I’ve had a duff year as far as health and injuries go and to be honest I feel a bit of a fraud.  Between you, me and the gate post, I’m feeling decidedly edgy about the fact I own this blog.  I mean, the title says it all ‘Just One More Mile – Marathon Running for Beginners‘ .. but I haven’t been able to run, or much else, for at least 3 months.  It’s not that I don’t want to.. far from it.. I’m desperate to get outside and I really miss those long Sunday runs through the Rutland countryside.

However, things are beginning to look up and apart from the frequent visits to the Hospital and appointments with my Ever-So-Well-Connected-Consultant (his phone constantly rings with calls from Premier Footballers and his waiting room looks more like the green room at ‘A Question of Sport‘) I’m looking at how to regain strength and vitality … and I think I’ve found the perfect partner to help me!

Let me explain..

The ElliptiGO is less of a bike and more of a cross trainer but that’s about as far as the similarities go.  If you’re looking for something that mimics the action of running (without the impact) and you want to get super fit, super fast, have the option to train indoors as well as outdoors, then you have to check this out and press play..

The ElliptiGo in action! .. I want one!

This is no gimmick or flash in the pan.  There are some serious athletes around the world who are incorporating the ElliptiGo into their training sessions.

Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes, who has just run across America, says the ElliptiGO is “The best cross-training device I’ve ever seen bar none.”

In a recent interview with Runner’s World, Josh Cox, who holds the US 50k ultra-marathon record, describes the benefits of his ElliptiGO, “I’ve been riding the ElliptiGO to recover from 50K last season, to rest my body from the demands of the season and shed a few pounds that my coach likes us to gain in the off season. It’s the best of running without the impact on my body and an effective way to maintain fitness and still allow me to recover.”

Triathlete Magazine proclaims “It’s really a hell of a workout”

ElliptiGO offers amazing cross training for runners, it’s great for triathletes and something fresh for cyclists and sports enthusiasts everywhere.  I think this would be a blast to take round Rutland Water, what do you think?  ..  Come back soon to see how I get on!

I thought the video below was a great reminder that you don’t have to start out trying to run a marathon.  Ok, I know, that’s exactly what I did …but just becuase I did doesn’t mean you have to.  Running has to be about enjoyment and if you’re not enjoying it then what’s the point?  I mean, really?  There are other things you can do with your time and energy.  So, if you’re becoming intimidated by the idea of running a marathon .. scale it back.  Try a 5k race and your marathon training could really get a boost!

Training to run a marathon is hard work and things don’t always go according to plan, especially if you get injured.  You won’t be the first, or the last, to become demoralised, fed up and just a teensy weensy bit tetchy about the whole thing.

So in order to reach your goal of running a marathon sometimes you just have to ease up on yourself, set a realistic target and enjoy some shorter distance races first.  Don’t feel swamped by marathon training, look at what you love about running and take the pressure off.

Middle distance runner, Sara Hall (who founded the Hall Steps Foundation with her husband Olympic marathon runner, Ryan Hall) runs with the most amazing scenic backdrop and explains why running a 5k is a great thing to do…  Wish I could talk and run with the same ease that Sara demonstrates

Ok, so you knew .. I suppose, if I’m honest, I knew .. but making the decision to pull out of the Virgin London Marathon 2011 was not an easy one. However, unfortunately that’s exactly what I’ve had to do.

A visit to my Consultant has confirmed the need for a further MRI of my spine before work begins to untwist my pelvis. It’s not going to be easy, quick or without a great deal of hard work.

So, I thought that whilst I won’t be running the London Marathon this year, I do know plenty of people who are and I’ll be writing some more about them in a little while.

If you’re running and fundraising for the Virgin London Marathon this year it would be great to hear from you and give your charity a shout-out! So, don’t be shy  .. leave a comment and let me know what you’re up to so I can give you and your charity a plug.

Best wishes
Joanna

Since my last post, life has been hectic and full of being a full time Mum, training, writing, working, designing .. well all sorts really and there’s never a dull moment… till now.

