As we travel up and down the country giving training advice to runners at workshops and seminars, I find us talking about the long run time and time again.

You see, its half and full marathon season and many of you are getting ready to run either or both of these distances over the next few months. For some of you it is a new journey and for others you are chasing a pb or landmark such as sub 4 hours.

So there is lots of talk of am I running far enough? What pace? Should I be on the road or in the park?

The reality actually is that we all need one of our runs a week to be longer than the others. This is the one where we look to gain confidence by being able to run further. Many will make the mistake of thinking you should try to run further each week and also always at your planned race pace.

Some (particularly the men I see if I’m honest) will also start these runs far too fast and gradually slow down due to fatigue; this is another mistake that isn’t making the long runs much fun.

So here are some top tips for the long run…and as the legendary Bill Squires once said ‘its the long run that puts the tiger in the cat’… but only if you run them correctly we say.

• Only increase your long run by 10-15 minutes each week.

• Make sure every 3rd or 4th week your long run is much less and part of an easier week. Your body needs to recover!

• If running a half or full marathon make sure you add some race pace practice into your long runs in the final 6-8 weeks of training.

• An example might be 75 minutes easy then 45 minutes @ marathon pace to make up a 2 hour run.

• Practice drinks and gels on the long runs once they are more than 90 minutes long. Consider taking a gel every 45 mins and sipping a drink every 5km.

• The rest of your long runs should be a minute a mile slower (at least) than your planned race pace in the early days. Make sure they are fully conversational and relaxed.

• Vary the surface and run some parts off road or on good trails. Only get onto the road if you have to or its really muddy.

• Use some races as long run race pace rehearsals. These can be great fun and a lovely way to nail a top training session without pressure. The time will fly by!

• Try to run with others if you get bored or lonely. Find a group that works for you and offers paces that fit.

• Have fun……and choose some inspiring routes. There really is nothing better than getting back from a long run as the world wakes up and struggles into its day. You are alive and have already run miles and miles.

 Have fun and enjoy those miles.

Related posts:

1. Running That Perfect Half Marathon
2. How To Improve Your 10k Performance.
3. Speed work Without the Running Track

It took 20 (long) minutes to shuffle over the start line. As we had given ourselves a predicted finish time of four hours, we had been landed in the most congested pack of people, something that would later prove one of our biggest obstacles.

We started running to the sound of Frank Sinatra singing ‘New York, New York’. It was the most beautiful Autumn morning and the sparkling sun was bouncing off the water below. We were moving … this was it. There was no turning back. I beeped my stopwatch into action and totally wound up from the anticipation, burst into tears with relief.

Conserving energy was our primary tactic, but it was hard to resist the temptation to speed up as we passed the first crowds. We left the bridge and turned the corner into Brooklyn to a rapturous welcome. One of our most successful brainwaves was to have our names emblazoned across our matching t-shirts, and for the next four hours all I heard was crowds of people chanting our names. I felt like a star. As we ran along, the kids jumped up to give us ‘high fives’, and the more restrained shouted, clapped and cheered …

The course takes in all five boroughs, winding through a diversity of ethnic communities, each with a distinct, fascinating character. There were big bands on every street corner, pumping out motivational favourites such as ‘Eye of TheTiger’ and ‘YMCA’. There were water stops every mile and Gatorade stations every two. As the sun was warming quickly we took full advantage and refuelled wherever possible. This, combined with the sheer congestion for the first half of the race, was to prove critical to our target time. By the time we crossed Queensborough Bridge we knew we weren’t going to make four hours, but had settled into a steady rhythm and felt strong.

Psychologically, turning into Manhattan was the toughest part of the course. First Avenue stretched ahead as far as the eye could see … four miles of tired runners bobbing up and down and the end nowhere near. The crowds were immense. Five men deep, we couldn’t even spot the British Heart Foundation reps, the only people we knew out of 2 million supporters! But it didn’t matter. By this stage the road had widened and we had the space we needed to go at our true pace … we ended up running the second half 20 minutes faster than the first … I don’t think that’s normal!

