Getting Back on Track

Descending Dead Woman's Pass

So it has been a very busy couple of months- August and September to be exact. It currently feels like I am playing ‘catch-up’ with all my hobbies, this blog being one of the many things that I have had to leave dormant while dealing with a few really exciting weeks. I have also been trying to think of theme(s) to link all the many things that I have been doing during August and September. After quite a lot of thought, it has to be humility and perspective. I chose humility because I realise how lucky I am to be able to come back from my injury and be able to train for a marathon again. I hope I have found some sort of perspective by being able to juggle the many things that life throws at me, whilst still finding time to enjoy running. 

Burnham Beeches Half-Marathon 14 August 2016

I will try to write up a more detailed review of the race, but for now this short review will have to do. The key challenges of the two lap Burnham Beeches race (BB) is that it lulls you into a false sense of security with its lovely surroundings, the undulating course (that isn’t quite hilly enough to put a brake on your pace, but slowly eats away at your endurance) and depending on the weather the heat can make things tougher than a spring half marathon. My main advice would be that of the race organisers; is to try and go at 75% effort for the first lap of the course, then see if you can really race the second lap.
 

In terms of training I would go and do some hill-training in preparation for the course. This would be to get used to the changes in pace going up and down some of the undulating parts of the course. It will also get your hamstrings and quads used to the course, as after going up and down at speed for six miles your legs begin to feel it. Speed work will also help, but then that can be applied to all races in my opinion. Due to my injury I didn’t have time to fully employ these methods, but would not mind targeting Burnham Beeches again in 2017. What I was very much happy with is my time of 1hr 24mins 43secs, for what I found out to be a relatively tough course. I also didn’t help myself by getting tangled up with an ironman runner, who seemed to have bundles of endurance and to keep on chatting through most of the race (maybe poetic justice for all the incessant chatting I make when doing track training?!).

What humbled me about this race was that as I was waiting in the start pen, a man in his 60s came up to me and asked me how my club (London Heathside) was doing. He introduced himself as Professor Nick Bingham, who has some interesting blog entries of his own on running. Running is not an easy sport and many people tend to hang their shoes up for a whole variety of reasons, whether through injury or family commitments, etc. It was amazing to find someone who still had the same verve and enthusiasm for running, as they did when they were younger, and it is something that I aspire to be like when I am older.

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu  

The other thing that I did in August and September was the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. This was for my honeymoon and is one of the most amazing things I have done. You can see from the photo at the top of this blog how sublime the views of the Trail were and it was quite a shock coming back to the London, after walking through such a beautiful landscape. 

The thing that truly humbled me, as well as giving me perspective, were the porters who carried everyone’s equipment/ food for the trip. Each porter carried roughly 25kg, but yet they were able to walk/ run faster than anyone in our group; and had set -up our camp with food ready, even before we had arrived. It was truly astonishing. It made me realise that some people use running as a means of earning a living, in the Cuzco region porters can earn more than a teacher during the tourist season. 

Even with all the marathon training I had done before the Inca Trail, I still struggled with the altitude as well as the ascents/ descents on the trail. There was something so impressive about watching the porters going about their work, even when they seemed tired from their running/ walking they still had a smile on their face. 

The Abingdon Marathon 23 October 2016

As my marathon training nears its completion I am truly grateful that I have managed to get this far without being injured yet (fingers crossed).  Marathon training is a tricky business, you balance pushing your body beyond what it is normally used to whilst trying to avoid tearing a muscle. Throw into the mix, the silly little obstacles that life can put in your way and sometimes trying to get your next personal best at a marathon can seem pretty daunting. 

Maybe that is why marathon training is so attractive to some people, it's about turning up at the start line even when you've had loads of things stopping you from getting there. As one of my running partners once said; marathons are an enigma, that is why we keep coming back to them. I hope when I arrive at the start line of Abingdon that I can bring that same perspective and humility with me throughout the race, which I have gained over August and September.