Tracy Going All The Way

I ran the first 10m perfectly, but 13m I was faltering… wondering if I could complete it. It was very hot around 18degrees. The atmosphere was great.

Through all my light-headedness and sickness, I was determined to run the last half. Getting my second wind after the sit down and dextrose energy sweets, I hit the seafront with just over 3miles left to go. I was determined to run it all. I did!

The support was fantastic. I ran through the patch of a seafront pub and they were all roaring out my name and cheering. It was fab! As I came along the promenade, I was the only runner.. a few walkers but not that near to me, I was clapped and cheered like I was the winner all the way through the 3m

Seeing the finish, only a few steps to go, over the microphone said, and Tracy Bliss from Ilford is our 7371st winner and not only was I running, I sprinted to my finish! I was so fast over the finish the photographer had to ask me to slow down and stop to take a photo.

OH was waiting for me, but having stood by the finish for 2hrs, just turned away wondering if he’d missed me…. heard my name… and did miss me comng through the finish. We had a ‘finisher’s’ kiss through the wired gate, then I told him… I was sick.. for some reason said I should have told him before he kissed me!

Done and dusted. A great day out. Extremely pleased I’ve done it. Yes, I do wish I would have done it better, but I am pleased I didn’t give up! That, for me, is an achievement in itself.

Thanks to OH (who got me into this!) and Son who’s put up with my moans and groans and accompanied me cycling on some runs, to Dan Powell at CLIC Sargent for his support in my raising money… and to everyone that sponsored me and believed in me.

When I said it was my first and last I meant it and more so now

It was a great idea to stay near the start as we could see it all being setup the night before. On the morning, we put our bags in first, went back for the loos, and we were ready. Stomach fine, in fact 1 quick pit stop only cos I needed a rest

OH got a fab PB of 3:40, mine a PB of 6:50.

I started off really enjoying the first 10, in good spirits. Loving passing the Benfleet RC runners going the other way. Then I got slower… occassional walks.. but around Mile 13, I wanted to flake out I felt really really sick, so by about 14 I went to St. Johns and asked for something for nausea. They had nothing so I asked them to wait whilst I threw up  in case I passed out.

I asked a marshall for sun cream as my cheeks were burning (did cream before we went out) from the salt/sweat.

Loved the support, really encouraging, but at some points I couldn’t be motivated by it.

Around mile 16 I think (it’s all a blur now) I took a rest on the bollards in the road.. the long ones, not the cone ones A van stopped to ask if I was okay. I said, I thought you were the sweeper car? They said.. we are but ambulance guys in their checking I was ok. So then came the tears as I asked for something for nausea, they told me what to ask the doctor for at the next stop. I was giving up right at that point, I felt so ill. But I couldn’t… I couldn’t be a DNF on my first and only mara!

A friend was supporting around mile 17. I went over to him in a mess, he gave me water, told him how much I was struggling, and he walked with me which was a relief given my general feeling of dread hitting the deserted (cos by now I’m back of the pack) industrial area by myself. He walked it through with me, after we stopped for the doctor. Sitting in the shade for 5-10mins, and I asked if they had dextrose tabs, took two, and off we went. I picked up walking pace. When we got down to the front, I felt great, so ran the last 3m. Being the only runner around by this time, I got so much support it was great. Particularly running along the seafront, with the outside pub all cheering me, and then majority of people along the promenade. I had a wave of support all to myself

During the industrial walk, we saw Rosie Swale.. obviously I asked her for a lift I didn’t get it though…

I also shouted Hugh from 50in50

I unfortunately got passed by the testicle man (male cancer org), also the larger of the scooby doo’s, but I did beat Sponge Bob

As I got onto the seafront a man was taking down banners from the railings. I shouted, Oi! don’t do that, I haven’t finished!

Another time people were sitting out their beach huts and shouted, and told me to come back for a drink! I did ask if I was winning… cos there was no-one else around me.. maybe I was in the lead!

It’s the first marathon for Brighton and the organisation was great! I’m really pleased I’ve done this ‘once in a lifetime experience’… and raising £900 for CLIC Sargent, caring for children and young people with cancer.

But… never again

This year, feeling passionate about cancer charities, and even more so for children who don’t necessarily get a chance to live their lives like other children, I thought I’d run for CLIC Sargent.

I found a contact in Dan Powell, community fundraising manager.

