Swans, sculptures and GB selection!

It’s been a few weeks since my last blog (sorry about that – I don’t know where the time goes!), but quite a lot has happened in that time.

Firstly, I had some rather exciting news when I received a phone call from British Athletics advising me I’d been selected for the Great Britain & NI team for the IAU World 100km Championships in the Netherlands, on September 12^th.  At first I wondered if I’d dreamt it, but when the confirmation letter dropped through my door the following day I knew it was real! 

I’m absolutely delighted about the prospect of running in another World Championship, and extremely proud and honoured to be given the chance of representing my country again.  I feel very fortunate that, after being forced to withdraw from last year’s World Champs. team through injury, I now have another chance and I’m extremely grateful to the selectors for showing faith in me.  They have set me one proviso, however - as it’s been two years since I last ran an ultra I’ve been asked to ‘prove my fitness’ in a race longer than a marathon - so I immediately sat down with my coach, Les, to plan a racing schedule that would allow for this.

The 100km World Championship will take place in the town of Winschoten, which is where I ran my first 100km, again for GB&NI in the World Champs., back in 2011.  I learnt an awful lot in that race, which I put into practice when I won bronze in the 2013 European 100km Championships and which I hope to build on again this year.

So it’s now down to just over two months of really hard work and, so far, my training is progressing well and my mileage is steadily building.  My long training runs have been increasing in length, taking in the canal towpaths and lanes of rural Warwickshire.  I’ve been loving wearing my new X-Bionic Effektor Powershirt and The Trick shorts – they’re so comfortable, no chafing and great temperature regulation - and, of course, my trusty X-Bionic Effektor compression socks which really seem to help my calves recover better.  My runs have been pretty uneventful really, although the other day I did have an encounter with a swan which was being very protective of its young.  I come across them regularly on the canal towpath and normally I’m very wary of them.  This time however, as the adult was only just climbing out of the water onto the path, I thought I could quickly dodge it by running up a grassy bank to the side.  I just about got past as it started to lunge for me, but in the process very nearly ended up in the canal for a swim as my momentum carried me back down the bank rather too quickly!  Luckily I just about managed to avoid testing out the buoyancy of X-Bionic kit!  Other wildlife encounters over the last few weeks have included hares and a couple of fabulous close-up views of buzzards gliding right in front of me.  It’s hard to imagine that these magnificent birds were in decline until as recently as the 1990s as hardly a run goes by now without me seeing or hearing one.

My artistic side has also been stimulated on some of my recent runs too, as one of Antony Gormley’s latest sculptures has sprung up on one of my canal routes.  It’s one of five sculptures commissioned from him by The Landmark Trust to celebrate their 50^th anniversary.  I think it’s great that such a prestigious sculptor chose a small village in rural Warwickshire, albeit with a historically important canal-side building, to site one of his pieces.  The sculpture is quite unassuming but fits its location perfectly – you can just imagine the lengthsman standing there inspecting ‘his’ stretch of the canal in days gone by!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-32631681

 

Running past Antony Gormley's sculpture

 

As well as long runs my training has also included a couple of recent low-key local road races which I’ve used as tempo runs.  The first of these was the Banbury 5m on a cool and blustery Tuesday evening.  This proved to be a really good race between the top 4 women at the front end of the field, with the lead changing several times.  After a “sprint” finish (well, OK, maybe more of a quickish spurt than a sprint) I eventually ended up 3^rd, which I was happy enough with, especially as I was over half a minute quicker than last year.  I must admit though, it did feel far too short and I only started to get into my running at around 4 miles – not ideal when the race was only 5 miles!  The race is part of the East Midlands Grand Prix series and I’ve run it more often than any other race, having now done it 11 times.  It makes a great mid-week tempo run on an undulating course and there’s always a good turn-out of my fellow Leamington C&AC club-mates and so is a great chance to catch up with friends.

I then followed up Banbury with 2^nd place in the Arden 9m race last Sunday, where again I was more than satisfied with my run.  Having been leading the women’s race until the last mile, I didn’t quite have the legs to hold off the eventual winner as we climbed the final hill towards the finish.  But, putting it into perspective, I had done a long run the day before and had my biggest week’s mileage for some time, so I can’t really complain!  It’s a shame that such a well organised race took four days to get the results on their website though – especially in this day and age of computer technology!

