14 reasons to love your long runs

Posted in Running, Uncategorized by hannahbryan91

It’s early Sunday morning and your eyes are barely open as the microwave whirs. When it pings you’re still on autopilot, chopping up a banana and slowly munching on breakfast. It’s long run day.

Sacrificing your Sunday lie in can be hard and when it’s still pretty cold outside it’s even harder to get out and enjoy that long run. Spring is fast approaching though and as the weather picks up I’ve found myself enjoying my long runs more and more.

Here is my top 14 list of reasons to love long runs and embrace your Sunday Funday.

1- Second breakfast – Trust me to think of food first but that breakfast after is just SO good. When I ran the Yorkshire Marathon I spent a sizeable chunk of the race thinking about where to go for food afterwards. Not only does it pass the time but you get to eat a delicious and nutritious meal afterwards. Who doesn’t love a second breakfast?

2- Endorphins – It’s impossible to not feel great after going for a run. Sure you might feel tired and achey but those endorphins coursing through your veins will have you feeling psyched and ready for the day ahead, which leads me nicely to my next point.

3- Rest of the day – Getting up early to get that long run in means it’s out of the way and you’re free to enjoy the rest of your day. You can embrace Sunday Funday without having that long run feeling hanging over you all day.

4- Miles in the legs – Embrace the fact that this long run is getting the miles in your legs. Whether you’re training for a marathon, half-marathon or a 10k it’s all miles in the legs and that kind of confidence is invaluable when it comes to race day.

5- Time to think – Long runs are the perfect time to think about things whether it’s clearing your head, thinking about race day if you’re training for an event or simply thinking about your week ahead. Not to mention it’s the perfect time to…

6- De-stress – If you’re hitting the road and feeling agitated by something, I guarantee that by the time you hit four miles you’ll be feeling better. Running is the perfect way to de-stress and take that anger out on the roads/trails as those endorphins start to hit.

7- See nice places – When you’re running you become an aerobic tourist. Drive somewhere different and run from there or simply try a new route at home to see different places and take in some amazing views.

8- Spend time with a friend – If you prefer running with someone then this is the perfect way to spend time with a friend, providing they love running too of course! When you’re doing lots of long runs it can be hard to fit social commitments around that so if it’s a fellow runner you want to catch up with then invite them along one Sunday.

9- Practice fuelling – It might not be the most exciting reason to embrace the long run but come race day you’ll be happy you tried out those different gels and found out what works best for you.

10- Perfect your pace – Same as above. It can also show you just what you’re capable of and where you’re currently at with your training.

11- New running gear – Putting in more miles? Then it’s definitely time to reward yourself and buy those new leggings/trainers you’ve had your eye on.

12- Push yourself – There’s something so satisfying about pushing yourself and seeing what you’re capable of. Even if it doesn’t go to plan you’ll have an idea of what you need to do next time to improve.

13- Never be bored on a Sunday – No weekend plans? No problem! Sunday Funday long runs mean you’ll always have something to do on a weekend.

14-End to a great week – What could be better than rounding off a week with a good, solid long run? Not only that but you’ll start the next week off on a high knowing that you’ve had a great week and ended with a fantastic training run.

Enjoying the nicer weather & running with the dog!

View along the river one Sunday Funday

A serious long run….!

4Feb2015

It don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that swing…

Posted in Fitness & well-being, Uncategorized by hannahbryan91

Celebrating after doing out 4,433rd & final swing of the month!

So after 143 swings every day, 1,001 a week and 4,433 in total, Kettlebell Month is officially over. It has been a great challenge and I think we chose the best one to kick-start 2015.

To jog your memory Dane and I decided that instead of creating new year’s resolutions this year we would take on monthly challenges, starting with kettlebell swings.

On certain days, namely those when I had the previous days swings to do as well, it was tough but over the past 31 days I’ve seen changes in my body as well as a definite increase in strength and endurance.

Throughout the challenge I used a 20kg kettlebell whilst Dane used a 24, 32 or even a 48kg bell and we did Russian swings which you can see a video of later in this post.

Swings are such a simple exercise but when done correctly they provide fantastic benefits. Here’s a little bit of what I love about kettlebell swings.

Simplicity – You don’t need a gym or a whole lot of space to do swings. All you need is this one piece of equipment and 10-15 minutes out of your day. Kettlebell workouts needn’t be 30-40 minutes long- they don’t even need to be 20 minutes long! Build them in to an EMOM (every minute on the minute) workout or a Tabata set which is eight rounds of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for four minutes.
Increased aerobic and anaerobic capacity – Because they’re such a good HIIT (high intensity interval training) exercise, kettlebell swings will boost your anaerobic capacity whilst your lungs and heart will get a good workout with high reps.
Combines cardio and strength training – What more could you want from a workout?!
Strengthen your core muscles – With every swing you do you are engaging your core and a strong, stable core will transfer in to success in other sports/fitness areas as well as aesthetically.
Tighter glutes – ‘nuff said.
Increased power – Because the swing is a hinge movement, kettlebell swings will increase the power in your glutes and hammies as your thrust forward.
No more back problems – Swings help to reduce neck, shoulder and lower back pain as they develop the hamstrings, glutes, core and back.
Fat burner – Not only are kettlebell swings a great HIIT exercise, they also boost your metabolism post workout when done with a decent weight.

