Running Mummy

I've been sitting on the sofa and thinking about getting back into my training and in true Lindsay style I've been doing some research...

I wondered how soon other runners started back running after having a baby (Hannah is just over 10 weeks old at the moment). Turns out there are loads of running mummys out there just desperate to get their trainers back on. It certainly seems like there isn't a right or a wrong answer, just start back when you feel like it!

So, once I realised I could run whenever I felt like it, I decided to go for a run instead of just thinking about it. This was made easier by the fact that I have been spending the week in Preston with my parents so I had some day time babysitters just ready to be deployed. Yesterday, I fed Hannah, left her with Grandma and went for a run for the first time since the end of July and it was great, I loved it! I ran/walked for about 40 minutes and even dodged the rain (which in Preston is quite an achievement!)

Today I have sore legs and bending down to pick Hannah up or put something into the pram and crouching on the floor to do nappy changes was...er...interesting...I've got a long way to go.

Hopefully before long, I won't need a babysitter to go running, I'll be able to take Hannah with me in her pram:

Starting all over again

I've not run since 23 July (and even then I wasn't running a lot) and I think it is about time I started running again. However, there are a couple of obstacles to overcome:

I am very unfit at the moment!

I am very lardy...

Although Hannah sleeps well, I am still a little lacking in sleep

Hannah makes it a bit tricky to find the time to fit running in
I've entered a 5k on 10 December, mmm, maybe not the most sensible thing I have ever done, I need to get from nothing to being able to run 5k in less than a month! I've also entered the Pirton Boxing Day fun run but I've got a bit more time to prepare for that one!
So, where to start? I think I'll sit on the sofa and think about it for a while!

Why I haven't run (or blogged) for a while...

Hannah Louise Cook (12 September)

I reckon I have a good excuse...

Is running bad for you?

This weekend, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy was reported to have collapsed while jogging prompting some debate on whether or not running is good for you or not.
Now, Mr Sarkozy and his wife are known for going running so it seemed surprising that he collapsed. According to the reports, he suffered a vasovagal episode brought on by exhaustion and dehydration. I've not heard of this before but I guess it makes sense that running in extreme heat is tough going.
Despite the fact these episodes are few and far between, I was intrigued by the bbc article which decided that the French president's collapse meant they had to summarise the good and bad of running. According to runners world, the benefits of running are:

increased fitness levels - pretty obvious really...

Good for weight control - as all exercise is, this isn't limited to running...

Heightens sense of well-being - again, not limited to running

Reduces long-term risk of cardiac problems - ditto

Good way to explore a city or enjoy the countryside - this for me is my main reason for running. I like to feel fit but I really like the fact that running can take you to see all sorts of places (whether you are in a place and decide to go for a run when you are there or whether you've gone somewhere specifically for a race).

So yes, I agree with the bbc article but I am not sure they needed to restate all this really...

Limbering up

Fairlands Valley Relays
Originally uploaded by NHRR

This and other similar photos were taken at the Fairlands Valley 3K relays. I ended up somehow being on the 5th and final leg of a men's team. We were 5th from last when I took the baton and penultimate by the time I finished. I am good at penultimate these days!!!!

I think this is probably my last racing outing for a while (sob sob) as 3k without stopping was a challenge but I am sure I will still pootle around the fields for a while!

Fatty!

Fairlands Valley Relays
Originally uploaded by NHRR

A slow start

Fairlands Valley Relays
Originally uploaded by NHRR

Brilliant Support from NHRR

Fairlands Valley Relays
Originally uploaded by NHRR

Cool cheering!

MWL Mob Match@Trent Park

Sadly I wasn't able to complete all the MWL races this year after having to drop out of the Mob Match at Trent Park as I had a headache :-(. Actually, I think the thought of having to go to the end of the Picadilly line to get there was a major factor in the decision!
I am still managing to run a bit, not a lot though as I have definitely got less energy. On the plus side I am still able to ride my folding bike so at least i am getting some excercise!

