I get asked this questions a lot. I have clients who turn up to hill sessions or a hard HIIT session who haven’t had breakfast and it shows after the first 30 mins. Their ability to keep up the intensity starts to wane and their motivation drops off. This is because they have used up the reserves of carbohydrates in their bodies and are working on empty. It might seem like a good weight loss idea to not have breakfast but it doesn’t work.

So the rule is, you must fuel before a harder run or training session. The only time you can train fasted is if your session is of a low intensity; and even then only do this once or twice a week.

What are some good breakfast go-tos?

Oats: we generally think of eating these heated up as porridge but cold oats with yoghurt and milk with a smattering of fruit and sprinkle of seeds is lovely and quick to prepare. When buying oats, opt for the ‘whole rolled’ variety. I personally try to keep away from the more processed ones as they won’t keep you as full for as long.

Eggs are a great option. Scrambled with smoked salmon or poached with avocado on a slice of sourdough or on a multi grain baked loaf… hmmm don’t get me started.

Freshly made smoothies are also a winner. Here’s a tip: add in a raw egg to your smoothie to get a protein boost. You won’t taste it I promise!

These ideas are great for those who rise early and those who don’t have a busy ‘go go go’ morning schedule of getting hordes of unwilling children dressed and out of the door to school.

So if you are time poor, but know you are heading to Monday circuits or Tuesday speed session, grab something that has a more quick releasing fuel source like fruit. Again a smoothie full of bananas and berries, add some oats and that trusty egg will set you up well. Or you could grab a piece of multigrain toast with peanut butter or even a flapjack. Another thought is to increase your carbohydrate portion the night before so that your stores are high and the 9th rep of Ralph Allen doesn’t leave you dragging your knuckles along the ground in a depleted state.

The first day was ‘only’ 23 miles. The scenery was lovely and we were running on chalk and flint tracks with a few hills thrown in for good measure. The ground was so hard there was no need for my trail shoes. The kilometres ticked by. After my first text to Kerry with timing etc I received the reply – “are you comfortable with that pace?” which I read to mean ‘you are going too fast’ so it was duly noted. Other runners were very friendly and it was no problem running without a friend. After 4 hrs 39 minutes I arrived at the campsite. We were all allocated a tent and a self inflating roll mat and I quickly found my kit which had been delivered. The food at all the pit stops had been good and the camp was no different. There was lots of hot food and cold drinks and a bar. My first stop was the shower and the free sports massage. I then spent the rest of the evening sitting chatting to other runners.

Morning came round quickly and as the weather was so hot the organisers allowed us to leave earlier than planned. So I was off after porridge at 5.41. I ran by myself for about 40 mins and then I met John who was to be my running partner for the rest of the day. We were both the same age and neither of us had actually run further than the 17 miles back to back sessions in the training programme. So we were very pleased when we hit 42.2km that day to be able to say we could now be described as marathon runners and we just had to keep on going for a bit longer and then we could be re-named ultra marathon runners (albeit not very fast ones in either category.) Kerry sent motivational messages throughout the day, which were great to receive, and which kept us both going. Winchester Cathedral (the finish) was quite visible from a far distance but it did seem to keep moving and was an elusive target for quite a considerable amount of time

I arrived at Winchester Cathedral in 11:12:32. I was quite tired but relieved to have completed the Race to The King.

Looking back was it fun and did I enjoy it? – yes I did. I even enjoyed the training but maybe not all the hills, Kerry! What did I learn?

• The training plan works but can be jiggled around to fit your schedule even if that means you have to do two 17milers after two full days of work.
• The back to back runs are vital as it is harder to start the second day rather than the first
• Soft bottles are quicker to fill than bladders
• Plan your food so you don’t ever get to the stage where you are hungry as that’s when I believe doubts begin to creep in to your mind.
• Practice wearing the exact kit you are wearing for the race even if you feel over-dressed running through Bath in a race vest

In fact I enjoyed it so much, that I am planning to do the Imber 30 in March and am waiting for next year’s RTTK registration to open but this time it’s for 53 miles straight through! (I hope……)

Karen Stack

Roll forward to New Year’s Eve 2017 and me and my good friend Jackie (a much more accomplished runner than me) drunkenly discussed the Race to the Stones, the 100km ultra along the Ridgeway from Oxfordshire to Avebury. Next thing I knew, we had signed up…and also persuaded another running buddy Susan to join us. 100km over 2 days with a night’s camping in between, what’s not to like? And July was a long way off at that stage anyway.