Now here’s what I noticed:

My core was definitely stronger and this in turn has helped with my running as well as exercises such as toes to bar at CrossFit and keeping my core tight in other exercises and lifts.
Tighter glutes which has also helped with my running.
They got easier! When I first started CrossFit swinging a 16kg was mega tough but now I know that I can do 20 swings at 20kg EMOM for 10 minutes.
Endurance – my endurance improved and it became easier to hit 12 swings per round in a Tabata set and basically just to keep swinging!!
Time – I learnt that no matter how busy I might convince myself I am, the reality is that there’s always time to get something done. On days when I thought I didn’t have time I just did a Tabata set and within four minutes I’d got 96 done. Easy.

Here’s a video of the last day of swings 20 EMOM, my grip was GONE by the end!

We’re now moving on to yoga month which I am SO excited about. I don’t do anywhere near enough stretching as I should do so I’m excited to improve my flexibility and strength and hopefully I’ll find it relaxing as well.

Dane’s getting in to the swing of things already!

I have downloaded the Pocket Yoga app on to my phone and iPad and here are some of the poses I’m going to try and master by the end of the month -apparently I’ve picked some of the hardest ones – go hard or go home, ey!

8Jan2015

Refusing to let injury stand in my way

Posted in Running by hannahbryan91

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as the perfect marathon training plan.”

My physiotherapist said this to me at a recent session and I couldn’t agree more. We can spend time devising detailed training plans suitable to our goals – I’ve got a pretty good one drawn up for April’s Manchester marathon – but at the end of the day marathon training is really about taking it all in your stride, no pun intended.

Even if you’ve got the best plan drawn up, external factors can halt your plans such as work commitments or a niggling injury.

It’s the latter which has temporarily derailed my schedule but after a long awaited visit to the physiotherapist I’m here to tell you that if your marathon training is halted because of injury don’t panic, don’t hit the peanut butter and certainly don’t think that you’re out of the race. It can be quite the opposite in fact, unless your physio has advised against racing entirely obviously, but if your injury just requires rest for a couple of weeks then it’s still game on rather than game over.

Over the past couple of weeks I have experienced a pain in my knee similar to someone clamping it in a vice every time I’ve reached two miles on a run. It’s not a pain I have experienced from running before and it’s certainly not fun so I booked in to see Jeroen at Jorvik Physiotherapy who was fantastic.

I’ve got to rest for three weeks but luckily not entirely. I’m only allowed to do upper body weight training, cycle or go on the cross-trainer. I can also swim but no breaststroke. I can start running again after three weeks, or sooner if the swelling in my knee goes down before then, and I’ve been given some good stretches to do and told it needs massaging every day.

Jeroen was so positive which really kept me upbeat and he told me ways to keep my strength up without damaging my knee and was confident that I’d be back on track within a month or so. Personally I think that finding a good, positive physiotherapist makes a world of difference.

So even though I’ve been told to rest, I’m lucky enough that it’s not complete rest, which can often be the case with knee injuries. I plan on cycling a lot, getting my swim on (thanks Adidas for my new costume) and still bashing out pull-ups and what not at CrossFit, all the while keeping a mindful watch on my knee.

I’m also lucky enough to have been drawn up a prehab plan for my knee to hopefully prevent me from getting injured in the future. I’d definitely recommend having a coach draw one of these up for you too if you’re injured. It’s something you can incorporate in to a training plan and eventually doing the exercises will just become a habit.

Here’s a little snippet of what mine involves:

Single leg hip lifts
Seated leg lifts/L-sit progressions
Side plank with leg raise
3 point plank
Glute circuit of glute bridges, clam shells, fire hydrants and glute ham walks.
So, if it’s bad news from the physio don’t view it as bad news, view it as a new way to train. If you can’t run, yes it’s beyond frustrating, but look at what else you can do, talk it through with your physio and find new ways to keep strong, fit and healthy and I promise that when you get back to running it’ll all be worth it and you’ll still be feeling fit and ready to race.

🙂

Ps If anyone in York is in need of a physio visit Jorvik Physiotherapy in Fulford, Jeroen knows his stuff.

30Dec2014

Grab life by the bells with the January kettlebell swing challenge

Posted in Fitness & well-being by hannahbryan91

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.

