Petts Wood 10k - All the Tens

Part 1 – Pre-Race – 9/10/10

As I write, it is Saturday afternoon on the 9th October, the day before my next race: the Petts Wood 10K, which is at 10.10am on the 10th of the 10th of the 10th. I am really looking forward to this race. I’m not fund-raising this time (I wouldn’t dream of asking anyone for sponsorship so soon after my last race!), and I’m not feeling under pressure to beat my last time. This is because I know that I probably won’t, as I haven’t been able to train as much as I should because of Mum’s accident (see previous blog post: Scaphoid).

Katie Bertie and her husband Dave are both running too, and have told me it is a fantastic multi-terrain course winding through farmland and National Trust woodland, as well as village streets. Apparently it has been voted the 9th best 10K in the England!

So, I’m just going to enjoy the race, the company, the scenery and not worry too much about my time. But I am definitely hoping for another sub-60.

My race number is 370, which I think is a pretty nice number. And this time I have a “chip” – a little device worn on the ankle that is scanned when I cross the start and finish lines, allowing my time to be recorded accurately. I like this a lot, being a lover of all things technological!

So, my training for the last week or so leading up to this race has looked a little like this:

Four trips to the gym to run on the treadmill, but only time for three lots of 6K and one 7K. One long 9 mile run – the same route I did in my blog post “It’s All Relative” - I didn’t time this run at all, but just wanted to know if I could still manage the distance. And it was a great run – lovely cool clear sunny day, beautiful countryside, amazing views, and I managed the distance comfortably. It was reassuring to know that my fitness levels obviously hadn’t dropped too much, but I think I would have struggled if I had tried for a fast time.

The next day (Friday – 2 days before Petts Wood) I had planned on a final 5k training run, but my knees were pretty sore after the 9 miles, so I thought best to just rest them and not risk injury so close to the race.

So that’s all the training that I can do… Petts Wood 10k 2010 is tomorrow morning. I have really enjoyed fuelling up on carb-heavy foods today (any excuse!) and am hoping for a good night’s sleep (I’m a terrible insomniac, so it’s not very likely), as it will be an early start in the morning.

Part 2 - The Race – 10/10/10

Ten past ten on the tenth of the tenth two-thousand-and-ten found me and Katie Bertie, along with some of her other running friends, the “Green Street Green Girls” (Katie lives in Green St Green), in the starting pens at Willett Recreation Ground, Petts Wood, along with 670-odd other runners.

The race began and it took a few minutes to reach the starting line, where our official start-times were recorded via our ankle chips. The course began with a single lap around the recreation ground and then out of the field onto the streets where local roads had been closed to traffic for the first part of the race.

Katie Bertie and I stuck together for about the first 500 metres and then decided to go at our own paces and meet at the finish line - I soon lost sight of her in the crowds, and for the rest of the race I had no idea whether she was in front or behind me.

The course was definitely varied: streets giving way to country paths through the woods, fields, a footbridge over railway tracks, more woods, farmland, and finishing with a final kilometre through residential streets. There were lots of hills too and I found myself struggling a couple of times and slowing to a walk, with bad stitch in my right side. This is only the second time I have got stitch when running, and I was desperately trying to remember the tips I had learnt to get rid of it from the last time (see blog post: Bananas), but I just couldn’t recall the breathing techniques I’d read about. It was extremely annoying seeing all the people I had overtaken in the previous few kilometres come zooming past me while I could only walk.

In the end I just had to run through the pain and it eventually went away. In the final kilometre my time was looking quite good and I thought I might do a similar time to my previous 10k at Bedgebury – 57.08 - but then came the hill-of-death: a 600 metre long ascent which slowed me down despite my best efforts. That last kilometre was a real struggle! But the final 100 metres was great, with a good crowd cheering the runners to the finish line, giving a real boost and some extra speed just when it was needed.

I crossed the line at 58.17, which I was fairly happy with. It would have been nice to get a new personal best, but Katie Bertie told me afterwards that the Petts Wood 10k wasn’t known for being a personal best course, because of all the hills and the mixed terrain.

So where was Katie Bertie? Well, I collected my medal, goody-bag and (most importantly) drink of water, and went back to the crowd at the finish line to see if I could find her, just in time to see her crossing the line. I couldn’t believe I had beaten her! But, I have to say, Katie is much more of a long distance runner and regularly does 10 mile and half-marathon races, and is working towards her second full marathon in April. I can only dream of being able to run that far at the moment.

We had both finished before the rest of the Green Street Green Girls, so we went to cheer them across the finish line too. And then the next half hour or so was spent eating bananas, comparing finish times, taking photographs and generally enjoying the atmosphere. And I particularly enjoyed just being still, and not having to RUN any more!

Just for fun, I have included Katie Bertie’s notes on the race, below, and she has included me as an honorary member of the Green Street Green Girls. (She has years’ worth of pristine, hand-written running diaries – I am in awe!)

...beautiful weather for running with beautiful friends. 5 GSG girlies plus Dave & me - Yippee! A tough run, started off too fast and consequently ended up walking half the hill (damn). Relieved to get through the woods and back on to roads and even more relieved to see the finish. 59:36 oh dear I'm going backwards! but enjoyed every min of it (afterwards) and Katie beat me by 1 min 19 secs - note to self ...must eat more marmite! Wore new Nimbus 12's [running shoes] for the first time ever, luxury cushioning compared to old ones! No ankle niggles today :)

Distance run in miles (since last blog post): 30.6
Distance in October (so far): 30.6
Total since starting blog (21/6/10): 290

Scaphoid

Well, as I write this it is two weeks on from the Great Forest Run, and two weeks before my next race, and my running plans are in tatters.

Last Tuesday, my Mum was trying to get Zac dressed for school, and he was not being at all co-operative. He twisted out of her arms, and she fell over and landed on her left wrist, unfortunately breaking the scaphoid bone. Well, that was the initial diagnosis… she was later told that it wasn’t broken, or that it might be. Time will tell… and further x-rays in a couple of weeks.

Poor Mum – for her it means pain, a plaster-cast, potentially no driving for at least 4 weeks (if it is broken), difficulty dressing etc.

For me, it means (as well as feeling very guilty, and sorry for Mum) a change in my training plans, as she often looks after Lily-Rose in the mornings so I can go for a run. Obviously she won’t be able to do that for a while, so I have had to mainly stick to the treadmill at the gym, but also to get creative and try something new…

So, these last few weeks in September have looked a little like this:

Monday 13th: 5k on the treadmill (3.1 miles)
Tuesday 14th: Same again

Thursday 16th: I tried something different! My friend Dave, who also has a severely autistic son, competes in races, running whilst pushing Jacob along in his special needs buggy. He often runs in 10k events and still manages to complete in under 60 minutes, despite the extra weight of a 9 year old boy in a very heavy buggy. (I am in awe.) So, taking inspiration from my friend, I decided to go for a “buggy run” with Lily-Rose, along my favourite riverside route, the Millennium Walkway.

It was a very different experience running whist pushing a pushchair because 1) the extra weight obviously makes it much more challenging, and 2) having to hold the buggy handles the whole time means not using your arms to run, and this makes the whole thing feel very unnatural and awkward.

However, I managed 2.2 miles, which is not bad for starters. I think it’s probably good stamina training anyway, and I will be trying it again. The good news is Lily-Rose absolutely LOVED it.

Friday 17th: Made it to the gym twice in one day! 5k x 2.
Tuesday 21st: 7k (4.3 miles) at the gym.
Wednesday 22nd: 5k at the gym.

Saturday 25th: Finally a proper outside run, on a very cold autumnal day. I ran my 5 mile Viaduct route, crossing the River Medway at two points. It was just a fantastic run… the cold weather was perfect, meaning I didn’t overheat, and the views were amazing as usual, but something just “clicked” and I felt full of energy and ran the whole way without slowing to a walk at all, even on the steepest of hills. I wish I knew what the ingredients were for a good “running day”, because this is how it should always feel.