Summer BBQ

101_0839
Originally uploaded by NHRR

We're even competitive in a sack race...sadly I am being beaten :-(

MWL Race 4@St Albans

So, on to the 4th Midweek League Race in St Albans. For the first time in a long time (maybe even ever) NHRR were safe in Division 1 before the race even started. The Ladies and the Vet Men still had a chance at overall glory but as a club we didn't need to stress too much about this race which certainly made a nice change!
The weather for the whole week was very hot and muggy which made me think twice about running. However, on the day itself I felt very perky and decided I would run carefully (as if my bod would let me do anything else!) and drop out if I was getting too hot and bothered. I set off on the 7 mile hilly course armed with my attractive yellow Paris marathon hat and some water looking forward to a nice run round a course which I find hard but enjoyable.
To be honest, I didn't even feel the heat that much (unlike Statto who really struggled) but I suspect that may be as there is virtually no chance I would be able to go fast enough to be able to get that hot and bothered. After a couple of miles I spotted a St Johns man on a bike and a bit later on he came back to me after having been told by some kind fellow NHRR of my 'condition'! He ended up not getting too far away from me for the next few miles which was nice of him and, although I was feeling fine, quite reassuring too!
I really enjoyed this run, I knew there was someone behind me so I was able to feel confident I wasn't going to come last so it didn't matter if I walked a bit.
Even Mr C must have been a bit concerned as he came back as far as the last mile to check I was still in one piece and then proceeded to encourage me up a hill by saying I could catch the girl in front of me!
It isn't very often in your running career where you get encouraged in the final few metres of a race by "well done, don't sprint, don't push it too hard"...I think I might adopt this mantra for future use!
All in all, a successful day, I enjoyed my run, didn't conk out halfway though and didn't finish last, what more can a girl ask for!

Mid-Summer Mulligatawny

The perfect way to spend a summer's evening...




(the smiles are due to the fact we were hoping Martyn would be further down the huge hill)



(and this is what happened as soon as we got past Martyn)

26 weeks gone, 14 to go...how's my running getting on?

So, here I am 26 weeks pregnant and still trying to run...how's it going then?
At the moment Cuthbert (as mini-Cook is currently known) is apparently "on the large side" and has noteworthily long legs. For those who know Mr C this will come as no surprise! Sadly those extra long legs are no use for anything at all...I do feel Cuthbert should pull it's weight a bit more when it comes to excercise!
As you can see from my posts about races, I am definitely slowing down. I gave myself the aim of doing all the Midweek League races as they are all around 10K (a sensible distance) and all in the evening so not too hot. I'm pretty sure I'll achieve this aim (fingers crossed).
There are a few things making it tough going though:

I've not trained as much so I am not as fit as I was late last year (I ran the New York marathon at the beginning of November)

Added to that I am lugging around extra weight which makes life harder (by the end, I will be, on average, 24lb heavier than at the beginning)

I am also getting out of breath a lot more quickly than I was before

The increasing bump puts extra strain on abdominal and pelvic muscles which means they ache after running so running 2 days in a row is not possible

I'll gloss over this, but I do need to go to the loo a lot and I often feel I need to go to the loo which makes running an uncomfortable experience at times!
On the plus side for the last few months I've managed to:

Do a 10 mile, half marathon and numerous 10k races

Train once or twice a week on average

Continue my circuit training class (minus ab exercises) on average once a week

Continue cycling to work (in total about 4 miles a day) (that will stop when i can't life my folding bike on to the train!)

Been more or less my usual active self the rest of the time

And even better, running keeps Cuthbert quiet as it is very wriggly and squirmy the rest of the time!

In summary, it's tough but I am enjoying it...let's see how long I can continue for!

MWL Race 3@Chingford

For a North Hertfordshire resident, the Midweek League race at Chingford is a nightmare, a complete pain to get to, especially during the week. However, given our position in the league, we still needed as many people as possible to be out there and running...and I am pleased to say that NHRR really turned out in force with over 50 runners, wow!
I went straight from work on the most frustrating train ever which barely got going before stopping at another station...after half an hour of this we made it to Chingford and luckily the race HQ wasn't far from the station.
I have been a member of NHRR since 1999 and I've never run this course before (amazing after all these years) so I wasn't really sure what to expect. It turned out to be a very pleasant run indeed through Epping Forest (Formed in approximately 8000 BC after the last ice age, it covers nearly 6,000 acres (24 km²)and contains areas of grassland, heath, rivers, bogs and ponds.). There were some large hills which I had to walk up but otherwise it was very pleasant.
Now, I've started to realise there is a chance I may come in last in one of these races and if I ever do, I will retire from running for a few months. Whilst pottering happily along, I heard the girl behind me tell someone she was last. Well that was it, I was like a hunted fox, or the thing greyhounds chase after in greyhound racing (apparently it is called a lure) and I ran/waddled as fast I could to make sure she didn't catch me...and I was successful finishing in 1:13:24 (6.69 miles) and one place in front of the last placed runner, phew!