With a dramatic screech of brakes (less sports car and more..erm..well, actually more like a Morris Minor grinding to an eventual shuddering halt) I am at a standstill.  As you know, I’ve suffered a range of injuries and each one, I believe, is sent to teach me how to look after myself better.  So a slight hamstring niggle didn’t seem too out of the ordinary and reminded me all about stretching… remember stretching folks?  Yep, that’s the stuff you always say you’re going to do after your run but 9 times out of 10 you skip it and head for the shower/G&T/TV/popcorn/air guitar (or is that just me?)

So I stretched and I stretched .. and I took up Pilates and practised a variety of Yoga poses.  But the hamstring niggle didn’t go away.. so I used some ice .. well, the runners saviour actually.. frozen peas!  And whilst some days weren’t as bad as others, I kept trying to run.

I knew things were getting worse when walking upstairs sent shooting pains through to the top of my left hamstring, almost creating an exit wound around the fan-shape of adductor muscles.

Rest hadn’t made any difference, the ice was..well..just cold.. ibuprofen didn’t do squat and my doctor looked at me as if I was a loon!  But then I went back to see another specialist and finally got told “Joanna, I can tell you exactly what’s wrong with you: you overpronate, you suffered from scoliosis (curvature of the spine) as a child, you had a significant and fairly recent trauma to your left calf muscle that hasn’t healed properly, you have one leg slightly longer than the other and your pelvis is in a right old state.. if things distort any more you’ll have a detached hamstring” .. “oh and one more thing..you must either be completely mad or have a very high pain threshold to put up with all of this!!” .. the jury’s still out on this one, if you’re wondering!

An attempt to realign everything has made me feel significantly more creaky but the worst of it is I’m not allowed to run, or in fact do any exercise at all until I’ve been back to the Quack…10 whole days of being as still as a still thing!!

Training is now so severely off course that I have thought long and hard about whether I’m going to be able to get to the start line of the London Marathon, let alone manage to finish it in one piece.  I’ve been told to consider that I may have to pull out of the marathon .. but I don’t feel able to make that decision just yet.

You see, I don’t want to let anyone down…I promised Macmillan Cancer Support that I would run the marathon wearing their green vest on April 17th and raise £2,000 so they can help people living with cancer.  I’ve already received sponsorship from some wonderful people.  I can’t give up ..not now..not just yet.

So .. I’ll let you know what happens .. back to the Doctors on Wednesday….

.

It’s too cold, it’s too dark, it’s too wet, it’s too early, it’s too late, ..and my best ever.. I can’t leave the children on their own! .. Just some of my excuses not to venture out and run those roads.  But that doesn’t stop me from continuing my marathon training… oh no.

You see, last year as the snow fell and the icicles formed, I realised that there was only one way I was going to be able to continue training for the London Marathon and that was by using a treadmill.  A gym membership was out of the question as I often like to run at night and I don’t always have access to a ready and willing (read ‘cheap’) babysitter.

So after a quick search on the internet, I decided to hire a treadmill and see how I got on.  I found a hire company and arranged for delivery of their finest running machine ASAP.  Brilliant idea Joanna!  Training continued through some pretty severe wintry conditions and the treadmill fitted into my conservatory easily so I had views of the garden and the children’s snowmen as I ran and ran…and ran.  … and when I finally broke and ended up on crutches, the treadmill helped me with my rehab program too.

Since hiring that first piece of equipment, I have invested in a very fine NordicTrack treadmill.  I say ‘invested’ only to obscure the fact that I hate spending money and often suffer from ‘buyers remorse’!  But it has been money well spent!  This winter has been worse than last but my marathon training has remained constant.  My treadmill has an iPod attachment, great speakers, fans to keep me cool, incline capabilities that would test a mountaineer and monitors every aspect of my training runs.  I’ve completed several half marathons on it and have been amazed that I can outrun it .. having to reset it when the display shows all 99’s.  I’m so pleased with it that I’m considering getting an additional piece of gym equipment and I’m currently trying to decide which of the cross trainers I like the look of most!