Approaching the finish of the Arden 9

So that’s a quick round-up of the last few weeks; watch this space for the next instalment!

Two out of Two!

This blog post is really just a brief round-up of my latest two races; two wins in consecutive weekends, so not bad going really!

The first was the Regency 10K in Leamington on April 19^th.  This was the fourth time I’ve run this race and it’s always a great event to do, with plenty of local support especially for those of us from the local club, Leamington C&AC.  The event is put on by Leamington & District Round Table and is generally really well organised, with plenty of marshals and great spectator support all round the course.  However, only 8 toilets for nearly 2000 runners inevitably resulted in massive queues, well-watered bushes nearby and a delay to the start time.  This was exacerbated by the fact the toilets hadn’t even been set up until about 50 minutes before the start!  Something for the organisers to improve on next time, I think.

Once we got started, and I’d managed to avoid trampling the poor runner who fell just after the start, the race was really enjoyable.  The first 5km are off-road, around the golf course of Newbold Comyn, with some undulations but nothing too testing.  Luckily the recent lack of rain meant the dirt path was bone dry and I was able to settle into my early pace.  Once we came off the golf course and onto the roads, passing back through the start area at around 6km, I immediately picked up the tempo.  Although I love running off-road I always feel more at home racing on the tarmac where I can settle into a constant rhythm.  At this point the crowd support was amazing, which really gave me a huge lift.  The last 4km took in the town’s finest parks - Victoria Park (home of Bowls England), the Royal Pump Room Gardens and Jephson Gardens – named in 1846 in honour of Dr. Henry Jephson, a famous doctor who promoted the town as a spa.  Despite the twists and turns of the last 4km I kept pushing on as hard as I could and was rewarded with 1^st place in the women’s race (43^rd overall) in a time of 38.34.  Considering my current fitness and lack of 10k-specific training I was more than satisfied with this.  To put the icing on the cake, my Leamington C&AC team mates also put in some great performances which meant we took the women's team prize.  Well done girls - proud to be Leamington C&AC!

The 10k set me up nicely to have a crack at the Rotary Shakespeare Marathon in Stratford-upon-Avon the following weekend.  Although I’d done the half-marathon option of this race several years ago this was the first time I’d done the full marathon, which is basically two laps of the half-marathon with an extra bit added onto the second lap to make up for not doing the loop through the town a second time.  I was really just using this race as part of my training as I knew I hadn’t been able to get enough work in post-injury for a fast time.  I thought if everything went really well I might have an outside chance of breaking 3 hours, but decided a more realistic target would be anything inside about 3hrs 10 minutes.  It was also my longest race since I’d won the bronze medal in the European 100km championships exactly two years before and I was just extremely happy, and thankful, that I was able to be there taking part at all after my injury nightmares.

Conditions were almost perfect as we lined up at the start in the centre of the town.  The race started with a loop round the town centre which had an amazing atmosphere with cheering crowds and flag-lined streets.  The race is organised to coincide with Shakespeare’s Birthday celebrations, this year was his 451^st, and there was plenty going on in the town which gave a great ambience.  Because of this fantastic support, and the fact we started with the half-marathon runners too, I found it quite hard to settle into my planned pace early on.  I was feeling really good and had to keep telling myself to slow down as correct pacing in the early stages of a long distance race is crucial, as I’ve found to my cost in the past.

After the first couple of miles round the town we then made our way out past Stratford Racecourse and into the countryside, through the villages of Luddington and Welford-on-Avon.  As we approached Welford at around the 7-mile point I started to feel slightly apprehensive – I’d asked my parents to help out as my support team, to hand me my personal drinks / gels at three of the drinks stations, the first one being at this point.  Although they’ve watched me race on many occasions they’d never actually handed me drinks and, whilst I had every confidence in them, there were thoughts going through my mind – had they managed to get there and find somewhere to park, would they spot me / would I spot them in the crowds, had they remembered to bring my drinks with them?!!!  I needn’t have worried as in the event it all went totally to plan – they were perfectly positioned at all three of the appointed drinks stations and handed me my bottles with no problems at all.  I knew they wouldn’t let me down but I guess in a race situation all sorts of doubts and ‘what ifs’ start to creep into your mind!  I can’t thank them enough for giving up their Sunday morning to help me out.  It also helped Les, my coach, too, as he was then able to be at the start and finish for me, as well as hand me my drink at the 12 mile drink station.  So a massive thank you to all my support team – I couldn’t have done it without you (especially as the race was only providing water and no energy drinks).