Before the race started we had ear marked certain games and conversation topics for various milestones. At 5 miles we had gone through our families and detailed what each person would be doing back home. At 10 miles we had planned our Christmas shopping. The brunette said she had something special saved for the 18 mile point, the moment when the pain starts to kick in, and as we entered Harlem for the first time we startedsinging. ‘Guess the tune’ was our favourite running pastime. One person startshumming a well-known song, ranging from 80s pop to TV themes, and the otherperson has to join in when they know what it is. Before long we were singing atthe top of our voices. ‘Keep on Runnin’ took us to 19 miles, ‘Don’t StopMoving’ guided us through the Bronx and ‘The Bare Necessities’ saw us re-enter Harlem at 22 miles.

By this point we had entered a silent race with Scooby Doo who we kept overtaking and being passed by intermittently. Determined not to be beaten by a cartoon character, our competitive spirit took us to the start of the park at 23. I remember the brunette mentioning her sore quads at this point and trying to black out my own pain. We have a strict rule not to discuss ailments whilst running, but this comment triggered awareness throughout my body that tiredness was starting to take over. This was compounded by the steady ascent that took us from 23 to 24. I had vague flashback to my dad warning me about the undulations of Central Park, but after almost 4 hours of solid running, the hill beneath my feet felt like a mountain. At 24 we entered the park gates and I felt the brunette accelerate. It was hard not to. There were runners collapsed with fatigue at either side of the path, every step of the way, but we were flying through. The crowds were going wild and as we ran beneath the 25 mile banner for the second time that weekend, I allowed myself, for the first time, to think about that medal.

The finish line was like a magnet pulling us forward. We grabbed each others’ hand and made a last-minute sprint (well, that’s how it felt) for the finale.

After a stagger and a deep gulp for air, choking on my own tears and feeling my legs wobble and give way, reality started to kick in. We had done it. We had run 26.2 miles in the greatest road race on earth and we were still alive … just. The rest is a blur. There was a medal clanking around my neck and a shimmering cloak of silver wrapped around my shoulders, but the marathon was over. It was time to celebrate …

 26.2miles. 4 hours 16 minutes, all-over body ache and too many calories to count!

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Very simply, muscles contract to move your body along the road, round the track or up hills and those muscles need energy to perform – just like your car needs petrol/diesel. Your body produces energy in a variety of ways, the most important being a chemical reaction called oxidative metabolism and the two ingredients of that chemical reaction are glucose (blood sugar) and oxygen. Glucose circulates in your blood and is also stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles. Oxygen comes from your lungs. Both glucose and oxygen are delivered to your muscles through the bloodstream.

As oxygen and glucose are used by your muscles, they need to be replaced so that your muscles can continue to work (think of the motor car again: when you drive you use petrol and you then you need to fill up at a petrol station). The harder your muscles work the faster they use oxygen and glucose and the quicker they need replacing. To speed up this delivery your heart (which is a pump) pumps faster to move blood more quickly to working muscles. Now you can see why the harder and faster you run, the higher your heart and breathing rates become.

Once oxygen and glucose get to your muscles your body has to process them ever quicker to produce energy, your body has a maximum speed at which it can use oxygen – this is called VO2max. It has absolutely nothing to do with the size of your lungs or your breathing rate – it means the ability of your muscles to make use of the oxygen that is delivered to them. The real beauty of this is that you can improve this ability by training at high intensity, forcing your body to use oxygen at a high rate.

Aerobic and Anearobic Activity

When you run you need oxygen and your muscles use this oxygen to produce energy as explained above. This is called Aerobic running.

The faster you run, the faster your heart beats to get the oxygen and glucose to your muscles, but there comes a point when your muscles simply cannot process oxygne fast enough to produce the energy you need. I am sure that we have all felt the sensation of legs just not having the strength to continue – this is Anaerobic running.

There are several by-products of anaerobic running which causes your muscles to shut down, one of them being lactic acid.

It is a mistake to think that lactic acid brings on muscle fatigue it is these other by products that actually cause the muscles to shut down. By training at high intensity, you train your muscles  to maintain intensity despite the accumulation of these metabolic by-products, plus your body becomes more efficient at removing these by-products more quickly.

To sum up: with the right kind of high intensity runs you will end up running faster without fatigue.

Endurance:

This is the ability to run at a given pace over a long period of time. You can improve your endurance by increasing your weekly mileage, but the more efficient and effective way (and more common) is a weekly long run.

Speed:

Most runners when they think about speed training imagine interval training around a track and although an extremely efficient form of speed work it is far from being the only method. Please visit:  Training Programmes – Terminology  for a greater insight into different forms of speed work.