My Top Ten Tips for using home gym equipment:

1. Ensure you have enough space for your preferred cross trainer or treadmill.  They can be bulky items so use a tape measure before you purchase!
2. Lack of ventilation is only going to make you ‘glow’ lots and make your workout horribly uncomfortable .. make sure you have somewhere to place a towel and sports bottles with your favourite drink… and no, I don’t mean some nice little cocktail with a cute umbrella and slice on the side!
3. Start off gently – get to know your new gym equipment and feel confident in using it.  Yes .. You have to read the manual too!
4. If you feel ill, dizzy or experience chest pains .. STOP!  If you’re feeling a little warm and out of breath..that’s supposed to happen!
5. When using a treadmill you often have a safety cord that activates a cut off switch – one end is attached to the machine the other you are supposed to attach to yourself .. it’s there for a reason and not decoration. If you’re not using the safety cord and you fall, the treadmill will keep going and it will catapult you off quicker than you can blink .. you’ll also be likely to suffer from grazes to the face, hands and any other exposed areas of skin.  Use it..don’t use it..it’s up to you .. but don’t end up being featured on one of those funny home video shows!!
6. Increase the speed, effort and incline levels slowly – remember that treadmills can go very fast and you don’t want to be disappearing off the back again..particularly if you’ve experienced no.5 already!
7. Remember to look straight ahead.  It’s not a good idea to look down, up or in fact any other way instead of in front of you.. otherwise it’s a quick way to lose your balance..and we’re back to point no.5 again!
8. Always wear proper running/fitness shoes and appropriate clothing
9. Stay motivated!  Track your progress by keeping a record of how far you go, how long you exercise, how many calories you use.  I use a great online tool for record keeping, motivation and friendship at www.Dailymile.com
10. Whether you choose to use a treadmill, cross trainer or other home gym equipment remember that consistency will give you results.  Doing ‘little and often’ will be better for you in the long run than the occasional burst of high activity.

Exercising is supposed to be enjoyable.  Make up a playlist of your favourite running tunes, put some music on and smile.. you’re doing great and looking good!

[Here’s a video of me and my treadmill and last year's Virgin London Marathon]

I’m sorry, my apologies.. I’ve neglected you but rest assured I have plenty to tell you all and a whole heap of catching up to do!

So where to start?…

Any of you who have seen my previous post will know that I’ve been doing a little work to support Dave Clamp.  Dave is an extraordinary sportsman who has just completed the Deca Ironman World Championships in Monterrey, Mexico.  He came in a very respectable 2nd place having endured sleep deprivation, disorientation and injury. His amazing race diary, in this month’s 220 Triathlon magazine, gives all the gory details of what it’s like to run in a non-stop race spanning 8 days.

Many Congratulations Dave on your fantastic achievement!

My own training continues to be a little up and down.  I had a good half marathon at the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough in October and thought it would be a nice warm up for the Rutland Water Marathon in November.  Living close to Rutland Water is obviously a benefit and being able to regularly run the marathon course was strenuous but enjoyable.

Prone as I am to injury, you just knew it wouldn’t be long before something went twang .. and it did.. on a 22 mile training run for the RW Marathon!  It was freezing cold.. I could have phoned for help and a lift home.. but did I?  Nah, of course not!!  I limped the full distance and paid for it.    2 weeks later and within an hour of starting the Rutland Water Marathon I knew something was up .. with shooting pains from my right hip to my knee, I was in trouble.  Watching everyone overtake and disappear into the distance was hard but not as hard as taking the decision to pull out.  Oh well .. some you win .. some you decide to tackle again next year!
*Special thanks go to the wonderful runners who stopped to help me out with painkillers, sympathy and Deep Heat muscle rub!!*

Since then, I’ve been working hard to fix the problem and regain stamina.  I’ve incorporated weights into my training and I’m also going to be doing a lot more interval training using my new timer from Gymboss (more about that later).

So, over the coming weeks I’ll be posting tons more news and training tips as well as featuring lots of marathon runners gearing up for the Virgin London Marathon!  Oh yes, and I’ll be writing for online fundraising and ideas site JustGiving.com soon too.