As I said earlier, I was really thankful just to be able to be running.  You never know what’s around the corner in life and I wanted to make sure that I not only did myself justice by performing to the best of my ability on the day, but that I also enjoyed the experience too.  I remember coming down the hill after Welford and taking time to enjoy the wonderful view over the rolling Warwickshire landscape towards the Cotswolds.  As we ran along the Greenway – an off-road section of the course along a disused railway line, now a footpath / cycleway – I remember listening to a skylark singing its heart out, as if cheering on the runners.  I took time to smile and thank some of the marshals and spectators who were cheering me on, especially on the second lap when the half-marathon runners had finished and people realised I was the leading female in the Marathon.  I even had a little laugh at the 12 mile point when a young child said to me “go on, not far to go now” when I hadn’t, in fact, even reached half way!

Despite a tight hamstring and calf muscle I still felt strong in the second half and was uplifted by the fact I was passing men all through the second lap, but no-one passed me!  The last few miles were tough, running into quite a stiff breeze along the Greenway for the second time.  My GPS was also measuring short and so I wasn’t quite sure what pace I was on – maths isn’t my strongest point at the best of times let alone trying to calculate mile splits and finishing times when my body was fighting just to keep going!  I passed Mum & Dad at the 23-mile drink station and they said I was still on for sub-3 hours, just!  So I tried to summon every ounce of energy and positive thought I could and push on as hard as possible.  The last part of the course had a lot of twists and turns and suddenly I felt my quads go as I ran onto the grass recreation ground with just a few hundred metres to go.  Someone shouted to me “2 hours 59” but I had no idea how much further it was to the finish!  I just kept pushing, then rounded the corner to see the finish line with the clock ticking down – I mustered everything I could find, desperate to break 3 hours, and just managed it with 2:59:46!

Apparently I’m only the third woman to break the 3 hour barrier in over 30 years of this race, and the only over-40 year old female to achieve it.  From a personal point of view I’ve kept up my record, having now run 15 marathons (not including ultras) and all of them sub-3 hours.  It seems fitting, somehow, that I should win the women’s Marathon in the town where my running career first started, 28 years ago, when I was a pupil at Stratford Girls Grammar School.

I’d just like to finish with a couple more acknowledgements in addition to my ‘support team’ around the course who I’ve already mentioned.  I’d like to say a big thank you to X-Bionic for their support and their brilliant Effektor compression socks which saw me to the finish with no sign of blisters whatsoever!  I’d also like to thank Mizuno for their support – their Wave Sayonara shoes are a dream to run in.

 



 

Winning ways - Shakespeare Marathon, Stratford-upon-Avon (above)

and Regency 10K, Leamington (below)

(I wonder if anyone told them their finish was upside down and back to front!!!)

 

 

BHF Warwick Half-Marathon 2015

Getting up at 6am on a Sunday in order to have breakfast in time for a 9am race is not exactly my idea of fun!  Especially when the race start is only 2.5 miles from your front door so there’s not even any travel time to factor in!  But I’m glad I made the effort as the British Heart Foundation Warwick Half-marathon is my most local road race, with the course passing within just a few hundred metres of my house.  I like the idea that the local people who give me so much support throughout the year can actually see me racing ‘in the flesh’.  It’s also lovely to race with so many of my club mates from Leamington C&AC.  So, after the usual deliberations of ‘how cold is it and what should I wear’ (you’d think I’d have got this sussed by now, after 28 years of racing!), Les and I drove into Warwick and parked in my office car park.  This felt rather weird on a Sunday morning, but I did have the thought that if we both walked home afterwards I would at least be guaranteed a parking space on Monday morning (always a bit of a lottery these days)!

As we gathered on the start line at Warwick racecourse the sun started to peep out from the clouds and I hoped it would stay, just enough to take the chill out of the air.  Sadly it didn’t, but at least temperatures weren’t too bad (not like two years ago when I last ran this race) and luckily the wind had also dropped.  The hooter sounded and we were away, carefully avoiding the speed humps in the first few hundred metres.  I found myself in the lead group and lying first female; however, this didn’t last long, as we turned right and up a short hill past my office I was overtaken by another lady, Jane Evans, who was going like a steam train!  I did manage to pull her back on the next downhill section, but she then pulled away again after about 2 miles and that was the last I saw of her! 