The training programme appeared in February…this started another journey for me as coincidentally Kerry had written the programme so our paths crossed in April when I joined the Tuesday morning running group in addition to some fortnightly PT sessions.

The training seemed easy to start with but the miles soon stacked up…I really was always running! Fitting in around work and childcare and if I wasn’t running, I was thinking about my next run. Planning the routes was fun but sometimes the normal out, round and back route was fine. Sometimes with friends, sometimes on my own.

It all was fairly relentless though, from February to July, peaking at around 70km per week with the final ‘big push’ being two 30km back to back runs. But it was fun, I enjoyed it. I had my ultra hydration vest, my electrolytes, my protein powders and my large supply of Compeed. I did stick quite religiously to Kerry’s programme but realised I needn’t beat myself up if I missed a session along the way. I did bomb out one weekend when I just needed to rest, but hey, missing two 20km runs wasn’t going to make me fail. And in the week before the event, I felt ready, seemingly fully prepared and very excited.

It’s difficult preparing for something that you’ve never done before as you have very little to go on. Of course you can get advice from people who have done the same or similar things, but it’s just not the same. So a certain amount of blissful ignorance and winging it will inevitably be involved.

The summer was one of, if not THE hottest on record so it was no surprise that it was forecast to be around 30 degrees on the race weekend.

They say that you should never do anything different on race day to what you’ve been doing in training…that’s all very well except when you are about to run further than you have ever run in your whole life! I’d only ever done 30km twice before so after that was the complete unknown. The problem with 30km is that it’s still another 20km to go until the finish…it’s actually quite a daunting thought.

The start was in a farm field somewhere off the M40. It all seemed such fun and there was a slightly nervous excitement about the place. Bags dropped off, last loo visit done, shoe laces double knotted…8am and we’re off! It was so easy for the first few kilometres, just like our normal Saturday park run really. First pit stop after around 10km, all very pleasant, what’s the big deal? Running through woodland, lots of shade but from the 30km pit stop, we rose up onto the chalk Ridgeway and carried on for another 20km in the blistering sun, temperatures peaking around 30 degrees. The path was rutted, narrow, reflectively white, dusty and simply never ending!

We finished day 1 around 3pm after 7 hours on the go and we were so glad to see the base camp. Again, everything was so well organised, our tents were ready, we had a sports massage, cup of tea, cake, pasta, had my blisters attended to, did a yoga session, dinner, shower, small beer and bed by 9pm. But sore, sore legs and sore feet…with the prospect of doing exactly the same tomorrow.
Awake at 4.30am, ready for a 5.30am start, slightly delayed by Susan dropping her phone down the loo…

So finally off on day 2 by 6am, another beautiful day in store with sky high temperatures. 50km now seemed like a very long way. I hit a very low point at 76km, it all got a bit much. I sat down on a rutted track for a bit, taped my feet and had a cry. It was all so daunting at that point as I realised I had as far to go as we’d already been that day and I was seriously hurting!

But after a quick chat to myself (and a spookily very timely ‘you can do it’ message from Kerry!), I managed to regroup and was chivvied along by two other fellow runners who just appeared alongside me…It really did encapsulate the totally friendly atmosphere of the whole event.

How I finished I’m not sure but we did, so relieved…day 2 took just over 8 hours. Did it feel like a huge sense of achievement? Not really but it did slowly sink in over the next week or so.

I spent the hour long drive home with my feet in a bag of ice, and then needed to be helped from the car to the house as I had completely seized up!

The results were posted by the evening and I was very proud to have finished well up the field (52^nd out of 365 female finishers) and particularly well for my age group (24^th out of 143 finishers in the V40 female category). Not too shabby considering that I am right at the upper limit of the V40 category!