Tuesday 28th: 7k (4.3 miles) at the gym.

Well, that brings me up to date. I’m hoping I’ll be able to keep running enough over the next few weeks, that the Petts Wood 10k race on 10th October will be comfortably manageable. I will be hoping for another sub-60 time, and possibly a new personal best. But it all depends on how much training I can put in, and that all depends on the scaphoid bone of a certain lovely Grandmother!

Distance run (in miles) since 11th September: 31.3
Total miles for September: 60.9
Total since starting blog (21/6/10): 259.4

Great Forest Run (aka Bedgebury 10k)

Saturday 11th September 2010, 10.29am, and I am runner number 5116, standing in the starting pen, waiting for the race to begin.

It is freezing cold and tipping down with rain.

Katie Bertie, my loyal-friend-for-25-years (despite forcing me to wear a bright green bridesmaid dress at her wedding), partner-in-crime, picker-up-when-I’m-down, and unofficial running coach, is by my side.

“These are PERFECT race conditions”, she says. “The rain means there is more oxygen in the air, which makes it easier to breathe.”

Really?

I don’t actually hear the start of the race (was it a gun? A “ready, steady, go”?), but suddenly Katie says "we’re off", and we all hit the Start button on our stopwatches, and start running.

My first official race has begun!

During the first mile or so, Katie is the voice at my side telling me I’m doing really well, to speed up here, slow down there, and above all to PACE myself. More advice: Lean forward slightly on the uphills and use your arms more; Try to relax your arms on the downhills.

Disaster for the faster runners ahead of us as, at around the 1 kilometer point, the signs are unclear and a whole group of runners go the wrong way, losing valuable seconds or even minutes off their time in the confusion, as they have to double back. Many cross words exchanged.

Katie is tracking our speed on her magical Garmin GPS watch and makes sure we stick to 9.5 minute miles or less, thus theoretically ensuring a sub-60 minute finishing time.

I have to admit, I am feeling full of energy and want to go faster, especially on the downhills. But Katie assures me that it is important to stick to the slower speed for now, so that we have enough energy for the second half of the race when we are more tired.

I do trust Katie Bertie, I really do. She knows WAY more about running than me. She regularly runs 10k races, 10 milers, half-marathons, and did her first marathon (Brighton) earlier this year.

But the rebellious side of me wants to ignore her advice and just run as fast as I possibly can.

Dilemma. Do I stick with my wise friend, and guarantee a respectable finishing time, or do I follow my heart and risk burning out altogether?

In the end, the decision is taken out of my hands because Katie is not feeling great today and has a bad cold; around the half-way point she starts to really struggle and urges me to go on ahead while she takes it a bit more slowly.

Feeling sorry for Katie, and a little bit guilty, I pick up the pace and head off on my own, trying to remember all the tips she has given me. This is a very hilly course, and the uphills seem to go on for ever, especially in the second half of the route. The runners start to thin out now, and in several spots there is no-one around me.

Without Katie’s GPS watch, I have no real idea of my distance (I just have a basic stopwatch), but at around 40 minutes into the race I pass the second water station (but don’t stop for water) and I overhear one of the marshalls say the words “only 2 kilometers left”. This is GREAT news, I think, as I look at my watch, anticipating an absolutely amazing finishing time! After about 5 more minutes, I pass another marshall, clapping all the runners on and yelling “only another 2 kilometers!”. What?! That can’t be right… or can it? Several more minutes down the line, and there are two marshalls clapping on the runners and yelling “just 2 more kilometres to go”.

Now I feel like I’m in a dream – or a nightmare – where I will have to keep running this race forever, and there will always be 2 kilometers left to run…

But of course, eventually I did run those last two kilometres, and they seemed to be uphill all the way. But finally the ground levelled out and there was a lovely downhill descent to the finish line.

About 200 meters from the line, I could see out of the corner of my eye a lady in pink on my right, trying to get past me. I was determined not to let her overtake me and, finding some energy from somewhere, I managed a great sprint finish, crossing the line at 57.08.

It was a fantastic feeling.

I collected my shiny, sparkly, medal and then doubled back to the finish line to wait for Katie Bertie, who despite feeling really unwell, still managed to finish in 58.48 - I am in awe!

Munching bananas and guzzling water, we met up with Katie’s lovely friends, some of whom had run too and compared times and stories. Then back to Katie’s car for champagne and chocolate. Is this how all races finish?

A fantastic time was had by all, despite the cold and the rain. And I couldn’t have asked for better company for my first race!

As for my time of 57.08, I was really pleased to get sub-60 minutes, but it is only my 2nd fastest time for 10k. In one of my training runs I managed 55.41 (see blog post: East, West, Home’s Best), but that was on a completely flat route, as opposed to today’s very hilly course.

Secretly I wonder whether I would have made a better time if I had pushed myself to run fast right from the start, but probably not. And I’m sure I wouldn’t have managed that sprint finish if Katie Bertie hadn’t made me pace myself in the first half.

I guess the only way to find out is to run another race.
And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Katie and I are booked on to the Petts Wood 10k, at 10.10am on the 10/10/10!

I guess I’ve really got the bug now!

Distance run (in miles): 6.2
Total miles this week: 20.5
Total miles for September: 29.6
Total since starting blog (21/6/10): 228.1

Countdown

Well, as I write there are only “two more sleeps” until my first charity race, the 10k Great Forest Run at Bedgebury, and I am feeling a little nervous. Not about the distance, as I know that will be no problem, but I really want to complete it in under 60 minutes and the pressure is on. My last three 10k training runs have all been sub-60, but I have since found out that the course at Bedgebury is very hilly, and that may possibly be my downfall… we’ll just have to see. I have my race number now: 5116. I prefer my numbers a little more symmetrical, but there you go.

The good news is that the fundraising has gone well, and my original tentative target of £200 pounds has been well and truly smashed, with the current total standing at £335. Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me!

Tomorrow I’m going to officially “rest” before my early start on Saturday morning, but here is how my last week of training has shaped up:


Saturday 4th September

Only time for a quick 5k (3.1 miles) run around Rochester and along the river, but disastrously I am feeling tired and out of sorts and the hills get the better of me. A terrible time of 29.52. Not good for my confidence at all.

The following evening is traditionally Sunday-evening-running-with-Anna, but unfortunately my jet-setting friend is in California this time, tackling Half Dome at Yosemite National Park and visiting San Francisco among other places. So I planned to go for a run by myself.

I really did.
But I fell asleep.
Oops.

This was not like me at all, but I think the six weeks’ school holidays just totally caught up with me and there was nothing I could do about it.


Monday 6th September

Zac went back to school this morning, and I’m not sure who was happier about that fact… him or me! School holidays are certainly tough on autistic children, who live and thrive on routine and structure.

So my day was spent trying to restore some sort of order to the house, after six weeks of chaos. In the evening I went to the gym for a quick 5k run on the treadmill. Better than nothing, I suppose.


Tuesday 7th September

Katie Burtonshaw, my official/unofficial training coach emailed me today, saying: "it's totally normal for you to feel absolutely crap this week. You will ache in places you've never ached before! You will start to think you are getting a cold, that you've got no energy etc etc but DON'T WORRY!! Try to relax and save as much energy as poss. You've done more than enough training... you can do the distance 'no probs' so we can now look forward to a run that is going to be really enjoyable, great fun and all for a very good cause."

Very reassuring, as I wasn’t feeling my best, especially after my disastrous run on Saturday, and my aborted run on Sunday!

So, back to the gym this morning, with Lily-Rose booked into the crèche, and my plan is to run 10k. Having been away from the crèche for 6 weeks, Lily-Rose is very unhappy to be left there and I feel quite guilty. And after running only 1 kilometre the crèche staff come and get me; she has worked herself up into such a state that she has been sick, and I have to take her home. (Of course, she is absolutely fine as soon as she sees me!)

I return to the gym in the afternoon for Luca’s swimming lesson, but there is not enough time for a run.