MWL Race 2@Welwyn Garden City

A week's holiday on a canal boat where you are banned from any sort of physical activity is not great preparation for a race. Neither is a day at work and I always find the Midweek League races hard for this reason. If you are like me, you rush into work in the morning, rush off again later on, rush onto a train, rush into a taxi and take a breather once you are reunited with your kit and ready to set off (still, this is still less stressful than last year's equivalent fixture!).
For the second race in a row, I adopted a fellow MWL runner on the train (last race it was a St Albans strider adopted by our faithful lift giver (Karen) while waiting for us to get off the train, this year it was a FVS runner who was wearing trainers with her suit and looked vaguely familiar. She thought I looked familiar too and we ended up sharing a tax, it's like international co-operation but on much smaller scale...
The WGC course is now a measured 10K, but still involves 2 irritating laps of WGC which I now feel I have done a 100 times before (I wonder just how many times I have run these laps, must be 10-15 times...).
The race itself was uneventful, I trotted round in my usual slow and getting slower style, it was a nice evening though and we had some great support en route so I enjoyed my run. Despite someone outsprinting me (I am not really worth sprinting against these days as I don't try) I finished in 1:04:45, quicker than the Hatfield Broad Oak 10K but I have really started to slow now and in 380th place, I was only 5 runners from being last.

The major downside to being slow (or being a devoted NHRR supporter waiting for people like me to crawl in) this was the complete lack of food at the end. It was a tad frustrating as I could see food in the kitchen but it was for the helpers and I ended up having a nutritious dinner of a jam tart and a mini roll.

Hatfield Broad Oak 10K

I entered the Hatfield Broad Oak 10K with some trepidation. Although this race is based in a nice village with a great atmosphere, loads of locals running and everyone in a festival mood, the last couple of times I have run this race I have got soaked. Last time we were seriously worried that the car would not make it back out of the field (our little red Yaris is not really designed to be an off-roader!) and I recall getting soaked as far as my underwear.
Anyway, this year it seemed we would be ok as we set off on a dull but dry day. On balance, I've enjoyed this race in the past. On the plus side it has a nice atmosphere and there is a fair mix of runners meaning you don't get too lonely at the back. However, I have always found this race hard, not really appreciating the downhill finish as I have always been too tired plus I've never had 100% confidence in the results and large amounts of PBs this course always seems to produce (maybe I am just jealous, it's over 10 years since I set my 10K PB!!!).
Of course, given my current "condition" I had no plans or aims as usual for this so I set off at a leisurely pace, watchless and determined to enjoy the view en route. The course runs through country lanes before coming back through the village (where there is loads of cheering and encouragement) before looping back round some lanes again and finishing a bit lower than you started. I enjoyed the part of the course where I got to see some of our faster runners and cheer them on up the incline out of the village although I have to admit by the time I got to the aformentioned incline I had to walk to make it to the top in one piece...that was where Sibbo caught me walking but at least I do have an excuse these days!!
So, how did I fare? This is the first race in a while I had to walk and I did find it hard going, especially in the second half of the race when having to slog up hills. My time (01:06:32, 1051/1120) was a good few minutes slower than previous efforts (mainly due to walking) but I did enjoy it and I didn't get soaked!

MWL Race 1@Stevenage

The first race of our annual summer midweek league took place in sunny Stevenage on 14 May. We're in division 1 again this year and we're desperately hoping to avoid relegation (as we are the West Brom of the MWL). The best way to avoid this is to get as many people to run as possible (increases the odds of the super speedies being there) and we got over 50 people out, what a success!
I went there straight from work with Karen kindly offering to pick James and I up from the station (plus a lost St Albans strider, running is a very friendly sport!) and my kit being transported by Gazza and Christine.
The course was a measured 10k and a new route. Statto had done some research and warned of a tough second half to the race...I took heed of this (unlike the man himself!) and set off nice and steadily (something I am getting better at).
All sorts of people seemed to be overtaking me in the first few km which worried me but as I couldn't go any faster it wasn't an issue! I actually found the first few km much harder than I expected and I didn't much enjoy slogging along next to busy roads. Just after halfway, the course turned into Fairlands Valley park and it got a lot more enjoyable. I was able to catch up a few people (but I was still being overtaken by hoards of others) and I was getting into a nice rhythm. It did start to get tougher as it dragged uphill but soon the dependable NHRR supported started to pop up en route which was well timed as I needed it.
A quick plug for Julia Stroud here, she stormed past me a couple of km from the finish and got miles ahead of me, what a good finish! I was struggling to keep myself going (I even had to content with a quick football dribble as one was kicked into my way in the last 500m) and eventually I cruised over the finish line in 1:01:18 (which I was pretty pleased with). Hardly an amazing time (and certainly not one where you would expect the person running behind you to be encouraged by a loud, repeated shout of "Take her out" (her referring to me I suppose and for the record she didn't) but not a bad time all things considered.
Sadly the water ran out at the end and the evil Fairlands Valley park gnats struck again but otherwise it was a successful run. The results worked out really well too, 3rd for the men, 2nd for the ladies and 3rd overall on the night. Our vet men also came first which I am sure they are very proud of. All in all a top night for NHRR!

