I've been meaning to write another entry for a long time. It's been on my to do list and it keeps getting trumped by urgent things - work, in particular, has been "getting in the way" - how dare it?! So here goes...
The BIG NEWS is that we've entered the Transalpine Run 2012!!!! Check out www.transalpine-run.com and there's also some really cool footage on You Tube. I think we were a bit too keen to get our names down for this one - we knew that entries opened on 1st December but we didn't have a time. So both of us were sitting there refreshing the entry page every 5 minutes until entries opened. It still has entries now so I think this behaviour was probably a little unnecessary!
We're both really excited about it. But also quite scared - well I am! It's a "long" year this year - what that means is that we will be covering 8 marathons in 8 days... over the Alps! Will training in Richmond Park cut it?!
Getting our entry in has got our motivation going which is great. Not least cos preparing for this race is going to take me into training volumes I haven't experienced before. On one weekend recently, we ran 36k on the Saturday and 24k on the Sunday. We were both actually quite pleased with how we coped. But it did highlight that we will need to plan our weekend nutrition much more carefully. Sneaking in a milkshake after Saturday's run, followed by afternoon tea with friends and then bread and soup in the evening isn't quite going to cut it!
Our favourite training run to date was a trip out to the Surrey Hills on the first weekend in December. We parked in Westcott and ran the Greensands Way to Peaslake. We know the area well from cycling but not all the off-road paths through the Hurtwood. So we decided that sticking to a long distance trail would be a good starting point for navigation. It was a good route with some decent climbs and some great views. The latter were helped by the weather being completely uncharacteristic for December - we were still running in shorts and t-shirt.
Our approach to this run was different to training for marathons and other road races or triathlons. Over the next 9 months, it's all going to be about time on our feet and building up leg strength and endurance. So it was more of a walk-run and there was no pressure on time or heart rate. It was just about being out there and enjoying it. I'm looking forward to that aspect of our training - it will be about going to some beautiful places together and exploring. So we're having fun getting ideas of where we can go and do some tough multi-day sessions not too far from London. Any ideas welcome...
Today we ran the Portsmouth marathon. What I really noticed about the race was how civilised it was. The route was really scenic and all of it was off road. A significant amount was single track and it was completely varied - from beach front to trail to running along the beach to slipping and sliding through mud and puddles. It wouldn't be a race for anyone focused on even splits but I enjoyed it. It felt like we were all on a Sunday run together! The low-light for me was when I went over on my ankle at 15 miles. I'm now sat on the sofa with an ice pack on it. It was quite a nasty fall and I was really impressed by how many people stopped to check how I was. I won't name any names but there are certainly some marathons I've done where this wouldn't have happened!
My ankles are a bit of a worry for the Transalpine. They've been weak for ages and I've been doing exercises to strengthen them. Looks like I need to do some more though! And think about whether / how to tape them up or wear supports for off-road runs. I taped the right today cos that's a lot weaker and then went over on the left! Not ideal.
And the highlight of the race? One of my friends commented afterwards on how good my technique was at the 26 mile mark. I've been working on technique for the past year and so this was a real compliment. I know how I see my running style in my head but for someone (who's a super-good runner himself) to say that it actually looks like that in reality shows that all the hard work is paying off!
Sunday 18 December 2011
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Getting hungrier (Hannah)
It's really great to be upping my mileages again. Not just cos it's getting me closer to my Gold Challenge target (see http://www.goldchallenge.org/gc/user/hannah.miller). But mainly because I love running and so I love being able to run more. It was so frustrating earlier in the summer when a persistant virus meant that I would be completely floored after only doing relatively little.
But the thing that comes with running more is the fact that I am getting really really hungry! I do a big weekly shop when I get to the office on a Monday morning where I stock up on my breakfasts, lunches and snacks for the week. This approach minimises the chances of me sneaking downstairs in the middle of the afternoon and buying cakes or chocolate bars! But I realised that I'd upped my activity levels without a corresponding increase in what I was buying on a Monday morning. So the cake trips were sneaking back in as I just wasn't eating enough.
What was odd though was that I didn't fancy the cakes and wasn't really enjoying them. What I fancied was another Nakd bar (I'm a big fan of the cocoa mint ones - http://www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/store/nakd-nudie-bars/default.aspx) and the sugary rubbish the cakes wasn't really doing it.