So, back to the gym for the THIRD time in the evening, and I finally get to run my 10k, in 58.02 (oh, how annoying those 2 seconds are!).


Thursday 9th September

My final training run before the actual race! I decide to run my 5 mile Viaduct route – a familiar, spectacular and very hilly circuit. Not the full 10k (6.2 mile) distance that I will be running on Saturday, but challenging enough all the same. I decide not to push myself too hard as I don’t want to get injured, so I stick to around 9.5 minute miles and complete the 5 miles in 48 minutes 11 seconds, and without slowing down or walking at all, which is good for me, on this particular route.


So that’s it! Training all done. A rest day tomorrow. And the big race on Saturday.

Full report on the race in my next blog post. And of course, it’s not too late to sponsor me, at www.justgiving.com/KatieBarrettRuns.


Distance run (in miles): Saturday 3.1, Monday 3.1, Tuesday 6.2, Thursday 5.0
Total mileage this week: 14.3
Total mileage for September: 23.4
Total since starting blog (21/6/10): 221.9

East, West, Home’s Best

Back from the Isle of Wight and the focus is on unpacking, washing clothes, unpacking, looking after children, unpacking, more washing, children, washing, unpacking and then some more unpacking (oh, and some more washing and unpacking).

But three weeks of excessive waffle-consumption and limited running opportunities also means the focus needs to be on getting in shape for my first 10k charity fund-raiser at Bedgebury on September 11th (www.justgiving.com/KatieBarrettRuns).

I have no worries at all about the distance, having now regularly run much further than 10k, but I do want to make good time, and am determined to do it in less than 60 minutes. So, it’s straight back into training…

Sunday 29th August

My friend Nigel, who is training for the Great North Run on 19th September, posted on Facebook today that he had just run 10k in 56 minutes. A challenge! I set off in the evening for the Millennium Walkway and the River Medway, determined to do as well (if not better).

I can’t believe how much I had missed my river! My sky, my sunset, my castle. I couldn’t stop smiling as I settled into the now familiar routine, even though this Sunday evening I was running Anna-less.

On the Isle of Wight I had achieved my first sub-60 10k time, at 57.25 (see my blog post: Steep), and I pushed myself hard to try and beat it. And I did! My new personal record for 10k is… 55.41. I was delighted to (just) beat Nigel’s time too, but keep reading… he soon got his revenge!

Monday 30th August

Another virtual race with Nigel – this is good for my motivation! I chose to run my 5 mile Viaduct route crossing the river on the M2 and Rochester Bridge. The run itself was uneventful, apart from a crazy cyclist nearly knocking me off my feet as he whizzed by, all in black, with no helmet, whilst chatting on his mobile phone! But once again I was so happy be reunited with all my familiar landmarks, from the awesome view of the Medway from the top of the viaduct, to the little number 8 etched into the concrete of a particular paving slab by Rochester Bridge!

5 miles (8.05km) completed in 47 minutes and 1 second, but Nigel triumphed this time with 8.23km in 46.02.

Wednesday 1st September

Just a small window of running opportunity this evening, so I decided to run my 5k circuit of Rochester taking in the castle and the Esplanade – a beautiful and speedy (but always hilly) run.

It had been an incredibly busy day, and I was very hungry, having not eaten for several hours, but consoled myself with the knowledge that a take-away curry from the amazing Shozna restaurant in Rochester was on the cards tonight. I had never run in a state of acute hunger before, but there really was no time to eat, and I thought that eating something immediately before a run was probably a bad idea, so I set off regardless.

Big mistake. A mile or so into the run I became extremely dizzy and faint to the point of almost passing out. Handily, I was right beside a bus-stop and collapsed onto the bench, my head between my knees. After several minutes I recovered enough to walk home, defeated, and feeling rather stupid.

I am never doing that again.

Thursday 2nd September

Number 2 son, Luca, went back to school today, but I won’t consider the school holidays truly over until Zac goes back on Monday. He was being looked after by his grandparents this morning, and Lily-Rose was with our au pair, so I had a chance to make up for last night’s aborted run. Feeling slightly nervous, but making sure I had a good breakfast (branflakes and a banana), I set off for my 5 mile Viaduct run again, but this time in reverse!

Usually my runs always end with the mile-long uphill slog back to my house, but this time I started in the opposite direction, running down the hill. I absolutely love running downhill as fast as I possibly can – it always makes me smile and it almost feels like flying. (Actually, paragliding off the top of a cliff in Queenstown, New Zealand, a few years back felt more like flying, but this is a pretty good feeling too!)

I paid for my fun later though, because reversing the route meant several incredibly steep uphills on the way to the Medway Viaduct. I just can’t win with the hills in Rochester! I completed the 5 miles in 48.54 – a slightly longer time than on Monday, but I’m not sure if that is due to reversing the route, or still being a little wobbly from last night.


Overall conclusion from these runs: there’s no place like my beloved Rochester, and it’s good to be home!

Distance run (in miles): Sunday 6.2, Monday 5, Wednesday 1, Thursday 5
Total mileage this week: 17.2
Total mileage for August: 66.4
Total mileage for September: 6.0
Total since starting blog (21/6/10): 204.5

Isle of Wet

Our third and final week on the Isle of Wight and the rain is never-ending. Typical English summer! But we are still having a great time despite the weather, enjoying outdoor swimming, walks, hot-tub, archery, trampolining, music, games, and… waffles! (Alvin’s Waffle House in Shanklin has become our second home - absolutely delicious!)

This week has also been busy: I have hosted a Facebook Workshop for the other guests, which was great fun; I have had time to try out sheet music on my iPad, playing the lovely piano at East Dene; and then there has been the marathon of trying to pack up a seemingly infinite amount of STUFF that was needed for our 3 week stay (Zac alone gets through at least 3 changes of clothes per day, then there’s his wheelchair, nappies, all kinds of equipment, plus all the baby supplies for Lily-Rose, etc, etc.)

But, somehow, I managed to find space for two runs this week (but really would have liked to have done three):

Monday 23rd August

An unbelievably windy day, but the rain seems to be easing off a little so I venture out for a 5 mile run along the coastal path starting at Bonchurch. The wind is coming at me sideways, directly off the sea, and at times it is a battle to stay upright. At best it is slowing me down, and I feel like I’m running in slow-motion. In addition, the sea is flinging spray at me the whole time and (just wearing shorts and a little vest) my skin is soon covered in salt, sand, grit and probably a whole marine micro-ecosystem!

It is tempting to give up and turn back but something (pride? insanity?) keeps me going and I manage the 5 miles in 51 minutes 25 seconds. Could be worse.

Never has a hot shower been more welcome than after this run!

Wednesday 25th August

It has been raining ALL day and now, at 8pm, the sky is dark and the wind has picked up, and the rain looks like it’s here to stay for the night. This is the last possible chance I will get to run on this holiday, and I just don’t want to do it.

But all the excuses I make to myself (too cold, too wet, too dark, too tired, etc) sound pretty lame, so I pull on my only waterproof item (a high viz Karrimor running jacket I picked up in the sales 2 days ago for £7!) over my shorts and vest, and head out into the darkness.

Just the walk down the hill through the trees to the coastal path is hazardous as I can hardly see my feet, and the ground is full of tree-roots, stones and rocks. But once I get to the path and the open sea, there is a little light leftover from the fading sunset, and I set off, aiming for 5 miles again.

There is absolutely no-one around.

The rain is torrential, the wind just as strong as before, and as far as my running shoes are concerned, I quickly discover that “breathable” also means “not waterproof” – my feet are soaked within seconds! However, my high viz jacket is warm and dry and I think to myself that if I collapse in a heap somewhere, I will at least be easy to spot!

The last of the light is fading rapidly and after 2 miles I realise that I will soon be running in complete and utter darkness and it just doesn’t feel safe, especially with the sheer drop from the path down to the rocks and the sea. I loop round and call it a day at 2.5 miles. I suppose it was better than nothing, but I can’t help feeling a little disappointed that I never got to do a final long run on my holiday. And that I have only run 7.5 miles this week. I will definitely have to make up for it next week.