Dan’s support has been brilliant. Although I’m not yet happy with my fundraising current total, he thinks it’s great He’s commented on my blog and is probably reading this now (Hi Dan!).  Dan’s been very supportive, and it makes me think I’d always race for CLIC Sargent now, also cos I love their vest

http://www.clicsargent.org.uk

Dan’s also going to be there Sunday, and is very generously giving me a wrist band (usually for bond places where people take a charity place and guarantee they will raise a set amount), so I can go to Charity Village! I’m not sure exactly what’s there but it’s a place where only the chosen few can go

Thank you OH for designing my name label and making it fit to my vest. Thanks also for ensuring I continue my training and for encouraging my madness in entering my first (and last!) marathon.

So just 30 mins run last night (tapering), and 20 mins tomorrow.. then… THE BIG DAY. Right now I don’t feel like I could run 26minutes, let alone 26miles, but I think this is the effect of tapering. It feels like ages since I did a long run!

Thanks everyone so far for your sponsorship. Everyone else… give us your pennies:

www.justgiving.com/tracygoingalltheway

So that’s it… Sunday.. Brighton.. 9am.. I’m off

http://brightonmarathon.co.uk/ - London by the Sea

Have a good weekend everyone. I’m sure I will.

So now I’m in ‘tapering’ mode.. I think I started out with this! So less mileage, just 10m at the weekend, and a couple of 3m this week. Tapering also means you should eat less as your body doesn’t need so much. This bit is hard to grasp

Yesterday I attended a Tri Training Day and it was brill. Kept waking up in the night smiling We did practise transition (the most complicated bit), swimming and rode the 20k course. I’ve now entered Blackwater tri too in September, and club duathlon in the summer sometime.

Thanks to OH for tri pants and Son for tri top for slightly early birthday present. I look the part.. now… to be able to do it!

So one week to go, not yet a time to reflect, but the worry still of the pitstops. I’m now on over-active thyroid tablets, but low dose, which should help sort me out.. but it’s quite a stressful situation

A short note on SOME of the things that annoy me when street running:

• dog sh1t on the pavement
• car doors that open on the pavement
• 5 people walking 5-wide across the pavement so I have to run round them in the road – I actually had a go at them on one of my runs.. they weren’t english… but they understood the signal.. well, I did say ‘excuse me’ first
• people with pushchairs that go right in the middle of a slim pavement
• other runner’s ignoring me, and not saying ‘good morning’
• free newspaper delivery guys that leave their cart in the middle of the pavement

So, 6 days to go… eeekkk.. sponsorship’s doing very well thank you everyone! Concentrate on sleep, and eating patterns… that’s the priority this week.

After a few more successful 5milers, I did a bit of a wonky 15 miles this weekend, still adopting the run/walk routine.

Suffering from a bad cold/temperature and generally feeling sorry myself for missing last Tuesday’s run, I visited parents (thanks Mum/Dad for sponsoring me!) and found my Dad’s been stalking me on my blog

Dad has taken up running, but wants to run before he walks (hi Dad). So he joined a running club and seemed to be doing well and wanted me (without super runner OH!) to take him for a run.

OH drove up to sunny Suffolk, and dropped me off 4m before we got there so I could do my run. OH and son drove each mile to check on me and make sure I didn’t get lost, and it was lovely to have a support crew.

Straight away I took Dad out, although he had the excuse of eating just half hour before I got there.. I assured him he can do a short run/walk still and not get out of it!

We trotted off and burnt a princely 70 calories before he gave up! He was trying to run under 10minute mile pace and insists he can’t slow down! But this also means he can’t go far! Son came with me, and he actually did it easily although insists he can’t be a runner… there’s still hope

Yesterday I did my 15m, OH was here and did his but went a different and faster route. Sadly I can report he has a poorly knee so fingers crossed he can recover for marathon as he’s doing Brighton AND London within the week.

Name and shame…. OH returned before we did (son came with as support crew and cycled on his new Giant bike – MTB and man version similar to mine), and he confessed he put my cycling shorts on to do his stretching! Come to think of it….  a pair of nickers are missing too……

Total of miles and minutes to date:

I ran a wobbly 15m last week. I did 11m with 3 pitstops and just lost momentum/motivation. So I jumped on my bike the last 4m! When I say bike, this is my old bike. I now have a new shiney proper bike, not the 50qd bike from Woolies! This is a proper proper bike and how proud am I.

Back to that in a sec. So did a couple of 5milers more successful in the week, and yesterday a 20m. I was tired as I didn’t sleep well the night before and although a bit longer and less calories burnt than the previous one, I was happy as I’ve been soooo tired.