A year or so ago, we got going on the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sissons (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/). It's a bit American but once you get past that there's some really useful theory in there. And I've found that cutting out the unecessary carbs and sugars has helped me cut weight that I didn't need, improved my stomach happiness and given me more constant energy levels for training. That probably helps to explain why my body hasn't really been craving cakes...
So here's what I do tend to eat on a daily basis. My one criticism of myself being the lack of variety...
Pre-run to work - banana
After run - apple
(stretch and shower)
Breakfast - 2 teaspoons nut butter (almond / cashew) off the spoon, whole rolled oats mixed with ground seeds etc / hot water and a dollop of jam, with banana on top
Morning snacks - little Nakd bar, apple
Lunch - hummus, 2 slices rye bread, carrot, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, yoghurt
Afternoon snacks - little Nakd bar, yoghurt, apple
With the occasional cake sneaked in if it's someone's birthday :-)
And so now I have to think about what else can be added to that when I'm running 20k in a day with a weights session at lunch...
But the thing that comes with running more is the fact that I am getting really really hungry! I do a big weekly shop when I get to the office on a Monday morning where I stock up on my breakfasts, lunches and snacks for the week. This approach minimises the chances of me sneaking downstairs in the middle of the afternoon and buying cakes or chocolate bars! But I realised that I'd upped my activity levels without a corresponding increase in what I was buying on a Monday morning. So the cake trips were sneaking back in as I just wasn't eating enough.
What was odd though was that I didn't fancy the cakes and wasn't really enjoying them. What I fancied was another Nakd bar (I'm a big fan of the cocoa mint ones - http://www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/store/nakd-nudie-bars/default.aspx) and the sugary rubbish the cakes wasn't really doing it.
A year or so ago, we got going on the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sissons (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/). It's a bit American but once you get past that there's some really useful theory in there. And I've found that cutting out the unecessary carbs and sugars has helped me cut weight that I didn't need, improved my stomach happiness and given me more constant energy levels for training. That probably helps to explain why my body hasn't really been craving cakes...
So here's what I do tend to eat on a daily basis. My one criticism of myself being the lack of variety...
Pre-run to work - banana
After run - apple
(stretch and shower)
Breakfast - 2 teaspoons nut butter (almond / cashew) off the spoon, whole rolled oats mixed with ground seeds etc / hot water and a dollop of jam, with banana on top
Morning snacks - little Nakd bar, apple
Lunch - hummus, 2 slices rye bread, carrot, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, yoghurt
Afternoon snacks - little Nakd bar, yoghurt, apple
With the occasional cake sneaked in if it's someone's birthday :-)
And so now I have to think about what else can be added to that when I'm running 20k in a day with a weights session at lunch...
Saturday 5 November 2011
Run to work (Hannah)
My run to work is ten miles. So I have to be feeling up for it. Partly cos ten miles is quite a long way to run before breakfast. But also cos it involves a 5.30 wake up call to ensure I have enough time at the other end for a good stretch.
Cos I've not been on top form for a few months I've had to insert a train into the run which makes it a more sensible distance but goes against the idea of saving money and not relying on public transport or being bound by timetables.
Well, this week I started running to work again. And it was great. I just really like knowing I've got there under my own steam, that gives me a real feeling of freedom. And all the autumn colours were out in Hyde park too which made it even more enjoyable.
The only thing I'm going to need to remember is that I'll need to up my calorie intake! Whilst I can afford to drop a couple of kilos I don't want to lose too much weight as we're heading into the cold and flu season.
In terms of food, I have a banana before I leave home. One of my tricks though is having a pot of nut butter at work. Almond at the moment. A teaspoon of that with breakfast and another with lunch is a reliable way of getting good fats and some protein. And it helps keep me full too. I do get some funny looks in the office though as I'm digging into the jar - not sure it's quite the professional image I should be striving for!
Cos I've not been on top form for a few months I've had to insert a train into the run which makes it a more sensible distance but goes against the idea of saving money and not relying on public transport or being bound by timetables.
Well, this week I started running to work again. And it was great. I just really like knowing I've got there under my own steam, that gives me a real feeling of freedom. And all the autumn colours were out in Hyde park too which made it even more enjoyable.
The only thing I'm going to need to remember is that I'll need to up my calorie intake! Whilst I can afford to drop a couple of kilos I don't want to lose too much weight as we're heading into the cold and flu season.