Overall, the Race to the Stones event was a brilliant ultra for a first timer – it was so well organised that apart from physically carrying us along the route, they couldn’t have done more for us. A total recommendation for anyone wanting to attempt a ‘cosseted’ ultra!

Things I have learnt during this ‘adventure’
Breaking up a long distance into shorter sections is absolutely essential. You can’t contemplate 50km in one go, it’s just too far when you are at KM1 (or even KM35!). Fortunately, there were pit stops roughly every 10km which helped, though some were 8km apart (hurrah!) but others were up to 12km apart (psychologically damaging!).
You can never do too much training, but don’t overtrain!
It will be a bit different to how you imagine, don’t overthink it.
It is a physical challenge, but don’t underestimate the mental challenge (but see the point above!)
You will most likely lose toenails. I now only have 3 left…
Marmite sandwiches and flat coke with a bit of salt in will become obsessions.
It is brutal.

Finally…
This whole experience for me was a bit like childbirth…the pain at the time was excruciating and immediately afterwards I vowed never ever to do it again. But after a week or so, the pain memory subsides and now I’m at the ‘ok so it wasn’t really so bad and this is what I’d do differently next time’ stage! Watch this space…

Kinlochleven is a small, sleepy village but had evidently embraced the mass of runners and supporters who would descend over the next few days.

I must confess to feeling a little overwhelmed when I arrived for registration. Groups of sponsored athletes – teams of men and women sporting their countries kit – walked the streets looking super-lean and not one over 5’5”! They were highly skilled fell and mountain runners. After all, it was the Skyrunning World Championships and the best had come out to play. In the 90-strong female field of my race, the Ben Nevis Ultra, only 18 of us were Brits.

After registration, we headed to our lovely B&B to get sorted and for an early night. Tomorrow was going to be our second 5 am start in as many days and a good night was called for.

We rose with the alarm and after inhaling porridge and a croissant we headed out into the dark towards the start. But we arrived to an alarmingly quiet start pen. We wandered around aimlessly for a while before someone confirmed the start had been pushed back to 10am, and the adapted “severe weather route” was to be used instead. This meant we would be running a more lowland version of the race.

The risks associated with traversing the high arrest and exposed ridges, along which a number of people have already died this year, was just too risky.

The lowland route comprised 2,000m of climb over 47km but that was quite a change from the 4,000m planned. This would favour speedier marathoners as opposed to the hilly experts, a disappointing change for the more technical mountain goats amongst the field and I wondered how this would affect the overall rankings.

We returned to the start line for 09:30 and I set about my warm up. The atmosphere was tense as runners fidgeted with their Garmin’s, readjusted rucksacks and bantered with the person next to them. The haunting sound of a piper cut through the drizzly, chilly air before a countdown and claxon sent us on our way. 300 of us funnelled out into the street to begin our journey.

We immediately hit the hills as we snaked our way up to the first peak in single file. It was a lovely climb, though to take your eyes off the trail for even a millisecond was a potentially ruinous move. It wasn’t particularly technical, but it was very uneven. Our warm, dry feet felt the freezing temperatures of the mountain rivers all too soon – this was the first of numerous river crossings we would navigate through the run.

One reaching the summit we headed onto a crazy downhill section. It was next to impossible to run, though we did our best. It was steep and very uneven, with large rocks hidden under clumps of earth and grass. It was muddy and wet, oh so wet. No such thing as ‘sure-footing’ here. Rolling, sliding, skidding, grabbing clumps of grass, we hooted and hollered down from the peak. It was fun and pretty crazy, much more of an adventure than your classic off-road marathon! I loved it!

Once we had negotiated this hazardous descent, we were greeted with an equally challenging section which sapped more of your reserves. Whilst this part was flat, we were running on extremely soggy peaty ground. Each foot sank over the ankle into brown, muddy, cold water. You were unsure with each foot placement how far you’d sink. It was humorous watching runners fall like flies, competitors ahead suddenly hitting the deck as their foot sunk so deep they were left hauling themselves out of the bog. This was tiring both mentally because you had to concentrate so hard and physically because you had to lift your legs so high. Still, this suited me and was my kinda running.

