Lakesman 2019

This is a post that a few weeks ago I didn't think I would get to write, I went to a body conditioning class with Amanda at our local Scout hut and somehow managed to sprain the AC joint in my left shoulder. The GP that I went to see advised against trying to do the Lakesman half and I got as far as completing the initial claim to get my entry fee back using the insurance that was included. Fortunately I had to wait to get the Dr's note so didn't get to the submit stage for a few days and in  the meantime my physio had advised that rest and a few light exercises should have me able to take part.

Having decided that I wasn't going to take part but would still go up to support, Amanda agreed to come up to Keswick with me, normally I would have left earlier on  the Friday while she was still at work. Even when I changed my mind and decided to try and give it a go we stuck to the plan that we would drive up after Amanda finished work on the Friday.

So at about 4.45 we set off on the long trip north and boy was it a long trip, it took us about 3 hours to get to the M40 junction some 60 miles from home! We eventually arrived at our camping pod at about 1am so there was nothing to do but crash immediately into bed and get some sleep, once we had rearranged the beds!

Saturday arrived all too quickly and I decided  to go and register in the morning to get the bags and stickers etc so I could get prepared before going to rack the bike and bags later in the afternoon, then back to the pod for a quick nap! We arrived at Keswick about 3pm to meet up with Andy, Nicky, Dave and Jennie, also met Nicky's sister Katherine who was also taking part.

Having racked the bike and bags it was onto the briefing, as we were sat in the tent we heard a bang come from transition shortly followed by Phil, Race Director, advising that if anyone had pumped their tyres up to race pressure that they may wish to go and let some air out, yes the bang was someone's tyre exploding due to the heat!

Following the briefing it was back to the pod for some food and yes you've guessed it some more sleep!

4am Sunday and the alarms went off, time to get up have my porridge and pack the car to go back to Keswick for the event.

Pumped my tyres up, put my nutrition on the bike and joined the queue for the loo. At this point Jamie, the race ref, was walking round telling us we had 10 mins and then we would be kicked out of transition. having visited the loo it was in to the tent to finalise my dry bag and get my wetsuit on. As I arrived in the tent there was Jamie again advising us we had 10 minutes, strange as this was about 5 minutes since the last advice, anyway about a minute later we were being told we had 5 minutes, time flies when you're having fun!

Wetsuit on it was time to line up with the rest of the athletes to make our way into the lake. First off was the full distance swimmers which we saw from the shore, then it was our turn. The water was colder than in previous years, about 2 degrees colder according to Phil when we spoke to him at the finish!

Doing the half this year meant that the first turn buoy was much closer something that made me happy! as I rounded the first buoy I could see the next yellow buoy to aim for, that one seemed very close too. The reason it seemed close was that it was only half way across and once I got to that one there was another one further away which was the final turn, Damnit.

As I headed for the finish I was suddenly aware of some faster swimmers around me, had I slowed that much during the swim? No it was the leaders of the full who had caught and passed me!

My swim was slower than usual, something I was worried about due to my shoulder injury which I did feel a bit in the swim but more because I have been neglecting my swim training. Anyway I made it within the time cut off and was back in transition to change and head out on the bike. Amanda told me after that of the group of 5 of us doing it I was last out of the swim, this wasn't a surprise, but she went on to add "by some margin"

As I headed out on the bike I was feeling good and my legs were strong, I was soon in a rhythm and my shoulder did not hinder me getting on to the tribars so I was happy. After a while I caught up with Dave, wished him good luck as I carried on my way, next up was Andy a few miles later, last time we rode in the same bike leg of a triathlon was the Outlaw when he was part of a relay team. At that event he caught me and passed me as if I was standing still so I was happy to have caught up with him as it meant my legs were going well.

The bike was more up and down than I remember the full course but nothing major which is quite a feat given the area that the race is in, it could have had some major hills!

Towards the end of the ride I passed Katherine, although I only realised this after so didn't manage to say anything at the time, sorry Katherine. As I came back into Keswick the bike course and the run course go side by side for a short while and it just happened that as I was coming in Nicky was on that run section, a quick shout of encouragement to her before I concentrated on negotiating the traffic through Keswick and back to transition.

I had gone quite hard on the bike and was worried that I would have no legs left for the run but as I left the change tent to head out on the run I wasn't feeling too bad, I even managed to run the whole course, well except through the feed stations but then you have to walk to be able to drink properly right?

As I came through the finish area at the end of lap 1 Amanda and Jennie were there cheering us on, Is stopped for a brief moment but Jennie advised me to not stop!

I saw Dave on the run as we came past the finish on one of the laps, things were a bit congested with spectators around quite a narrow section as we turn to head through the park again.