Distance run (in miles): Monday 5, Wednesday 2.5
Total mileage this week: 7.5
Total mileage for August: 55.2
Total since starting blog (21/6/10): 187.3

Steep

Week 2 of our holiday on the Isle of Wight. The weather has been see-sawing between torrential rain and blazing sunshine, which has limited my running opportunities a little! However, I have managed two runs this week:

Monday 16th August

Following a beautiful blue-sky day, the evening is cool and clear, and I have a chance for a longish run. My 10K fundraiser at Bedgebury is less than 4 weeks away, so I decide to try to run that distance in less than 60 minutes - something I haven’t managed to do yet.

The plan is to run to Ventnor and back three times, which will be 7.5 miles, but to time the first 6.2 miles (10k), which I have measured out on Google Maps… I need to press Stop on my stopwatch when I reach the post-box in Ventor for the 3rd time!

Speedy music on my iPod helps my pace, and the gorgeous sunset on water soothes my soul. I push myself, keeping an eye on the stopwatch, and am so happy to reach the post-box in 57 minutes and 25 seconds - my first sub-60 10K! I jog the last mile or so home at a relaxed pace, watching the final streaks of red sky give way to midnight blue and crescent moon on water.

Thursday 19th August

A challenge.

I have been eyeing up the huge hills between Bonchurch and Shanklin - a route that we drive most days and which looks ridiculously steep and twisty, but with amazingly dramatic views over the cliffs and sea. A careful measure on Google Maps shows the route (there and back) to be 7.3 miles, but I’m guessing it would feel more like 10 with those hills!

A sunny afternoon, and the children are sleeping, swimming and learning survival skills, respectively, so with a little trepidation (and no music - I need to focus!), I set off for Shanklin, hitting the first hill almost immediately. There is no level ground on this route - it is all uphill and downhill and STEEP. It makes Rochester seem like Holland! I physically cannot run on some of the uphills and am forced to power walk. I can’t even enjoy the long downhills, because I know that I will have to run up them on the return journey!

I make it to The Crab - a pub in Shanklin that I’ve chosen as my turning-round point - any further into town and I’d be battling with tourists for pavement space. The return journey is equally tiring, but at least it ends on a huge downhill. My time is pretty poor: 1 hour 23 minutes, but I don’t care - I’m just glad to have made it at all! (And the views were fantastic.)


Distance run (in miles): Monday 7.5, Thursday 7.3
Total mileage this week: 14.8
Total mileage for August: 47.7
Total since starting blog: 179.8

Isle

So, here I am on the beautiful Isle of Wight, at Freedom Families: a holiday for children with Autism and their families. This is the only kind of holiday we can do with our severely autistic son, Zac, as “normal” forms of travel and new environments are very difficult for him to cope with. Here at East Dene (a converted stately home overlooking a dramatic seascape, in the tiny village of Bonchurch), he is in a completely secure environment and can roam unsupervised in the enclosed field and woods - something he just can’t do anywhere else, and which he absolutely loves - and can swim to his heart’s content in the pool or the sea.

He is calm and happy. All the autistic children seem to love it here, and the same families return year after year because, well, frankly there is nowhere else we can go that caters so well for our special kids.

We have been here for a week already and, with the help of an au pair, we have actually been able to relax a bit and read books and just chill! I’m not quite sure what to do with this newfound state of relaxation - it’s been so long…

Well, one thing I have been able to do, to an extent, is run! I have managed four runs in the first week, but am struggling to find suitable routes or a big enough block of time to devote to a really long run. This part of the island is super-hilly too, and my regular readers will know my dread of hills! But anyway, this is what I have achieved so far: (Next week, must try harder!)

Sunday 8th August 2010

A very hot afternoon. Baby Lily-Rose is asleep, "Katie 2" (our lovely au pair) is watching Zac, and Luca is doing archery with his daddy… I have time for a very quick run. The nearest and most obvious route is along the seafront from Bonchurch to the other end of Ventnor which, according to Google Maps, is exactly 2.5 miles there and back.

Most of the route to Ventnor is deserted and beautiful - huge open sky and sea to my left and steep chalky cliffs to my right. It gets busy towards the end… a large public paddling pool in the shape of the Isle of Wight, and several beach front shops, cafes and arcades, so I am forced to dodge around the tourists.

(The above photo shows Zac in the Isle of Wight shaped paddling pool - he has his fingers in his ears to block out the sounds (he has Sensory Processing Disorder, and all kinds of noises hurt his ears), and his high viz vest on, with “I have Autism” and my mobile phone number on the back, in case he runs off, which he is prone to do… he is very fast and has no sense of danger and would be unable to ask for help. But he is having a great time in the pool!)

Anyway, I complete my short 2.5 mile run, pushing myself to go as fast as possible, hoping that speed will compensate for lack of distance, but it is still quite a struggle in the heat.

Tuesday 10th August 2010

What a contrast to Sunday… freezing cold and pouring rain all day! I am determined to run nonetheless and head along the coast to Ventnor again - aiming to run there and back twice - exactly 5 miles. This is definitely a challenge, battling against the strong icy wind all the way to Ventnor… but it's much nicer on the return route to Bonchurch when the wind is behind me - probably helping my speed a little bit! Definitely not my favourite run, but am glad to have clocked up a few more miles.

Wednesday 11th August 2010

Children in bed, and it’s the perfect evening for a run: cool and clear, with the skies promising a beautiful red sunset. I still haven’t worked out a better route, so just went for the 5 mile double trip to Ventnor and back. What a mistake! I hadn’t realised it was the annual Ventnor Carnival this evening, and as the sun went down, the glow-sticks came out, and I spent the whole time weaving in and out of (very slow-moving) tourists clutching glasses of beer and Spongebob Squarepants balloons!

Saturday 14th August 2010

Again, a beautiful evening, and this time I’m determined to have a proper run, with no tourists, no rain and no balloons! I have fab speedy songs on my iPod and the red sunset is incredible. A great run and a new 5 mile personal best time of 44 minutes and 29 seconds!

Distance run (in miles): Sunday 2.5, Tuesday 5, Wednesday 5 and Saturday 5
Total mileage this week: 17.5
Total mileage for August: 32.9
Total since starting blog: 165

Zoom

Friday 6th August 2010

Today has been a day of frantic packing for my holiday to the Isle of Wight. I can't believe how much stuff is needed for a family of five, especially when one of them is a baby, and another is an autistic child who gets through at least 3 changes of clothes per day! And we need enough stuff for three weeks!

Before packing my running shoes I managed to squeeze in a final 5K run... and fear of not finishing the packing on time made me extra-speedy. As I whizzed round Rochester, I said a silent farewell to my favourite sights... the beautiful river views, the cobblestone high street, the castle and cathedral. (Have I mentioned before that I love Rochester? Well, I do!) I will miss home, but am glad to be leaving the house in very safe hands.

I'm feeling slightly anxious that I won't be able to keep up my training on holiday. The Isle of Wight has some fantastic scenery and there are many places to run, but it will be difficult to arrange as Zac needs one-to-one care 24/7 and there are the two smaller children to look after as well. We'll just have to see how it goes, but I'm hoping there will be lots of running news to write about.

So watch this space!

Distance run (in miles): 3.2
Total mileage this week: 15.4
Total mileage for August: 15.4
Total since starting blog (21/6/10): 147.5

It’s All Relative…

Sunday 1st August 2010

Since my last blog entry, my fundraising pack has arrived for my 10K race on September 11th in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. I have my yellow charity running vest, and have set up my Just Giving sponsorship page, with a modest target of raising £200. After all, this is my first ever charity race, and I have no idea whether people will sponsor me or not, but hopefully this is an achievable target. (There is a link to my Just Giving page on the bottom right-hand corner of this blog, or you can click on www.justgiving.com/KatieBarrettRuns, to donate or just view my progress. Any donations would be extremely gratefully received. And thank you so much to all those who have sponsored me so far.)