Stay tuned .. it’s great to have your company

The internet can be a hugely useful training tool when it comes to running.  Apart from all the information out there about diet and nutrition, there’s also oodles of things to motivate and inspire you too.   I especially enjoy it when I find practical, easy to follow guides on how to improve my running technique.  A really good example comes from the American long distance runner, Ryan Hall and his Youtube channel.

The following video, with my friend Josh Cox and Sara Hall, is a great example of something simple, explained well and easy to implement into anyone’s ordinary training plan.

It makes a lot of sense to work on these simple techniques.  If you watch the series of ‘Stronger Feet Make Faster Marathons’ videos, you’ll see that these exercises really aren’t difficult at all.  In fact, I’ll bet that most of us skipped, jumped and hopped our way through childhood … we just got out of the habit.  Re-introducing these simple exercises for stronger feet into my post-run schedule has been great fun.  I can’t help but smile when I skip or hop .. I suspect anyone watching me gets a laugh too!

Let me know how you get on with these exercises or perhaps you have your own sports training video you’d like to share.

Usually I run the roads round here.  I like tarmac, what can I say!  However, I am fortunate to live very close to Rutland Water, which apart from being one of the largest water reservoirs is also home to one of the most important wildfowl sanctuaries in Great Britain.

Built in the 1970s to supply water to the East Midlands, and originally named ‘Empingham reservoir’, Rutland Water is now Rutland’s most popular tourist attraction.

The 3,100 acre reservoir has an international reputation for providing a balance of sport, leisure and wildlife conservation and offers everyone the opportunity to try something new.  You can have a go at windsurfing, rock-climbing or canoeing, hire a dinghy, bicycle or fishing boat, visit the Egleton and Lyndon nature reserves, or just relax by the water and watch the action around the 25 mile shoreline.

I thought I should take advantage of living so close to the Rutland Water Marathon Route (which I shall be running on November 7th 2010) and use the Hambleton Penninsula for a spot of training… but I’d forgotton how hard those hills can be!

I decided to use my Nokia N97 cell phone to track my mileage and to take some photos of this stunning bit of English countryside to share with you.  Although running and taking photos don’t usually mix very well I think my N97 handled the challenge admirably.  What do you think?

The only downside is the number of cattle grids which are actually used to keep the numerous sheep at bay .. can’t think of a worse pacebreaker (The sheep weren’t overly keen on being photographed!)  I’m sure there’s an easier way of tip-toeing over them – cattle grids, not the sheep, that would be silly! –  but for now I either use the gates at the side of the grids or I do a balancing act down the centre.  Either way, it certainly slows me down.

It is a beautifully varied pathway around Hambleton and certainly on a warm summer day is a delight to run.  My concern is, I wonder what it will be like in the chill and often wet November weather we experience here?

Find out more about the Rutland Water Marathon and view details of the Rutland Water Marathon Route

I’m getting a little frustrated with training at the moment.  Nothing new there!  Although I’m a very patient person generally, I am incredibly tough on myself.  So, it’s time to remind myself, and you, about ‘Pacing’.

I’ve often heard that life is more like a marathon than a sprint, so this post is for everyone .. whether you like to run or not.

This is all about the long haul, the miles we need to cover to get to the place we want to be.  I’m going to draw on my experience at the Virgin London Marathon this year to explain and to make a confession.  I hold my hands up and openly admit that I did something that I said I wouldn’t do.  I ran the first half of the marathon way too fast.

You see, I’m saving up for one of those fancy sports watches .. you know the type, the ones that have Star Trek ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ capabilities, the ones that can tell you how fast you’re running, how far you’ve run, calories burned, as well as that good ol’ fashioned idea of telling the time.  I’ve said it before but I’m terrible with numbers .. when I crossed the start line of the Virgin London Marathon I knew, that despite there being time checks along the way, I wouldn’t be able to do the maths to figure out my mile splits .. I don’t know what it is about numbers but I just find it really difficult to remember them,  let alone do anything vaguely meaningful with them.

So there I was amongst almost 40,000 other runners and I felt good.  It didn’t feel like I was running too fast, in fact I thought I was running a little too slow.  I concentrated on weaving in and out of other runners whilst taking in the sights of the amazing crowds and historical London landmarks.

