So, a bit about myself and how I got into this running lark. I took up running in 2010. I was living in North Wales at the time and a friend of mine, Sonja Frank, had signed up to run the Anglesey Marathon. I got talking to her about it, found out it was on the 26th of September, it was 26.2 miles long and I was 26 years old at the time. It seemed like some kind of omen - I should sign up too! So I did, and it all went from there.
My parents were a bit worried when I first told them I was going to run a marathon. They know what an all-or-nothing personality I've got and how driven I can be once I put my mind to something, and they also knew how I used to abuse exercise for weight-loss in my teenage years, so I think they were concerned that I would take things a little too far!! However, once I got into the training and started building up the miles whilst managing to maintain the same healthy weight, their worries subsided a little.
I started training for the marathon as soon as I signed up, in late May 2010. It was 4 months away which was enough time to sensibly build up the milage and do a couple of long runs. Having never really raced before (apart from the rare occasions at school when I was selected - against my will, it must be said - to represent the school at athletic meets at Newquay and Par) I decided I could use a little race experience so it wasn't all so new to me and scary on marathon day. I found a couple of 10k races that were taking place before the marathon and signed up for them - they were the Sidmouth 10k (apparently not the ideal race to choose for your first ever race experience - I must have been the only person to get a PB on that course!) and the Jurassic Coast 10k (similar!).
I remember arriving at race HQ to register for the Sid-Fest 10k and thinking how sporty and professional all the other runners looked in their running club vests. I thought I would probably end up being left behind straight away and totally embarassing myself. I had no bench mark to measure myself against and just feared that as I was new and these people had clearly done this before, I would be bringing up the rear! But not so! We set off up the hill and not only was I not last, I was fairly near the front. I was tailing a girl who was in thrid the whole way and trying to hang onto her, but she just got away from me at the end. Also at the end I was overtaken on the final downhill by Emma Dupain of the Exmouth Harriers... cue the initial encounter that led me to joining this fantastic club! So I came 5th female in my first ever race... but I wasn't happy. I wanted to place top 3 and be in the prizes next time. In my next race, one week later, at the Jurassic Coast 10k, I improved my position to 4th lady. Then a month later, back in Wales, I not only made my target of the top 3 but I amazed myself by winning the Caernarfon 10k. And so that was that, I was hooked on a sport that I found I wasn't too bad at either.
On 26th September, I ran my first marathon. I didn't use a watch, had no idea about pacing. I had done 2 long runs of 3 hours each and coped ok, and so I just ran at a pace that felt comfortable to me. Luckily, I didn't blow up - despite an awful fueling strategy which only saw me take on 2 gels for energy and nothing else, other than water, the whole race - and I finished 2nd female and 15th overall in 3:19:16. That left me wondering, if I could do that time without a proper training regime and by just running my own natural pace, what could I maybe too with a bit more effort... And so began my love-affair with competitive running, that is still just as passionate almost 2 years on.
More musings to come soon, but for now, some photos from the Sid-Fest 10k.
At the foot of Peak Hill, after my first ever race in August 2010
And we're off! The start of the Sid-Fest 10k multi-terrain race: a 1km lung-busting climb, not the easiest race to pick as a first attempt!
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