In terms of food, I have a banana before I leave home. One of my tricks though is having a pot of nut butter at work. Almond at the moment. A teaspoon of that with breakfast and another with lunch is a reliable way of getting good fats and some protein. And it helps keep me full too. I do get some funny looks in the office though as I'm digging into the jar - not sure it's quite the professional image I should be striving for!
Friday 14 October 2011
New shoes (Hannah)
Brett bought me a very inspired birthday present and it arrived yesterday... a pair of huaraches, straight from the fair hands of Barefoot Ted in Seattle. So this evening we headed up into Richmond Park to try them out.
It was a stunning autumn evening - it had been a clear blue sky day so the evening light was lovely and warm, shining through the autumn trees and bouncing off the turning leaves. There were also several bonfires burning - that and the chill in the air definitely made my body realise that fireworks season is almost upon us!
Anyway, onto the shoes... they were great. Fantastic barefoot feel, surprisingly comfortable and I didn't get little stones caught in them like you do with normal sandals. I need to do a bit of experimenting with tying and knots but, as it was, I didn't need to stop and adjust them at all during the 5 mile run. Probably won't go out and run a marathon in them tomorrow but it might be a good aim to build towards that... I've learned from past experience (Vibram Fiver Fingers last year) that I mustn't get too excited and build things too quickly - a month out with calf and ankle problems was the result. So I will continue lots of calf stretching and ankle strengthening exercises (one leg squats on the TRX and ankle raises) and build things slowly...
It was dark by the time we finished our run and there was a huge harvest moon bobbing over the park - perfect end to the working week. Let's hope things are looking as beautiful tomorrow morning when we head out for our long run...
It was a stunning autumn evening - it had been a clear blue sky day so the evening light was lovely and warm, shining through the autumn trees and bouncing off the turning leaves. There were also several bonfires burning - that and the chill in the air definitely made my body realise that fireworks season is almost upon us!
Anyway, onto the shoes... they were great. Fantastic barefoot feel, surprisingly comfortable and I didn't get little stones caught in them like you do with normal sandals. I need to do a bit of experimenting with tying and knots but, as it was, I didn't need to stop and adjust them at all during the 5 mile run. Probably won't go out and run a marathon in them tomorrow but it might be a good aim to build towards that... I've learned from past experience (Vibram Fiver Fingers last year) that I mustn't get too excited and build things too quickly - a month out with calf and ankle problems was the result. So I will continue lots of calf stretching and ankle strengthening exercises (one leg squats on the TRX and ankle raises) and build things slowly...
It was dark by the time we finished our run and there was a huge harvest moon bobbing over the park - perfect end to the working week. Let's hope things are looking as beautiful tomorrow morning when we head out for our long run...
Friday 23 September 2011
Early morning run in the park (Hannah)
Neither of us have been 100% recently and we've had a lot of family stuff going on. So we haven't managed to spend much time just the two of us or do as much exercise as we'd like. So this morning we rectified that in the best way possible...
We headed up to Richmond Park as it was opening and had it almost to ourselves. The seasons are turning and it was a clear blue sky crisp morning so there was a layer of mist hanging over the lower part of the park. It was stunning.
One of our favourite things is a barefoot or Vibram five fingers run which is completely unstructured - we just run whichever way we fancy when we get to a junction and see where we end up. So this is what we treated ourselves to today. I'm not quite sure why we did Vibrams rather than barefoot but that's what we did - maybe we were being chicken cos of autumn being round the corner!
It's rutting season for the deer at the moment and we could hear their bellows as we ran through the middle of the park away from the main paths. There were some impressive guys out there and we weren't too surprised to spot a photographer capturing it all - antlers appearing through the ferns with the sun peeking through the mist behind them.
It was a perfect start to the day and great to get the blood pumping a bit again after not being able to train for a week or so. And it was good just to spend some time together too, doing one of the things we enjoy most.
We headed up to Richmond Park as it was opening and had it almost to ourselves. The seasons are turning and it was a clear blue sky crisp morning so there was a layer of mist hanging over the lower part of the park. It was stunning.
One of our favourite things is a barefoot or Vibram five fingers run which is completely unstructured - we just run whichever way we fancy when we get to a junction and see where we end up. So this is what we treated ourselves to today. I'm not quite sure why we did Vibrams rather than barefoot but that's what we did - maybe we were being chicken cos of autumn being round the corner!