We carried on with the worst mostly behind us. The ups and the downs continued but less extreme now, though one technical section claimed a lot of weary runners. The path was peppered with people curled up in emergency blankets awaiting assistance having rolled ankles etc.

Once we hit the Ben Nevis valley things got easier and we ran along well marked trails. The first and only aid station was at the Ben Nevis centre and was stocked with water and food. I had decided to rely on Tailwind (liquid nutrition) to fuel me and supplement with occasional food, like chocolate bars and sweets. This was a departure for me as I mostly use solid food as fuel. But I find eating solid food so hard whilst running. I seem to loose the urge to eat and my saliva dries up so chewing and swallowing are so much harder. The only possible issue with this strategy was that to make my liquid food I needed to refill my bottles regularly. Due to the remoteness of these trails there were no aid stations until this main one at half way. It meant I had to rely on steams and waterfalls to top up. I loved this – it added to the sense that of adventure.

The second half of the race we hit the West highland Way, a well-made, undulating trail leading us back to Kinlochleven. I have to say this terrain doesn’t play to my strengths. I don’t enjoy undulating paths, preferring instead the varied, technical routes. But I got my head down and knocked it out. My trusty Garmin wasn’t so trusty on this run and chose to mess with my mind on this event. Though I whole heartedly accept it was user error. It was clocking up the miles at a speedier rate than I was actually running and, not realising the fault, I met James believing I only had 12km to go…only to be told I had over 24 left! So having thought I was shifting at a decent pace the opposite was in fact true.

I finished much further down the field than I’d have liked, but it didn’t matter. For me, this race was about immersing myself in the new world of Skyrunning and enjoying the challenge of the climbs.

It was about not going into a dark place mentally, but rather enjoying the sense of freedom the sport I love provides. It was about enjoying the beautiful surroundings I do it in.

All those boxes were definitely ticked on this day. I loved it and only wished we could have tackled the original course as it would have been incredibly challenging on many levels. However, from every negative a positive and that means I have a very good reason to return again next year!

These are a great high carb ‘go to’ for a quick boost before a run.  But more than this they are a great source of magnesium, vitamin B6 and potassium. What do these minerals and vitamins do? Runners put a lot of pressure on their joints and bones and magnesium plays a key role in maintaining a healthy skeletal system.  Potassium, like sodium, is lost though sweating and can lead to muscle cramps.  Vitamin B6 is involved in energy metabolism, the synthesis of haemoglobin, transport of oxygen to the cells and the synthesis of white blood cells.

Oats

As I have mentioned before, oats are the perfect breakfast. They provide plenty of carbs and fibre.  The unrefined variety have a low glycaemic index which means they provide energy a consistent, steady stream of energy unlike sugar-laden cereals.

Peanut butter

It’s a good source of Vitamin E, which is one of the most effective antioxidant vitamins. It is true that peanuts contain a lot of fat (and is thus not low calorie), but its good fats – predominantly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These can help lower cholesterol levels in your blood, but it doesn’t stop there: they are important for strengthening your immune system, speeding up your post-run recovery and preventing injuries. Bingo! And there’s more: peanut butter also contains protein and thus helps your muscles grow.

Broccoli

These little ‘trees’ as we call them at home are full of vitamin C. According to studies, this can help reduce the risk of sore muscles after intense workouts. Broccoli is also a good source of calcium, folic acid and vitamin K, which strengthen our bones.

Dark chocolate

Yup it’s ok to indulge! Dark chocolate (with at least 70% cacao) can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Plus, the flavanols help reduce inflammation.

Coffee

Studies have shown that a cup of coffee can give your work out a boost. The caffeine helps you run faster and cover your training distance in less time (it should be drunk black and with no sugar to get maximum gain). Many people still think that coffee dehydrates your body, but this has now been found to not be true.

Potato

Potatoes like bananas are a valuable source of potassium, making them a staple of every runner’s diet. One sweet potato can cover your total daily requirement of vitamin A. This vitamin works as an antioxidant, improves your eyesight, strengthens your bone tissue and boosts your immune system.

