Victory!

It's been a steady week this last week. Thanks to a wonderful array of germs, I've been feeling a little under the weather, which was definitely slowed me down, both metaphorically and physically! I still really struggle with listening to my body when it comes to things like this, as I hate feeling that I am skiving or not putting in the work that I should be. But, as I keep saying, I am playing the long game. Missing a few shorter runs now is preferable to missing longer, more important training later on! 

Keeping this in mind, I took 3 rest days in a row, which in actual fact only meant missing one scheduled run, but felt like an awful lot of staying home and not being active. I was also sure to eat lots of oranges and get some extra vitamin C in my system! 

After these three days off, The Fiance and I travelled to Glasgow on Friday evening to visit 'The Nana', which as you can imagine on a Friday evening, involved a lot more sitting still in a car! Knowing that we had a full weekend of travelling and family visits, I had to be strict and insist that I didn't miss my Saturday morning ParkRun! This meant... you guessed it! Some ParkRun tourism! The Fiance and I went and explored the Pollok ParkRun, which I can confirm is much hillier than those around Harrogate! This being said, I have come away from the experience both victorious and completely elated. Despite the seemingly never ending hills (which you get to experience twice, by the way, seeing as it is a two lap course!), I put in a respectable time of 25.16, came 8th female overall AND (and this is my favourite AND)  I BEAT THE FIANCE!!! The first time ever, in the history of us being together that I have been faster than him! And I have it in black and white, ParkRun results! And here they are!!

Be warned... I am unashamedly reserving all gloating rights over this for the foreseeable future and might even print and frame it for his birthday!  

Anyway, it's a new week and even though the runny nose/cold seems to be lingering, I'm hoping to get back to following the training plan to the letter, which means upping the millage to distances I have never actually run before. A half marathon has always been my biggest distance so this is where the real challenge begins; carrying on even after the legs feel like they want to give up! 

That's all from me for now though.. I should probably go run somewhere! 

Please don't forget to show me your support by leaving a donation on my Just Giving page, big or small, they make all the different to the people HFT support and the notification absolutely keep me out training whatever the weather!  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fiona-kitchingman  

Shivers Down My Spine

It might have passed a lot of us by, but this week, history has been made!

On Sunday, whilst I was exhausted after running 13.1 miles, an incredible group of people were setting out on an even bigger challenge: running 'The Montane Spine Race', an ultra marathon spanning 268 miles of The Pennine Way. 

I have always been in awe of people who even contemplate taking on the challenge of an ultra marathon and these amazing runners are no different. What they have achieved is nothing short of incredible and I am absolutely using them as a source of inspiration as I embark on the next phase of my marathon training! 

Now I mentioned history being made, and you might be wondering "Surely this race has happened before? What makes this one so special?" Well I will tell you what has made this one so special: An incredible woman called Jasmin Paris. 

Jasmin Paris, a mother of a 14 month old child, won the Montane Spine Race. She didn't just win the 'Women's Race'. She won THE RACE, finishing in 83 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds! This smashed all previous course records, beating the previous fastest man by 12 hours and 5 minutes and the record women's time by 26 hour and 42 minutes. WOW! 

What an inspiration for women in sport?! 

On the flip side, IronMan UK have just launched their 'Iron Girl' 5K race. Yes. 5 Kilometres, and on the same day as Jasmin Paris blew her male competition out of the water! What a marketing mistake! 

Women have had no problem in taking on the challenge of the regular IronMan, so why patronise female athletes with a 5 Kilometre race, marketed only at women? 

I understand that a full IronMan race might be intimating to athletes just starting out in the sport, but are there not male beginners too, who may not be ready to take on the full or half IronMan? Would they not appreciate access to a 5 Kilometre version of the race? Or is this privilege just reserved for we of the fairer sex? (I would not be surprised if you could actually hear my eyes rolling at this point!)

It seems that I am not alone in my outrage at this PR blunder and women and men all across the internet are voicing their opinions on this addition to the IronMan calendar; many of which refer to the fact that we have come so far in terms of gender equality, that they are horrified that IronMan Uk thought that this would be well received. One commenter even states she is concerned that if she competes in the race, she may not make it back to the 1950s in time to have the washing, ironing and cooking done before her husband returns home from work. 

I think this really highlights the importance of raising the profile of the incredible female athletes that continually achieve amazing goals, setting a fantastic example for girls and boys everywhere. We mustn't be limiting the aspirations of our future athletes by sending them the message that the 'girls'' race is only 5 Kilometres long! 

Our girls can do whatever they set their minds to and I am going to show them just that! Compared to The Montane Spine Race, the London Marathon is only a very short distance, but it is the metaphorical mountain that I have chosen to climb, and climb it I will. 

I am woman, hear me roar! 

The Brass Monkey - PB!

Well, I did it!! Despite the nerves and second guessing, I completed The Brass Monkey in 1 hour 48 minutes and 13 seconds! 

