Ode to My Running Partner

For me, Dusty is the perfect running partner, always wants to go for a run, can keep up with me and makes me feel safe in our early morning runs in the dark.

Anna saw that Women's Running wanted people to write in about running with their dogs. I wrote in and sent some pictures and was picked!

I got a great top and Dusty got some food and treats, not too bad, eh?

I have recently returned to running as a regular thing and really enjoying it. I see how much of a difference it makes to Dusty and we have such a strong bond. I call him my shadow. I sent this article to the woman who sold us Dusty two years ago this Christmas and she said it was lovely that I found a soulmate in him.

Its funny because I never really reflected on how much we have been through in just our running together, the time he jumped in the River Cam to avoid a bike when we ran with the girls, the time we almost got swept away in the sea in Southwold, the numerous encounters with cows and having hypothermia after a long training run. He never complained once and was always ready for the next one. In fact he is calling me to go for a nice run on a Saturday morning right now.

Hopefully you will find your running solemate.

Great Yarmouth Marathon- Mission Complete!

I ran my first and probably my last marathon on Sunday. If you have been following my blog, then you know I originally signed up for the Shakespeare one but it was cancelled due to the weather. I hummed and hahhed about whether I should sign up for another and questioned if I really wanted to. In the end, I decided I did want to do one but I was unwilling to commit the same amount of time in case the same thing happened.

The marathon I choose was the Great Yarmouth marathon, a one off to celebrate the running club's 25th anniversary. I thought that this would be a good one for couple of reasons, it wasn't too far to drive and the course was flat.

I have to admit my training took a huge hit after the first marathon. I had other things on and I just could not bare to think about running for hours on end by myself and get there to find that it was cancelled. I was also busy with my walks and cycling events so I was still cross training. The last couple of weeks, I made sure I hit the long runs and when I was in training it was good but I had never run farther than 20 miles before.

I was kind of nervous before the start but I walked 4 marathons in a row a few months ago so I knew I could keep moving and that was my main goal. I wanted to make it under 4 hours but the coast is known for being windy and rainy and funnily enough it was just like the weather of the Shakespeare marathon. I was doing really good until I stopped for a potty break around 18 miles and then after 20 miles I just ran/walked it until I got to about 24.5 miles and then I told myself I needed to keep moving to the end then about 200m out I sprinted as hard as I could and finished. It was a few minutes off my target time but I have never ran that far before, the weather was not favorable, and I did it!

I am happy I did a marathon but not sure if I will do another one. I have other things I would like to do and can't really commit the time to training but I will continue running.

Running just because you love it

I have to be honest, running has been the last thing on my mind since the marathon. I have gone out at lunch time to run with DT a couple of times and I am hoping that will continue. I think he likes to run with me because when we sprint the 100 metre straight, he always beats me. Its nice to be able to take a break in the middle of the work day and go out for a run especially once he explained how to work an electric shower so I could have a hot shower.

When I was just starting to train for the Shakespeare Marathon and I think just completed my first half, Andy Clarke, my friend Hannah's husband and barefoot running fanatic, told me that he just loved to run not for a particular distance or time, just went out there and did it. I thought that that's crazy especially coming from him as he is a bit over the top with his running as way, I think he has more pairs of running shoes than most women have in heels.

But now I understand what Andy means. When I first started running repetitively and without a PT test to 'motivate' me was when I separated from the USAF, it was great way for me to keep my mind and body busy, me to maintain a schedule until I found a job and keep healthy. Then I started losing weight and deciding to extend my distances. I moved to Cambridge got a puppy to accompany me on my morning runs and for whatever reason I started to decide to move on from my 5k and 10k to half and full marathons.

Through this experience, especially after the cancellation of my first marathon due to weather and the thought of building all of the miles to have that happen again, my heart wasn't in it. I can't complain too much as the time I finished in a really good time, especially for my first marathon but if I had out in the training I did for the first one I would have been well under the four hour mark.

But what has all of this running taught me? I am crazy like Andy. I just like to run, some days its 3 miles and others its 10 miles but I do just like to run for the sake of running. I don't like to have my running to be dictated by some running plan. I like it to be fluid to suit my lifestyle not to be my life. I want to be able to do the other things that I love and spend time with my friends who do not show the affinity for running but do share my other interests. I find I like to run alone mostly but like to do long-distance walking and cycling with others. Its where I go to think things through and studies have shown that its increases the bloodflow to the brain and it does increase brain activity (so my great ideas are because of it), it boosts memory, growth of grey matter and reduces stress.

So I think I am going to be like Andy and start to run (again) because I love it, not for the distance or the goal but its because its something I enjoy.