I’d been suffering from tight quads and really heavy legs in training for the last few days and, although they actually felt fine when I was warming up, they began to start complaining again around the 4 mile mark.  I dug deep and tried to remember some of my ‘positive phrases’ from the sports psychology sessions I had with Stuart Chambers at Athletic Mind Performance Coaching.  The advantage I had (or possibly disadvantage!) was that I know the route like the back of my hand as I train on those same roads week in, week out.  I still found it hard work though, and my recent lack of hill training post-injury was very apparent.  I know that to many of my trail running ultra-distance friends this course would be considered flat, but to me, in my current state of fitness, the rolling Warwickshire countryside felt positively mountainous!  The good thing about it being a local race, though, is the amount of support I had all round the course.  I think there must have been people shouting for me by name in every mile of the route, including my dad who managed to see me at both the 7-mile mark in Beausale and just before 12 miles in Hampton-on-the-Hill!  If any of you are reading this – thank you – it makes a massive difference and I really appreciate it.

Resisting the temptation to stop off at home for a quick cuppa at the 10-mile mark, I continued to keep pushing as hard as I could.  Whilst I knew Jane was long gone in front I always go into races to give my absolute best, and there were still plenty of men around to give me a good race!  The last mile was about the only downhill section of the course (or so it seemed!) and I actually felt quite strong.  I finished 2^nd lady (37^th overall, out of 1657 finishers) in a time of 84.21, which I was happy enough with.  Les (my coach) and I had set a target of running inside 85 minutes so I’m pleased I managed to achieve that, especially I wasn't thinking about split times at all during the race.  Les said afterwards that he had predicted, in his head, 84.21!!  I’ll believe you this time Les, but you’ll have to write your predictions down in future!  I’d like to say a huge well done to Jane – she absolutely flew round, setting a massive PB, and was looking in awesome shape.  A big well done and thank you must also go to the British Heart Foundation for putting on a superbly organised race, and to all the volunteers who helped at water stations etc.

Considering my current state of fitness as I return from injury, and the fact this was my longest race since last June, I’m happy with my performance today.  I still broke the old course record set last year (85.24) by just over a minute, and the pleasing thing in terms of seeing how my training is going is that my last mile was as quick as my first (both 6.09).  So, despite slowing on the hilly section in the middle, I still had the strength and endurance to finish well.  Today’s race has given me confidence that things are definitely moving forward in the right direction and I’m now looking forward to the next challenge.

 

Approaching the finish

A light at the end of the tunnel?

Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that 2014 finished on a pretty low point.  Well, I’m pleased to say that so far things seem to have started to pick up a little in 2015 – though I hope I’m not tempting fate by saying that!!!

Since my injury last summer I’ve gradually been stepping up my training over the last few months, and am currently up to around 50 miles a week.  I’ve recently started putting in one or two sessions too – 1km and mile reps on the road, as well as the occasional few miles ‘tempo’ within a run.  Now, at last, I feel like I’m beginning to train ‘properly’ again and, most importantly, I’m enjoying it.  I can sense some progress in my fitness and that is motivating me to want to work harder.  I must admit it was a bit of a struggle to get back into the routine of training again at first.  Much as I wanted to be back out there running again, there were also times when I questioned whether I would ever get back, and there was even a part of me that wasn’t sure whether I really wanted to.  But perseverance really does pay off and now I’m relishing the fact that I’m able to run again.  And besides, I've just been sent three brand new pairs of trainers from my kit sponsors, Mizuno, and I can't let them go to waste can I?!  I’m now also sufficiently motivated to start reintroducing all the little ‘extras’ back into my routine too – Pilates, core stability, stretching, physio exercises, and I’ve found another Sports Massage Therapist to take Les’ place until he’s able to resume his duties again!

And talking of Les - some more positive news is that it appears his initial diagnosis of bile duct cancer was wrong and, whilst he still has cancer, it has now been confirmed as lymphoma.  This has a much better prognosis and we both now feel a bit more optimistic.  It’s a funny old world that we should be relieved about a diagnosis of lymphoma!!  Of course there’s still a long way to go, with 6 months of chemotherapy ahead, but at least we feel there is now a light at the end of the tunnel, and something to aim for.

