Starting out: 2 miles to a Half Marathons

I thought it would be interesting to write about how my marathon training is going so far as it's the question I've been asked most over the Christmas holidays. In case you didn't see from my last post, I am running the London Marathon in April 2016 for Shelter. To be more precise, 24th April 2016. That's 114 days... The last two months have gone by in a flash!

I officially started my training at the beginning of November. Before then I had been playing hockey twice a week, very basic level netball once a week and going for the occasional 2 mile run. I would be quite proud of myself for going on these short runs. I never tracked the distance I just went out with my iPod and did a short lap down to Kings Cross and back. It wasn’t until the week before I started my actual training that I realised quite how short the runs were and quite how slow I had been running. Back then I wasn’t running for fitness or with a goal in mind, I was running to destress, for time to myself.

Now when I go for a run, things are very different. I have to start thinking about it the night before: what am I going to wear? Is the sports bra I want to use clean? Should I have one less glass of wine and one more glass of water? If I’m going for a long run (+8 miles), am I going to get up early and eat before? It’s a lot more serious, but then I getting some good results from the extra effort I’m putting in and I’m raising money for a really important and deserving cause so it’s definitely been worth it.

At 9am on Boxing Day (can’t believe it was only 5 days ago) I ran the distance of a half marathon. In fact, I did a small bit more but that’s because I couldn’t remember what the actual distance was. I didn’t run it very fast (probably because I was carrying around 2 plates of Christmas dinner and 2 bowls of pudding from the day before). But in two short months I went from running 2 miles to 13 miles. For people who don’t really think in distances, that’s running comfortably for about 30mins (I was slower then) to running for 2hrs.

I genuinely think I can put the majority of my success down to two things. I say success because I think most people would call that a decent achievement whilst working 9-5, playing hockey 2-3 times a week and having a social life.

The first is the fantastic support I’ve had from family and friends. Maybe I was just blind to it before but there seems to be more and more people popping-up with an interest in running. I could probably do another post with advice from a second set of experts. I’ve had so much advice and tips and support that it was almost overwhelming to begin with. Not in the sentimental teary way, in the which person do I listen to and which advice do I act on way. But everyone’s training journey is different. Everyone’s circumstances are different. Having a broad range of support has been really helpful and has given me the chance to pick and choose what I want to do.

Even those who aren’t able to give running advice have been great. Every seems to really care – even when I started to sound like a broken record “I just ran 10 miles!”. And this means a lot to me. Running for a long period of time, mainly on my own, although my brother has kindly joined me over Christmas period, can be really boring and mentally tiring at stages, and to know that my friends and family are proud of me and care if I get a personal best or run a new furthest distance really helps.

The second is attitude. Attitude has had a massive impact on my performance. As soon as I realised what a big deal running the London Marathon is, not to mention the £2000 I need to raise for my charity place and the £100 deposit you need to pay, I knew I had to take this whole thing a lot more seriously. When I first thought about doing the marathon in February earlier this year, I just wanted to be able to say, I’ve completed a marathon. Living in London, I thought it would be the best location to do it in. And that’s about it. I didn’t care if it took me 5 hours to complete or if I had to walk for a bit.

Now, the idea of walking makes me angry and I’m beginning to think seriously about the time I could get. I decided, if I’m going to do this, I might as well do it properly. I've been pushing myself to improve in every run I’ve done. I haven’t stopped once or given up, even when I fell over 3 miles into a 10 mile run (it happens…) and most importantly I’ve believed in myself.

I’m not exactly built for running. I’m short with little legs and I’m carrying about 2 stone extra weight for my height (I’d love to claim it’s all muscle but I know it’s not). But I haven’t let this get me down. I can do it. I’m not one of those people who believes that wishing for something will make it happen (I love Disney but let’s be realistic here) but I do believe that if you want something bad enough and you’re willing to work hard for it then you have as good of a chance as anyone else.

This attitude keeps me determined. It’s what sets me apart from all those people who say, “I could never run a marathon”. I’m no more capable than anyone else. I just know what I want to do and I’m doing it.

For those looking for tips to start running, my advice is to start small and build up. Be dedicated, don’t let the rain or a hangover put you off. Set weekly goals and track your progress with running apps – I use RunKeeper which reads your time, distance and pace out every 5 mins. Find a route you like and music you can relax with. After about 20 mins, I don’t even realise I’m running anymore. I think about what I’m doing for the rest of the day, what I can eat or drink later, movies I want to see at the cinema, how the money I’m raising will make a difference and the conversations I’ve had with family and friends over the last couple of days. Relaxing and daydreaming while I run helps me forget the distance and the pain.
Before you know it, you’ll be thinking about your next run as soon as you’ve finished your last.