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If you are a beginner, you should know that there are hundreds of 5k Training Programs you can enroll into. The important detail is to be consistent in your training routine so you can finish the program successfully.

Personally, I am a big fan of 5k races. They help me stay fit and they relax me after hard working days, but not in an exhausting way.

I usually complete 5k workouts 3-4 times a week on my treadmill. Treadmills may not replace outside running 100%, but they can help you train for a 5k (either you are a beginner or an intermediate runner).

Treadmills usually have preset 5k treadmill workouts and this is why I warmly recommend them to any runner. The 5k preset workouts control the incline of the treadmill automatically and the distance goal is set from the beginning (3.1 miles or 5k). You only control the speed of the belt (depending on your training level) and you enjoy your score at the end of the ‘race’.

Another detail you should know about treadmills with preset 5k workouts is that they come with different intensity levels to choose from. Intensity is controlled through the incline value. And even if you don’t need to run at 7% incline while you are in an actual 5k race, on the treadmill you complete a very efficient cardio workout.

My favorite preset 5k exercises are available on the LiveStrong treadmills. And there are 2 workouts in particular I find quite challenging:

Hills 5k:

Warm up: 2 minutes at incline 0.5% and 2 minutes at incline 1%

Workout:

• Segment 1: 0.16 km at incline 1.5%
• Segment 2: 0.16 km at incline 1%
• Segment 3: 0.16 km at incline 3%
• Segment 4: 0.16 km at incline 2.5%
• Segment 5: 0.16 km at incline 4%
• Segment 6: 0.16 km at incline 5%
• Segment 7: 0.16 km at incline 4%
• Segment 8: 0.16 km at incline 6%
• Segment 9: 0.16 km at incline 4%
• Segment 10: 0.16 km at incline 5%
• Segment 11: 0.16 km at incline 4%
• Segment 12: 0.16 km at incline 2.5%

Cool-Down: 2 minutes at incline 1% and 2 minutes at incline 0.5%

Mountain 5k:

Warm up: 2 minutes at incline 1.5% and 2 minutes at incline 2%

Workout:

• Segment 1: 0.16 km at incline 2.5%
• Segment 2: 0.16 km at incline 3.5%
• Segment 3: 0.16 km at incline 5%
• Segment 4: 0.16 km at incline 4.5%
• Segment 5: 0.16 km at incline 6%
• Segment 6: 0.16 km at incline 7%
• Segment 7: 0.16 km at incline 6%
• Segment 8: 0.16 km at incline 8%
• Segment 9: 0.16 km at incline 6%
• Segment 10: 0.16 km at incline 7%
• Segment 11: 0.16 km at incline 6%
• Segment 12: 0.16 km at incline 4.5%

Cool-Down: 2 minutes at incline 2% and 2 minutes at incline 1.5%

The 12 segments will repeat until you reach the 5 k or 3.1 miles distance.

If you don’t have this particular brand, you can customize a workout on any other treadmill and you can simply change the incline and the speed throughout the exercise manually.

When you choose to run on the treadmill, there are a few recommended tips you should consider:

• If you don’t finish the entire workout it’s ok. If you get tired or feel discomfort, stop and retry later. Increase your efforts gradually.
• Once you succeed to complete a 5k race, focus on your speed. Increase the speed value for each segment gradually, but make sure you oversee your target heart rate at the same time so you don’t over stress your body.
• Wear good running shoes.

I warmly recommend choosing the treadmill as a solution to train for 5k races because: training will seem easier, you can monitor your heart rate and you can keep a log of your workouts results.

If you plan to enter a race, you can alternate treadmill running with outside running so that you become familiar with the environment where the actual race will take place. But if you need a convenient training solution because you lack free time or the weather is bad or any other reason, the treadmill can be helpful.

This article is written by Anna Ursu. She writes more about treadmill workouts at Runreviews.com

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Age need not lead to loss of endurance. Older runners may lose speed, but their experience and mental strength enables them to go on performing well for a long time. It is inevitable that we will all slow down with age. Evolution depends on a rapid turnover of the generations and there is a built-in obsolescence in living material.

• Cells divide less frequently as they get older and eventually stop altogether.
• The total number of brain cells we have declines with age.
• Damaged muscle cells are replaced more slowly.
• The production of growth hormone (GH) by the pituitary gland declines with age.

This means that:

• Your muscles lose some of their ability to gain in strength and size as a result of training.
• Recovery from training – and competition – takes longer.
• You tend to lay down fat because of a decline in blood levels of ‘insulin-like growth factor 1′, whose production is stimulated by GH.