Here are my thoughts on how to cope with disappointment:

Allow yourself to feel the myriad of emotions that curse through your mind. It might be a bit of a roller coaster but sit with it, allow this to happen in the knowledge that this will pass. It’s part of the processing. As these, sometimes initial irrational thoughts knock you about, you will start to settle on the ones that feel right.

Talk about it. You may need to do this at length and feel the need to go over and over the same points, go with it. This is a method of healing. It is however, in my experience, best not to make any decisions at this point. You are too fragile to make the most balanced of choices. Wait till the next phase before you do that.

After the initial period of naval gazing the fun can start. This is when growth can happen. It’s now that you can look at what you will do differently and where the gaps were in your preparation. You will start to also look up, see the bigger picture and look to what lies beyond.

Write down the things that you believe lead up to your withdrawal. Along side that list write the changes you can make next time to support success. Have another look at your motivators. Have these changed in light of your experience, or have they been made sharper? Do you need to be more honest about your ability, time constraints, or other limiting factors? If so, allow these to influence your next challenge choice so that you are better able to succeed next time.

Bear in mind that this one moment doesn’t define you. This is one step in a long journey. The mark of a person is shown not by one step but by the countless steps they take along the way. It’s the summation of their life that makes them who they are.  So whilst we are all allowed to initially harbour negative thoughts and be hard on ourselves and possibly others (if we were in a team situation). Great is the person that looks defeat in the eye, appreciates it for what it is, acknowledges it and uses it to return stronger and more determined.

Remember:
“The road to athletic greatness perfection is not marked by perfection but the ability to constantly overcome imperfection and disappointment.”

5 runners
3 mountains
500 miles

Our plan: 5 of us would run up and down each mountain together and then run the 500 miles between them in relay.

Planning for this challenge was not plain sailing. We hit a snag early on with two of our runners having to pull out due to injury. It was a tough decision for them, but when the body won’t respond there is little you are left to do but accept it’s not your time.  After some searching we were fortunate to find another couple of runners who would not only be strong enough to meet the challenge but who also would fit really well in with the team. Bearing in mind we were all going to be holed up in a small mini van for the entirety of the challenge, some 65 plus hours, it was important that we could gel as a team.

Once they were on board we were able to start to really put things into place and move forward. Sadly, we were then rocked by another quite significant possible derailment when two of our support crew pulled out with 3 weeks to go.  We quickly set about cajoling, incentivising and bribing friends in order to find replacements. The supporting role comes with little glory but it is a vital role and it’s not easy to find the right people.   However, thankfully the Gods looked favourably on us and we found two lovely people who were willing to give up their time to support us in our endeavour.  We were back on track. We paid deposits, booked accommodation, bought flights, and worked hard to get all the details in place.

The day for us to head up to Glasgow loomed and I found my nerves at the enormity of what we were going to try to do turned to excitement. I was really buzzing about doing a challenge, something exciting and physically demanding and very much an unknown.

The runners and crew from the West side of the country flew up to Glasgow and those from the East drove in the van. The journey took them a lot longer than expected, so we spent the day in Glasgow sampling just about every coffee shop in a 2-mile radius! We had a good laugh and bonded well as we idled away the hours. Once the minibus did arrive we pushed on up north to Fort William. Growling stomachs made us stop for dinner at a wonderful pub on the shores of Loch Lomond. This place was quirky to say the least, but they served a large hearty meal which was welcomed by all, the last good feed for a while!

We bedded down that night in a bunk house, after our early start of 4.30am we were keen to hit the sack. I slept like a baby and was a little reluctant to get up when the shrill alarm awoke me from my happy place! Challenge day had dawned and over a full Scottish breakfast we went over final preparations and ironed out last minute queries. We were set….