I’ve been to the doctors and got my blood test results. I have an over-active thyroid and have to have another test tomorrow. Now the symptons of this are the same as a runner’s: tiredness, increased appetite but still losing weight, more regular visits to the loo.

I also asked about my cranky knee but we decided to get this sorted after the marathon, and my other problems first as there’s not enough time to fix it.

So today we went to Redbridge Cycling Centre, me, OH and son. It’s got a road track and a mountain bike track. For just £3.60 you can be there as long as you like, as long as there isn’t a club or race session. It was fab! No traffic! No kerbs! I said it would be great if there was a running track around the edge. Could practice the ‘brick’ session for the tri.

By the time we got home, we’d been 20m! Son’s bike is far too small so we swapped for a bit. Mine’s a hybrid and soooo easy to go faster, my legs are way shorter than his and cycling was difficult, really crushing the hip flexors.

After last LSR Saturday, have a couple small ones mid-weeks, then just a 15m, 10m and then….. D-Day. Might take up cycling.. it’s sooo much easier

After a couple of good runs, 5miles and 8miles in the week, although I did find 8 a struggle in the dark and after a day’s work, I ran 20m on Saturday. When I say ran, it was majority of run, although it is with the run 1mile, walk 0.1mile which means I walked under 2m, but I don’t feel that matters as I’m doing it!

I am more confident I can do this marathon now and only afterwards did I realise I didn’t have one negative thought such as ‘why did I think I can do this, I can’t’. I didn’t even have the thought that I had to push to the back of my mind. The only thoughts (amongst others I can’t repeat as obviously you think loads when you’re running for 4hrs) was I AM A MARATHONER! I can do this, and really feel I can. Considering the first half of my training, until now I didn’t think I could, I now feel it’s achievable and I CAN DO IT.

Thanks go so much to the OH who is soooo supportive, but who I haven’t run with since he seemed to be losing patience with me on the last 13m in Lowestoft. I do love him though

Yester I went to tri training. I’ve entered my first triathalon, a novice try – 300m swim, 20k bike, 4k run. We did ‘drills’ in running, high knee lifts, bum kicks/leg flicks, and then we ran part of the field course, but my knee went.

We had theory and practical on stretching, meditation session – dangerous as I felt myself doze off, and swimming coaching which nackered me out as doing front crawl drills is really hard when you can’t do front crawl! I have to have lessons as I want to do this the best I can.

It was a long day from 11am and home at 8.30pm but really beneficial to see the venue in advance. Next session is 11 April, week before the marathon. Then we will learn about our bikes and the transition. I also need a tri suit

My weighing scales broke so haven’t weighed for two weeks. Is strange for me to have no knowledge of my weight as I am a born and bred yo-yo-dieter, and obssessive with getting on the scales (and now also obssessive with porridge!!) – today I’m 9st 4lb! I really can’t afford more smaller clothes so might concentrate on putting some weight back on however, I won’t rest until I have a washboard stpmach, and buns of steel – such a long way from the overweight alcho/choco holic couch potato ;)

If you really want to support me and my charity CLIC Sargent  for children suffering from cancer, please sponsor me:

www.justgiving.com/tracygoingalltheway

Since I last blogged, my training’s picked up a little, only to the point I’m just inside 12min miles, but sometimes even nearer 11.

I’ve done some short runs, I’ve done an interrupted run, I’ve done a long run I’m still not fast, and will always be at the back, but I finally see some progress.

The 15miler last weekend was using the run 1m, walk 0.1mile, and I did it within 3hrs! This was an achievement for me, particularly as my knee shot to bits at 9.5m! After the next mile, I managed to adopt the previously used wooden-leg run, shortening my pace, determined not to give in.

I do have a problem with my stomach, but runner’s trots is a popular discussion when you Google. Second visit to docs today, leading to blood test Thursday morning. Am sure it’s just me… but he’s given me painkillers now that may cause constipation! Fab for the long runs (and sometimes even the short ones). Running consipated’s one thing.. but the drowsy side effects surely won’t help! I am currently running round and round the block to ensure a visit home’s always nearby.

Went to an all day wedding with OH on Saturday Pleased for free food after 15m although nice.. wasn’t enough of it and we spent the evening hungrry, wondering if anyone would notice if we popped out to get something to eat.