As we get older, we lose muscle fibres. In the general population it is lost at the rate of around 2% and in trained runners at an average of 0.5% per year, starting sometime between the ages of 35 and 40. The decline starts later in well trained individuals and progresses more slowly in those who stay in training, but it is still inevitable. Fast twitch fibres are lost more rapidly than their slow twitch counterparts. And this, together with a decline of elasticity in the ligaments, means that athletes lose their speed much more rapidly than their endurance. The good news, though, is that training raises the whole level of performance, and continued training maintains a high level.
With age, we become increasingly prone to such ‘degenerative diseases’ as heart disease, cancer, hypertension, diabetes and bowel diseases. But most of these are preventable to some degree, with exercise – and particularly endurance exercise –playing a significant role.

Analysing questionnaires from a survey of some 100 Master athletes, Bruce Tulloh found that among those who had taken up exercise after age 40, training brought about improvement in performance for at least three years and sometimes as long as five. Eventually, though, the slope of improvement will flatten out. Harder training may maintain performance levels for a short time, but inevitably a steady decline in performance will set in although this in no way negates the health benefits of exercise. Whatever age you are when you start training, you will show rapid improvement.

It is important to realise that your body need not decline significantly – especially between age 30 and 60 – as long as you continue to make it work! Exercise has been described as the elixir of life since it can reduce your risk of a variety of ills and even slow down the aging process.

Now you have some idea about what happens to you as you get older, subsequent articles will help to put a spring in your step and show you just how to get the best out of yourself!
The answer is quite simple, contained within these four steps:

1. Start with a training load that you can handle, given the constraints of your daily life;

2. Working with a coach or a club, improve both the quality and the volume of your training.  A small (5-10%) increase in volume every two weeks is a reasonable target;

3. Keep a training diary to assess the impact of your training on your performances, taking note of fatigue, injury and illness;

4. Divide your year into periods, (An Introduction to Periodisation) with specific goals for each, and assess your progress, or lack of it, at the end of each period. If you are continuing to improve, and you can find the time, there is no reason why you should not increase your training volume or introduce a new training element.

Your Training Diary (If you sign up to the Running4Women Newsletter you will receive a complimentary Training Diary!) will reveal the signs of overtraining – continual tiredness, minor infections, bad sleeping pattern, decline in performance. The solution is to reduce the load for at least two weeks or until you feel fresher, whichever is the longer.

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1. Strength Training Enhances Distance Running Performance
2. What Is Endurance?
3. An Introduction to Periodisation

This will depend upon a variety of factors. How much available time do you have to run? What are your other commitments? How driven and motivated are you? What are your running and exercise goals? What is your exercise history and background? Have you been blessed with the right genetic make up? In your first few weeks you should be aiming to walk or walk: run at least 2 to 3 times per week, building to 3 to 4 times after 2 to 3 weeks. At the same time you’ll be walking for longer, faster and even trying a few jog sections. After a month of your running program you should be aiming to be exercising 4 to 5 days per week one week and perhaps 3 the next. If you are seeking real running improvement and fitness gains then by 8 weeks into your program you should be aiming to run daily with some rest days. When you start walk: run or running each exercise session may last for 15 to 40 minutes, yet, as you build up your runs can take 30, 50, 70 minutes and more! Remember though that a little exercise each day, even if only 15minutes, is better than nothing at all.

Be confident! Everyone starts somewhere.

Don’t try to run before you can walk! Once you’ve made the decision to start your running career – don’t put it off! Everyone starts somewhere. Most people are not able to begin a running program with immediate running! Progressively building up the frequency, intensity and duration of exercise until regular steady running is possible is the best and most effective strategy. Everybody is different so the rate at which progression takes place depends upon a variety of factors including history of exercise participation, present fitness level, body shape and body weight, genes, diet, and the amount of time and effort invested into the walking-running program. This is not to say that friends cannot start and work through a program together, indeed they can and should! Having a ‘running buddy’ can make it easier to get out of the house and complete your daily dose of activity whilst being social at the same time.

