This photo was taken using my iPad and I like the effect the lights have had on it. Seems to make it extra Christmasy.
Bet not many people have a giraffe with Santa hat as decorations.
Monday, 16 December 2013
Santa Claus is coming to town
I'm almost set for Christmas. The tree is up, cards are written and presents bought. This is the most organised I've been for Christmas.
This photo was taken using my iPad and I like the effect the lights have had on it. Seems to make it extra Christmasy.
Bet not many people have a giraffe with Santa hat as decorations.
This photo was taken using my iPad and I like the effect the lights have had on it. Seems to make it extra Christmasy.
Bet not many people have a giraffe with Santa hat as decorations.
Yorkshire Marathon
Just under 2 months ago, on
20th October, I ran the Yorkshire Marathon. Not only was it the first
marathon in Yorkshire, but was also my first
marathon.
So what made me sign up after over 10 years of running and just as long saying I wouldn't run a full marathon? Well firstly I wanted another challenge, a real challenge where I had to put a lot of effort and commitment in to achieve it. A half-marathon is no longer a challenge distance wise. I know I can run them with just my normal training, but a full marathon, well that's something different entirely. Secondly and more importantly I finished reading Jane Tomlinson’s book the day before Run For All, the organisation created in Janes’ memory, announced the race. After all she went through, yet still managed to complete amazing feats which take so much out of the human body, how could I not enter. I knew that if at any point I was to struggle I just had to think of the challenges Jane faced and I would be inspired to continue.
Training through the hottest British summer for years was difficult at times, but I can honestly say I loved every bit of it. There is something almost therapeutic about running for 3+ hours. I get in a zone and just keep going. I did 3 runs of 20 miles and 1 of 22 miles which set me up nicely for the big day. My mid week running didn't change much at all. A circuit class on Mondays, short to mid length runs on Tuesday and Thursdays (sometimes hills and sometimes tempo), a speed session at Parkrun on Saturdays then my long run on Sundays. Anyone who says you need to run 100 miles a week to run a marathon, as a few people said to me, is lying. Possibility if you want sub 3 hours, but not for your average runner like me.
The marathon started a finished at York university and the organisation was excellent. Busses took runners from the York train station to the start, baggage storage was simple and probably the quickest I've ever used and the queues for toilets were tiny. Plenty of entertainment with music was provided at the start. The only bit at the start that didn't work so well was the warm up, where they had a few technical problems with the sound. This wasn't a problem to me as I'm not a fan of mass warm-ups and would rather do my own thing.
The course went through the city centre, moving on to residential areas, then going out to rural roads and villages before coming back into the city for the final mile. The first 2 miles were amazing. Everyone was so exited and the streets were lined with people watching. Running past York Minster was one of my best running experiences. The crowds lining the street were packed and really loud and the minster bells rang constantly. This is one running experience I will never forget. Heading out into the residential areas and then onto rural roads the crowds started to thin out at bit. It wasn’t quite the totally flat course it was advertised as. I lost count the number of times someone shouted ‘You’re almost at the top of this hill’. Most of the rural section ran into each other (no pun intended). I remember passing Stockton on the Forrest, passing the cubs at Snowball and going though another few villages but couldn’t tell you how far they were into the race. There were two out and back sections where passing runners coming the other way was hard. After getting to 20 miles, I knew I was almost there. My legs were the most painful they have ever been, but there was no way I was giving up. Coming back into the city centre at 25 miles was nice. The support increased in both volume and noise and the significance of only having just over a mile to go was huge. One final challenge was to get up the hill at 25.5 miles.
Running the last 200 meters with the crowds going mad and supporting each person as if the knew them personally was incredible. I knew by then I had finished my first ever marathon and could just enjoy the feeling.
Until you run a marathon you will never know how much effort and emotion goes into getting round those 26.2 miles. Not just the race, but the months of training leading up to it. As usual I was raising money for the British Heart Foundation. This was by far the hardest challenge I have ever done for them, no nothing compared to when people suffering with Heart Disease go through.
So what made me sign up after over 10 years of running and just as long saying I wouldn't run a full marathon? Well firstly I wanted another challenge, a real challenge where I had to put a lot of effort and commitment in to achieve it. A half-marathon is no longer a challenge distance wise. I know I can run them with just my normal training, but a full marathon, well that's something different entirely. Secondly and more importantly I finished reading Jane Tomlinson’s book the day before Run For All, the organisation created in Janes’ memory, announced the race. After all she went through, yet still managed to complete amazing feats which take so much out of the human body, how could I not enter. I knew that if at any point I was to struggle I just had to think of the challenges Jane faced and I would be inspired to continue.
Training through the hottest British summer for years was difficult at times, but I can honestly say I loved every bit of it. There is something almost therapeutic about running for 3+ hours. I get in a zone and just keep going. I did 3 runs of 20 miles and 1 of 22 miles which set me up nicely for the big day. My mid week running didn't change much at all. A circuit class on Mondays, short to mid length runs on Tuesday and Thursdays (sometimes hills and sometimes tempo), a speed session at Parkrun on Saturdays then my long run on Sundays. Anyone who says you need to run 100 miles a week to run a marathon, as a few people said to me, is lying. Possibility if you want sub 3 hours, but not for your average runner like me.
The marathon started a finished at York university and the organisation was excellent. Busses took runners from the York train station to the start, baggage storage was simple and probably the quickest I've ever used and the queues for toilets were tiny. Plenty of entertainment with music was provided at the start. The only bit at the start that didn't work so well was the warm up, where they had a few technical problems with the sound. This wasn't a problem to me as I'm not a fan of mass warm-ups and would rather do my own thing.
The course went through the city centre, moving on to residential areas, then going out to rural roads and villages before coming back into the city for the final mile. The first 2 miles were amazing. Everyone was so exited and the streets were lined with people watching. Running past York Minster was one of my best running experiences. The crowds lining the street were packed and really loud and the minster bells rang constantly. This is one running experience I will never forget. Heading out into the residential areas and then onto rural roads the crowds started to thin out at bit. It wasn’t quite the totally flat course it was advertised as. I lost count the number of times someone shouted ‘You’re almost at the top of this hill’. Most of the rural section ran into each other (no pun intended). I remember passing Stockton on the Forrest, passing the cubs at Snowball and going though another few villages but couldn’t tell you how far they were into the race. There were two out and back sections where passing runners coming the other way was hard. After getting to 20 miles, I knew I was almost there. My legs were the most painful they have ever been, but there was no way I was giving up. Coming back into the city centre at 25 miles was nice. The support increased in both volume and noise and the significance of only having just over a mile to go was huge. One final challenge was to get up the hill at 25.5 miles.
Running the last 200 meters with the crowds going mad and supporting each person as if the knew them personally was incredible. I knew by then I had finished my first ever marathon and could just enjoy the feeling.
Until you run a marathon you will never know how much effort and emotion goes into getting round those 26.2 miles. Not just the race, but the months of training leading up to it. As usual I was raising money for the British Heart Foundation. This was by far the hardest challenge I have ever done for them, no nothing compared to when people suffering with Heart Disease go through.
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