I’ve likened the next 6 months to an ultra race, only this time Les’ and my roles will be reversed!  There will be ups and downs, but I know from experience that by staying strong through the low points you can work through them and come out the other side to also experience times when you feel good.  And I will be there to help him, just as he’s always been there for me in training and racing.  I will be his 'support crew' and help him in whatever way I can, physically or emotionally.  We need to break the next few months down into stages and just concentrate on reaching the next 'mile marker'.  The difficult times are always made up for when you successfully reach the finish line. For me, even a massive blood blister on my foot, or a brutal 5km climb at the end of 100k, or trying to run up Polly Shortts with not an ounce of energy in my body, were all worth gritting my teeth for in the end.  We can do this together, Les.

I must admit there was a time after Les’ original diagnosis, last November, when I wondered whether we’d ever go to a race together again.  I didn’t know how long it would take me to get into any reasonable shape after my injury to line up on a start line without risking further damage.  And Les’ prognosis at that time was seemingly being measured only in months.  However, things started to look up for both of us and I’m pleased to report that we managed to go down to Eton for the Dorney Lake 10K just before he started chemo a couple of weeks ago.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Dorney Lake was the venue for the rowing events at the 2012 Olympics.  Whilst a cold and dismal Saturday afternoon in February was a far cry from the incredible atmosphere of the Games, it was, nevertheless, inspiring to run at a venue where Team GB had taken so many medals, and where the five Olympic rings still have pride of place above the starting pontoons.  As I jogged round on my warm up I kept thinking “Wow, all those famous people were here; all those amazing performances took place on that lake!!”

As for the race itself, well it actually went better than either Les or I were expecting.  Despite a strong, cold wind blowing across the exposed lake, my finishing time of 40:14 was the best part of two minutes quicker than we were hoping for.  And to top it all I finished 1^st lady too!  Whilst it was only a low key event it was a wonderful feeling to be back in a race situation again, made even more special by the fact Les was there to share it; with my win being the icing on the cake.  All credit to Les for getting me back into a state where I am able to race again.

So now I’m feeling re-motivated and raring to go - let’s just hope my body continues to hold out and that there are more races to come.

 

 

 

Annus horribilis

So, the start of a new year and I thought it was about time I posted another blog.  The New Year is often a time to look back and reflect on the year just gone, and also to look forward to the new one ahead.  Everyone has an ‘Annus horribilis’ from time to time and, unfortunately, I had one in 2014.

I started the year by having an MRI scan which revealed hamstring tendinopathy and a stress reaction in my pelvis.  This necessitated several weeks with no exercise apart from swimming with a pull buoy to avoid using my legs.  My planned 3-week warm-weather training camp in Portugal became a holiday, which was lovely, but not what I wanted.  And my plans for running in the UK 100k Champs. were completely scuppered.

Eventually I was able to resume running and even managed a few races through the spring and early summer, including winning my 30^th Warwickshire County road race medal.  Things were starting to look up, or so I thought, when I was selected for the GB&NI team for the World 100km Championships to be held in Doha in November.  My selection was conditional on ‘proving my fitness’ in a marathon scheduled for early September.  I was confident that this would go to plan and was really excited about the prospect of representing my country again.  Training picked up well and my mileage was building up nicely when, bang, I had a recurrence of the hamstring / stress reaction injury.  This was confirmed by another, costly, MRI scan.

This time my physio decided that even pull-buoy swimming should be avoided, and I had 10 weeks with absolutely NO exercise whatsoever, as anything that involved moving my legs would cause traction of the hamstring and therefore aggravate the injury.  I had no choice, therefore, but to withdraw from the team for the World Champs.  I was absolutely devastated and was at one of my lowest points ever.  Little did I know, however, that things were about to get even worse.

Just as I tentatively resumed ‘running’ again in October (first outing = 2 minutes very easy!) my coach, Les, was diagnosed with bile duct cancer.  This is, apparently, a very rare form of the disease and due to the position of the lump by his liver it is inoperable and therefore incurable.  The prognosis is not good and, as I’m sure you can imagine, the news came as a massive shock to both of us.  Not only has Les coached me for the whole of my 28-year athletic career, he is my best friend and soul mate, and we have become very, very close.  This news has turned our lives upside down – we had so many plans and dreams and hopes for the future but at the moment it is like our lives are on hold and we’re just living each day as it comes.  Les is still undergoing various tests and biopsies before the doctors decide on a course of treatment which will, hopefully, slow down the growth of the tumour and prolong his life for as long as possible.  Something like this really puts things into perspective, and the devastation I felt with my injury seems so insignificant and trivial now.