By Sunday, my knee is normal and I’m walking properly. My legs are normal. Everything’s good – my recovery is so much quicker now, considering a year ago. I went for a pleasant but hilly 8mile cycle with Supportive Son and I know have SAS (sore @rse syndrome) but I believe the more I practise, the longer it will take to appear

After a day of only Miso soup to help stomach problems, I had to go for a 5miler. Tired and withering, I took two dextrose energy tablets. Slow at 1.5m and starting to give in, told myself OH has invested too much time in my training to tell him I couldn’t be bothered! I plodded on and by 2.5m I was zooming along Quick trip home, and back out. I did 58.51!

It’s heavy mileage week this week with 5, 8 then 20 on Saturday (followed by an early meal for Mother’s Day at Harvester’s – how many times can you visit the salad cart? ).

Measuring myself, I’ve lost 4 inches off my hips and waist within the last year. This in itself is an achievement

I’ve also signed up for two training days for the novice tri I have end June and looking forward to that one.

Right now, as you read this, millions of other people also want to walk or run a marathon. They dream about it at work, in their car or while watching television. They think about how it will be, how it will feel to be at the start and what it’s like crossing the finish line. But they are just dreaming. They are not doing it. You are.

On race morning, when you are on the starting line with your number on, surrounded by others just like you, you will know what they can only imagine. You will feel it, see it, smell it and experience it. Unlike those who only dream, you’ve earned the right to be part of the experience. 

By getting to the start line you’ve already placed yourself in the top echelon of athletes. You may not be in the top tier of that race, but as a long distance athlete, you are fitter, better trained and more disciplined than 99 per cent of the population. Remind yourself of that when you start to obsess about pace or finish time. 

The miracle truly isn’t that you are going to finish, but that you had the courage to start – not just the courage to start the race, but the courage to start this odyssey of training and self discovery. 

The medal you receive is symbolic of that courage. It becomes a powerful icon in your life. Once they place that medal around your neck, no one can ever make you give it back. Wear it Proudly.

This week I’ve looked for motivation and inspiration. Thursday only 3miler was more like my old pace, and suddenly realised today I’ve got slower since I gave up alcohol!

I download podcasts on marathontalk.com which are really good. I buy a book called the Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer, and it really is writing about me!

Bear in mind how much I struggle with the long runs and, in fact, any run these last few months, I was inspired by the information on both of these, plus the support of my OH.

So we agreed a run/walk routine, during which I’m by myself (supportive son has a cold so couldn’t come out and cycle) and know that I can do this, I know cos OH has invested so much time in trying to sort me out (in the running sense) so we set up my Garmin to bleep when I have to change to walk or run. First of all I thought it was a lorry reversing as you get a warning that sounds like reversing lights.

About 3.5m in I’m in Barkingside High Street – 1 boy and 2 girls of about 9 or 10 are throwing snaps, or bangers you might know them as. I watch them, behind them, approaching them, thinking, wonder if they will throw them at me to try to ‘catch’ me, then I think they wouldn’t be stupid. BANG! STING! ‘Oi, that was my fking neck you threw that at! Throw them on the floor not fking people! WTF do you think you are playing at!’ ‘Sorry, sorry’ the boy said. The girl grinned. ‘That fking hurt. WTF you smiling at?! I can get the Police to the lot of you right now if I wanted to’. It made me wish it wasn’t against the law to smack kids!! Crikey, runner’s are aggressive

After a few loo stops (I have been to the docs this week for the amount of time’s I need to stop – he agreed it’s IBS and there’s no remedy – this really worries me with running as it causes me great angst), going round Valentine’s Park cos there’s loos right in the centre, I had to go back out to the roads (was getting bored).

Ok, so the run/walk routine could do it for me, but I did walk far to much in the last 4 miles and not just the 0.1m I’m meant to. I decided, again, I will pull out of Brighton. The Book tells me ‘I am a Marathoner!’ so last week I ran to this beat, chanting in my head. Today it was ‘Why did I think I was a Marathoner?!’

I will continue to try to train and I’m sure the long runs won’t get any easier, I can’t let down the few that have sponsored me and I feel I have to do this. If nothing else, it’s the closest I’ll get to a dirty weekend away in Brighton with the OH

Further answer to OH’s question of ‘why do you stop’? Last week I answered it’s cos of negative thoughts i.e. I can’t do this. This week is another answer.. because I don’t actually enjoy running anything past 10miles.

As Jackie’s once said, if god meant me to run a marathon, he would have given me 4 legs. Never a truer word spoken

Also the reason I run, is because I can. The reason I stop… because I can.