Try this “30 days to 30minutes” walk – run schedule. It’s designed to get you going from scratch – whatever your ability and fitness level – and guide you towards being able to run without stopping for half an hour. Each day doesn’t have to run consecutively. You might choose to have one day off in between each of the days, so after 60 days you’ll be running non-stop for 30minutes. You might find as you get fitter you don’t need a day off and can start to walk-run every day. Sometimes, you may need 2 or 3 days break. Don’t worry. It’s flexible to fit with everyone’s needs, although we wouldn’t recommend having a week between each activity session. It’s best to aim for 2 to 3 times a week in the early stages and build up as you progress. Choose the days and the time of day you exercise to fit in with your schedule. For example, Day 1 might be a Sunday, day 2 a Wednesday, Day 3, Friday, Day 4, Sunday, etc. Remember, you can take as much time as you need to progress. Everyone is different and will progress at different rates. If you’d like to repeat any of the days then do so or step back a couple of days and then move forwards again.

An ‘easy’ walk is the same speed as you’d stroll casually chatting to a friend, a ‘steady’ walk means picking up your speed so that are walking faster with noticeable changes in your breathing rate, it should be a pace where you can still chat – although not as easily! During ‘brisk’ or ‘paced/power’ walking you’ll certainly start to feel out of breath, warmer, and will have to concentrate to talk!

First runs check list:

• Have you got the right footwear?
• Do you know where you going?
• Have you told someone else where you are going and for how long?
• Have you got your keys to get back in!
• Are you wearing appropriate clothing for your exercise?
• Do you know what do you want to achieve from your effort? It’s important that every time you go out to exercise you have a purpose. This might be to de-stress from your day’s work, to focus on that weight management, to run 10 minutes without stopping.
• Do you know the pace you are going to start at – Walk? Run? Walk-run combination?

Stay motivated.

Becoming a successful runner is a mixture of patience and persistence! It doesn’t happen overnight. Physical changes take time, but stick to it and you’ll benefit from improved wellbeing, better health and a fitter, leaner you. You will experience highs and lows in your journey. Enjoy the highs, accept and learn from the lows. Set yourself realistic, challenging, rewarding and achievable targets. Set yourself an aim or a target each time you leave to exercise. Evaluate your progress and be confident in your ability and your new found active lifestyle.

GOOD LUCK!

Download your 30 Day training programme here:

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Even a new pair of ultra-technical running shoes cannot beat the January Blues. The extra weight of mince pies and turkey trimmings can be disastrous for the long-distance runner and ultra-demoralising at the beginning of the long uphill trek back to fitness. The weather has changed from ‘Christmassy cold’ to ‘wintry wet’ and dirty puddles, soggy socks and mud-splashed legs have become part of the course.

Not an ideal advert for marathon running, I’ve actually been battling a virus since returning from New York. It appears that running a marathon the week after flu is not the most sensible recovery routine, but who would trade in a shiny golden medal for a germ-free life?!

Fortunately, the NYRR (New Year Rookie Runners) provide enough distractions to work through the barriers.

NYRRs are a determined breed. Kitted out in brand new DRI-fit gear, fresh from its festive packaging, they certainly look the part. Most have fancy wind-resistant jackets and co-ordinating bottoms … the especially enthusiastic have entertainment systems of various shapes and sizes strapped to their arms. They hang out in parks mostly … running in detox duos, feeling more and more virtuous with each agonising step.

I love watching NYRR. They have a fresh determination that haggard weather-beaten runners have long-since lost. They turn their noses up at ripped leggings and muddy shoes and discuss their achievements in the changing rooms of their new gyms.

In contrast, I feel like a veteran. My five pairs of trainers all reflect varying states of suffering and my shorts are ripped from coasting too close to bushes! Proof (a certificate, photos and fading memory) tells me that I once managed 26.2 miles, but I’m finding it increasingly hard to believe. The voice inside my head that used to propel me forward has gone quiet and I’ve lost sight of the next goal.

To make matters worse, the Brunette has relocated. Now commuting in the opposite direction, Croydon instead of Camden, our schedule has been plunged into jeopardy. How much harder to get out of a warm bed at 6am when you only have yourself to answer to? Nevertheless, the adventure must continue.

New York is going to be hard to beat … but we need to start planting goals for 2005. A strong contender is the Edinburgh Marathon in June but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

For now, I need to put my new trainers through their paces. Nike Shox 2.45. Is that the time I’m aiming for? Watch this space.