As part of this challenge we had decided we would all summit each of the mountains together. We were very aware that this would take its toll on us, no more so than on those runners among us who didn’t have much chance to train and prepare on hills due to the flat nature of their surroundings at home! Ben Nevis is a hulking lump of rock, the path up there well trodden and easy to follow. We were not taking it on lightly as we had been warmed the top was snow covered and the winds hammering the peak at 60miles and hour. We each had packs carrying water, full waterproofs, emergency bags, first aid etc two thirds of the way up we came across the first of the snow, it was surprisingly slippery. Hitting the snow covered peak was truly beautiful, it had a blue/green hue to it, the vista from up there quite gorgeous. Not that we could linger. Time was ticking and it was perishing, my fingers, covered by two pairs of gloves, began to go numb! The wind was indeed blowing fiercely but every now and again a gust would hammer you from the side and quite literally knock you off your feet. Not the time to be standing anywhere near an edge! We paused momentarily for a team photo to prove to Guinness we had indeed made it all the way to the top and then headed down with sleet hammering our faces.

Taking care not to slip we ran down and hit the car park in 3. 10 hrs.  The first runner headed straight off on the first of many of his individual legs. We decided the optimum time to run each leg would be 60 mins. Most of the route was along paved road, but these first three legs were going to have to be off road. These sections on the West Highland Way would be broken into sections dependant on where the van could pick the runner up from. This meant they varied from 75 to 90 min in length.  I was on one of these first sections and ran along the beautiful WHW. I was faced with another section of ‘up’ as I scaled half the height of Ben Nevis once more. The weather was again challenging in that I was met with snow, winds, sleet and a very boggy tack. The descent was down the well known Devils staircase. I was met on the road by the waiting crew. It was a fun section to run, remote and wild, but bitterly cold and wet and took it’s toll on my legs. I was aware I’d have to eat and rest well before my next run.

The way we organised the van was such that each of us runners commandeered two seats which became ‘our’ spot. You have a strange sense of ownership of your area when you are in a cramped space for a long time. You need the reassurance of knowing where your things are.  I got into my routine pretty quickly and believe, as with all endurance events, self management is the key to success. It went like this; once back in the van after a run I would remove my wet/sweaty clothes, down a recovery shake, and then lay down as best I could on the seats to raise my legs and doze/sleep as much a possible before I was next required to run.

I asked the crew to give me 30mins notice before I was next out so that I could change and prepare for the next stint. This routine rolled around, 4 hours off and 1 on. Four hours sounds like a lot of off time, but I can promise it goes very quickly! After around 19hours of this and whilst attempting to negotiate the one-way systems of Glasgow it became apparent we would need to reduce the running segments to 30mins. This we accepted would reduce rest times but it was necessary as the runners were finding the fatigue of Ben Nevis and subsequent climbs in our quads was making 60mins to long.

It was at this point I began to notice that runners were mentioning niggles and one was beginning to run/walk his sections. Comments were being made that showed the team were finding it tough and that fatigue had set in far earlier that I would have expected. This is not me pointing the finger at the other runners, I too was feeling more fatigued than I would have liked. Readjustments were being made to accommodate this but in my mind doubts started to creep in.

I began to look at the stats and readjust the figures bearing in mind what we know knew some 24 hrs in to the run. It became apparent to me that we were not going to make our goal of competing the challenge in 70 hours or before Monday evening which was our cut off point. As I saw it we were therefore presented with a very difficult decision. Do we push on regardless and see how far we can get but in the knowledge that we are risking further damage to already ailing bodies, to not even achieve our goal. Or do we look defeat in the eye and say ‘you know what this challenge was bigger than me this time’. Whilst the feeling of disappointment was going to be huge which ever way we chose, my belief was that it was the better of the two options to cut our losses now. Put our hands up and admit defeat, this time, and go home with our heads high knowing that we had both given it a go and also that we are so much wiser for next time.  No one relishes the thought of  going home to face sponsors and everyone who had invested in us and admit defeat. The feeling that we had let people down was huge, the disappointment for ourselves was very real, and if I am honest took me a good week to process. No one likes to fail but sometimes it’s from that place that growth happens. That is what I feel will come from this difficult time. I have turned it over and over in my mind countless times and looked at it from many angles, with and without emotion. I honestly believe we took possibly the harder of the two decisions but ultimately it was the right one. It does help to reconcile the pain of not hitting your target.

As they say, it’s a wise man who looks defeat in the eye and learns from it. If we do that we can come back stronger not only for this challenge but for others going forward. We each had personal takeaways from this which if we use them wisely will make us stronger racers and athletes in the months and years to come.