Anyway, on with today’s post… Having survived Week 1 of the school holidays, Week 2 begins with a traditional Sunday evening run with my best pal Anna, who has returned, bronzed and relaxed, from Mallorca (yes, I’m still jealous…). By the way, I am counting Sundays as Day 1 of each week, in terms of my running – you may disagree with me (Anna does!), but that’s just the way it is…

It’s great to run with Anna again, and we have lots to catch up on, having not seen each other for a couple of weeks, but she is tired and still a little jet-lagged and so we just plump for a 5K circuit of Rochester, taking in the beautiful riverside and castle views.

This happens to be the same route I ran last Sunday evening with my super-speedy friend Hannah (see blog post: Speed), when I struggled and was reminded of just how much a beginner I am at this running lark.

But this week I was the speedy one!

Two weeks of training on my part, and two weeks of dining out and relaxation on Anna’s part, have resulted in a small but noticeable difference in our fitness levels (hopefully temporary) and, whilst Anna struggled up the mile-long Hill-of-Doom towards my house at the end of our run (just like I did last week), I was able to manage a sprint finish!


Tuesday 3rd August 2010

Zac, Luca and Lily-Rose are at Day Respite, Holiday Club and Grandma’s house respectively, and this is my one and only opportunity of the week for my Long Run. Following on from my 8+ mile achievement last week, I set my sights on 9 miles. Gulp.

The previous night I used Google Maps Pedometer to plot out a 9 mile circuit route, which is basically a figure-of-eight. The largest loop is the 5 mile “viaduct” route which I often run (and which seemed like such huge distance the first time I ran it! See blog post: Viaduct), and the smaller loop is a 4 mile countryside route taking in the village of Wouldham. I plan to do the smallest loop first, which gets most of the steep hills out of the way in the beginning of the run… apart from the inevitable uphill mile home of course!

It is a very hot and humid morning and I know the route offers little shade, so I smother myself in yet another potentially allergy-producing sunscreen (see blog post: Russian Roulette), and grab my new teeny-tiny purple iPod (donated by the lovely Anna), filled with a fresh playlist of speedy tunes, and a bottle of water, and off I go…

The first two and a half miles are almost entirely uphill and I am so tempted to slow to a walk and sip my water, but I manage to keep going, and the relief of the downhill run into Wouldham village is fantastic.

After 5 miles I am high up on the viaduct, running super-speedily, enjoying cool breezes and smiling along to “Ours” by The Bravery – the perfect tempo and mood for running – 3.48 minutes worth of motivation!

The last 4 miles are up and down (literally) and I have to slow down 4 times to take a 30 second walking break and sip water. I would love to be able to say I ran the whole 9 miles without slowing, but I’m just not there yet.

The last mile uphill to my house is a real killer, but I manage it without slowing, and collapse in a heap of victory when I reach home! I can’t believe I ran so far… I could never have done it two months ago. (And my time? Exactly 90 minutes, to the second!)

But then I think… if I were to do a marathon one day (and I have to admit, the “M” word keeps playing at the edges of my mind), I would have to run 3 times as far!

Distance run (in miles): Sunday 3.2 and Tuesday 9.0
Total mileage this week: 12.2
Total mileage for August: 12.2
Total since starting blog (21/6/10): 144.3

Scared

Friday 30th July 2010

School is out.

For six whole weeks.

Hmm…

This fact has some serious implications.

1) My eldest son Zac will be distressed and out-of-sorts, away from the routine and structure of his Special School. Even with an array of wonderful students lined up to help me look after him and the two littler children, it will be a real challenge to occupy him as he doesn’t play with toys, watch TV, engage in activities, and has the attention span of a gnat (he has ADHD as well as Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder). You can read about our adventures with Zac on his own blog, Zachary’s Zoo.

2) My running schedule will go to pot. Three weeks of children at home full-time plus three weeks on the Isle of Wight will no doubt put paid to my plan of one long-but-slow run per week and two or three short-but-fast runs per week. My first ever proper race is just six weeks away and those six weeks are going to be chaotic. I’m starting to find myself craving routine and structure as much as Zac does!

Well, we’ll see what happens – I’ll have to take it a day at a time, and grab those running opportunities when I can.

Writing this at the end of Week 1, these have been the running opportunities so far…

Tuesday morning: Zac is at Parklands, his local Disabled Children’s Centre; Luca is at Football Academy for the day; and baby Lily-Rose is being looked after by Moby, one of our holiday helpers. So I manage a quick trip to the gym for a short and speedy 5K treadmill run (3.1 miles). So far, so good.

Wednesday evening: Children in bed (more or less), and I drive off to Chatham Maritime Marina for my Long Run. Following on from the success of my 7.3 mile run last week, I am aiming for over 8 miles. Using Google Maps Pedometer earlier in the day I worked out a circuit route of 8.6 miles. Eek! (There is an opportunity to bail out at 6.5 miles if I can’t make it all the way, but I'm hoping I won’t have to use it…)

I have a shiny new podcast to listen to, my knees are pain-free, and the evening is warm but breezy. I’m feeling optimistic!

I set off, enjoying the beautiful riverside views as the sun starts to set. Having grown up in a rather grim part of the concrete jungle that is south-east London, I never fail to appreciate the fantastic scenery and fresh air of the riverside town in which I now live.

The first 4 or 5 miles are uneventful and I’m feeling fairly comfortable, not pushing the pace too much (after all, this is supposed to be a “slow” run, according to Katie Bertie!), but then it begins to get tougher and I am once again aware of just how much a beginner I am.

It is starting to get pretty dark by now, and up ahead of me I see a “gang” of about 8 teenage lads heading towards me, one of them on a bike. Feeling slightly vulnerable I run past them, and they stare at me and several of them make comments (which I don’t catch), and they all laugh. Hmm… this is not so good. I know that I am almost at my “bail out” point, and I don’t want to use it. However, if I carry on and complete the whole 8.6 miles, I know that in a minute I will have to turn round and run past the lads again and, quite frankly, I’m a little scared.

But then I get annoyed with myself… 1) Why should I let a handful of teenagers spoil my running plans – especially when I’m doing so well? And 2), What am I afraid of anyway? Most people on the planet are basically pretty decent, and I should give these teenage lads the benefit of the doubt, and stop believing the hype and being such a scaredy-cat!

So, I reach the turning-point, and head back the way I have come and within a few minutes I see the lads up ahead of me, taking up the whole width of the footpath. Surely they can hear my footsteps behind them as I run towards them, but they don’t move out of the way at all and actually block me as I approach. I say “Excuse me” as I try to get past but they won’t let me through and in the end I just force my way through and carry on running, my heart pounding. I hear them laughing behind me and am convinced they are going to chase after me (especially the one on the bike), and I speed up as much as I can. The quote I began my last blog post with proves to be absolutely true!

But they don’t come after me.
That was pretty scary.
And I feel a bit stupid.
And I wonder whether I will want to carry on running alone when winter comes and the evenings are dark.

We’ll see.

Anyway, I complete my 8.6 mile route with no further incidents, in 1 hour and 22 minutes, which is the exact time it took me to run 7.3 miles last week. Katie Bertie must be giving me good advice as I seem to be getting a bit speedier!

Despite the encounter with the teenage lads, I am feeling euphoric as I drive home, partly from the endorphin rush that comes with exercise, and partly from the achievement of a new distance.

The next day, my running friend Dave Bertie (Katie’s husband) tells me that if I keep up the training, in a couple of years time an 8 mile run will feel like just a warm-up! I can’t imagine that, as it really had been a struggle, but it certainly gives me incentive to carry on!

Friday morning: an unexpected opportunity to visit the gym, and I clock up another 5 miles on the treadmill. That’s definitely going to be it for the week, but all things considered, three runs is pretty good. Let’s hope I can keep the training going in the weeks ahead.