The warning sign should have been when Tower Bridge came up a lot sooner than I’d expected.  So, half way through a marathon and I’m using up energy reserves faster than the grinning fool I was.  I paid for it of course.  Well, you always do, don’t you?!

The idea in marathon running, as it is in life, is not to burn out too quickly.  Don’t get carried away by the excitement and adrenalin of the crowd – enjoy it by all means but don’t forget to look after yourself.  My aim in running, particularly for long distances, is to build gradually and look for that rhythm and pace, that feeling that I can run all day .. not too fast, not too slow… a pace that is even, fluid and strong.

My top pacing tips :

• Preparation is key.  Have a game plan but allow yourself a Plan B and a Plan C – what will you be happy with if Plan A is beyond your reach this time.
• Don’t get carried away by the excitement.  Remind yourself of your goals and the job you still have to do.
• Reward yourself along the way – apart from the obvious need for fuel and hydration, marathon runners will often have rewards, like Jelly Beans, for a little extra boost at specific mile points.
• Break it into chunks.  Setting off with the whole 26.2 miles of a marathon in front of you can be frightening .. however, run from one lamp post/tree to another and the task doesn’t seem so huge.
• When the going gets tough, practice your mantra!  Mantras, positive affirmations, a.k.a self talk, help focus the mind – ‘I am strong’, ‘I can feel the joy of finishing’, ‘I will beat this’.  Deena Kastor, professional marathon runner, uses a line from Madonna’s song, ‘I love New York’, to help motivate and empower her ..”If you can’t stand the heat, then get off my street” … I love that one!!

Even the great English Bard himself knew a thing or two about pacing:

“To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first”
William Shakespeare

Can you spare a minute and leave a comment?  I’d love to know what keeps you going and helps you achieve your goals – how do you pace your race?

Apart from the aches and pains I was expecting to get after running 26.2 miles of Virgin London Marathon, I also picked up a blister or two.  I felt this one, on my big toe,  coming up as I was running..but not the ones on the tips of my toes, that I found later!  I had all sorts of conflicting advice about whether to pop blisters or not but in the end I decided to leave well alone and let nature do its thing.

Out of curiosity, the pretty pink nail varnish went and the ghastly reality of bruised and blackened toe nails appeared.  I’d like to say my toes looked worse than they felt…but that would be a whopping great fib..they hurt like hell!  How do dogs and children manage to step on your toes only when they’re throbbing and feeling as though they’re about to drop off??!  A couple of friends have said “Ooh, you should get those looked at” but, to be honest, the thought of anyone going anywhere near my feet at the moment brings me out in a cold sweat.  You see, I’m not a squeamish person at all – I like to think I can, and have, handled all manor of gory situations, illnesses, blood, guts and nastiness but when it comes to the thought of toenails falling off..well, lets just say, I’d rather not think about the state my toes will be in minus their nails …. eeeurrgh! <shudders>

This is how my toes were faring 10 days after running my first marathon.  As you can see, the blisters have gone down, but that’s it for positive news.  Initially, I used a combination of Arnica (both in tablet and cream form) and good old Savlon, to help deal with the bruising and prevent any infections under the nails as they started to lift off.  Eeeww… see, I did tell you to look away if you’re of a sensitive disposition!!

3 weeks on and the good news is that I think everything is healing the way it should.  However, it’s pretty obvious that, whilst things are healing, the only thing that is keeping my toenails on is the hard skin formed by blisters.  The smaller toenails look as though they’re the first ones that are going to fall off.

In the meantime, I’ve discovered a lovely new foot balm that is doing wonders for the bits of my feet that aren’t in any danger of falling off!  Pretty Feet Luxury Balm, from Kitty of Devon, is just what my feet need at the moment.  Hand-made and from 100% natural ingredients, it has a deliciously uplifting scent of Peppermint and Tea Tree oil.  The balm looks semi-solid in its jar but turns to soft butter once in contact with my skin.  I like the way that a little, of this luxury balm, goes a long way.  It’s very soothing and has really started to make a difference to my poor old tootsies!  …and no, I’m not being paid to say this  Have a look at Kitty’s full range of 100% natural hand-made skin care products