Tag Archives: Marathon

Grab life by the bells with the January kettlebell swing challenge

Posted in Fitness & well-being by

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Who actually keeps New Year’s resolutions?

If you’re screaming ME at the computer right now then please let me know – I want whatever you’ve got.

I’m not a quitter by any means but there’s something about New Year’s resolutions that I struggle to stick to. It might be something to do with the fact that at the start of the New Year people tend to go BIG. I think this is where I, along with a lot of other people, probably fall down.

It’s great to have goals but making your resolution something which you know deep down isn’t going to be manageable or even achievable is essentially setting yourself up for a fall.

I’ve decided to take a different approach this year and break my resolutions down in to month long goals to take on a different challenge or adopt a new habit each month.

Dane suggested the idea after we completed just over three weeks of the 100 burpees challenge (blog post to come on that soon). I love the idea of pushing my body and at the same time improving my fitness and endurance so this was the perfect idea.

I declare January as Kettlebell Month.

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Taken from Dan John’s 10,000 Swings Kettlebell Workout, our challenge will be to complete 1,000 swings a week which works out at something like 142 a day.

I’ll be doing mine with a 20kg bell whilst Dane will be using a heavier one and we’ll be doing Russian swings.

Dan John suggests breaking the swings up in to manageable sets and increasing the number of reps each time. For example 100 swings is broken down like this:
Set 1: 10 reps
Set 2: 15 reps
Set 3: 25 reps
Set 4: 50 reps

He also suggests introducing a low volume strength movement between sets such as tricep dips, goblet squats or chin-ups. It would work like this:
After set 1 – 1 rep
After set 2 – 2 reps
After set 3 – 3 reps
After set 4 – 4 reps

Rest 3 minutes or so after the entire four sets are completed with 30-60 seconds rest between sets.

You might not feel as though you need 30 seconds rest between set one and set two but trust me, when set four rolls around you’ll be glad of the rest. 50 unbroken swings after the other 50 is harder than it looks.

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So that’s Kettlebell Month – I can’t wait to get started. Other monthly challenges for 2015 will include swimming, yoga and handstands. I won’t be neglecting my running though as 2015 is going to be a BIG year running wise for me.

Here’s what I achieved in 2014:
– I ran my first marathon in 3.53
– I took part in my first 24 hour race, the Adidas Thunder Run 24 Hour and ran 31 miles.
– Along with my friend Jim I completed my first trail half-marathon, the Dalby Forest No Ego Run.
– I can officially say I’m a Tough Mudder
– I joined a running club and I started CrossFit.

Here’s what I want to achieve in 2015:
– Remain injury free!
– Run a sub 3.45 marathon
– Run a marathon abroad (Guten Tag Berlin Marathon!)
– Run my first ultra-marathon

Let me know what your 2015 goals are. You can Tweet me @hannahbryan91 email me hbryan91@gmail.com or follow me on Instagram @hbryan91

Happy New Year 🙂

Tackling common running injuries

Posted in Running by

Sometimes, just sometimes, I hate running.

I soon fall in love with it all over again but there is one element which makes me truly hate it sometimes. It’s not hitting the wall in a race, nor is it dragging myself out on long runs in the cold, dark and wet weather, it’s injury.

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That dreaded word strikes fear in to the hearts – and legs – of runners everywhere. Ask any runner, or any athlete for that matter, and they’ll probably tell you that the most frustrating thing you can be told to do is rest. Yes, it’s the sensible thing to do but when it’s what you love and what you do then being told you can’t perform for a while is devastating.

This blog post comes after a disappointing training run which basically ended in tears of frustration at a year old knee problem rearing its ugly head again.

So after a pep talk from Dane we decided that for a while it’s going to be lots of swimming, cycling and trail running rather than road running. He has also designed me my very own injury prevention programme which I’m excited to start.

If you say so, Ryan...

If you say so, Ryan…

Post pep talk I turned to my new bible. Ready to Run by Dr Kelly Starrett explains how to prevent and deal with injuries, how to tap in to your running potential and how to turn your weaknesses in to your strengths. Not only that but he also writes about how to equip your own home mobility gym and lays out a set of mobility exercises for restoring optimal function and range of motion to joints and tissues.