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Our Day With Liz Yelling by Wendy Higson

On 14th June I travelled down to Leicestershire to meet up with Cathy & Liz Yelling.  We had a fantastic day and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.  We met at a great resort, Champneys Spring and following a “Photo Shoot” !!!! (that was the scarey bit !), we all went out for a run – thankfully at my pace! – Cathy & Liz were very kind to me!  After lunch we had a very informal chat/interview for the article in Running Fitness (Sept Issue).  I was really chuffed with the finished article and I hope everyone in the Club (and out of the Club) enjoyed the read- LIz did us proud.

It was great to be able to sit and chat about the ‘different ends of the scale’ with running.   We all run to ‘our best’ but I don’t think I will ever be chasing Liz around the Berlin Marathon !  I am 36 and unlike many of you,I do not have the pressures of fitting in running around children at home as I am only blessed with a dog! and a partner who loves sport so I am lucky to have lots of support there -  but I do, as many of you know, have the horrendous problem of very unpleasant shifts with work.  As I explained to Liz, I work as a Trainee Paramedic but on a ‘reserve system’ which means that my shifts and days off change on a weekly basis.  I never know when my days off are going to be and I never know what shifts I am going to be working from one week to the next.  We work – Days, Lates and Nights and I can literally go from one shift to another and there is no continuity at all – people like myself who are reserves, fit in where needed until a space becomes available on a rota which can be years !  It is so hard to plan anything, including a running programme.

Running can be great for me 99.9% of the time because it actually gives me energy and wakes me up which I need at times!  but then on other occasions, I am just too tired to move.  It isn’t easy -  but I love it.  I hated running at school and always believed that I was laughed at.  I was always last and just thought that it wasn’t for me.  It took till now to realise that had someone actually taken the time back then to show me that anyone can run and that with a programme of run/walk I could have achieved a lot, perhaps things would have been different – but unfortunately I didn’t get that encouragement which I am sure lots of us lacked at school and it took till 2 years ago when I met my partner that I discovered I could do it…. !   I hated being the girlfriend on the side of the road, taking pictures and cheering.  I wanted to be cheered at and hugged at the end !

Confidence was my biggest problem.  I went through the stages of feeling over weight and feeling like I could only run ‘out of town’ and away from people I knew.  I heard one day that someone at the end of my road had commented on what I looked like running and that really hurt.  But I turned that ‘confidence problem’ around.   They didn’t matter !   I was doing something that they couldn’t do.  In October 2004 I ran the whole way around a half marathon !  the people who mattered where proud of me.  Those that weren’t proud, weren’t worth knowing!    I now run round town !   I wave to the people that I know and I hold my head up high and I smile !   I may carry excess weight, but when I’m out there running, I’m a lot fitter than those people driving past me in their cars.

I am sure there are lots of people out there who say they can’t run.  But they can.  It doesn’t matter what size you are or what you’ve done in the past- I couldn’t run to the end of the road 18 months ago and look at me now. There is always 20 – 30 mins slot in anyones day, no one can dispute that.  There is nothing like that force fed oxygen and that feeling of achievement when you stagger back through the front door and think Oh my God I’ve got to stretch off now too !!!!  -  It leaves me with the feeling of, Wow, I can do what I want now!  I’ve exercised and I’m alive !

Thanks to running.  I am a lot healthier – I have had the honour of spending the day with Liz Yelling and Cathy Thomas – my body shape is now changing (without one of those diets that doesn’t work !) and – I have made a lot of friends through Running 4 Women.   Not forgetting, that I’ve now been on the shelf in W H Smiths too !!!!!

Thanks for a great day out Liz

Wendy

Cathy Thomas talks about what inspired her to start running:

I first got the ‘running bug’ after my second child, Phoebe, was born in 2001. My sister-in-law, Lianne, had started power walking which eventually progressed to jogging to lose weight and I watched with fascination as the pounds dropped off. Being over 30, with plenty of ‘baby weight’ still to lose, I thought ‘if she can do it, then so can I !’ and so started my love of pounding the streets…….

I can still remember my first run – it was a mile out and then a mile back and I was absolutley chuffed that I managed to do it without stopping – albeit at a snail’s pace !

My first race – yes, I couldn’t believe I was actually going to do what real runners do – was a 5k Race for Life in Swansea in May 2001 and from there, I have progressed to 10k’s, half marathon and am doing the Cardiff marathon in October this year.

I work full-time as well, heading up a busy Personnel and Training Unit in a Social Services department with direct responsibility for nearly 40 members of staff and when I am not working, I have a full time job looking after Ryan (10) and Phoebe (5).

