Turkeys and Treadmills

When I first started thinking about my training for the Brighton Marathon, I made a small pact with myself: Give up the treadmill, pull on the (new!) running jacket and get my feet pounding the pavements, trails and whatever else could feasibly be trodden on in the great outdoors. The reason behind this was simple. Almost every article I had read and every 'real' runner that I had spoken to on the 'treadmill vs trail' subject seemed to be telling me one single truth - that treadmills are easy and make you bored, and the outdoors makes you stronger, happier and less prone to injuries. Nothing to argue with there then! And so I dutifully packed away my gym kit, plotted out a route using the google maps feature on the Womens Running website (something I found really useful and quick to use) and headed out the door. 

Now I will admit, I was not an immediate convert to outdoor running - yes I had jogged around the block and, on nice summers evenings, taken my trainers 'off-road' and over the south downs... but I had only run along the flat bits. Which, where I live, basically amounts to 'not very far' - go more than half a mile outside my front door in any direction and you will hit hills. Lots and lots of hills. So, my first 'proper' outside run, marked on my training schedule as an 'easy 4 miles' ended in me collapsed by my front door struggling to get the energy to lift the key out of my pocket - now that doesn't happen on the treadmill! There was, however, a strange satisfaction in having braved the elements, pushed my body further than I have pushed for a long, long time (if ever) and, in a manner of speaking, surviving - and within 2 weeks I was hooked. Yes it was harder - much, much harder - but I have to admit that the bit about making you happier - it works! Maybe not at the exact moment I am ankle deep in mud or being beeped at by random cars as I sprint (haha) down the road... but there is definitely something about pulling on my trainers, stepping outside and heading off to explore the next bit of countryside that helps to melt away the stresses of everyday life. And yes, I do think it has made me fitter a lot quicker than treadmills - although that may be the gradient that I am now  running on as I was never that good at putting the treadmill on more than a 1% incline!

So for the first few weeks of my training plan, I stuck to this new found love of the outdoors, religiously heading out rain or shine (and, it being the typical UK winter, it was usually rain!). Somehow, however, over christmas my resolve seems to have slipped. I had planned my running carefully around the usual family celebrations - choosing christmas day as my rest day to allow me to spend maximum time eating turkey and mince pies, and running any food-related guilt off with a 5 mile hill run on boxing day. Come boxing day, as I lay resting on the sofa after yet another helping of cold turkey and christmas pudding, watching the rain trickling down the window pane and the trees being battered by the wind, images of the warm, cosy, well-lit gym floated into my mind. And stayed there. Try as I might, I just could not talk myself out of the treadmill option.. so out came the (rather dusty) gym bag and off I went. 5 miles, on a gradient that varied from 1.5 - 6.5%, and with the helpful distraction of Film4. At least, I consoled the small part of me that felt ashamed to be back on the rubber belt, I would get a faster time - treadmills being easier than having to actually use your own energy to propel yourself forwards over the uneven terrain outside. But no, somehow, despite feeling like I was running harder than I ever had before - and definitely sweating a LOT more than I had for a very long time, I was dismayed to find that I ran each mile about a minute slower than I do outside. How is that possible? When the treadmill is doing half the work for you?! Serious question for anyone who wants to tell me the answer...

So now, next time the bright lights of the gym start to tempt me back inside, instead of thinking of all the fitness, health and emotional benefits of running outdoors, I will need only one thing to motivate my arse to get outside: If I go to the gym, I will have to run for longer... for no additional benefit and a lot more boredom! Thats me sold... from now on, my gym is reserved for cross training only - and to celebrate, I am off shopping tomorrow for some brand new trail shoes :-) 

The start of the journey..

I have been an on-off 'runner' (and I use that term loosely for now..) for the past 2 years, and in that time I have had just 2 running goals: run a 10K in under 50 minutes - something I am now happy to say that I have done, with a current PB of 47.52, and run a full marathon.

Well, the first goal I have to admit, I met without too much difficulty. Having downloaded a training plan from Runners World, and for once actually sticking to at least 60% of it (a first for me - consistency is not my thing!), I not only broke the 50 minute barrier but also managed to be 2nd female and win a small, ego-boosting trophy! Full of confidence, alongside a good couple of glasses of wine that night, I finally made the leap and signed up for the next step - the full 26.2 miles. Living in Sussex, I went for the obvious (and highly rated) choice of the Brighton Marathon, held in April 2013. Back in August, this seemed a very long way away and so I have happily spent the last 4 months doing not much more than the occasional jog around the block and the not-so-occasional consumption of large amounts of chocolate, wine and cocktails. So, fast-forward to December and I am ('a-hem'...) 'well rested' :-D, armed with a brand new copy of Paula Radcliffes How to Run, a wardrobe full of reflective gear and a gym membership - ready for the training to begin! So far, I am proud to say that I have completed nearly 4 weeks of my marathon schedule - and those 4 weeks have taught me a lot! So, for my first blog, I thought I would share some of the things that, as both a female and as a runner, I wish I had worked out a little sooner:

1. Chocolate does not make you run faster - Yes, I probably should have been able to work this one out without testing the theory, but when offered a huge slab of chocolate cake just before I was about to head out for a run, I (quite easily) managed to convince myself it was a good idea to say yes. I mean, chocolate is high in sugar... sugar makes energy.. muscles need energy to run.. right?? Wrong. Very, very wrong. Seriously don't suggest anyone else tries this...! Leave at least 2 hours between eating fatty foods and running - or just don't eat them until AFTER the run is over (when your metabolism is super-high and the calories won't count anyway..!?).

2. Not all sports bra's are made equal - OK, I am not a complete newcomer to either sport or running, I did know a sports bra was an essential piece of kit before I started. What I didn't realise was that running requires an ultra-high level of anti-bounce support - whatever size you are! I am not overly well-endowed in the chest area (32C), however my newly found obsession with reading everything and anything running related has led me to an alarming number of articles on the not-so-positive effects running could be having on my breasts, meaning that for each of my runs I was acutely aware of just how much they were bouncing around inside the rather old sports bra I have had since forever. Seeing as running whilst physically holding them in place proved a little tricky, I am on the hunt for the best running bra there is - watch this space for reviews while I try them all out!

3. Remove makeup before running - Because if you don't, the sweat will do it for you - and trust me, having mascara melting down your face is not a good look at the gym! Plus sweating with foundation on just doesn't feel nice! saying that, I am a little tempted to try waterproof mascara and tinted moisturiser on the days that I don't feel like a natural beauty!

4. If you haven't planned a circular route for your run, remember to turn around when you get halfway - As the satisfaction of doing a great 30 minute tempo run rapidly fades when you realise you spent the whole time running in the opposite direction to your house.

5. Running is not good for your skin - Yes, many beauty articles claim a good run will boost your circulation and give your skin the much talked about 'healthy glow'. My skin, however, does not seem to realise this. Following a run my skin will take on the colour of a rather bright beetroot. And then stay like that for the rest of the evening... beautiful! Regular exposure to wind, rain, sweat and, on my treadmill running days, air-conditioning, also does not seem to agree with my skin and I highly recommend investing in a range of decent skin care products for some pre- and post-run pampering! 

So, thats my top 5 tips for now - anyone who has any others to add please do - and thank you for reading my first post!