As I came round my final lap down the hill towards the finish I seemed to get that extra kick at the end of a race and was in full flow down towards the carpeted finish chute and over the line to complete the Lakesman Half!

As usual the event was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed it, well after I exited the lake anyway!

The marshals around the course were amazing as always and a huge thanks must go out to them for the amazing work that they put in to make sure that we as athletes (and I use that phrase when describing myself very loosely) can do what we do and enjoy a safe and fun event.

Thanks again to Marie and Phil an all their team who manage to put on a fantastic event that has the athletes at the heart of everything!

Congratulations to Nicky and Katherine for taking 2 steps on their age group podium

Thanks to Dave, Jennie, Andy and Nicky for their support and lastly but most importantly thanks to Amanda for all your love and support not only during the event but in the lead up to it and all the mad events that I do!

Run Gatwick

I had vaguely heard of Run Gatwick last year but missed entering it, however this year Nicola Hume and Jack the Lad from Heart Breakfast mentioned it a while ago which gave me enough notice to be able to run.

Living near Horsham it is a very local event and I had heard good things about it so I was really looking forward to the event, I am usually up early on Sundays anyway as it is my usual morning for running listening to Heart Sunday Breakfast with Jenni Falconer. So getting up early was not a problem. I was a bit concerned about getting to Crawley and finding that I couldn't park, however I arrived at The Hawth where there was an agreement through the organisers to use their car park for a charity donation and there was plenty of space, it was really convenient with a footpath through the woods at the back straight into Southgate Park and the event village. I had planned on getting the train to Crawley rather than drive but the engineering works meant that trains were not stopping at Crawley.

It was slightly misty morning when I left home but by the time I arrived at Southgate Park it was a glorious morning with sun shining, so good in fact that I was changed and ready really early so I could deposit my bag in the marquee and wander freely around the village, a nice coffee to drink and soak up the atmosphere.

I was allocated a number in the Purple wave as I was hoping for a time between 1:45 and 2:00

During my wander around the village I bumped into Anna, amazing how many people you regularly bump into at events around the country, it was only brief as she was a pacer for the event and had to check in and collect her flag. I also nearly bumped into Nicola and Jack from Heart but they were getting a coffee and I thought it would be rude to interrupt their morning coffee, Nicola since replied to an Instagram post that I should have asked for a photo, I wont be so polite next time :-)

After a couple of trips to the loo, between which I returned to the stage to listen to Colin Jackson, Dina Asher-Smith and Helen Skelton talk about the event, it was time to line up in our start pens for the event. There was a bit of a delay to the start, something about a motorist on the course but soon enough we were off. I was a tad confused about where the actual start line was as we went under an arch that seemed to have timing equipment around it but then seemed to go under another one a little while later. I started my watch at the first one and it was telling me each mile was a little way before the mile markers so I guess I chose the wrong one.

The course was great and the mile markers quite quirky in that they were signposts to other destinations, its a small thing but it kept me amused as I ticked off the miles, at one point I heard a couple of other runners talking about a hill between 8 and 9, now I don't like hills so I wasn't looking forward to this. As it happens the hill wasn't too bad for me, I was actually running up it faster than some of the people who had passed me on the flat just before.

Before too long I was into the final mile and heading back to Southgate Park and the finish, as I crossed the line our names were being called out and I had passed the finish before I realised that the person on the mike was Susie Chan, thanks Susie for welcoming us back across the finish line.

I collected my medal, shirt and banana and made my way back to the village for a bacon butty and a wander around again to see what was happening, there was quite a buzz around the park the weather no doubt helping!

Just as I was about to leave to head home I bumped into Anna again for a quick chat and it appears that I wasn't the only one who was confused about where the actual start was.

All in all it was a great event and I am really pleased that I took part, I had hoped to get under 1:50 again but realistically was aiming for under 1:55 so my official time of 1:53:39 was about where I expected to be.

The marshals all around the course were fantastic, full of cheer and motivation so thanks to all of them who really helped us all around the course.

The only 2 comments I would have on the event that could have made it better are:
1) The confusion around the start line, is it possible to make it more obvious which line is the actual start line? this may have been something to do with the 5K that was also being run on the same day.
2) The loos, there was quite a queue for them but I did notice that the Urinals were mixed in with the rest of the loos and were not getting used very much. It may have been better to place them separate and make it more obvious that they were there to lessen the queues by taking those who could use them out of the main queue?

Overall the event was fantastic, the course was great and the weather certainly helped make a great day for running, thanks to all that made it possible.

Brighton Marathon through the years

I first heard about the Brighton Marathon from Dave, I had missed the entry but as it was the first year and the race was a week before London the organisers had a deal where if you entered and then got into London you could get a refund. They then sold these places in a second phase and I managed to grab a spot.