It's rutting season for the deer at the moment and we could hear their bellows as we ran through the middle of the park away from the main paths. There were some impressive guys out there and we weren't too surprised to spot a photographer capturing it all - antlers appearing through the ferns with the sun peeking through the mist behind them.
It was a perfect start to the day and great to get the blood pumping a bit again after not being able to train for a week or so. And it was good just to spend some time together too, doing one of the things we enjoy most.
Sunday 4 September 2011
The first post... (Hannah)
Today seems to be a pretty good day to write the first post on our blog. Today I ran the first ever Maidenhead half marathon. It was a really well organised race - definitely one to be repeated,
I've not been 100% for the past few months, doing battle with a virus that doesn't want to seem to go away despite my best efforts at eating well and resting as much as I can. So I decided to do the race completely on feel. I've actually been following that method for a year or so now and I'm really enjoying it. I've ditched the watch, the heart rate monitor and the stats and have just been basing my training and racing on how I feel. It makes it more enjoyable and removes a lot of the stress I used to put on myself.
It was a very humid day to be racing! And I'm not a huge fan of humidity - running in humidity, that is. I headed off at a decent pace getting caught up in the excitement. But quickly realised that keeping up this pace wouldn't be very sensible given my dodgy immune system - I've got bigger fish to fry in a few weeks time... And even more next year!
So I held back a bit and just got into a comfortable rhythm. My brother caught up with me at 4 miles. When I encouraged him to run his own race rather than hanging back to run with me, he asked "what pace are you running?". My response "this pace". Him "but what pace is that?" Me "This pace!", waving a empty wrist at him. And off he went.
I can't say the humidity was much fun but around the 10 mile point the rain we'd been promised arrived. I found my mojo again and a smile appeared on my face. I love running in the rain! My stride opened up, I relaxed into my new found pace and my smile got bigger and bigger.
The support on the course was fantastic. And even as the rain got heavier the supporters stayed out. I was impressed at the number of runners thanking them - better than average I'd say.
So there I was, running along in the pouring rain smiling and calling out to the supporters, pushing harder as the rain got heavier and I felt the best I've felt in a while. It might not have been a new PB but it ended on a high and I made sure I enjoyed it. That's my first kilomotres logged for my Gold Challenge - one hundredth of the way there, quite a way to go!
Check out http://www.goldchallenge.org/gc/user/bkeartland, https://www.goldchallenge.org/gc/user/hannah.miller and www.justgiving.com/brettandhannah2012 for more details of that...
I've not been 100% for the past few months, doing battle with a virus that doesn't want to seem to go away despite my best efforts at eating well and resting as much as I can. So I decided to do the race completely on feel. I've actually been following that method for a year or so now and I'm really enjoying it. I've ditched the watch, the heart rate monitor and the stats and have just been basing my training and racing on how I feel. It makes it more enjoyable and removes a lot of the stress I used to put on myself.
It was a very humid day to be racing! And I'm not a huge fan of humidity - running in humidity, that is. I headed off at a decent pace getting caught up in the excitement. But quickly realised that keeping up this pace wouldn't be very sensible given my dodgy immune system - I've got bigger fish to fry in a few weeks time... And even more next year!
So I held back a bit and just got into a comfortable rhythm. My brother caught up with me at 4 miles. When I encouraged him to run his own race rather than hanging back to run with me, he asked "what pace are you running?". My response "this pace". Him "but what pace is that?" Me "This pace!", waving a empty wrist at him. And off he went.
I can't say the humidity was much fun but around the 10 mile point the rain we'd been promised arrived. I found my mojo again and a smile appeared on my face. I love running in the rain! My stride opened up, I relaxed into my new found pace and my smile got bigger and bigger.
The support on the course was fantastic. And even as the rain got heavier the supporters stayed out. I was impressed at the number of runners thanking them - better than average I'd say.
So there I was, running along in the pouring rain smiling and calling out to the supporters, pushing harder as the rain got heavier and I felt the best I've felt in a while. It might not have been a new PB but it ended on a high and I made sure I enjoyed it. That's my first kilomotres logged for my Gold Challenge - one hundredth of the way there, quite a way to go!
Check out http://www.goldchallenge.org/gc/user/bkeartland, https://www.goldchallenge.org/gc/user/hannah.miller and www.justgiving.com/brettandhannah2012 for more details of that...
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