The highs and lows of 2011

I feel like I must be old for saying this, but 2011 has really flown by. I'm sure that it was only yesterday when I was thinking, "I hope I can run without injuring myself again!" And now it's nearly 2012 and I can't believe what I've been able to accomplish in a year.

The highlights for me in 2011:

• Running again after my injury - In January I started running again 'for real' after an injury in July 2010. It was like starting from scratch with just a few miles at a time, a few days a week. I'm so glad that I was able to come back even better than before, and most importantly...with NO INJURIES! HOORAY!
• PBs in both the 10K (56.43) and half marathon (2.01.43) - Happy to know that I'm getting faster. Slowly, but surely!
• Hitting my highest weekly volume ever - Before this year my highest weekly volume averaged around 20-25 miles per week. This year I hit my highest ever weekly volume at 46.34 miles, more than I ever thought I could do! I've been doing 40+ miles a week for almost a month now and I hope to keep it as my baseline.
• Running 1000 miles in a year - This was never a goal for me since I had just started running again in January. But when I saw how close I was with just 10 days to go in 2011, I had to give it a try! I'm so proud that I was able to push myself to get the miles in. It was down to the final day but I ended with year with 1000.96 miles! Yay!
• Discovering the Twitter Running Family - In the short time that I've been on Twitter, I've been amazed at the support I get from my fellow runners. The advice and encouragement that I've received has been wonderful. And most of all, hearing about all of your accomplishments has been so inspiring. It's been great to be a part of such an amazing community so a big thanks to all of you!

Of course, every year has to have a few lows but there is only one that really glares out at me:


I didn't accomplish my goal of running a sub-2 hour half.

I guess I could look at this as a BIG FAIL. It really was my only goal for 2011 and I didn't do it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed but I'm trying to put a positive spin on it. I learned a lot of big lessons trying to get there this year, and now I'm more resolved than ever to work hard and blow this goal away in 2012!


Overall I'm proud of what I've accomplished in 2011. It's been amazing to discover that I could do more than I ever thought I could....and now I'm excited to keep pushing myself with new challenges. And while I knew that I loved running, it's really become a regular part of my life. I don't ever want to be without it.

It's been an unforgettable 2011, but I'm determined to make 2012 even better.

Happy New Year! Here's to your health, happiness...and inspired running!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas

When it comes to Christmas, Hubs and I generally follow this rotating schedule: 1 year my family, 1 year his family, and 1 year by ourselves somewhere. It does seem like we're spending Christmas on our own more and more, usually abroad!

This year we're off to spend Christmas with some friends in Abu Dhabi. I've never been to the UAE so I'm looking forward to seeing some interesting sights and doing a little bit of shopping! The five days we spend there will be filled with food, laughs....and lots of running!

I can't wait to run in the warm, sunny weather! With 46 miles left to get to 1000 miles for the year, I'll be getting up uncharacteristically early to beat the heat and get those miles in. Maybe I can even get Hubs and our friends to join in. We arrive late on the 24th which means one of the first things I'll do in Abu Dhabi is a Christmas Day run on the beach. I don't know how many runners will be out there with me in Abu Dhabi, but I'll be happy knowing that so many other runners will be running or racing on Christmas Day.

I hope my family knows that even though I'm far away, they are always in my thoughts. Wherever you are this year, I hope you have a great time celebrating the holiday!

Merry Christmas!

Review: Clif Builders vs. PowerBar Protein Plus

This year, protein has become a big part of my recovery after long runs or any other hard workout. I find that if I have a protein bar or shake immediately after I get back from my run, I feel a huge difference in my legs the next day. The Running Times has a great article (see it here) on protein which also has a formula for calculating how much carbs and protein you need post-run.

Most of the time I don't really feel like eating right after my run, so I've tried a few different products to see which I can get down quickly AND don't bother my stomach too much. Nowadays I alternate between bars and shakes for variety, but today I'm reviewing two protein bars:

• PowerBar Protein Plus in Cappuccino Caramel Crisp
• Clif Builders Bar in Chocolate

PowerBar Protein Plus
PowerBar boasts proteins from 3 difference sources: whey, milk and soy. The bar is covered in chocolate, and most of it is a soft, nougat like-layer. There is a crispy layer on top but it's very light--almost like a very thin layer of Rice Krispies with a little bit of caramel.

Week 3 recap - Weathering the storm

I can't believe week 3 is done and the holidays are just a week away! Shifting my rest day and alternating between easy and hard runs has worked well. This week I ran 44.63 miles, and felt my pace was better overall.