Les is such an amazing an inspirational person and we are a true partnership.  I don’t know a ‘running life’ without him; indeed I hardly remember my life at all without him as a part of it.  I undoubtedly wouldn’t have got to the level I have in my athletics career without him.  He is always there for me, both physically – writing training schedules, coming to races with me, massaging me two or three times a week, coming to my physio appointments with me, riding the bike on long runs and carrying my drinks, overseeing my sessions with stop-watch in hand – as well as emotionally.  He’s always there to pick me up when I’m down and to offer me positive thoughts when I’m beating myself up about something.  He’s also quick to praise when things go well, and gets as excited as I do about our successes!  One of the best things about my running, for me, is that I’ve had Les to share it all with – travelling all over the world for races (and having a few days holiday attached), celebrating the highs with him and having him there in the low points too.  It’s made it all even more special because we’ve shared it.  It just won’t feel right in the future not having him there as a part of it.  And it’s not just my running life we share – we deal with the highs and lows of everyday life together, he is the one person I can talk to about absolutely anything, and we have so many other common interests too – travel, photography, birdwatching, walking in the hills, and eating cake to name just a few.

We are both immensely grateful for the fantastic times we have been lucky enough to share – holidays to Nepal, Egypt, India and Tanzania; numerous warm-weather training trips to Portugal; races (& holidays) in Canada, Marrakech, Beirut, South Africa and all over Europe; walking in Snowdonia and the Lake District; weekends away all over the UK for races, or just chilling out; invitations to awards ceremonies and events celebrating my (our) running achievements and much, much more.  We have been given so many opportunities, and had so much enjoyment and we will both treasure those memories for ever.

Les always seems to be positive and strong, even though inside I know he is scared and filled with disbelief and anger.  He always maintains his sense of humour, even now in what must be a horrendous time for him.  I just wish I could be as strong and positive as him.  He is a truly special person and I hope I can be there for him now, as he has always been there for me in the past.

Not everything in 2014 was bad – the birth of my second niece and some happy family occasions were highlights, as well as a new kitchen and lots of fun times with Les.  But my overriding feeling is that of devastation and disbelief.  If I’m honest, I’m struggling to come to terms with it all and I cannot even begin to imagine a future without Les.  In terms of my running, I’m currently up to about an hour’s easy running but haven’t done any quicker stuff or sessions yet.  Following my two stress reactions last year my physio suggested I should have a bone density scan, and this has revealed osteopenia in my spine.  We’re now looking at addressing this, in order to minimise any further bone-related injuries.

2015 is filled with so much uncertainty but I just hope that Les and I are able to make the most of the time that we do have together.

 

Vital Statistics!

So what does a girl do during 10 weeks of injury-enforced rest from running?  Well, normally I’d say cross-train like crazy – aquajog, swim, bike, gym etc. – but this time I was told I needed to avoid any traction at all in my hamstring, so basically it was total rest!

So, one of the things I’ve done to fill my time is to compile spreadsheets of all my race results (& field events too!), going back to 1985 when I first started running 800m and 1500m in area and County schools events (I then joined Leamington C&AC in 1986).  Sadly, I don’t have any records from before this time, although I did compete for my Primary school in area schools events, in sprints and long jump!

I guess many of you will think I’m rather sad and need to ‘get a life’, but for those who are interested in my vital statistics, here are just a few.

 