I am completely thrilled and over the moon with how today went. Mother Dearest and I got up at about 7 and had our pre-run breakfast of porridge. There was almost a disaster at this early stage, when I added regular milk to my oats rather than the dairy free oat milk that I should have. Luckily I realised and was able to start again, as that would have really ruined my race! 

By 8.15 we were on the road to York, being tormented by all the phantom pains that seem to plague runners in the build up to a race. For me, it was my hip that suddenly started to hurt, and was that a twinge in my knee? Disaster! 

On arriving at the Racecourse in York, we went for a a quick explore to find the start and finish and see what we were dealing with... Oh and have the compulsory extra toilet trips that you're not quite sure if you really need! 

Then it was time. The Garmins were set, the jumpers discarded and the runners ready to go. Just one more thing to do. Run it! 

I am pleased to report that everything went to plan! The tapering off did its job and my legs and body were ready to go and the pace felt good! I was slowly overtaking those around me and feeling strong, repeating my mantra "This is what you have trained for! You can do this!" and I really could! 

The first half of the race I was easily ahead of my target pace of 8.20 minute miles (which would get me in at 1 hour 50 minutes), however the second half didn't come quite as easily! This was probably due to the headwind that was attempting to pummel all of the runners into submission as we made our way around the largely unprotected course; the worst of which seemed to coincide with the final 800m. 

Turning back into the Racecourse, I could see that if I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, I was going to finish in under my goal time. But every runner knows you want to put in that final push on the home straight! Well the headwind soon put rest to that! I put in the extra effort, but that only seemed to maintain my existing pace in the face of the wind! Something that did help however was the friendly faces of some of the Knaresborough Striders, cheering and supporting all the club members over the line. It was actually remarkably comforting seeing the familiar blue and yellow vests out on the course, knowing that there were friends who would help carry you along to the end of the course with motivational words should you need it! 

At the end of the day, it didn't really matter. I still smashed my PB, knocking almost 12 minutes off my previous time and felt relatively good while doing it! However, if you had asked me to turn around and run back, my answer would have been very short and contain only two letters. NO! 

But that is the next challenge and I will now be getting myself ready, both physically and mentally, to do double what I have done today! 

A massive congratulations to all the Striders and other athletes who ran today's race and to all of those who helped to put the event together. It was a well organised event and seemed to go off without a hitch! Also a big shout out to Mother Dearest for her new PB as well! What a team! 

Please help me celebrate and ease my aching legs with a donation, big or small, to my Just Giving page for The Home Farm Trust. 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fiona-kitchingman

Smiling faces despite the aching legs! 

New Stuff and a New Race!

It's been a week of 'tapering' this week, easing off the miles in the run up to the Brass Monkey Half Marathon, which has worked quite well as it's also been back to work after the Christmas holidays! 

A few weeks ago I used the vouchers my class bought me to get myself some new running kit to keep me going through the rest of the winter as I keep increasing the miles. And what can I say? There's nothing like new kit to give you that extra bit of motivation! I have some fantastic new thermal leggings, so the cold is no longer an excuse for not wanting to run, as well as a Camelbak to keep me hydrated on my longer runs and so far it seems to be working well! 

I have recently survived a 13 mile run (and managed to complete it in a time that would a PB!), which is a good sign seeing as tomorrow is the Brass Monkey! You would think this would inspire some confidence, but no... Still the stress dreams come! I'm sure all will be well though! 

Mother Dearest and I did a bit of a practice run on New Year's Day, doing the 'ParkRun Double', getting to York in time for a Race start and running on the flatter ground across the York and Heslington ParkRuns. It was definitely worthwhile and we enjoyed the double ParkRun and both got new PBs for the courses! (Fairly easy when you haven't actually run the course before!)  

Once we have completed the Brass Monkey, we are officially into London Marathon territory! Moving on from the half marathon training plans and beginning those for the marathon. Even as I type that, I can feel the butterflies in my tummy! It's all beginning to feel very real and very scary! 

Having said that, I think it's important to remind myself, that despite the fact that I am finding this incredibly challenging, I am also really enjoying it. I can feel the progress and I am understanding the way my body is responding to being pushed further than it ever has before. I am enjoying the knowledge that I am fitter and faster than I have ever been before. And I love that I can go out and run for an hour comfortably, which used to seem like a big challenge! 

In other news, we have a new member of our running community! The lovely E joined us for her first ParkRun last week and she was great! She might correct me, but I think she even enjoyed it! 

Watch this space for the result of the Brass Monkey! Come Monday I should hopefully have a new medal and T.Shirt in the collection and fingers crossed for a new Half Marathon PB!

Remember that all of this hard work is for a very good cause and we need as much sponsorship as possible. I'm currently at 41% of my goal and would love to get over the half way mark with this half marathon, so head over to my Just Giving page and leave a donation!

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fiona-kitchingman