I quite often am asked how on earth I manage to fit running into my life and I tell them if you WANT to do it, you will find time – how many people settle down to watch their favourite soaps every night without fail ? If you can find time for that, then you can find time to run, is what I say ….

My husband is a runner as well, which is good in that he understands my need to run. However, I have a set window each day when I know I must fit my run in and if I lose that window, then the chance is gone – this means I have to be focused and determined in what I do.

I also encourage my children to get involved in running – Ryan does come with me sometimes on his bike – I try to avoid my long runs with him now (as I am training for the marathon) as after an hour, he tends to go puce and needs oxygen ! However, he has done a number of fun runs and is extremely proud of his medals. Phoebe can’t wait to start collecting hers as well !

Running is a real de-stressor for me. Some nights I come home feeling really stressed after a hard day, get my trainers on and pound the streets. When I get back, I feel better and am a nicer person inside. I honestly think, that if it wasn’t for running, with all the differing challenges put in my way in my personal and working life, then I would either be on valium or a raving alcoholic ….. and we don’t want to go there !

For anyone who feels motivated to get their trainers on now, I would say – do it ! Walk and jog before you can run, if you like. Just do 10/20 minutes – whatever. It is the ‘doing’ it that matters. Whenever I see someone out jogging, I always think ‘RESPECT’. Nothing more, nothing less – that, I think, is the sheer beauty of running.

Cathy

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Many Women are afraid to train alone, not wanting to risk running along city streets or in parkland without company. Training for women is not easy when dark winter nights close in and there are no readily available training partners. Many women feel that it is not safe to train outside, that conditions in the open will be too cold or dangerous.

Similarly, women can be intimidated by the sometimes macho interiors of some gyms, where training can be overshadowed by male attitude. Training in gyms on a regular basis may be safer, but with machismo overload and the risk of being bored easily by repetitive exercises indoors, some women can find a decrease in motivation for their training regime.

How do you get over all of this?

• Avoid badly lit areas at night, only run/walk in highly lit areas and carry a small alarm.
• Take your own or borrow a dog – you’d be surprised at how canine company can alleviate boredom on a run and make any would-be attacker think twice before acting.
• Try to face oncoming traffic when out running – particularly where footpaths aren’t available. This allows the traffic to see you, and gives you time to spot the traffic and take action if necessary.
• Never stick to the same route at the same time, try to vary training times and routes. This is not only safer but will stop you getting bored. A simple way to avoid boredom if your training routes are limited is to run your course in reverse occasionally.
• Train with a friend, running/walking/training in the gym can be much more fun with a friend. If you train in a gym make sure you get correct instruction on how to use the equipment, this will give you more confidence. Remember big weights don’t necessarily mean big fitness and lots of knowledge.
• Don’t wear all dark clothing, make sure you wear something reflective at night. This really helps traffic to see you coming and avoid accidents.
• Some private clubs and Stadiums have  floodlit jogging trails. Enquire at your local club to see if this is the case and use these in the winter months.
• Boredom can be a big factor in not training, set goals for yourself, change routes and distances. A training programme helps you focus on improvement, provides you with targets toaim at, and generally stops you from “aimless” training which sometimes seems to get you no-where and can be quite demoralising.
• Never wear a personal stereo if you run alone at night. Not being able to hear what is going on around you can be dangerous both from a traffic and a potential attack point of view.
• Always make sure you wear the correct clothing according to the weather, it will make a lot of difference to your comfort and enjoyment. If you feel good and comfortable when you run, you are likely to have a better experience and feel more able to continue training.
• If you run alone, always tell someone your route and how long you think it will take.
• Don’t forget, we have weekends and early mornings, where you can fit in training in daylight with plenty of people around. Commons and Parks are ideal for running; there are less hard surfaces to impact on the body, more interesting things to see whilst exercising, and better air quality. Your program can be much more varied by incorporating park benches, fences and designated nature trails into your exercise and running regime.

Your training will be far safer if you properly plan your exercise times and venues, and will lead to a better training experience which you will want to repeat.

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Sunday 7th November … THE BIG DAY.

Everyone was talking about the race, even before we left the country. Whilst checking in baggage at Heathrow the men behind us were discussing their training schedules.Going through airport security, the woman in front panicked because she had forgotten her trainers. And as we boarded the plane, some man on the loudspeaker wished us good luck. The hairs on the back of my neck were on end. I was covered in goosebumps. The time had come, the training was over. We were flying to the Big Apple.