I'm especially proud of my long run yesterday. While many places around the UK were dealing with snow and ice, Brighton wasn't too bad. It was cold and clear when I headed out for my run, with no ice on the pavements. But about halfway though it started to rain....then sleet....then hail!

Ugh! Is anything worse than those stinging little hailstones on your face?

It hailed off and on for a few miles. By the time the rain stopped, I was very wet and very cold. My thin gloves were soaked and I could barely move my fingers! I thought about turning back but then decided to keep going. Despite being cold I was actually feeling good--I just couldn't waste that! I really pushed on the last 3 miles and finished strong.

Now I feel like I can fight through all kinds of weather. BRING IT ON!

So the challenge for the next few weeks is the holidays. We're going to Abu Dhabi for 6 days which means two 7-hour flights. Where and how will I get all the miles in?

PLUS, after checking my yearly mileage I was surprised to find that I'm currently at 917.8 miles for the year! I never intended to hit 1000 miles but now that I'm close.......I ABSOLUTELY have to try and get there. It means 40+ miles each week for the next two weeks, and half the time I'll be away.

Will I be able to run 1000 miles in 2011? Even if it means running all night on New Year's Eve, I'M GOING TO DO IT!

A rare treat: running with my OH

Last Saturday, I tweeted that Hubs was joining me on a run. I didn't think it was that big a deal, but I got quite a few comments on it. Most said that there was no way their other halves would run with them!

To be honest, a year ago I never would have believed my husband would EVER run, let alone run with me. Exercise has never been his thing and he never really found time during his crazy work schedule. And despite my nagging about diabetes and high blood pressure and thousands of other potential ailments, he ignored me! He is STUBBORN...yes stubborn in all capital letters! So no matter what I did I knew he wouldn't exercise--let alone run--unless he made his mind up to do it.

I'm sure I must've marked the occasion with a happy dance, but I can't really remember how Hubs started running. One day I think he just decided to go on a run for 20 minutes and realized it wasn't so bad! Since then, he runs about 1-2 times a week when his schedule allows.

At first Hubs and I never ran together. Even if we left at the same time, he went one direction and I ran the other! Then one day HE suggested it. I was wary as I still remembered the one time we did try to run together, a very long time ago. He went about 20 meters before turning around to go back home. But he promised it would be fine and you know, it was! Strange at first, since it was something we'd never done together. But nice.

Running together hasn't always been easy, though. I almost kicked him out of my running club after he complained I was too slow, and another time for refusing to accept some friendly advice! Grrr! But now we get along as running buddies much better.

I try not to push Hubs about his running, so I never ask him to run with me. He just suggests it once it a while when he knows I'm going on an easy run. When Hubs runs with me I almost feeling like he is getting a glimpse of my love for running....and therefore insight into a big part of me. So while Hubs doesn't run with me very often, for me it's always special.

Hubs will never be as crazy about running, and we'll probably never run together all that much. But I'm happy that he now tries to make running a regular part of his life.

Keep running, Hubs!

Do you run with your other half?

Week 2 Recap - A little tweaking

Week 2 is done and dusted. Feeling great because last week was my highest weekly running volume EVER--46.34 miles. I also hit most of my targets during my hard workouts, and it makes me feel so good to know that I CAN DO IT!

I've had to make a few adjustments, though. Earlier in the week I was feeling so frustrated because I took an unscheduled rest day on Tuesday. I just felt so tired! Looking back, I realized that I'd been doing the same thing over the last few Tuesdays.

No rest after my long runs clearly hasn't worked for me, so it seemed right to move rest day to Tuesdays since it was naturally falling there anyway. Then I re-jigged things so that every hard day is followed by an easy day. Now my weekly training plan basically looks like this:

Monday -  Easy + hill sprints
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Hard (threshold, intervals, etc)
Thursday - Easy
Friday - Hard (threshold, intervals, etc)
Saturday - Easy

Seemed to work pretty well for week 2, so interested to see how it goes from here!

Week 3....I'm ready for ya!

Race organizers, you really let me down!

Poor race organization.

It's something we runners probably deal with more often than we'd like. But it happens, occasionally on a huge scale. Like the Rock and Roll Las Vegas Half and Full Marathons last weekend. Sounds like the race conditions were terrible, sadly bringing out the worst in runners, too. Check out Lisa's (@runlikeacoyote) great race review here.

Considering how hard we train and how much we pay to run these races, I think race organizers are obligated to give us a good (and at the very least SAFE) experience. I COMPLETELY agree with Chronic Runner who wrote a great post about this a few days ago for The Running Bug (When Races Go Bad) so I won't rant about it here.