Working for one of the Virgin companies I was then given a place in London so I ended up having 2 marathons a week apart. My first Brighton Marathon was completed in 5 hours and 12 seconds, I was so disappointed to miss the 4 hour bracket by such a small margin.

Having run the first event I felt compelled to enter again in following years and it became an annual trek to take part in what is a wonderful event.

It was at Brighton that I first met Jenni Falconer, she was there working for Channel 4 who were covering the event. I knew she was running London the following week and wanted to say good luck, she was so friendly asking about how the run was. I follow Jenni on social media and am amazed by the energy that she has for running and keeping fit, really inspiring.

I think it was the following year that I really struggling with an injury and collapsed as soon as I crossed the line but somehow I had managed a PB

So fast forward to year 9 and I had a really tough time at both Brighton and London to the extent that I decided that I was not going to run many more. I had to take part in Brighton number 10 though having completed the previous 9.

Those of us who had completed the first 9 events all had an email before the event to say that we were getting special silver numbers to signify we were 10/10 runners, an extra bonus was that we didn’t have to queue at the main number collection point. We were all allowed into the VIP area before the start which was great smaller queues for toilets and a fast track area for the start.

Arriving at Preston Park I saw Anna from the running channel interviewing Pikachu followed by 3 of the characters from Sesame Street, we had a quick chat before she had to head off to drop her camera kit at the media compound ready for her to run the Marathon as well.

I managed to catch up with Martine and exchange good lucks as well before she headed off to the start ready to take on the 10K.

I found my way to the VIP area which all the 10/10 runners had been given access to, grabbed a coffee had a mill around before meeting up with a group of fellow 10/10 runners that are part of the Brighton Marathon Ever Presence group on Facebook for a group photo.

Then drop the bag at the special bag drop and over to the start area, which being in the VIP area meant we were moved to the start line in front of our coloured coral. Then it was time for the off and we were treading a familiar route now for the 10th year.

Martine had finished her 10K and was out on the course supporting the marathon runners a quick high five and on I went.

From the start I was feeling quite good and around Mile 7 I caught up with Anna and had a quick chat, I was feeling quite good at this point which was an improvement on last year.

Then I got to half way and things started to hurt a bit, as I went out towards mile 15 my legs were telling me they had had enough and what was I thinking! Anna came back past me at some point, giving me some encouraging words, we then leapfrogged a bit for the next few miles before she finally left me behind going out towards the Shoreham end of the route.

Turning to come back towards the finish was hard, the wind was in our faces and it was a real struggle to keep moving forwards, coming towards the end of that section there was Martine again giving encouragement and a hug to give me a boost to get on towards the finish.

Eventually the finish was in sight and I crossed the line in 04:29:58 just breaking the 4.5 hrs mark that I was aiming for when I started to struggle just after halfway, at the start I was hoping to get close to 4 hours. Crossing the line and I was ushered to a separate area to be given a special 10/10 finishers shirt and Medal before heading down to collect my bag.

So having run one event I had 2 medals, result!

I had signed up to be part of a medical study which had involved giving blood and wee samples at registration and then again after the finish, so I headed towards their tent to be suitably drained of a few tubes of blood, this meant sitting down which was really hard, not the sitting but the standing up after!!

As I left the finish area and into the village I called in at the Running Channel's tent to have a quick catch up with Anna again before finally heading for home.

So that was it 10 Brighton Marathons completed, over the years there have been quite a few changes, hydration provided in bottles to pouches to the cups that have been used for the last couple of years, changes in the start corals and a few minor changes to the route. I have enjoyed most of the time at Brighton but I have to say my legs are starting to complain about the distance, nothing to do with Brighton just the Marathon in general. My PB is still from Brighton, I think that was the year that I had an injury and collapsed at the finish!

The crowds at Brighton are amazing all out lining the streets armed with various Jelly Babies, other sweets and oranges, without them I would not have got around all of the 10 events, it is amazing how much of a boost they can give you.

As always a massive thanks must go out to the Organisers and Marshall's who make the event what it is, thanks to Martine for all her encouragement in the lead up to the event and on the day especially at the end of the "Highway to Hell". Thanks to Anna for her encouragement before and during the event! Thanks to Dave for getting me into the first running of the event and for always being there supporting me through the running either in person or through messages. Thanks to Jenni for her encouragement on social media and for not laughing when I collapsed over the line in front of her that year!

Finally thanks to Amanda for putting up with me doing these daft events and then not being able to walk properly for a couple of days afterwards, I think it is time to listen to her and my body and stick to Half's. That is unless Jenni takes me up on the I'll do it if you do challenge for MDS, although I will need to find a sponsor to pay the entrance fee for that one!!