Things&Ink editor Alice Snape is currently in training for the London Marathon 2015, she’s running for Sarcoma UK. Read more in her first Marathon diary entry.Here’s part six of her marathon diary…
ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO! Only one week to go until I run the London Marathon. And if I could imagine doing anything on the weekend before this momentous occasion, it was definitely not being bridesmaid at one of my best friend’s weddings. Going to one of your friends’ wedding means drunkenness, right? And if I have to run a marathon in exactly one week’s time that means I can’t get drunk! How can a wedding be fun if it does not involve champers, and lots of it?
Well actually, I realised you can have lots of fun… having a good time and dancing all evening does not have to be fuelled by alcohol. And if there is enough tipsy people around, you kinda feel a little drunk too. Even if you’re only sipping on a sparkling water and elderflower cordial (it’s a delish alternative to a cocktail). Plus I feel fresh as a daisy (or a runner) today…
You will know from previous diary entries, and updates on my personal Instagram account @morewhitequeen, that I have been building up mileage and have done one long run every week since December last year. This long run has gradually increased over my training plan from one hour to just over 21 miles! The first milestone in the plan was 8 miles, and I remember finding this distance particularly difficult in December last year. Running for over an hour was really daunting at that time. It’s weird to me that this distance now feels fairly short, as I managed to run 21.09 miles is 3 hours 40 minutes just over two weeks ago.
It has taken a lot of dedication, sacrifice (I mean I haven’t even been able to get tattooed!) and determination to get to this point and now I am feeling extremely proud of what I have already achieved. Especially as I did my last “long run” on Friday, before wedding madness kicked off, and really loved it…I ran 9 miles in the beautiful countryside and enjoyed every mile of it, I felt fit and healthy and I felt like I could run all day – a feeling I have never really had before. Normally I am counting the seconds until I can stop.
So let’s hope this commitment and all the non-drinking will be worth it! Bring on the London Marathon next week… and let’s hope the last week of tapering means my legs will feel strong for my longest run ever next Sunday. Now someone pass me a massive plate of carbs!
Race ready, here’s me in my race vest with my name on it… all ready for next week. I am running the marathon for Sarcoma UK, you can read more and donate on my justgiving justgiving.com/AliceSnapeMarathon
Editor Alice Snape looking pleased with her mileage for February 2015.
Things&Ink editor Alice Snape is currently in training for the London Marathon 2015, she’s running for Sarcoma UK. Read more in her first Marathon diary entry.Here’s part five of her marathon diary…
Alice running the Watford Half Marathon in February 2015, surprisingly with a smile on her face…
“Marathon training is one of the toughest challenges I have ever taken on. I can honestly say that when I signed up to run the London Marathon 2015 for Sarcoma UK (read why here), I didn’t realise just how tough the training would be.”
“Even just fitting in the training around editing Things&Ink, working freelance projects and balancing everyday life is proving to be a challenge in itself. Especially as some training runs take over three hours to complete!
Here’s what a typical week of running looks like for me at the moment: Monday: Rest day Tuesday: 40 minutes easy running… easy running is running at a pace you can hold a conversation. Followed by a Hot Yoga Class… I love going to hot yoga classes. But I have realised the toll training is taking on my flexibility. It’s definitely decreasing as I am upping my running mileage. But I do think it’s important to do exercise other than running, and also include some strength training, including planks and thigh strengthening exercises. Wednesday: 30 minute fartlek run. I dread interval and fartlek runs, as they involve running at speed (I am slow and steady – a plodder – my body was not built for running fast). A farlek run is running fast for random spurts (or at least this is how I like to do it), I might set my sights on a lamp post and run as fast as I can until I reach it, and then slow the pace… then set my sights on something else. This can actually be quite fun. Once I have worked up the motivation to do it. Thursday: 60 minute steady run, mixed with some threshold pacing. Friday: Rest day… Saturday: Short run, with 10 mins at an easy pace to start, then 5x 2 min interval run, and ending on five minutes of easy pace running. Interval running is running with intense effort. Sunday (now known as Long Run Sunday): Sundays are no longer rest days, they are there for long runs. At the beginning of my 17 week training schedule the long run was just 60 minutes (oh how easy that seems now), which has gradually been built on through the weekly training plan. Up to 18 miles so far, but I aim to run 22 miles before the big day!