I have a few specific moments from various races on my "bad list" but these two posts have inspired me to share what I would classify as:

THE WORST thing that happened to me due to poor race organization!

In February 2010, I ran the Brighton Half Marathon. It was my second half and I was really looking forward to it. I ran my first one in Windsor which is quite hilly, so it was a great chance to test myself on a flat course. Plus it was my home race and much of it was where I trained everyday. What could go wrong?

Well, it poured rain the entire time. My friend and I were wet before we even started the race! But of course, the race organizers aren't responsible for the weather and we had no choice but to run. Despite the conditions we persevered, and I remember feeling grateful to all the locals who came out to cheer in the rain.

Finally I got to the end of the race. I could see the finish line ahead of me on Maidera Drive. I could hear the announcers! I could see the crowds! I mustered up every last ounce of energy to sprint to the end, ready to raise my arms up, only to find....

I couldn't cross the finish line!

I ran right into a massive crowd of runners that extended out in front of the finish, miles away from the line to get my chip time. In seconds there were others behind me and I was surrounded by more and more runners trying to get across. I thought I was going to be crushed! It was worse than the Tube during rush hour! After what seemed like hours later I was finally PUSHED across the line.

I couldn't believe it! The ONE thing that I wanted from the race was my time, and now I'll never know my actual time for running the Brighton Half. My official chip time was 2:07:30 but I'll always believe it should've been a minute or so faster. Unfortunately, I didn't run with a watch back then so I don't even have a Garmin time.

The cause of this chaos at the finish? Race organizers decided to place volunteers removing timing chips just a few feet away from the finish line. There wasn't enough room for people to cross the line AND stop to get their timing chips taken off in such a small area. Apparently it was especially crowded around the 2 hour mark. My friend crossed the line after me and said by then it was fine....so I guess I was one of the unlucky ones!

There were other organizational issues with this particular race (eg free for all at the bag drop), but not being able to cross the line is the one that I'll never forgive. How could a race that had been going on for almost 20 years make such an amateur error? And why didn't anyone move the chip removers back (or away completely) once it started to get crowded? Sadly, I don't think the organizers ever admitted fault but apparently the race was better in 2011. I hope so, because I've signed up to do it again in February!

So there you have it. My worst race organization travesty was not being able to cross the finish line at the Brighton Half Marathon.

What's yours?

Review: Under Armour ColdGear Compression Tights vs. Nike Tech Running Tights - which tights are better for a petite runner? Part 2

A few days ago, I compared the difference between youth, girls' and women's sizing for running tights, and came to the conclusion that even though they were still too long, women's tights still fit the best--even for a petite runner (see part 1 of this review here).

In part 2 of this review, I'm going to compare the following running tights:

• Nike Tech Women's Running Tights (£34 on Nike Store EU online)
• Under Armour Women's ColdGear Compression Tights (£36.98 on baselayer.co.uk)

I had originally planned to review the Nike Pro Hyperwarm Tights as they seemed the most similar to the Under Armour ones, but they were out of my size. I decided to review the Nike Tech tights because I'm familiar with the fit of the capri version and they were closest in price to the UA ones.

Nike Tech Women's Running Tights, Size XS
I wear Nike Tech Women's capris and they fit well on me, so I was expecting these to just be a longer-legged version. They are not compression but have a tight fit. The tights are made of breathable Dri-Fit fabric with flat seams, mesh fabric behind the knees, and weather-resistant material on the lower legs. There is a small pocket in the back for keys, etc. The waistband is typical of most capris or running tights--elastic with an inner drawstring.

The tech tights have zip vents at the hem and ankle bands--something I didn't realize when I ordered them. The leg openings are too tight to pull over your foot without unzipping the vents. The fit in the waist, hips and thighs is good but as expected they are way too long. A few more inches and they might completely cover my feet!

Nike Tech Women's Running Tights - as is

Review: Youth vs Girls' vs Women's - which tights are better for a petite runner? Part 1

Running tights or leggings have always been awkward for me. They are usually about a foot too long and often with zippers at the ankles, not very easy to alter. Luckily, the weather in Southeast England is temperate enough that up until now, I've been able to get by just wearing capris during the winter season.

But a few months ago when it was unusually cold, I randomly ran with capris and knee socks. I was mildly surprised at how much better my calves felt having a little bit of warmth! So I decided to go on a mission:

I was going to find a pair of running leggings that fit! (Or at least ones that I could live with!)