Adding to the anxiety, I had spent the last week in bed with flu. Not ideal preparation foranything, let along 26.2 miles, but I overdosed on vitamins and Ibuprofen and visualised the finish line.

We spent the first day acclimatising to our surroundings … AKA shopping! Despite numerous warnings about pre-race burnout, we felt the best warm-up would be tostretch our legs and bend our credit cards at the same time. Our first stop, however, was a visit to the exhibition centre to collect our race numbers. The goose bumps soon developed into all-over body shakes. This was our first encounter with our fellow runners ‘en masse’. There were queues as far as the eye could see, and an audible babble of different languages … all talking about one thing …Sunday. As the queue snaked round a complex maze of ropes and tunnels, I sussed out the competition. There were people of all shapes and sizes, men and women, old and young … some looked lean, mean and super-fit, and others looked like they would barely get over the first bridge … but that’s the thing about running. Anyone can do it.

We picked up our number (superstitiously adding up the five digits to check they didn’t total anything unlucky!), activated our microchip (the gadget that would measure our exact time, between the start and finish lines) and received our goody bag. There was an ‘official finisher’ t-shirt in the pack … something I definitely wasn’t ready to wear just yet. Gulp. 2 more days …

After a good sleep, we woke on Saturday bursting with energy. Everyone was meeting downstairs, before the start of the International Breakfast Run. Fortunately the start line for the 4 mile jog was just round the corner from our hotel, so we casually made our way, lured by the sensuous scent of Deep Heat. The Breakfast Run is a well-trodden tradition. Always the day before the main race, it provides a good way to stretch the limbs, get the blood pumping and battle any butterflies. The weather was glorious. Cold but sunny, we jogged along 42nd street before turning up MadisonAvenue. Enthusiastic supporters, clutching their Starbucks, clapped us all the way round. Without the pressure of having to survive 26 miles, several runners were in fancy dress and there were flag bearers for every nation. There was a great sporting spirit. It felt good to be moving. It was my first run in 9 days and I was able to build my confidence and run a quick physical assessment after my period of inactivity. Feet …check, knees … check, legs … a little wobbly. As we approached Central Park we merged with the actual marathon course and both the brunette and I gulped as we passed beneath the banner bearing ’25 miles’. All going well, we would be re-tracing our steps in twenty-four hours time. Who knows what kind of state we would be in then?

The rest of the day was a blur. Unable to forget the challenge ahead we sauntered aimlessly round the Lower East side of the city. Even the Abercrombie & Fitch store failed to distract me entirely. By late afternoon we had descended into nervous quiet, lost in our own apprehensions.

Still battling jetlag and the drain of the preceding weeks, we were in bed by 8pm. At 10pm I jolted awake with a suspected heart attack. My chest was pounding, I was short of breath. What to do? I could hardly breathe, let alone sleep. I double-checked our gear for the next day was where we had left it, neatly arranged in two piles with our UPS bags for the finish packed with survival essentials. Relief. I double-checked the brunette was still alive. Sleeping soundly … that’s a good sign. There were 7 hours left before we had to get up … eventually, exhausted by worry, I must have dropped off …

Reflecting on the morning of Sunday 7th November still makes my stomach churn. I don’t think I have ever been so nervous in all my life. We assembled in the foyer with our team mates, had a couple of photos taken (the results of which would later show us white-faced and panic-stricken) and started the slow walk to City Library where coaches waited to bus us to The Start.

As the route begins on Statten Island, all runners have to congregate hours before the official start time so they can cordon off the bridge. The start area resembled a crazy sport-themed circus with lots of tents, all colour-co-ordinated by race number and gender. We had three hours to kill, most of which was spent queuing for the row of portaloos.

Images of the last few months were whizzing through my mind. All that training, the early mornings, the late nights, the hung-over Saturdays … the scorching summer days, the frosty winter nights … we had trained through three seasons. I thought of the three pairs of trainers I had worn out and the socks I had treated myself to … the mini disks that had formed my soundtrack for the most gruelling sessions … and the hours and hours the brunette and I had spent pounding our various routes … Never had I worked so hard for anything. Never had I wanted something more than that medal that lay 26.2 miles away. Never had I felt so overwhelmed by the task that lay ahead.

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