In a grump mid-race I decided I wasn’t going to write about the North Downs Way 50 this year. It wasn’t going to plan, I saw no reason to remember it or to prolong the suffering. On reflection my run writing has always been about preserving my memories & there are definitely things from this … Continue reading The North Downs Way 50, mk II. How not to run 50 miles.
A week ago I was running through fields & woodland, up & down hills, across stepping stones & up some steps. Smelling the scent of the wild garlic lining the paths, basking in the late afternoon sunshine. A week ago I was running 50 miles. All day my thoughts have been consumed with “this time … Continue reading NDW50 Wk 27: One Week On
51 miles, 11:21:02, 13:21 min/mile, 5,600 ft elevation gain Nine months after I entered on a bit of a whim, six months after I started training & we are finally here. Race Day. I am nervous, so nervous. I have butterflies in my tummy. I am scared. I repeat to myself a phrase a friend … Continue reading NDW50 Wk 26: The North Downs Way 50, 13th May 2017
London looking mighty fine! 5 miles, 46:56, 9:23 min/mile, 142ft elevation gain Two days post-mara & I ran! I’ve never done that before, I’m usually still struggling to move at this stage! I think it’s a testament to how much improved my post-run recovery routine has become over the past 12 months. My plans changed … Continue reading NDW50 Wk 18: Hills (wc 13.03.17)
The most spectacular positive split... 26.2 miles, 4:17:34, 9:49 min/mile, 0ft elevation gain (ha ha ha ha ha!) When you discover a London based marathon organised by the excellent Hermes Races that is on your actual birthday the temptation to enter is just too great... Originally I entered telling myself that it would be a … Continue reading NDW50 Wk 17: Thames Meander Marathon (wc 06.03.17)
What am I doing? 21 miles, 3:31:36, 10:05 min/mile, 1,880ft elevation gain Early Saturday morning fuelled with coffee & oatmeal I headed out to explore another section of the North Downs Way. My aim is to have covered as much of the 50 mile route before race day as possible. I hope that a knowledge … Continue reading NDW50 Wk 14: Chocolate covered coffee beans to the rescue (wc 13.02.17)
So six weeks of the official training down, 14 to go… How am I feeling? I flip from super excited, I CAN do this, I am absolutely going to OWN the North Downs Way in May, it is going to be AWESOME & fantastic & all the other positive adjectives… …To other days, days like last … Continue reading NDW50 Wk 13: Wobbling (wc 06.02.17)
BIG week this week. Monday 26th December marked the start of my official 20 week training plan for the NDW50. Eeeeek! (Who starts a training plan on Boxing Day…?) In 20 weeks I will have run 50 miles. In one go. It's a scary thought & I know those 20 weeks are going to go … Continue reading NDW50 Wk 7: AKA week one proper (wc 26.12.16)
So, my last week of bimbling along before my official 20 week training plan starts next week. The plan was always to to have an easy last week of 'freedom'. Run if I wanted, don't run if I didn't... I didn't run Monday or Tuesday, legs still sore from Sunday's 16. Despite this I felt … Continue reading NDW50 Wk 6: Happy Christmas to me… (wc 19.12.16)
Monday morning wasn’t happening. You know those days when you could sit at your desk for hours but yet wouldn’t achieve a single thing? Yep, that. So at about midday I thought sod it, pulled on my running kit, filled a bottle with some Tailwind, grabbed a couple of snacks, packed my bag, jumped in … Continue reading NDW50 Wk3: Exploring the NDW because I didn’t feel like w*rking on a Monday… (wc 28.11.16)
Photo Girl Runs 