• Total number of races competed in (all surfaces):  648
• That breaks down into:  257 track; 129 cross-country; 9 indoors; 8 multi-terrain; 245 road.
• Track races include all distances from 100m to 10,000m, including road relay legs and both hurdles events (but I've never done the steeplechase).
• Road races include all distances from 3km to 100km, including road relays legs.
• Of those 648 races, I’ve won 209 (32.25%) and finished in a podium position in 393 (60.65%).
•  I’ve competed abroad (outside the UK) 21 times in 11 different countries.
• Of those 21 races I’ve been on the podium 11 times (9 individual and 2 team).
• The country I’ve raced in most (outside of the UK) is Holland (7 times).
•  I’ve represented Great Britain & Northern Ireland 4 times (all road); England 6 times (road & X/C); Midland Counties AA 18 times (road, track & X/C); and Warwickshire AA 18 times (road, track& X/C).
• The road race I’ve competed in the most times is the Banbury 5 mile (10 times; winning it 6 times), followed by the Leeds Abbey Dash 10K (8 times).
• International championship medals won:  4 (all road, incl. 1 team one), split into 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze.
• National championship medals won:  3 (track & X/C, incl. 1 team one), split into 1 silver, 2 bronze.
• Midland Counties AA championships medals won:  5 road; 9 track; 4 X/C (incl. 1 team one); a total of 18 medals split into 8 gold, 2 silver, 8 bronze.
•  Warwickshire AA championships medals won:  30 road; 15 track; 24 X/C (incl. team); a total of 69 medals split into 46 gold, 14 silver and 9 bronze.
• Records held: W35 World Best 50km; English National Record and UK best 50km; W40 UK best 100km; UK W35 20 mile best.
• Number of course records set (road races):  32
• Number of field event competitions competed in:  43 (every event except pole vault and triple jump).

I could go on, for example a breakdown of how many races I’ve done at each distance, or how many races I’ve done each year, but I won’t bore you any more than I already have!  Hopefully I'll soon be back running again, and able to actually run races rather than count them!

I’m off now to go and get a life!!!

“… … in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream."

It’s with a heavy heart that I write this blog as my excitement about representing my country in November’s World 100K Championship in Doha has suddenly been shattered.  I’m devastated that the injury I had last winter (hamstring tendinopathy and a stress reaction in my pelvis) has returned – confirmed by another costly MRI scan.  Even more worrying is the fact that the inflammation seems to be worse this time, and is on both sides too.

Prior to this training had been going really well and I’d done a couple of 40km + runs and was looking forward to increasing these over the coming weeks.  I was also looking forward to running in the British Masters Marathon Championships, but sadly that wasn’t to be either.

Following the MRI scan I had a long consultation with my physio, Mark Buckingham, to assess the extent of the injury and come up with a rehab plan.  He said that if I tried to train for, and race, 100K I risked doing much more damage and ending up with a full blown stress fracture.  His expert professional opinion was that it was more a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ that would happen.  Basically, I had no option but to withdraw from the team – a heart-breaking decision but I respect my physio’s advice and really had no choice.

Added to the disappointment and frustration is the realisation of just how bad the injury seems to be.  Mark’s advice of TOTAL rest for at least 2 or 3 weeks really brought this home, especially when he added “in an ideal world – bed rest” – though he did concede that probably wasn’t practical!  This was also reinforced when he said that if I’d got the same injury in my foot I’d be in a boot and on crutches now!  The only reason I’m not is that it would still be difficult to immobilise the hamstring / pelvis even with crutches, as the problem is due to hamstring traction rather than impact – i.e. just lifting my leg will aggravate it.  So, no exercise at all for me at the moment, and minimal walking about but plenty of sitting and lying down!  So can anyone recommend any good books or films?!!

The next step is to try and identify why the problem has returned, and why it’s on both sides this time.  One of the things we’ll look at is whether my running gait has changed at all.  Mark also had a good look at my training diary to see how I’d built my running back up after the last episode in case we might have tried to do too much too soon, but he couldn’t find any fault with it.  One of the worst things about injuries is not knowing the cause and therefore not knowing what to do to prevent a recurrence.

I know I should be positive; I know there are plenty of people in the world who are much worse off than I am; I know I should count my blessings and be thankful for what I have, and I am trying – honestly!  It’s just that it’s so hard sometimes!  Everything had been geared to this race since coming back from the injury last winter, and my ambition to run in Doha was made even stronger by the fact that last year’s Championship was cancelled and the year before I also had to withdraw from the team due to injury.  Although I won a bronze medal in last year’s European 100K Championships I haven’t had the chance to test myself on the World stage since my first attempt in 2011.  When you want something so desperately, and work so hard for it, then it’s suddenly taken away from you – it can be hard to come to terms with.  I guess emotionally it will become easier over time, though I’m not sure the disappointment will ever heal completely.  I just hope that I heal physically and can get back to the sport I love.

So, in the words of Martin Luther King Jr. “… … in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream."