Lesson #1
Big hill = shredded thighs
The huge green hump in the chart above was the middle section of my long run on Sunday and is Priest Hill joining Old Windsor and Englefield Green in Surrey. I felt I had no choice as returning the way I'd come meant a cross-country swamp dodge due to the effects of the flooded Thames and that wasn't much fun either. It really is incredible how doing something you're not used to despite all the fitness training, in this case running up steep hills, can have unexpected after-effects and as such I couldn't walk comfortably let alone do my swim yesterday. Lesson learned - hill running remains for loonies (and Iain) and London Marathon long-distance training MUST be flat.
Lesson #2
Artificial fabric running top = room-emptying stench
When Iain started shutting my Nike long-sleeved running top in the bathroom to dry alone I knew I couldn't wait for it to wear out before I replaced it so I am now the owner of two Smartwool Light long-sleeved tops. I wore one out on Sunday and can say that it's certainly warm and absorbent (see soggy post-run picture below), didn't chafe and doesn't smell bad so far. Merino wool has myriad benefits in a garment in addition to being environmentally sustainable so it gets the thumbs up from me.
A final thought and reference to my last post about doing our best to avoid Type 2 diabetes is that most things are ok in moderation so long as there's a balance:
13 Mile Run (approx. 1400 calories burned) = Alison Gets to Eat a Pile of Cake
Yum :) and thanks to everyone who told me on Sunday at the aforementioned cake-eating extravaganza at Great Fosters in celebration of Francesca's (Mark of TEAM!'s partner) imminent child-birthingness they've been reading our blog over the last few months. It's great to feel supported. x
Sunday saw 9 members of TEAM! meet at The Southbank Centre for lunch, a chance to put names to faces and chat about various running-related concerns including sweat vests, needing a wee (or worse) whilst running and chia seeds.
Our TEAM! has Emily as our common link and inspiration and this was a great opportunity to meet some of the lovely people in her world that have embarked on the marathon challenge in her memory. There's a mixture of running experience in the team with a few running veterans able to share their experiences of running and of running London. Darren (mine and Emily's cousin) shared his techniques for cooking with chia seed and its miraculous blood pressure lowering properties (though don't overdo it as it is possible to go too low!) and the benefits of black running gear vs. grey for hiding sweat patches. Adam (Emily's partner) introduced us to the benefits of merino wool in exercise clothing backed up by Iain's experience of an apparently odourless week spent wearing the same merino top whilst we walked Hadrian's Wall this year. James (Anna, Emily's work colleague's fiancé) regaled us with his accidentally overpowered high-five moment at a marathon start that had the small child's proffered hand recoiling in pain and his parents weeping with laughter. And Jamie (Emily's work colleague) who wasn't even able to come along, provided us each with the most amazing TEAM! cake.
His recipe was inspired by one from a Runner's World article flavoured with healthy cranberries, orange and erm, white chocolate and decorated with trainers tied up with our TEAM! purple laces! It tasted as delicious as it looks and surely Jamie has to enter himself for the next series of Bake Off, he's got skills! Everyone was seriously impressed and those who couldn't make it to our meet will hopefully get their cake via one of the other members. If they mysteriously get 'lost' then I wouldn't be at all surprised - the above is evidence of what you missed guys!
Huge thanks to everyone who could make it along and our next meet is planned for late January to organise some group fundraising events and hopefully catch up with some of the rest of the team. Thanks also go to Iain for the Christmas biscuits though they were slightly eclipsed by Jamie's superb cakes. You're going to have to raise your game Iain! Since cake is now a bona fide health food, I shall now be consuming more of it.