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.

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 🙂

16Dec2014

Tackling common running injuries

Posted in Running by hannahbryan91

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.

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…

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.

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.

12Dec2014

Manchester Marathon: my sub 3.45 goal

Posted in Running by hannahbryan91

As of Monday I am officially back on a marathon training schedule as I start working towards the Asics Greater Manchester Marathon.

Beginning on the 15th will give me 18 weeks of training, including my three to four weeks of tapering, to prepare for the race on April 19th. If training through the winter wasn’t challenging enough, I’ve gone and set myself a goal of running a sub 3.45 marathon.

Celebrating after the Yorkshire Marathon

Unlike my training for the Yorkshire Marathon earlier this year, which definitely didn’t go to plan, I’m going to try and not get hung up on a time. There were times in my training when I got pretty stressed out (apologies to my friends and family!) because I had to miss a session due to other commitments or most annoyingly because of a niggling injury. However I have since learnt that being forced to divert from your plan isn’t always a bad thing.

I’m hoping to do lots of swimming and cross training over the next 18 weeks as well to keep strong, build up endurance and remain injury free. I’m also going to make a conscious effort to work on my mobility and no doubt the foam roller will become my best friend once again.

The first few weeks of my plan will hopefully ease me in before I gradually start to build up the mileage. I am already excited for Sunday Funday’s to be all about long runs, chocolate milkshakes and recovery meals. Bring it on.

The first four weeks of my marathon training plan

After hopefully putting in a good performance at Manchester I’ll have five months before the Berlin Marathon. Yes, I am one of the lucky ones who has managed to secure a place through the ballot and I couldn’t be happier. The Berlin marathon is an iconic race which draws in runners from all over the world and I can’t wait to meet other runners from across the globe and run a marathon in such a gorgeous city.

2Dec2014

An advent calendar with a difference

Posted in Fitness & well-being, Running by hannahbryan91

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!

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!

10Nov2014

Sunday Funday: Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby coastal run

Posted in Fitness & well-being, Running by hannahbryan91

I’m pretty sure that this is exactly how weekends are meant to be spent; outside in the fresh air, exploring the great outdoors and of course running.

The view looking back towards Robin Hood’s Bay

A late one on Saturday night resulted in a slightly lazy morning on Sunday before Dane and I headed out to Robin Hood’s Bay to breathe in the fresh sea air and tackle the 10K trail run to Whitby.

Considering the weather in York had been horrendous on Saturday we couldn’t have asked for better weather on Sunday as we arrived at Robin Hood’s Bay. It was crisp and cool but the sun was on our backs as we had a little wander around the village and a mini warm up on the beach before we set off.

The route is about 6 miles if you follow the coastal path but you can also opt for a shorter and less hilly route along the cinder track. After a brisk walk to the start of the trail we were soon running along the coastline which offered fantastic views over the bay and out across to Whitby, I genuinely felt like I was on holiday!

I’ve not done much running since the Yorkshire Marathon so hitting the trails was more forgiving on the knees and provided plenty of entertainment along the way…but more on that later.

As well as offering stunning views along the coast the route also kept our legs guessing, with rocks, hills and even the occasional stair sprint too. The only aspect that did prove difficult was going downhill in the mud. We were taking bets as to who would be the first to go down and luckily for me it was Dane – much to my amusement!

If you’re going to do this run I would definitely recommend donning your trail shoes as the uneven ground can try and claim your ankles if you’re not wearing the right trainers.

We reached Whitby after about an hour and a half and that was running at a steady pace, stopping to take pictures and walking down hills to avoid any more mud slides.

When you get to Whitby you run down past the abbey and then down the infamous Whitby steps before you arrive right in the middle of the town. Once we got there we headed to Trenchers in our lycra to refuel.

I had an amazing poached salmon salad and I’d even go as far to say that it was one of the best salads I have ever had. The salmon was full of flavour and it came with coleslaw, mixed beans, egg, mixed salad and even a mini fruit salad complete with a star fruit – it was yummy.

Dane had fish, chips and mushy peas which looked equally as good and neither of us could resist having a pudding afterwards.

I opted for the homemade apple crumble with vanilla ice cream which was divine and Dane’s sticky toffee pudding came with an incredible hot toffee sauce.

We left Trenchers full of great food and warmed up after the run before we made our way back to the car at Robin Hood’s Bay (by taxi – we didn’t fancy running back in the dark on a full tummy!)

So yes, I’m pretty sure that is exactly how weekends are supposed to be spent; getting outside, getting muddy and rewarding yourself at the end. We headed back to York pretty sleepy but not too tired to start thinking about the next adventure.

3Nov2014

Race report: Guy Fawkes 10

Posted in Running by hannahbryan91

Jim Coldwell is a City of Hull AC runner and a member of CrossFit Hull.
You can follow him on Twitter @J_Coldwell

Remember, remember, six Yorkie bars, four KitKats, an Aero and a Milky Bar wait for you at the finish.

The build up

I had heard the Guy Fawkes 10 was a tough, hilly, we-don’t-have-hills-like-these-in-Hull kind of race – ideal for my first competitive race back from injury then.

Or maybe not.

This was my first race representing City of Hull AC (CoH) since joining the club a few months before. Training with CoH as well as attending weekly track sessions had an instant impact on my running – I ran a PB at the Vale of York half marathon by four and a half minutes.

The evident improvements made the frustration of being struck down with tendonitis just the week after even more frustrating. As any runner would tell you, putting your feet up for a few weeks is as challenging as completing a race, irrespective of distance. But, reluctantly, rest I did and I was fit and raring to go on race day.

Anyway, with it starting and finishing in Ripley, North Yorkshire – just a stone’s throw away from my hometown of Knaresborough – and safe in the knowledge that there would be the mother’s Sunday roast waiting for me after, I would have been hard pressed to convince myself to withdraw even if the injury hadn’t subsided.

The race

I am definitely a runner that enjoys the smaller, club organised races compared to the larger, more commercial, mass participation ones – not to say there is anything wrong with those, of course. But, you get the feeling the former are organised by people who care about runners’ experiences, not just the state of their cheque book.

Guy Fawkes 10, organised by Nidd Valley Road Runners, is the epitome of this. For a measly entry of £12, you get an extremely organised event from start to finish – ample parking, efficient race number collection, a well marshalled course, two drinks stations and every runner’s real reason for racing, a well-stocked goodie bag and a t-shirt!

And the positives don’t stop there.

The start is in the shadow of the stunning Ripley Castle, the finish in the courtyard of the castle, the three climbs are quirkily named – Birstwith Brute, Swincliffe Swine and For Fawkes Sake (enter and you’ll find this is aptly named) and the scenery along the route is stunning.

So, what’s the course like?

It’s hilly, very hilly.

The first mile and a half is slow as the route is narrow and mix of Tarmac and trail. Once this part has been safely negotiated, the race opens out.

A couple of steady climbs takes you to Burnt Yates before dropping down Clint Hill into Birstwith. Around mile four, the first of the three main climbs falls. Birstwith Brute is a steep ascent but relatively short, around 300m.

The remainder of the first half of the race is a steady descent, a perfect chance to recover from the Brute!

The respite doesn’t last long though as, around mile seven, you are faced with Swincliffe Swine. Again, not a long climb but sharp and breath-taking.

Recovery this time isn’t as easy as your legs tire, although the stretch through Hampsthwaite and over the river helps to take your mind off that.

Now, the finish line is in sight, just over another hill!

At mile eight, For Fawkes Sake kicks in. For me, the toughest of the climbs. Winding up a narrow country road for around 400m, the name couldn’t sum up every runner’s feelings better.

After conquering the final main climb, it’s time to release the handbrake and let the legs take you where they want – you’ll have no choice, trust me.

From the outset, the Guy Fawkes 10 felt like a proper runner’s race. And the finish emphasised just that. With just 200m to go, one last challenge awaits – a sharp 100m climb right to the tape.

If you didn’t enjoy running, if you didn’t understand the challenges that every runner faces in each race, irrespective of distance, and if all that went before you at this race wasn’t to the standard it was, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a cheap shot from the organisers. However, despite my legs being ridden with lactic acid, it brought an approving smile to my face!

Crossing the line in a time of 1:13:20 and with a negative split of just over three minutes was a pleasant surprise given the lack of training leading up to the race. To be honest, this was probably more pleasing a result than the half-marathon PB a month or so before.

The race was over but the event…far from it.

The goodie bags handed out at the castle were filled with Nestle, one of the race sponsors, chocolate – six Yorkie bars; four KitKats; an Aero and a Milky Bar. A great haul!

The next job was to collect a finisher’s t-shirt before cracking open the complimentary bottle of water and taking in the picturesque surroundings and walking back through the village to the car park.

This was my first experience of the Guy Fawkes 10 but it definitely won’t be the last.

Remember, remember, the first Sunday in November.

14Oct2014

Officially a sub-4 marathon runner!

Posted in Running by hannahbryan91

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

At the start line ready to go

Still smiling at mile 14

Hannah's Happy Pace

Tag Archives: Running

14 reasons to love your long runs

It don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that swing…

Refusing to let injury stand in my way

Grab life by the bells with the January kettlebell swing challenge

Tackling common running injuries

Manchester Marathon: my sub 3.45 goal

An advent calendar with a difference

Sunday Funday: Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby coastal run

Race report: Guy Fawkes 10

Officially a sub-4 marathon runner!