We should see injuries as messages about what’s missing in our mechanics and range of motion according to Starrett and by doing this we will be able to run faster, for longer and better.

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Starrett has a two-stage plan of attack for tackling common running injuries such as runners knee, ITB syndrome and shin splints.

1. When chronic pain rears its ugly head, study your mechanics and positions to determine the root cause of the problem. Go through the position standards: neutral feet, a good squat, hip flexion, hip extension and the mobility of your feet and ankles.
2. Position and mechanics come first; treating the symptoms is your second priority. Work on the problem area but also above and below the problem.

Starrett’s point is simple: “all human beings should be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves.”

As sports technology has developed we have been drawn in to a world of fancy trainers and innovative gadgets all boasting to enhance running performance but we need to be able to run without these items. Equip yourself with the tools and knowledge of how to maintain the best possible running form and technique and according to Starrett we will be Ready to Run. 

 

An advent calendar with a difference

Posted in Fitness & well-being, Running by
Photo credit to Advent Running

Photo credit to Advent Running

Since the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon – which was almost two months ago now – I am ashamed to say that I have really struggled to get back in to running. It is partly because of niggling injuries and partly because it’s that time of year when the motivation to jump out of bed on a cold, dark and wet winter morning can start to dwindle.

It was by chance that I spotted the Advent Running Challenge on Twitter which involves running every day for at least 30 minutes for 25 days, ideally starting on December 1.

With the Central Lancashire New Year Half Marathon fast approaching I thought that this would be the perfect time to get back in to the swing of things and make time for running in what usually promises to be a busy month full of Christmas shopping and festive fun. Not to mention that more running equals more mince pies!

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I will be starting my challenge tonight and will finish my last run on Boxing Day.
Get involved and check out the challenge online or Tweet Advent Running to share your pictures and running experiences. There will also be a spot prize each day for the best photo, video or written description of the day’s run shared on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

2014 has been a great running year for me and I want to make this final month a good one! Happy December running everyone!

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Officially a sub-4 marathon runner!

Posted in Running by

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I am officially a sub-4 marathon runner!

I can’t actually believe I’m writing that and I know it’s a good few days since I completed the second Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon but I feel as though it is just beginning to sink in. As I begin to lose some of the tenderness in my aching muscles and return to training tonight, what I achieved has finally hit me.

Actually, I think it hit me as I drove home from work yesterday and pressed play on my I-pod. Conor Maynard’s R U Crazy came blasting through my speakers and I began to cry. I realise how ridiculous this sounds, and how equally ridiculous it is for me to enjoy that song (it does have a good beat though), but during those 26.2 miles that song became somewhat of an anthem for me.

So I drove home teary eyed and got straight back into bed with my medal on to sleep it off. 12 hours later and I can safely say that I’ve passed the emotional stage and I’m ready for my next challenge!
But before that here’s a bit about the day.

I had three goals for the race:
1) The dream goal: to run the marathon in under four hours. (Incredibly ambitious and I started to think it was going to remain a dream for this race after a couple of weeks of difficult training due to a calf injury.)
2) The realistic goal: to run the marathon in about 4.30 (this was the most likely option given the calf setback.)
3) The ‘it has to happen’ goal: to finish in one piece (failing to finishing wasn’t an option.)

On the morning of the race I had my best friend Liana by my side and after a breakfast of toast and Meridian Foods smooth peanut butter and porridge with yet more peanut butter we headed to the event village along with my friend Dane. After I was taped up with my new pink Kinesio Tape and put on my CEP progressive compression socks (more about those babies later!) I was good to go.

The atmosphere was amazing and despite a foggy start the race got off on time and I was thrilled to see that the people of York were still out in force. After the first couple of miles I realised I had gone out a good 30-40 seconds quicker than my 9 minute 9 second mile pace to come in at four hours but I was still feeling good so I decided to just go with it.
After the first 10K I developed a strategy of drinking water at every station and having one of my strawberry flavoured Shot Bloks every 30 minutes.