London Marathon 2016: Advice From The Experts

I have a very exciting announcement to make: I am officially running the London Marathon 2016!!!

I've told most of my family and friends already but I wanted to do an official announcement here as I'll be aiming to do (at least) monthly updates on how my training is going, including: fundraising plans and events, any running tips I pick up along the way, diet and much more...

Early in 2015 I applied for a ballot place along with hundreds of thousands of hopefuls. This was my first time applying so I wasn't expecting to get a place (I have friends who have applied three times and still not been successful). So I wasn't surprised when I didn't get a place in the main ballot. However, I knew that I really wanted to do the London Marathon this year though so I moved straight on to applying for charity places. For about a week I had two charity places (my mistake.. too much enthusiasm I guess) but I decided to go with the charity I had always intended to run for called Shelter.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing and homelessness across the UK, as well as campaigning to prevent it. Since moving to London this time last year I have become increasingly aware of the current housing shortage in the UK and the serious homeless issue London has. This is a cause I feel passionately about and I'm really excited to do more than buying a stranger a 99p cheeseburger from McDonald's every so often.

I have never run a marathon or half marathon before. The furtherest distance I have ever run before I started was 10km. It's clear that I'm lacking in experience. However, I have quite a few friends who have run marathons before so I decided to ask four of them the same 10 questions, hoping to gain enough knowledge to last me at least up until Christmas. Check out who they are and what they had to say below.

Emma Connolly - a new hockey friend from East London hockey club who has done two marathons in the last year, London and Edinburgh!

Chary Smith and Siân Cree - university hockey friends who did the London Marathon in 2014. These two were part of my inspiration - they were able to balance their medical degrees, training and a social life! 

Charlotte Sullivan aka Sully - another university hockey friend who has done so many marathons I've lost count! A couple of months ago she even did a 100km race in Spain - one absolutely crazy chica! 

1. What advice would you give yourself starting out again?

Emma: Get into a routine and be consistent with your weekly training and mileage. Make sure you use your rest days. Find other people to run with who are a similar speed to you. Stretch well! 

Sully: I would tell myself that it was my first one, there is no PB to break, enjoy the training and enjoy the atmosphere and the crowd during the race. Linking negative thoughts and long-distance running isn’t good, it will only make you despise going next time even more.

Charly: I would say to start training early. Buy yourself some good winter running gear, including running armband for your phone/iPod. 

2. What was the best training decision you made?

Sian: To train with other people, even if just for small runs, for example we'd have friends coming on the first 4 miles of our long run etc. Also a great decision was to aim for something, so we aimed for doing a half marathon by the end of xmas holidays.

Emma: Join a running club and follow their running plan. Do some intervals regularly. Do the chasers 20 mile run (Thames 20).

Sully: Not drinking a single drop of alcohol 2 weeks in the run-up to a race and trying to get a few cheeky big hills into at least 1 training session a week. It may feel like hell when you’re half up one of these hills, but your legs (and mind) will thank you on race day!

Charly: You should plan the route for the long run beforehand. Some people prefer to plan their route as a loop, other prefer half out then half back in, it's up to you. We preferred loops as you avoid tracing your same path. Make sure you vary the routes. A good website is walkjogrun as you enter your postcode and it shows you some pre-set routes tried by other runners which can be useful if you're stuck for ideas.

3. What foods did you find really helpful before and after training?

Sully: I have always had porridge before every single race I have ran and it has never let me down, having always beaten my previous time in all distances I’ve raced in!
Also, during training and during a race I have never ever taken on gels, nor did I in the 100km. Just like with absolutely everything DON’T CHANGE ANYTHING FOR RACE DAY WITHOUT HAVING TRIED IT IN YOUR TRAINING!!! Whether that be food, different trainers, sports bra, pacing, absolutely everything, changing just one thing could be the difference between making it to the finish line and not.

Charly: Before the runs we usually had porridge with blueberries on, and in actual fact we had this on the day of the marathon too. The best thing about the long runs is you can pig out that evening on fish and chips or something and not feel bad!

4. How often did you do you long runs, twice a week or more?

Sian: We did 3 runs a week: 4 miles fast, 8 miles normal pace, and 1 long run on a Sunday at slow talking pace. The long run would increase by 1 mile every 1-2 weeks. We started at 10 miles, and my longest run was 22 miles. 

Sully: For my first marathon and for those that followed, I have only ever done one long run a week. I would be cautious of doing any more long runs in a week as you run the risk of injury, you need to let your muscles rest and repair the small tares they have every now and then to ensure you make it to the start line.

Emma: One long run a week and 1 medium run (never more than 1 long run a week). Built up the long runs over time. When I was running 15 miles I would also do an 8 mile that same week. 

5. How many pairs of trainers did you go through and did you always use running trainers?

Sian: I'd recommend running trainers, definitely for a marathon! I got a new pair in January before the marathon in March. My previous pair was 2 years old and had done 2 half marathons so I was well overdue for a new pair!

Emma: 2, yes always used running trainers. You can buy the same trainers on Amazon much cheaper when they become last season's trainers.

Sully: I have always used running trainers and definitely always will! I have only recently invested in a pair of Asics having bought 50 quid Karrimor running trainers from Sports Direct for my previous marathons! I never have due to money, but you can go to specialist sport shops and get your feet analysed for perfect fitting trainers (they analyse how you run, whether you have high or low arches etc.)

Charly: I went through 1 pair of trainers that I got for Christmas after a gait analysis. I would recommend Brooke's running trainers. Yes always run in running trainers. 

6. What would you change about your training if you could go back?

Sian: To be honest my training put me in great stead on the day - I felt I could've gone faster! All you can do is train as much as you can at the time! 

Sully: I think for my first marathon, I would have tried to add a cheeky bit of cross-training in my plan. They say swimming and cycling are really good sports for runners to do as cross-training, the gym too! 

Charly: I would change it so that my longest run was 22 miles, not 20 which is what I did. This is because I found the last 6 miles an absolute killer, and feel if I'd done another really long one then I would have been better prepared on the day. 

Emma: For the long runs really push it at least some times. I would often find that I was congratulating myself for getting the miles under my belt but didn't push myself to run at pace. If you are going for a long run get on with it so you can enjoy the rest of the day.

7. What were the best fundraising things you did?

Charly: The best fundraising things we did were the curry nights when we cooked for about 30 people each time and charged £10 for a curry.

Sian: I did a tea party at home where we invited family friends/neighbours. Mum and I baked loads of cakes and did tea/wine and a raffle - it raised over £280 and wasn’t too difficult to do!

Sully: I would say a sort of jumble event that my mum and I did in our town’s square. We had a cake stall, a raffle, a tombola, jumble stall (books, toys, ornaments etc.) and little games for kids like a lucky dip. 

8. Were there any fundraising things you really wanted to do but couldn't find the time?

Emma: Not really, I could have done more fundraising though! 

Sian: We'd wanted to do a charity pre drinks/cheese and wine. 

Sully: I would have loved to have made knitting goodies or haberdashery type goodies (little purses etc.) on the cheap and sell them for a couple of quid each. However studying got in the way!!

Charly: We wanted to do an event at the union but didn't manage to get it organised in time really. 

9. What was the hardest part of the whole process?

Sian: The hardest part was planning training together, we'd have different schedules so had to do a lot of runs on our own, and then on the day we were at different starts. 

Sully: I think the hardest part of the process was being at the start line and NOT doubting whether everything you had done was the right way and whether you’re going to get to the finish line. You have to believe in yourself, believe all the food you’ve eaten was for the good, all the decisions you took in your training were for the best and keep thinking that people have given you money for your chosen charity and that you can’t let them down. 

Emma: Balancing running and hockey. Worrying that it can become all you talk about! Being 7 miles through a 16 mile run and being knackered! 

Charly: The hardest part was the training. Fitting it into a busy life can be tough, but you HAVE to make time. I had to miss Saturday hockey matches for the long runs. It was tough but so so worthwhile. Also for me, I used to dread the 4 mile fast runs as they felt like sprints to me! But we think they were really useful in terms of speed training, and the more 4 milers we did, the faster our long runs got.

10. What was the best part of it all?

Sian: The whole day of the marathon - nothing else is like it, an incredible atmosphere from start to end. I honestly don't remember being in pain or wanting to stop - I wanted to do it again!! You thrive on the people there cheering you on, and the stories everyone has to tell about why they're running.

Sully: The best part of it is definitely the feeling of accomplishment. When you’ve finished 26.2 miles on race day, you’ve got that medal in your hand and your family and friends are beaming big smiles at you, and you think about all the training you’ve done, all the sacrifices you’ve made and all that money you’ve made for your charity, you realise just what you’re capable of, which for me was more than I ever thought I was!

Charly: The best bit was the feeling afterwards, knowing you've achieved something that many people would never even attempt to. And also I got very toned and despite not losing huge amounts of weight, I felt my body looked a lot better and I was happy with that.

My First Year In Advertising

Believe it or not (I'm not sure I really do) the end of this month marks my first year in advertising. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to work in this industry. When I was younger I used to play a game with my best friend where you would choose an object for the other person and they'd have 30 seconds to come up with an advertisement and present it. Now that I'm in the place where this actually happens - it takes them longer than 30 seconds, obviously - it's pretty hard to believe it. Although I'm not creating show-stopping ads (yet) I'm definitely climbing the right ladder.

I've learnt a huge amount in the last year, more than I imagined I would. If I met myself from a year ago now, I'd be shocked by how little I knew - I don't think I'd even heard of Campaign magazine (advertisers' version of BBC News) and now I spend my day scouring it for new ads, hires, mergers and industry news.

The biggest lesson I've learnt this year is that advertising can do more than just sell. This was definitely some thing I was aware of (see my post from Blogtober last year on Why We Should NOT Ignore Advertisements) but I didn't know the extent to which advertising was moving towards this. The most successful campaigns from Cannes Lions (our version of the Oscars) this year were doing more than selling, they were impacting popular culture and creating change. People have started coining phrases such as 'solvertising' and 'goodvertising' but really it's just advertising at its best. Advertising of the future. Some people think advertising is slowly dying off but I think what these ideas show is that it's alive and making a difference.

I've also found out just how much time and effort (and how many people) go into creating these amazing, award winning ads. What I used to think happened was: a client told you what they wanted, a strategist turned this into a brief and gave it to the creative team (an art director/designer and a copy writer), they brought the ideas to reality and the account manager delivered them back to the client who then jumped for joy at your amazingly innovative yet refined ideas. Obviously I didn't think it was quite as simple as this but I never imagined how complicated the process was and how many different roles are involved. Collaboration is such a buzzword in the industry but it seems that to be truly successful you need to have a 360, fully integrated, cost effective solution. 

What surprised me was the unspoken hierarchy in advertising agencies other than CEO to Account Executive or Intern. The hierarchy of brands. The first question you'll get asked when you meet another advertiser is "what do you do?". In the normal sphere of employment this is taken literally but what ad people really mean is "who do you do?" and they're not being crude, they mean what account do you work on, who are your clients. Secretly (or sometimes not that secretly), they will judge you on who your client is - whether they're blue chip or a bigger (money-wise) account than their own. Working in the PR/Communications department I've been spared from this, sort of. My client is our own employer so no one has the nerves (or stupidity) to degrade part of what they represent - it's almost like I work in HR - and yet they're not particularly interested either. It's a really interesting place to be and has given the opportunity to be involved in a broad range of areas in the company.

Luckily, in advertising (an experience based career) 22 is considered young once again. My friends and I are always complaining about how old we're getting but here I'm considered youthful, fresh and Millennial. A key trait of Millennials is that we are 'digital natives'. Any technical issue and we're the first person to be asked (it's like living with your parents all over again..). But in fact it's actually quite a popular trait for employers. We don't need digital training, we just get it. Before I started working in my current role, and actually before I started working full-time, I didn't know how sought after this was. So instead of grumbling about my age (I'm definitely starting to get bags under my eyes, no grey hair yet though), I'm revelling in the fact that I've not hit 30 yet.

Finally, one lesson I've learnt in the last year which applies to any profession is the importance of making time for yourself outside of work. It's so easy, especially in the digital age, to spend your personal time talking about or doing work (whether it's checking emails, making notes or reading extra articles). And while I think this is great that my friends and I care enough about what we're doing to want to do this, if all we do is work, we're not going to be as productive as we could be. I read a really interesting article today about a company that has reduced it's working hours to 5-a-day. I'm not saying everyone should work less, I'm saying taking time to do what you want to do is really important too. At university I had such a flexible timetable I could easily balance my work and personal life. Now I work 40 hours a week it's not quite so easy. But it's still important that I find time to do things I enjoy such as hockey, seeing friends and writing my blog. I want to do the best work I can and I believe that being happy in my personal life enables me to do that.

I'm interested to know what you've learnt either about yourself or your industry in the last year or so. Leave me a comment below if there's something you'd like to share!