

Spen Valley Greenway 10k

Well, following a long and detailed weather and fashion conference at No 26, I've just finally selected and put on my running stuff (grey vest, black shorts & pink sox & trainers today - I will NOT be cold once I get going!) and i'm setting off for the Greenway 10k in an hour with fellow competitor "speedy" Sam Boryslawsky and our spousal support crew. This title, i feel, covers all of the important duties which they are expected to perform - chauffeuring us to the event (obviously), photography, bellowing encouragement, post-race drinks, coat carrying, paying for anything we might need to buy, and administering hugs. The aforementioned duties to be lavished on us and any of our friends who aren't fortunate enough to have their own support crews of course! They are going to be busy :-)
It's now time to think about the race.... Despite feeling stiff in several "non-running" places since Sunday's marathon walk (backside, hip flexors and outside of lower calfs for some bizarre reason), I feel good now. Strong and fit. I've just had a banana and can of diet Red Bull, drunk loads of water today and have (I think) done all of the necessary physical preparation.
Mentally it's a different story. I started talking myself out of this race after Sunday's aches developed - "I'll just use it as training, I'll just wobble round and enjoy the scenery.....". WHY? It's a bloody race Salter, treat it as such.
OK, Sam's going for a PB, so, perhaps should I.... the course is slightly uphill on the first 3 miles and downhill on the last 3 - which I have done in training many times - 3 miles up a slight slope is easy with fresh legs, and 3 miles downhill is easy with tired legs. So easy, right. No problem.
I have also decided to leave my headphones & gps behind today too and just concentrate on going as fast as I can by focussing on my rhythm & pace rather than trying to distract myself from it!
I'm not competing against anyone else, I'm competing against myself. 57:43 to beat. Let's see what happens......

"I could bloody walk it in that"

I have always been dead set against running a marathon.  If you want to run one, good for you!  I'll support you, offer encouragement, train with you, and even let a few moths have some fresh air and sponsor you; but I've always felt that I didn't want to put in the the training time required.  So for years, it's been a big fat "NO"!  And for clarification, you did read it right; that wasn't "couldn't" put the time in, it was "didn't want to".  I like to vary my training because I get bored easilly (no shit Sherlock!), and, with the help and encouragement of my friend and amazing Personal Trainer, Paul Woods, I have slowly brought my fitness and running up to a level whereby I can run 10 miles fairly comfortably (albeit pretty slowly) without medical intervention.  So the thought of doing almost nothing but run has never appealed.  So "Marathon, NO!".
But both Paul and my neighbour Alex Boryslawsky were training for the London Marathon, and Alex's wife Sam was training for Edinburgh so almost daily, I got to hear all about all of their preparation, and, as they got closer, got caught up in the detail and the excitement for all of them.  Whether it was how Paul was going to beat his previous best time, if Alex's injured groin (oooerrrr) would hold up or how Sam was going to have her hair so that she didn't look like Rod Stewart at the end of her race (her words not mine!), I was completely involved!  
At that time back in April, I was training for the 10 mile Bluebell run in Halifax, so on the morning of the London Marathon, I had a big bowl of porridge (any excuse to shovel down vast quantities of food!), sent "good luck" texts to Paul and Alex, grabbed a bottle of Powerade Zero because it was hot, and headed out for a 9 mile wobble around Batley, Birstall, Gomersal & Birkenshaw in beautiful blazing sunshine. As I plodded around at my normal steady pace, thoroughly enjoying ACDC, the day and the route (and nosy-ing into people's gardens and houses if I'm honest.....) I couldn't even begin to imagine doing 3 times that distance.  With every step of my short journey, my respect and awe for marathon runners grew.  How the hell did anyone do that distance?
Both Paul and Alex did really well (Paul about 4 1/4 hours and Alex about 4 1/2) , so early the next week, we all went out for a celebratory dinner and swap of Marathon stories.  For the 400th time, both of them tried to talk me into training for a marathon, and for the 400th time I said no. But I did enjoy their yarns, and it sounded like an amazing experience.  Then Paul (who won't take "no" for an answer in matters of physical challenge) told me about another of his clients who had done brilliantly and completed this, her first marathon, in 7 1/2 hours and how proud he was of her.  My immediate response in my head was "I could bloody walk it in that!".  Happily, with age, I do now occasionally manage to keep my mouth from instantly spouting out everything that occurs to my brain, so am pleased to report that I didn't actually say anything out loud because I didn't want to take anything away from this lady's amazing achievement, and believe me, I really do think that it's an amazing achievement. 
But the seed was sown.  "I bet I bloody could you know", I said to long-suffering husband Graham on the way home later, "I bet I could do 26 miles in 7 1/2 hours.......".  His unexpected response (knowing my historical reluctance to commit to such training) was "well bloody well do it then!".   At the best of times I am completely unable to resist an adventure and a challenge, but now with the support & encouragement of the person who knows my personality and capabilities better than anyone else in the world, I instantly began planning my new journey.

Enjoy the journey.........

I have been on many, many journeys.  Some journeys are actual.  Business trips, holidays and adventures.  Some are emotional.  Shared journeys with people who touch my life.  Some are cerebral; learning new trades, new skills, gaining qualifications.  And some are purely physical.  Playing netball, jogging, kettlebell training, balancing on a fitball or running through freezing, muddy rivers....... All are my journeys and the path is life.  I hope that the "19th hole" is wisdom......
I therefore could be described (by those desperate to put me in a box) as a serial traveller and a serial "box ticker" (rather than the aforementioned box-dweller which, I 'm afraid, I pompously consider myself too complex to be!).  I always ask "what next"; I always look forwards. I'm an incurable optimist.
This, if one is a logical thinker, means that you rarely look back.  This is a good thing because it's easy to leave mistakes behind and move forward!  The price (and what good thing doesn't have one?) is that being so busy planning means that one can forget to look around and see the "now".  This is what this blog is about - trying to capture and savour the moment.  Learning to enjoy the journey.........
The particular journey that I'm describing is the one from "absolutely definitely not, no way, no how, not ever" to "yee haa, BRING IT ON", and the subject is running a marathon!
So if you want to learn about this, my latest journey, in "real time", and share some of the actual moments of it in a light hearted way, feel free to watch this space.  Or "follow me" as the technical terminology goes.... I don't like that phrase - it makes me sound like I think that I'm Jesus or something..... and I don't.... he had a beard! :-)