The crowds at Stamford Bridge, which was just over the halfway mark, were incredible and I actually ran one of my fastest miles through there thanks to the support. Liana and Dane were also there which gave me a huge boost.

However when I reached mile 16 I felt like my legs were moving through treacle, something I didn’t expect at all as I was used to running up to 20 miles in my training. It wasn’t until mile 19 that I got back in to my stride and started to feel good again.
By this time I realised I was on track to run the marathon in less than four hours but for some reason didn’t let myself believe it just in case I jinxed it. Luckily, my legs powered me through – I’d like to thank Crossfit for that and those amazing CEP compression socks – my calf didn’t hurt once!

At about mile 25 and a half I was in for a real treat. My friend Jim, who I had run the Adidas Thunder Run 24 Hour with, had recorded our anthem from the race, an R Kelly song, on the megaphone he was carrying.
As I raced to complete my first ever marathon all I heard was “my minds telling me noooo...” Check out the video on my Instagram.

That final hill before the downward sprint to the finish was cruel but made that last leg of the race so much more rewarding.
I managed a sprint finish as I spotted Liana and Dane at the finish line and was amazed to see that I had come in at 3.53! I was beyond ecstatic and still felt as though I had fuel left in the tank.
The organisation of the race was spot on, as was the goody bag (those two Rocky bars went down a treat!) and the medal was also great.  I was particularly impressed with the engraving service which took 30 seconds to have your medal personalised – such a nice touch.

All in all, one of the best days of 2014 and I’ve already signed up to next year’s pre-sale!

Celebrating after with Liana

Celebrating after with Liana

At the start line ready to go

At the start line ready to go

Still smiling at mile 14

Still smiling at mile 14

Marathon mania

Posted in Running by
marathon outfit

Hoping I can keep this smile for the full 26.2 miles

So today it hit me that on Sunday I will be running a marathon.
A MARATHON. 26.2 miles.
I feel like it is finally starting to sink in. Well, either that or marathon mania has set in. There are so many thoughts whizzing around my head at the moment. Will my calf hold up, will the weather hold up and will I be able to spot my friends cheering me on when I’m struggling the most –  but I’m hoping I won’t be struggling that much!
I know that come Sunday when I line up at the start for the second Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon, these worries will evaporate and I’ll just try and do what I came to do; run.
But until then my race week has so far been filled with peanut butter, nerves, more peanut butter and more nerves.
Don’t get me wrong, I am seriously excited about the challenge ahead but as the day nears the enormity of it has dawned on me and I’m just hoping that more than anything, nothing will stop me from completing it.
This probably goes back to last year when I was lining up at the start line for the Robin Hood Marathon against advice from the physio and mainly my mother. I had been told, due to an injury to my knee, to either forget about the marathon or to power walk it.
I’m a bit of an all or nothing kind of girl so power walking 26.2 miles was never really an option for me, nor was bowing out completely. So off I went and for the first six miles I felt great. Mile 14 came and I was seriously struggling as the pain got worse. Mile 18 arrived and I knew my race was over as I was forced to pull out. Was it a stupid decision to run? Absolutely, and ever since then I have listened to the physio and to my body.
This time – touch wood – I have remained injury free apart from a slight niggling in my calf which I am 100% sure will hold up on Sunday – positive thinking works wonders you know!
So far this week I have done one short run which was slower than marathon pace and tonight I will hit the pool and do some stretching. Tomorrow I’ll jog to work and back.
Over the next few days I will no doubt drive my friends and family mildly crazy with my plan to make plans (I’m not ashamed to say that I have written a plan of what I need to plan before Sunday) and bore them with details of my outfit and my expected split times.
The marathon playlist is on its way to being finalised, I’ve planned how I’m getting there, now I just need to remember to enjoy it and give it my all.

Peanut & almond butter cups

Posted in Recipes by

Staring at gooey peanut butter, threatening to spill over the top of a newly opened jar must be what true love feels like.

I love peanut butter and these no bake treats are perfect for combining that love with one of my other true loves, chocolate.
But these treats are sugar free and are made with completely natural ingredients.