So I went to my local sports shop (Nick Rivett on Church Road--they are great!) and the very helpful salesman took one look at me and suggested the Under Armour ColdGear YOUTH leggings, as the material was really nice and the length would probably work for me. Size large fit surprisingly well and I was so happy when the leggings didn't cover my feet I took them home! But then I got thinking...

Youth and girls sportswear are worth considering because for basics, they are often cheaper and they solve a petite runner's biggest gripe--sleeves and legs that are far too long. But since clothes for women are often cut differently...ie for a woman...they are always worth a try, too. So for part 1 of this review, I'm going to try and highlight the differences between these options by comparing:

• Under Armour Youth ColdGear Action Leggings (Size L, £24.99 at baselayer.co.uk)
• Nike Pro Combat Printed Girls' Thermal Tights (Size L, £30.00 at Nike Store EU online)
• Under Armour Women's Cold Gear Compression Tights (Size XS, £34.99 at baselayer.co.uk)

Under Armour Youth ColdGear Action Leggings, Size L
These leggings have a high spec, very similar to UA adult leggings. They are described as having a close, compressive fit as well as other features like flat reinforced seams and odor control. The waistband is thick, reminding me a little of pull-on trousers that kids wear. The overall fit is good on me, although I feel like the rise is a little too high--my belly button is nearly covered! The length is definitely not too long...but surprisingly almost too short. These youth leggings go down to about 1 inch above my ankle bone and I would actually prefer them a tad longer.

Under Armour Youth

Week 1 Recap - Finding the courage to be slow

My training for the Brighton Half has started! I was looking forward to it after a solid prep week. Plus for the first time since my cold in October, I was really feeling like my old running self!

The week wasn't without its ups and downs, though.

I think my increased mileage during prep week affected me for the first few days. I was a little more tired than expected so took an unplanned rest day on Tuesday. But after that I felt much better and now seem to be adjusting to the new routine. Here's planned vs. actual:

PLANNED
Mon - Easy 5mi + 5 x 8 sec hill sprints
Tues - Unplanned rest day
Wed - Easy 7mi
Thurs - Easy 6mi
Fri - 8mi, last 20 min moderate
Sat - Rest
Sun - 9mi, last 20 min moderate

ACTUAL

Now, I know it all must seem very slow for someone who's trying to run a half under 2 hours. But for this training plan, I've decided not to be scared about being slow. When the plan says easy, I go easy.

I used to worry that my easy pace was just too slow--that I was supposed to go faster. Could a pace that's barely faster than walking be okay?! So I always made sure my easy runs hovered around a 10 min/mile pace.  But now I've accepted that my easy pace is my easy pace, and try to go by feel. I don't panic if I'm running a 12-minute mile if that's how I'm feeling that day. But I make sure I focus on achieving the pace requirements for the hard workouts. That's a MUST....

...and why I was happy with my long run today. I picked up the last two miles as I was supposed to, even though I had to run into the wind!

I've never taken this approach before, and maybe there IS such a thing as being too slow. But for now it feels right, and I'll just have to see what happens over the next few weeks.

On to week 2!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.....

Thanks to everyone's comments about my optimal running volume hysteria. The consensus was that I probably don't need to run 50-60 miles a week just to break 2:00 in the half....but that running more should still help me to improve. So while I still have the goal of increasing how much I run every week, I'm going to do it slowly and responsibly as I move towards the Edinburgh Marathon in May.

BUT...

...the bottom line is I still haven't been able to run under 2 hours yet. So I've decided to do something different and use the Level 2 Half Marathon training plan from the book 'Run Faster' by Brad Hudson and Matt Fitzgerald. This program will peak at about 45-50 miles per week which feels achievable. It also focuses on getting used to running half marathon goal pace.

To avoid any copyright issues I'm not reproducing the plan in full here, but sharing the plan for 1 week. Essentially all the weeks are structured the same way:

Monday  - Easy + Hill sprints
Tuesday - Hard run (fartlek, intervals, hill repetitions, threshold, progression)
Wednesday - Easy
Thursday - Easy
Friday - Hard run (fartlek, intervals, hill repetitions, threshold, progression)
Saturday - Rest or Easy
Sunday - Long run (usually progression)

Here is one of the hardest weeks:

My aim is not to overdo it on the easy days even if I'm feeling good, and to really hit goal paces on the hard days. Sounds simple but I've always struggled with this. The hills scare me a bit but I hear they are really good for you!

This plan is meant to be adaptive (ie you make adjustments as you need to along the way--more on this when I review the book) so hopefully it will evolve into a training plan that works really well for me. I can't wait to see how it goes the next few weeks!

Are you trying out a new training plan for your next race?