So I was hugely disappointed but will rise again and meet more adventures head on. I was pleased I had the courage to make what I see was the wise decision and not let emotion cloud my judgement.

Ever onward.

1) Grab a friend – Camaraderie is a great way to keep you consistent and adds to the fun. Decide together what it is you want to do. It could be rekindling a sport you enjoyed as a child e.g. netball or joining a local 5 a side team. These are social and fun ways to exercise with others before hitting the pub for a social pint! Or how about joining a class – yoga, body pump, circuits or a run group who meet at a regular time each week. Perhaps you’d like to walk or do ‘couch to 5km’ together.  Whatever you decide to do, meeting up with another person means it’s harder to drop out and is often more fun.

2) Get your wallet out! Paying up front for a class is another good motivator. It will encourage you out of the door when you might not feel like it.

3) Use your lunch break – 30/45 minutes is all you need. Go out and walk, get a friend to go with you. Walk and talk. You could have a meeting as you walk.  You’ll be amazed at how much more productive you are after some exercise, some fresh air and a change of scene.

4) Download a pedometer app or buy a clip-on one. You won’t need to make extra time in your day or need to even put your trainers on. A pedometer will measure how many steps you take during the day. It’s a great motivator to get you to walk instead of taking the bus, use the stairs instead of the lift or get out and walk with the dog! It becomes a little game with yourself as you have a daily PB to aim for. There is no sweating involved but you will definitely feel the benefits.

5) Find something that interests you and which is slightly beyond what you think is currently possible. Tell everyone about it – you will then be committed to do it.  Deciding to do it for charity is another way to hook yourself in and will make it harder for you to fall off the wagon!

And Remember:
Exercise, activity, me time, whatever you call it doesn’t have to involve pain and sweat and mental arguments with yourself regarding motivation. Rather see it as a pleasant period of time when you are with friends, listening to music, having time to think, and all the while tapping into that legal, ‘natural high’ called endorphins.

I had run for the first time since the injury in the international 5k event with my daughter two days before and decided my calves were too sore and tight to attempt the main man. My thoughts instead were to at least attempt the start and pull put if things felt unstable. We were bused 26.2 miles out of the city in yellow and black school buses to the race start in Hopkinton. The day already began to feel like a scene from surreal US horror movie. The rain was incessant with freezing wind and everyone wrapped up in bin liners and waterproof sheets. I had a lucky break and sat next to Denise from California who ran Boston 5 times before so knew the drill. She had had a rainy Boston before but never as extreme as this.

Arriving in Hopkinton honestly felt like a joke and more of the same horror movie. We were soaked to the skin the minute we left the bus and the mud at the start was like a Glastonbury festival disaster zone. The crowd had backed up due to bus delays and we just stood with rain pouring off our faces trying to get through to the mile long walk to the start feeling like the world’s worst joke had been played on us. We finally broke out of the start pen to walk through the town, a picture book of a place had the sun been shining…but that day it was Stepford
wives gone all wrong…

My wave was ready but I had a 10 min start delay trying to trudge through the mire of soaking garments, plastic bags and discarded gloves that people had long given up on using for any protection from the downpour and bitter cold. Starting to walk trot towards the start was just a relief to get some warmth from the movement. I’d long realised that my plan to abandon ship if injured would be relatively impossible with every town between here and Boston closed for the race. I realised the only way to get dry and warm was to run to Boston as quickly as possible! I made a mental calculation that if I could run as far as possible before I had to walk I’d reduce my chances of
hypothermia.

I wished Denise good luck and we parted ways but her story (she ran in 2017 just 2 months after a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery from breast cancer), stayed with me and made me feel immensely humble.