Distance run (in miles): Tuesday 3.1, Wednesday 8.6, Friday 5.0
Total mileage this week: 19.8
Total mileage in July: 82.1
Total since starting blog (21/6/10): 132.1

Speed

Sunday 25th July 2010

"It is only when you are pursued that you become swift."
- Kahlil Gibran (Syrian poet, writer and painter, 1883-1931)

Following on from my last blog post, Katie Bertie was not happy with me on Friday, when she read my plan (on Facebook) to “run 5 miles as fast as I possibly can”. And when I finished my treadmill run I was met with a message stating that I should be running only 3 miles, not 5, and not as fast as I possibly could, but just faster than my long distance pace. Oops. Oh well, at least I had chalked up a few more miles!

So this Sunday evening, I planned to make amends with a nice short and speedy 3.1 mile (5K) circuit around Rochester. My best pal and usual Sunday evening running partner, Anna, is currently sunning herself in Mallorca (Jealous? Moi? Um… yes!), and so I invited my seriously speedy friend Hannah to run with me. She is a “proper” runner and has been running for 4 years, training every other day, so I was worried about keeping up, let alone being able to find enough breath for conversation, but she assured me that she would let me set the pace.

We set off up the hill and I was immediately shocked by how much faster than me Hannah was, especially given that my road is a very long, steep incline. I tried my absolute hardest to keep up with her, but after about 5 minutes had to actually slow to a walk – I just couldn’t do it! We walked for a couple of minutes and Hannah gave me lots of tips on treadmill interval training to help increase speed and endurance – I will definitely be putting some of those into practise!

We set off again, this time keeping to my (slower) pace, and completed the circuit in 30 minutes. I must admit to feeling more than a little disappointed in myself that I didn’t do a better time. I could blame it on the heat and humidity, or just put it down to an “off” day, but the truth is I’m still a beginner and clearly have a long way to go before I become a “proper” runner, whatever that means. Maybe by 2014 I will be as speedy as the lovely Hannah. I hope so!

Distance run (in miles): 3.1
Total mileage this week: 3.1
Total mileage for July: 65.4
Total since starting blog (20/6/10): 115.4

Be

Friday 23rd July 2010

Following Katie Bertie’s advice to do a “shorter but faster” training run after my 7.3 miles on Tuesday, I hot-footed it to the gym determined to run 5 miles as fast as I possibly could.

I am averaging 10 minutes per mile at the moment, which is perfectly acceptable for a relative beginner like me (so the internet and Katie Bertie tell me!). But six months from now, I’m hoping it will be a different story - so today my aim was to run 5 miles in less than 50 minutes.

I decided to leave off the headphones so that 1) I could really focus on my speed with no distractions and 2) I could run without the physical restriction of the wires and iPhone – I thought this might help my speed too.

Big mistake. Huge. (By the way, that’s favourite line from the film Pretty Woman!)

I’ll tell you why it was a mistake. My son Zachary who (as my regular readers will know) is severely autistic, also suffers from a condition called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), which affects the way his brain processes the information it receives from his senses. This mainly affects his vision, hearing, tactile sense and balance, to the extent that certain environments (e.g. with particular lights, noises and sensory stimuli), can completely overwhelm him and cause him physical pain. In these situations he is happiest and most comfortable in his wheelchair, with his eyes closed and fingers in his ears, or headphones on, to block out everything that is hurting him.

Anyway, I got a real taste of how Zac’s SPD must feel sometimes, when I tried treadmill running with no headphones. After about 10 minutes I began to feel sick, dizzy and overwhelmed by all of the following: 8 huge TV screens on the wall in front of me, the constant piped music on the gym’s sound system, the array of bright spotlights above my head, the pounding of the other runners’ feet on the treadmills around me, and the muffled yelling of the instructor leading the Spinning class in the studio behind me. All of these sights and sounds around me combined to overwhelm my senses, and I wanted to stop and put my headphones on to block it all out, but as I was aiming to improve my speed, I really didn’t want to sacrifice valuable minutes doing so.

So I pressed on trying to focus on speed. I slowed to a fast walking pace a couple of times to grab a sip of water and check my heart-rate, and sped up several times to run an extra-fast minute when I felt able to.

With no music or podcast to distract me, all kinds of random thoughts went through my head as I ran and, just for fun(!), I will share some of my musings with you:

1) Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl came on the sound system at one point, and I wasted at least 2 minutes trying to think of some new lyrics to make the “cherry chapstick” line rhyme with “Terry Pratchett”!!! It has to be do-able, but I couldn’t do it! Maybe some of my songwriting friends can come up with something – I’ll let you know in a future post if they do!

2) I never watch darts and know absolutely nothing about it, but there was a darts game on one of the TV screens and I noticed that all the players seemed to have an appalling sense of style – from weirdy-beards to straggly ponytails and horrendously ill-fitting clothes. I’m all for freedom of expression, but this struck me as almost some kind of dress-code. Do you have to have bad style to play darts, or was it just a co-incidence?

3) Looking around me I couldn’t help but notice that some ladies had underestimated the importance of a (preferably industrial-strength) sports bra when running… take note fellow treadmillers – 20 years from now you may regret it!

4) There was a news story on one of the screens about kangaroos being shot for their meat in the Australian bush, and the slant of the story seemed to be that this was particularly shocking because kangaroos are so cute and cuddly. Hmm. I have been a vegetarian since I was 16 and am always surprised when non-vegetarians are shocked at the killing and consumption of cute animals. I don’t see why this is anymore shocking than killing, say, a chicken. Well, I’m not going to get preachy (even if this is my blog!), but I did think it was odd.

Anyway, after what felt like an eternity, I completed the 5 miles in… 46.44 minutes. A new record for me and an average of 9.17 minutes per mile. I was pretty happy with this, but totally exhausted.

After the run, I stretched, then moved to the mats to do my 200 sit-ups. I always do this after a gym run, and try to do 200 sit-ups every day at home too. (When you’ve had 3 children, you have to work extra hard for firm abs – but it definitely pays off!)

Next to me on the mats was a lady doing the most amazing yoga positions. I’m guessing she was in her mid 50s, and she was extremely flexible and graceful. We got chatting and I asked if she’d mind if I took a photo of her for my blog, and here it is! And her name?

"Be".


Distance run (in miles): 5.0
Total mileage this week: 18.5
Total mileage for July: 62.3
Total since starting blog (20/6/10): 112.3

Mariners

Sunday 18th and Tuesday 20th July 2010

Firstly, some news...

1) I have entered for my first ever race! Katie Bertie has persuaded me to join her in running the Great Forest Run on 11th September; a 10K fundraiser for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

2) A quick update for anyone who read my “Russian Roulette” and “Jim” posts a few weeks ago… the Nivea Kids Factor 50 sunscreen proved to be deadly after all! I tried it again – just on my arms – and within 4 hours suffered a pretty extreme reaction of itching, burning and redness which lasted for the next 5 days and required a course of anti-histamines to bring it under control. Hmph. I won’t be forgetting that one in a hurry. So, I will once again be playing Sunscreen Russian Roulette…

Right, on with today’s post. Having agreed to enter the Great Forest Run, I felt that my next run should be a 10K one, just to keep my body used to running that distance. I have run 10K (6.2 miles) several times now, but my recent runs have only been 5 or so miles, so I will obviously need to start increasing the distance as well as the speed of my runs, in preparation for the race.

So, Sunday morning, saw me back at the gym programming in 10K on the treadmill of doom. This was, once again, an issue of child-care, so I’ll say no more about it, other than that I completed the 6.2 miles with no problems. (I will however say that, for a change, I listened to music instead of a podcast, and found that Heavy In Your Arms by Florence and the Machine proved to be the perfect tempo and mood for a treadmill run, and put a smile on my face for 4.44 minutes!)

The following evening I met up with Katie Bertie to see the movie Eclipse (3rd time for me, 1st time for Katie) at Bluewater, and she was full of good advice for my race preparations.