I spend a lot of time on my own while I am training, so I have a lot of time to think. Here’s the things I’ve learnt about myself while training:
“I am VERY stubborn, if I set my mind to something, I find it really difficult not to do it. Which comes in extremely handy on long run days. ESPECIALLY when it is raining. For example, the first time I ran 16 miles, I did it in the rain – it was raining for the entire three hours. Which meant I ran it really slowly, and I looked like a mental person. BUT I did it. I logged the miles, and I wanted to give up for the entire run, but I didn’t. Because I knew I had to do it.”
“ANYONE can learn to love running. I hated running with a passion when I was at school. I would rather lock myself in a toilet cubicle than do the dreaded cross country run. And sometimes I still hate running (see above). But nothing makes you feel the way running does, I may dislike it intensely sometimes when I am running, but the way you feel after the run is amazing. You feel alive and healthy. Running makes life easier.”
“I talk about running a lot. But that is because it has taken over my life. I am sure anyone else training for the marathon – and their friends – understand this. Training has become such a huge part of my life that it is impossible not to talk about it ALL THE TIME (sorry family and friends). I guess it’s also because I want to validate what I am doing, and because I am completely terrified about marathon day.”
“Toenails are overrated. My feet look disgusting, I have a black toenail that is about to fall off – I am sure they will look even more hideous after that big day.”
Toenails are overrated
“Running the marathon for a charity makes training that little bit easier. I know I have to complete the marathon for everyone who has donated to my charity – Sarcoma UK. And I also think about the person I running it for. My boyfriend’s sister Katherine, who I never met but so wish I could have.”
“I know I should be a little kinder to myself. It’s hard not to compare yourself to other runners. I can only dream of running 13 miles at a 7-minute mile pace. I have to channel my energy into being competitive with myself and not other people. I can only beat my own times. So if I shave a couple of seconds off my own runs that’s great. I ran my first ever half marathon in 2 hours 15, and last week I beat myself by running a half marathon distance in 2 hours 7 minutes. It may not seem like much but that is a huge achievement for me, and means the training is really starting to pay off. I also have a time in my mind that I would like to complete the marathon in, but if I don’t get that time, I must remember that’s ok, as running a marathon is a massive achievement in itself…”
I will update this marathon diary again very soon… I am running a 20-mile race in Kingston on Sunday, so I will let you all know how it goes, as this will be my longest training run yet! Wish me luck. To donate to Sarcoma UK, visit my justgiving page.
Me in my new running gear, taken at Christmas at my parent’s house in the midlands.
Editor Things&Ink editor Alice Snape is currently in training for the London Marathon 2015, she’s running for Sarcoma UK. Read more in her first Marathon diary entry.
Part two of my marathon diary – and it’s just a short entry documenting an early morning run…
Monday morning, 19 January 2015: It’s 7am, and I am forcing myself to go for a run before a freelance shift at Hello! magazine.
I am already awake as my alarm sounds at 6.15am. I lay in bed for 10 minutes visualising myself running outside in the cold. I try to figure out if I have the energy to run, can I be bothered? It’s so early. I try to remember how much I love running, and the after buzz that sets me up for the rest of the day ahead. It’s this that makes me get out of bed (even though I would definitely rather stay under the duvet with my hot water bottle).
I go to the kitchen – it’s still dark outside… I have a pre-run banana, spoonful of peanut butter and a cup of earl grey tea… As I watch BBC breakfast and and do my warm-up stretches, I hope it might get light before I leave the house – it doesn’t. I dress in my running thermals and manage to set off at 7am… I always have a few pre-run butterflies in my stomach, even if I know I won’t be out for long.
I only want to do a short run, but I manage to set off at a good pace – for me a really good pace is a 9-minute mile – and I really feel like my lungs are working hard. I struggle for the first ten minutes as I get into stride. As I run into mile 2, I try and assess my body, how each part feels, which muscles are straining and how my feet feel. I decide I feel strong and keep up the pace. My body feels warm, even though the air is freezing cold.
I run through the streets of Brixton, although I decide not to run my usual round of Brockwell Park – it looked too dark and scary. So I wind round a few different streets and end with a lap of Ruskin Park – which is just round the corner from my house. The sun is finally coming up by this point and it is starting to get light.
I complete five miles, and by the end I am happy – I run the last ten minutes at a slightly slower pace. My cheeks are red, I am sweating and I know I will feel an after-run glow for the rest of the day. I do a cool-down walk to my house, and complete some stretches before I get showered and ready for the day ahead.
Read part one of My Marathon Diary to find out why I am running for the cancer charity Sarcoma UK. And please sponsor me on my justgiving page. More updates coming soon, as I build up my longer runs. Wish me luck.