I was kindly sent some Meridian Foods crunchy almond butter and smooth peanut butter to sample. Meridian Foods peanut butter has long been my favourite PB brand; not only because it tastes amazing but also because it has nothing added to it.
I hadn’t tried the almond butter before so this gave me the perfect chance to experiment  and I couldn’t wait.

PB jars

Recipe makes 8-10 cups
You will need:
75g Meridian crunchy almond butter
75g Meridian smooth peanut butter
1 heaped tablespoon of honey
50g shredded coconut
25g sultanas

For the chocolate:
75g coconut oil
75g cacao powder
2 tablespoons honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Mix the almond butter, peanut butter, honey, coconut and sultanas until well combined.
Put a tablespoon full of the mixture in to cake cases before flattening down with the reverse side of the spoon to create an even finish.
Set these aside whilst you make the chocolate. To make the chocolate, melt the coconut oil in the microwave and then add the cacao powder, honey and vanilla extract and mix well.
Top the peanut and almond butter mixture with the melted chocolate and then pop in to the freezer for about 20 minutes until they are set.
Once they are set, they should be kept in the freezer to keep firm.  And there you have it, a simple and super quick way to rustle up some treats.

You can use just almond butter if you’d prefer or just peanut butter rather than combining them both and you can change the dried fruit depending on what you feel like. The almond butter was so tasty and the slightly nutty texture meant that these bites had a bit of a crunch to them as well – perfect!

 peanut butter and choc cups

Vale of York half-marathon

Posted in Running by

When the race organisers said that the course for the Vale of York half-marathon  was flat, they weren’t joking. With just one slight incline across the entire 13.1 miles, this course is perfect for those looking to bag a PB or take on their first half-marathon.

Held yesterday for the first time, it was also perfectly timed for those running the Yorkshire Plusnet Marathon on Sunday, October 12.

The event was sold out and over 1,000 runners were expected to take part. I joined those runners along with my best friend and fitness pal Liana (follow our fitness journey on Instagram using #fabsfitness) as we headed to the start line at the Race HQ at Sherburn Aero Club.

The sun was shining and other than not enough toilets, I can’t fault the organisation of it. The two ladies working on the bag drop were very busy but as long as you’re patient that doesn’t matter.

As I am now well in to my training for the Yorkshire Marathon (last weekend I ran 20 miles!) Liana and I decided to enjoy the sunshine and run this at marathon pace, rather than race it at half-marathon pace. After the first two miles we had settled in to a comfortable pace, with our mile splits only differing by a couple of seconds either side.

So far my long runs haven’t always been at marathon pace, especially the much longer ones.  My coach told me that I need to be able to run some of my long runs comfortably at marathon pace so this was a great training run for me.

Although the route was made up of long, flat and often straight roads, it was made enjoyable by the attractive scenery. As we reached the finish line the crowds had picked up and really gave runners a boost as they crossed the finish line.

Once we had handed our timing chips in we were greeted with an energy gel, a technical t-shirt and a medal.

All in all, the route was great and both Liana and I said that it was one of the most enjoyable races we had ever run. I’ll definitely be back next year to try and secure a PB.

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Liana and I celebrate with our medals after completing the first ever Vale of York half-marathon

20 facts about me

Posted in Fitness & well-being by

Time for some blogger loving!

This afternoon I was Tweeted by Jess Wreford (@jcwnutrition) who writes a fantastic blog documenting her fitness and nutrition journey. Jess encouraged myself and fellow bloggers @ashjvella @alexbakero @ThomasGudgeon @SpamellaB @BeiFit @hookedonhv @healthjenblog and @fabgiovanetti to write 20 facts about ourselves.

After reading Jess’ I wasted no time in starting mine and it felt quite therapeutic to write actually. So here goes…

 

20 facts about me :)

20 facts about me 🙂

1) I’m 22 and have been working as a trainee journalist for the past year after spending three years at the University of Sheffield studying journalism.

2) #poweredbypeanutbutter – I am ADDICTED to peanut butter, in particular Meridian Foods peanut butter and will put it on just about anything.