Running with a bump

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago I am pleased to announce I'm having a baby at the end of September. In true Lindsay style, I thought I had better investigate if this running business was a good idea in my current state!

To start with, the standard advice to pregnant women re exercise is to continue with whatever you are doing, don't change anything and certainly don't embark on a new fitness regime! That said, when you tell people you are going running they do look at you with a certain amount of shock, running, in your condition?

As far as running is concerned, as it is a good workout then it seems a good idea although running can be tough on joints and with the hormone relaxin loosening joints there is a greater chance of injury. OK, so I think that souonds like it is probably OK. It is important to remain well hydrated and not to over-exert yourself (no worries there then...)

There are some well known elite athletes (cos I am obviously one of them) who continued running while expecting, Liz McColgan said "...I trained all through my pregnancy. I was three and half months pregnant before I knew that I was pregnant and I was training 100 odd miles a week... I trained right up until I had her. I think it was about the week before I had her I was out for a run and I took a really sore stomach and I said 'Well, that's nature telling you stop running,' so I stopped running then... But I just love running. I think if I'd stopped I just wouldn't know what to do with myself." As for Paula Radcliffe, she trained a lot but her husband admitted "People were looking at her as if she was crazy". Apparently she only went for one run a day whilst pregnant instead of two!

A bit further back, Ingrid Krisitiansen trained throughout her pregnancy and Fanny Blankers Koen won the 4 gold medals in the 1948 Olympic games whilst 3 months pregnant.

I've even found a training plan for pregnant ladies!

So, that's all very well in theory and I am hardly as fit as my examples were so what about the practice. Well, luckily I've been feeling really healthy and well so I've been pottering on at 2-3 runs per week. I am definitely feeling more tired (in general not just in running) and more recently I have started to get out of breath more quickly (apparently that is due to high levels of progesterone supposedly cause a heightened sensitivity to C02). I am also suffering from having to carry some excess ballast and more frequent trips to the loo which will only get worse!

The next thing is where do I find suitable running kit and does the NHRR kit secretary do (even) larger vests than the one I own! Answers on a postcard please...

Flitwick 10k

So the next challenge was the shorter (yay) Flitwick 10k. Hurrah for shorter races...

Once again, Statto had done his research to undercover a somewhat hilly 10k. This is another race I've done a couple of times before and I have always really enjoyed it so I was looking forwards to it.

Once again I set off with no aim and again I benefited from that approach, there is something to be said for not putting yourself under pressure, I am not sure the end result would have been any different if I had targeted a particular time but I am hardly an expert in sports psychology!

I had a couple of other NHRRs to keep me honest though! Geoff P (again!) and Christine Sharp were both in viewing distance in front of me. Not long after the water station at halfway (which was next to a field where they had been muck spreading and I almost threw up all over the road, it's hard to breathe, not breathe and retch all at the same time) I managed to get closer to both of them and finally managed to catch them on the penultimate hill. As in the Sandy 10, I got stronger as the race went on and finished with a flourish in a time of 60:38.

Again, another photo, less flattering this time though!

Sandy 10

It was a nice day for the short trip north up the A1 to Sandy for the Sandy 10. It's a while since I last did this race plus I haven't done it many times but I did remember it had a hill in the first couple of miles that you run down again near the end of the race. Other than that it's all a bit of a blur of not running well!

Gazza (aka him indoors or my worse other half) had had a bit of a knee injury and I wasn't expecting too much of my race...mainly because I am due to have a baby at the end of September (but more of that in another post at a later stage) so we weren't too stressed out.