As the euphoria of starting wore off and miles two and three unfolded I marvelled at the resilience of all those around me. Why was I out in this ridiculous place with the rain lashing my face, miles from anyone who cared or who I love when I could be cosy and dry with a large cappuccino?! Why weren’t all the locals around me turning around and saying ‘I quit’ and giving it a go another time. The answer of course is that marathon runners are a bloody-minded bunch and if they’ve got a place in the world’s only ‘qualifying time to participate’ marathon, they are damn well going to finish-rain or shine! Tempting as it was throughout, I wasn’t going to be the first or only one to throw in the towel and call it a day. The sore calves were the least of my worries as survival had kicked in and warm and dry were the only goals. So many thoughts and scenarios go through your head during a marathon. In some, the crowds around you and not knocking in to other runners interrupt your thoughts. In this race I had to go into my zone a lot more. I couldn’t look around me to take in the views and love the crowd because if I looked up the rain bounced into my eyes.

So…in no particular order…I thought about my amazing friend Kerry who just won…yes won a race 10 times longer and harder than this one running in a cyclone across Fiji. My brain could not compute how she kept going at this point! I thought about my daughter at home willing me to do the race and I thought about my other daughter and my friend waiting in Boston, checking the race app to see if I was still alive and moving forward! I thought of my son and the huge challenge he has ahead of him starting a specialist school. They all make me want to be a better person and a Mum they can be proud of. I thought about Sunshine (with a capital ‘S’) and promised myself a trip to the Maldives if I got to the end of the race. I thought about the hot coffee I would soak up at the end in Boston…notice the theme…warm warm warm.

As the miles ticked on and the Achilles held out I promised myself I’d try to get to 20 miles so I could walk the last 6 in the cut off time before the course is closed for the day.  I vaguely realised the towns were slowly becoming larger and more and more cosmopolitan. For once all I longed for was suburbia to signal that I was coming towards the city and the ordeal by drenching would be over.

I had been reassured that despite my month off running I would still have the muscle memory to get around. I hadn’t believed the physio at all, but as the miles swept into their late teens I hoped she had a point.  Mile 20 was a psychological turning point. I figured I only had to run a 10k after that and it would all be over I had been warned of a long killer hill at around mile 21 called Heartbreak Hill. As my Achilles has pulled towards the end of a long run in a hill I was dreading the same thing happening. However Boston is an undulating course and there were several hills so I wasn’t sure if I’d done it already. The crowds let me know that I hadn’t! I shuffled up the Heartbreaker thankful for living in Bath where a hill is never far away. I only really noticed the city creep up on me at about mile 23 and by then I was determined that I would not walk.

My glutes were already seizing and I knew I’d stiffen up too much if I didn’t keep the pace. I found it impossible to take on liquid at the many water/Gatorade stations along the way as I was so wet and still running with a plastic bag around my neck that had long since served any purpose. Putting more liquid in the equation just felt wrong as I felt I was absorbing it by osmosis already. I started to feel a tightness around my neck and realised it wasn’t that I was having breathing issues, but the hood of my throwaway plastic kagoul had filled up with water behind my head and was dragging it down and slowly strangling me! That was pretty soon discarded- I’d kind of forgotten it was there as it had long since served any purpose. The crowds then really began to thicken and I was super grateful for their resilience and Bostonian generosity in standing in the freezing downpour all day. At least I was moving!

I then recognised the Fenway Park stadium where we had watched baseball in the snow the day before. Then the 5k route I’d done on the Saturday and slowly it dawned on me the end was really near! A further sea of plastic throwaways waited for me as I rounded into Boylston Street and the final half a mile that leads to the infamous site of the bomb 5 years ago just before the finish line. I felt a wave of anger that anyone could destroy so needlessly and take lives that had just stretched themselves to the limit. As the line came nearer I just kept saying…one foot in front of the other, my mantra for the day. As I crossed the line that almost unconscious realisation came over me that I was now allowed to walk…so I did…and then I felt like crying…so I did. Relief, cold and sadness at the bomb overcame me alongside the utter joy of finishing.

Then the treat… as I stumbled along, smiling, crying and collecting water/medal/goodie bag… I heard my name and my fabulous daughter and her friend Miranda and my lovely friend Anne were all standing waiting behind the barrier… I had never been more pleased to see anyone… and they had bought a change of dry clothes… ANGELS. Apparently I had blue lips from the cold but after an hour in a hot bath I was fully recovered …and ready for Boston cream pie!