Apparently I now need to do a weekly run that is further than 10K, but to make it a slow run, focusing on distance rather than speed. Then I need to do one or two shorter but faster runs per week, focusing on speed rather than distance. Hmm… there is more to this running lark than I originally thought!

So, Tuesday afternoon, with Lily-Rose fast asleep in Grandma’s care, I set off to the Medway Marina at St. Mary’s Island, setting my sights on 7 slow miles. This would be my longest run so far, and on this incredibly hot and humid afternoon I wasn’t sure if I could do it.

I had worked out a route beforehand, which seemed to be just over 7 miles, and downloaded a podcast onto my phone that was 1 hour and 40 minutes long (just to be on the safe side, as I had no idea how long it would take to run 7 miles!), and stocked up on water.

The heat and humidity were pretty bad but there were a few cool estuary breezes to be had. The pathway was flanked on one side by the sparkling blue river and, on the other, by trees, bushes and hedges, full of flowers and butterflies and the scent of lavender. The half-way point of my run was the stunning sculpture The Mariners, by Sam Holland. I wished I could have stopped to take photos of everything, but I needed to keep going. Occasionally, when the wind was blowing in a certain direction, I could hear an air-raid siren from the Chatham Historic Dockyard nearby. (A great place to visit!)

The last half-hour of my run I was aware that my knees were starting to hurt, and this got increasingly painful as I went on. Heart sinking – I haven’t had knee problems for weeks - I knew I would have to dig out the frozen peas when I got home and ice pack them as soon as possible! I made it back to the car in 1 hour 22 minutes, and my running app told me that my distance was 7.349 miles! So, whist my run wasn’t very speedy, it was a new distance for me and that, despite the knee pain, made me smile.

I am writing this the following day, and the knees are still pretty sore, so I will rest today and tomorrow, and plan my next (shorter and speedier) run for Friday.

Distance run (in miles): Sunday 6.2 and Tuesday 7.3
Total mileage this week: 13.5
Total mileage for July: 57.3
Total since starting blog (20/6/10): 107.3

Run of the Mill

Friday 16th July 2010

I’m writing this on Friday afternoon, having run 8.2km (5.1 miles) on the treadmill at the gym this morning. I also ran 9km (5.6 miles) yesterday morning and the same on Monday. All on the treadmill.

This is not good.

Well, it is good in terms of my weekly mileage, which now stands at 21.5 – a definite improvement on last week – but not good in terms of the fresh air, spectacular views and general feeling of wellbeing that outdoor running brings. As opposed to the plodding, hamster-on-a-wheel, feeling of going nowhere, that treadmill running brings.

But sometimes it’s the only option available.

There is an article on treadmill running in the current issue of Women’s Running Magazine citing benefits such as; safety; access to showers; ability to monitor speed, distance and calories burnt; air-conditioned, weather-proof environment, etc. etc. And for me, with a young baby, the crèche facilities at the gym are the big attraction. (I have considered running outside whilst pushing Lily-Rose in her pushchair, which she would no doubt enjoy, but somehow I don’t think I would manage more than a mile at the very most!)

So, it has been the week of the treadmill.

The need for distraction is far greater when running on a treadmill, and these are some of the things I have done to distract myself:

• Listened to the BBC podcast From Our Own Correspondent, as well as Smartmouths and Imprint podcasts.


• Interval training – interspersing 10km per hour running with 1 or 2 minutes of extra fast running (12.5kph) every 10 minutes or so.


• Facebooked on my iPhone whilst running – easier said than done!


• Worried about my son Zac - he has had a particularly difficult week – his Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder seeming to “peak” on Tuesday causing him to shut down completely, to the extent that we couldn’t get him off the kitchen floor, let alone dressed and on his taxi to school. (You can read about Zac on his own blog, here.)


• Fretted about the impending 6 week school Summer holiday and how I am going to manage an out-of-routine Zac for that length of time, whist occupying 6 year old Luca and baby Lily-Rose. All my friends who are parents of Autistic children (many of whom I have met through the online Autism communities) are feeling the same way, and there is a general sense of anxiety as we face this particular mountain!


• Made a huge mental list of things I need to pack for our upcoming holiday at Freedom Families (for children with Autism and their families) on the Isle of Wight.


• Promptly forgot the entire contents of the list.

Well, it’s not been the most exciting of weeks, running-wise, but I have put in the miles, and hopefully have continued to increase my stamina. (And today’s 5.1 mile run was completed in 50 minutes and 13 seconds – a new personal best for me!)

My next run will take place outside. I am determined!

Distance run (in miles): Thursday 5.6 and Friday 5.1
Total mileage this week: 21.5
Total mileage for July: 43.8
Total since starting blog: 93.8

Beautiful People

Sunday 11th July 2010

World Cup Final night – Spain v Holland. Also, being Sunday night, it is running-with-Anna-time.

Dilemma?
Absolutely not!

Running shoes on, and off we go, leaving my husband and 6 year old Luca happily settled in front of BBC HD.

We decide to run the 5.2 mile circuit over the Medway Viaduct, which is my new favourite route – Anna hasn’t run it before. The day has been unbearably hot and the air is still a little too warm for runnning, so we feel especially virtuous as we head up the hill towards Borstal.

Gossip and news flow freely and we speed along, feeling lean, healthy and good about life.

Suddenly, stepping straight off the front cover of Runners World Magazine, we are overtaken by a Beautiful Couple. She is petite, tanned, blonde and has amazing legs. He is tall, handsome and rugged. They are running at what seems like 50 miles per hour, smiling, gazing at each other, and exuding an air of smug satisfaction at their own incredible fabulousness as they zoom past us.

Instantly we both feel slow, dowdy, un-fit and un-cool. Hmph.

Oh well... onwards and upwards! We make it up onto the viaduct and sacrifice a few seconds to appreciate the amazing view and snap a couple of photos. (The Beautiful Couple are way over the horizon by now.) There is noticeably less traffic on the roads for a Sunday evening - presumably most people are watching the match, and we wonder what the score is. Running down into Strood we pass a pub and, climbing up onto a wall, we manage to look through the window and see that it is still 0-0 at 43 minutes! (See photo.)

Over the historic Rochester Bridge and we pass several more pubs in Rochester's cobblestone high street, overflowing with footballs fans watching the match (several of whom shout "Faster, faster!" at us as we run by) - still 0-0. Then the usual, painful uphill mile home.

Still 0-0, but we are back in time to watch the rest of the second half and Iniesta's fantastic 116th minute victory goal.

Distance run (in miles): 5.2

The following morning I was able to grab an hour at the gym and ran just over 9Km (5.6 miles) on the treadmill.

Distance run (in miles): 5.6

Total mileage this week: 10.8
Total mileage for July: 33.1
Total since starting blog: 83.1

Bananas

Friday 9th July 2010

Back at the gym today for another treadmill run, with baby Lily-Rose in the crèche. In a way it’s a good thing, as it is unbelievably hot outside and the gym is cool and air-conditioned.

Now that I have managed over 8K (5 miles) on the treadmill, it seems a bit pathetic to go back to the 5K runs that I usually do on here so, gritting my teeth, I program in 8.3K, just to make sure…

After about a mile I start to get terrible stitch in my right side, which is unusual for me. I try to run through it but eventually I have to slow down. I grab my iPhone (I am listening to a shiny new episode of the Imprint podcast) and attempt some serious multi-tasking.

I slow down to 6.5Kph (which is still a pretty fast walk) and log in to the gym’s wifi network – no easy task typing in user names and passwords when you are walking briskly on a treadmill! I then Google “stitch when running”, which brings up a nice list of results, mainly to do with running and sport, but the odd one about embroidery!