So we set off, out of Sandy in the sun and towards the hill. About half way up the hill I came across a running friend, Malc from Bedford Harriers so we had a nice chat before Malc had a little walk not long before the top of the hill. Luckily the hill wasn't as bad as I had remembered (btw, see Statto's blog for more undulation information). Needless to say, Malc caught me up again before long, then I caught him, he caught me etc all the way until the downhill finish where he stormed past me...I'll get him next time!

All in all, I had a nice run, ran all the way, finished strongly (even catching Geoff P a couple of miles before the end), I paced it well and really enjoyed it. Maybe there is something to be said for starting a race with no real aim and I was happy with my time of 1:38:53?

I even had a half decent photo taken of me (look at the top right of the screen!)

Milton Keynes Half Marathon

My blog frequency and training frequency are very tied together. Therefore no blogging equals precious little training. So entering the Milton Keynes Half Marathon maybe wasn't the wisest thing to do? Well, both Gazza and I entered, I've not run this race before so it was a nice change.
Getting to the race was ok (apart from the queue to turn right into the Open University). The race itself seemed quite big with loads of non club runners (I'll talk more about that later) with fairly average organisation and long toilet queues! (more queuing). There were 3 main downsides, first, it took us an hour to get from the Open University to M1 junction 13 (ouch), second it was very windy in the second half of the race (as Statto had predicted) and it made conditions very tough indeed and third, it poured down in the last couple of miles. Serves me right for being so slow as I finished in a pathetic 2:20 and I don't care about the seconds.

As I was running, I made some observations about my fellow runners. I don't want to sound up myself or superior here so if I do I apologies. But most of these observations were made about the non club runners around me...

Why do some runners pin their number on their back?

How many gels do you really need for a half marathon?

So many runners were carrying large water bottles when there were water stations every 3 miles. And even worse, quite a number were wearing camel back rucksacks which didn't look that comfy

A lot of people were wearing way too many clothes, waterproofs, fleeces, hats, gloves, long leggings, jogging bottoms, all of the above

Why do people wear baggy shorts over leggings?

Adidas leggings are often see through in the wrong light!

And how do I know (as a seasoned runner) that some of these things are daft? Experience I guess...

Post New York Marathon reflection

I know, I know, I went underground blog-wise after the New York Marathon, what happened? Well, I was pleased...and tired...and jet lagged...and went on holiday...and then it was Christmas, just like that. I did all Stevenage 5ks (the first one of them in my fastest time for around 5 or 6 years), the NHRR cross country and the Bungtingford 10 but for the rest of 2008 that was it.
And it appears I was missed. A few club members commented that I hadn't posted for a while plus a Stopsley Strider (hello!) mentioned it in passing during the NHRR XC!
2009 started a bit better with the Herts XC (tiring!), Fred Hughes 10 (disappointing) and then the blog is up to date.

What happened? Well, 2 marathons in a year was tough going both physically and mentally and I needed a break. But I am back now (unluckily for you but you don't have to read this do you?).

East Haddon XC

East Haddon XC
I've said it before and I will say it again, I love cross country. OK, so Easy Haddon is 60 miles away but the course is fairly scenic, there's mud and hills, what more could a girl ask for? Added to that it was a lovely day, very spring like! Sadly, only 19 squirrels could make it but those that did had a very special experience and (as far as I know) enjoyed it a lot!
I ran ok, pootled along really. That is until the penultimate field where i came across Neil Miller and Luke Humphries who encouraged me to catch the 2 people in front of me (they had just overtaken me on the hill going into the field). Anyway, I did. And then I decided the next 2 were in my sights. I charged along with all sorts of people cheering me on and I had one of those moments where I seemed to be catching them with every step. I caught them and then still had to charge into the finishing straight hoping I would stay away from them and I did, hurrah!

In the process, the most unflattering photo of me ever got taken but at least I know I was running fast at the same time!

NHRR Photos
Originally uploaded by NHRR

Lovely day for a run!

Saturday 21 February, National XC, Parliament Hill Fields, London. Not usually a course where I can say I had a lovely day, usually it is hellishly muddy, hilly and hard. But this year it was the most gorgeous and uplifting day. And I didn't come last. And, although the mud and hills were bad, I was pleasantly surprised at the unexpectedly lower levels of mud, especially given the large amount of precipitation we've had recently.

Weirdly, Gary and I both came 524th in our races, what are the chances of that happening?