3) I once ate a kilo of peanut butter in just three days.

4) I’m a runner and have completed four half-marathons – my PB is 1 hour 39 and I’m hoping to get that down to 1.28 by early next year.

5) I am currently training for my first marathon – the Yorkshire Plusnet marathon on October 12 and I am hoping to run it in under four hours.

6) I recently joined a running club, the Knavesmire Harriers, to help work on m y speed and endurance and I love it.

7) I LOVE fun facts – if you’ve got any fun/quirky facts hit me up!

8) I’m a huge fan of adventures, so much so that I even have the word ‘adventure’ tattooed on me in Nepalese.

9) In 2011 I trekked to Everest Base Camp with a group of students from university for a charity called Childreach International.

10) I recently started CrossFit at CrossFit Jorvik and I’m already addicted to it. I’ve also seen the benefits of doing CrossFit in my running.

11) The majority of my wages goes on food for new recipes or trainers – I have lots of trainers both for working out and just for day wear– my Nike Airs are my babies!

12) Every morning when I get to work I drink two coffees, with a little bit of milk, no sugar, in quick succession.

13) My favourite time of day to run is either first thing in the morning before everyone else is awake or in the rain.

14) I love lazy mornings at the weekend before heading out on a long run and my ideal breakfast in bed would be smoked salmon, poached eggs, spinach, big mushrooms and really good brown toast.

15) I advocate a healthy, balanced lifestyle. My friend Liana has the motto of healthy body, healthy mind and I completely agree. I love treats and never deprive myself of anything.

16) Health and fitness wise I’m learning how to fuel my body properly and I’m on a mission to get stronger and faster. Strong is the new skinny after all.

17) I work-out about 5-6 times a week with a mixture of running and CrossFit.

18) I’m going to be an auntie next year and I’ve already told my sister that I’m going to teach the baby to run really fast.

19) I was a cheerleader for two years at university and took part in competitions alongside my friend Becca.

20) I run simply because I love it. I find running therapeutic and I have found that there’s not much that a good hill sprint session or a 10K can’t solve. For me it’s also about feeling healthy and full of energy and to know that you’re looking after your body to the best that you can.

Marathon training & some other challenges in between

Posted in Fitness & well-being, Running by

After weeks of thinking about it I’ve finally devised myself a training plan for the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon.
With just under three months to go I thought I’d share my training with you as I work up to running 26.2 miles and take on a few different challenges in between. 

Here’s a little about what I’ve got coming up:

Saturday, July 19: The No Ego Trail Challenge – Conquer the Forest half marathon at Dalby Forest
Just five days from now I’ll be running my first trail half-marathon. I’m not sure just how much of the stunning views of Dalby Forest I’ll be able to take in though as we battle through water, jump over fallen trees and tackle mud bogs and plenty of hills. As it’s my first one I’m not expecting a fantastic time but ideally I’d like to complete it in less than two hours.

Saturday, July 16: Adidas Thunder Run 24 Hour
For many people, the thought of running for 24 hours would sound like some form of extreme punishment. To me though, it sounds like one hell of an exciting challenge. I have been lucky enough to secure a place on the Women’s Running magazine team for this incredible challenge, organised by Adidas. The idea is that someone from the team has to be running the 10k trail route at all times across 24 hours. Each competitor must complete at least one lap but after that you can run as many as you want, or take it in turns. Hats off to those solo runners who do the full 24 hours by themselves! I don’t doubt that it’s going to be a huge test for me, both physically and mentally.

Saturday, August 2: Tough Mudder Yorkshire
My best friend and fitness fanatic Liana took on Tough Mudder last year and this year we’ve decided to do it together. We will be volunteering as course marshals on the Sunday after running the course on the Saturday as well. For those of you who don’t know what Tough Mudder is all about, it’s described as the toughest event on the planet. Over ten-12 miles we’ll tackle a range of obstacles from underwater tunnels to rope climbs and even fire to test our strength and all round physical (and mental) capabilities.

So that’s what I’m facing at the moment, a gruelling three weeks with plenty of recovery and mobility work in between and quite frankly I can’t wait!