The tricky part was reading the information on the tiny iPhone screen, whilst trying to keep up my fast walking pace. Here is a selection of the advice on offer:

• eat a banana 2 hours before your run.
• don’t drink anything for an hour before your run.
• stretch both arms up above your head for a few minutes, whist running.
• adjust your breathing so you breathe in for 2 counts and out for 3.
• breathe from your diaphragm.
• strike the ground forcefully with the opposite leg to the side the stitch is on, as you breathe out.
• breathe out forcefully as if you are blowing into a paper bag.
• drop your arms down to your side and breathe out twice through your mouth.

Hmm… well, it was obviously too late for the banana and the not-drinking beforehand! I sped the treadmill back up to 10Kph and tried stretching both arms above my head (feeling very self-conscious), and the 2:3 breathing, neither of which had any effect. Being a singer, I am used to diaphragmatic intercostal breathing, so I tried that next, but again no effect.

Striking the ground with the opposite leg to the side the stitch was on, whilst breathing out, was tricky took a few attempts to get the rhythm right (and gave my brain a work out at the same time!). I then tried the paper-bag breathing AND the dropping-arms-down-and-breathing-out-twice.

Nothing worked!!

However, the combination of concentrating on all the breathing and advice, plus the amusing dialogue on my podcast, helped to distract me from the pain of the stitch enough that I could finish my run.

Next time I will definitely eat a banana first!

Distance run (in miles): 5.2
Total mileage this week: 13.5
Total mileage for July: 22.3
Total since starting blog: 72.3

Spectrum

Tuesday 6th July 2010

Several people have asked me why my blog is called Rainbows and Running Shoes, and I guess the answer is mainly to do with my son Zachary, who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder. (He also has severe Sensory Processing Disorder and ADHD.)

Every child with Autism is different and occupies a unique position on the Autism Spectrum – sadly, Zac is on the severe end of it. But he certainly makes life colourful, and no two days are the same (much as Zac would like them to be… children with autism crave sameness and predictability above all things!).

Autism affects the whole family dynamic and any expectations of a “normal” family life are usually pretty futile. Infinite patience, nerves of steel, a wicked sense of humour and bags of energy are a must. This is why I run!

The rainbow is also a symbol of hope and promise. (And, at the risk of sounding cheesy, “If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain”. Dolly Parton, and David Brent!)

(If you want to know more about how Autism affects our family, you can read my son Zac’s blog here.)

Well, on to running matters… tonight, being Tuesday, is the night my husband plays football with his friends, so I only had time for a quick run in between putting the children to bed, cooking a vegetable stir-fry (with noodles, garlic and soy sauce), and sacred football time!

I have a great 5K circuit that takes me from my door, uphill into Borstal, down the incredibly steep Shorts Way to the river, and then a beautiful long run along the riverside, with wide open skies and an amazing view of Rochester Castle and Cathedral. The route then goes up to the historic cobblestone high street, around the castle and moat, and then the long uphill back to my house.

It felt great to run as fast as I could on the downhills – such a feeling of freedom and childish abandon – almost like flying!


Distance run (in miles): 3.1
Total mileage this week: 8.3
Total mileage for July: 17.2
Total since starting blog: 67.1

Jim

Monday 5th July 2010

First things first: a quick update! Anyone who read my “Russian Roulette” post will remember that I took my life in my hands by spraying myself with an “unknown” sunscreen (I am super-allergic), and was unsure whether I would have a reaction or not. Several people have asked me what happened. Well, I didn’t react, BUT, as I showered immediately after my run, I may have just washed it all off, so the truth is, I still don’t know if the Nivea Kids Factor 50 (green) is safe or not!

Anyway, back to today. Just a small window of running opportunity, and it would once again have to be on the treadmill at the gym, because of the need for childcare. Baby Lily-Rose is almost 18 months old and is not yet walking or talking much (she can say “shoe”!), but understands an awful lot. However, when I say “Let’s go to the gym”, she instantly looks round hopefully and I just know she is looking for Jim, Anna’s husband, whom she likes very much!

Once she is safely settled in the gym crèche, I hop on the treadmill and program in 50 minutes – that’s all I have. I’m still on a high from seeing the preview of Eclipse last night (which was FANTASTIC!) and I have a new podcast – an analysis of the film – which helps detract from the boredom of treadmill running.

The other thing that detracts is, of course… people watching! Let me introduce you to some of the regular faces I see at my gym.

There’s Bendy Ponytail Man – he must be in his late 60s or early 70s, an ex-hippy, with a long grey ponytail and an extraordinarily flexible body, which he likes to contort into various yoga positions in the middle of the gym floor. He’s pretty cool!

Then we have the Golden Girls – a gaggle of 4 or 5 “mature” ladies, their leader being very tall and thin with bright orange hair. I have never seen any of them do any form of exercise, but they are always in the lounge area of the gym, clad in lycra, sharing tea and cake and enjoying a gossip.

There is Highlighty Beefcake Man – he has stepped straight out of the early ‘90s with his long blonde highlights, fake tan, tiny shorts and bulging biceps. I think that in his mind he is a Gladiator (think Ulrika Jonsson, not Russell Crowe).

Also, we have Leggings Lady – an extremely large girl probably in her early twenties. I believe she would be categorised as morbidly obese and I admire her dedication very much, as she is at the gym pretty much every time I go, usually on the exercise bikes. She has a long way to go, but is obviously seriously trying to improve her health.

There are lots of other regulars, and I will introduce you to some more another time. I wonder what name they would give me!

Distance run (in miles): 5.2
Total mileage this week: 5.2
Total mileage for July: 14.1
Total since starting blog: 64.0

Total Eclipse

Saturday 3rd July 2010

My best-friend-in-the-whole-wide-world, Anna, has been my Sunday evening work-out buddy for about the past 4 years. It is an almost sacred tradition that she comes to my house at 6 o’clock on a Sunday evening to help bath Zac and put him to bed, after which we engage in some kind of exercise - usually running in the Summer months, and step aerobics or a fitness DVD the rest of the year. This is often followed by a bacon sandwich made by my husband, and a plate of Marmite on toast for me (as I am a strict vegetarian and would no more eat bacon than chew off my own leg!).

These Sunday evening work-out sessions are also a chance to catch up on the week’s news and gossip, exchange stories and plans, and generally have a good old giggle. They say laughter is the best medicine, but I think laughter plus exercise has to be the ultimate work-out!

Anyway, this weekend I am breaking with tradition because of a Most Exciting Event. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a huge fan of the Twilight Saga (a series of books by Stephenie Meyer), and on Friday 9th July, the film of the third book, Eclipse, is released. My friend Donna, also a Twilight fan (or “Twi-hard” if you want the technical term!) has managed to get us tickets for a preview showing this Sunday! I can’t begin to explain how exciting this is!

I could just talk about Twilight for the rest of this blog entry… it would be very easy for me to do! But, well… this is a running blog, so let’s get on to the running part.

The upshot of all this is that Anna and I decided to go for a quick run on Saturday night instead. (And she still promised to come at 6 o’clock on the Sunday to help with Zac, even though I would be effectively “ditching” her to go to the cinema with Donna afterwards – that’s true friendship for you!)

I was dying to show Anna the Rochester Riverside area I had explored on my last run so we set off from my house and headed down towards the River Medway – this time I knew exactly where I was going and how to find the elusive entrance to this wonderful open space. We ran pretty much straight along the riverside, enjoying the amazing evening light on the water and the view of Rochester Castle and Cathedral from a completely new angle. We both agreed it was a great place to run… especially when we discovered a blue tardis-like box, which turned out to be a conveniently placed loo (I won’t say which one of us used it!). Anna has just returned from a 10 day conference (she is a Press Officer) and we had a lot to catch up on (from new red trousers, to her guest entry on the Church Mouse Blog, to the latest antics of Zachary…) and the chit-chat helped once again to distract from the pain of all the running!

Anyway, we made it back home with the weird feeling that it was Sunday night, not Saturday – I couldn’t shake this off for the rest of the evening and it was very disorienting!

Distance run (in miles): 4.2
Total mileage this week: 24.1
Total mileage for July: 8.9
Total since starting blog: 58.8