I shouldn't have left you! Lol!

I couldn't help myself!

It is too easy to just get busy being busy and not post on here.

Updates about hair and life below....

Never you mind. I have some styles and videos to keep you happy and hearty.

Hope you're all keeping safe!

*Lola*

I've been busy this Lockdown.

Now that we are hiding away (or in my case, heading straight into it), it's never been more important to stay entertained.

That's why I've got you covered. I have been putting out YouTube content much more regularly. I thought I'd share them here too. Enjoy and stay safe.

It's that time of year again. After January was 316 days long....suddenly, we're in December 2019!
Not a moment too soon with the ups and downs of the year thus far. So what better way to end the year on a lovelier note than by nailing your Christmas shopping for that runner in your life?

Here are some gift suggestions in no order whatsoever.

Enjoy!

After holding out for years (at least it felt like years), I decided to take the plunge and by some Trekz Titanium. It helps that the price had fallen to just under £70 thanks to the newer, lighter Trekz Aeropex Air being released.
Leading up to Christmas, Aftershokz has a #GiveGoodVibes campaign where you buy and Areoplex pair and they give you a free Titanium Trekz to give to someone else (while stocks last)!
Lastly, they don't obscure your ears so you can safely race in them in the UK!

Not only is this my favourite running book, it is also an essential for learning your sport and growing your love for it!
Focusing on seeing running as a development of the true athlete: agile, flexible, strong and fierce; your runner really will get a kick out of this book.

I used this book as my main inspiration as I trained for my first marathon 3 years ago. I ran it in under 4 hours and enjoyed every minute of the experience.

Have a good browse. Available on Amazon and at other book retailers.

A small piece of kit with a hefty price tag - £200 (or €200).
This is for the ultimate gadget lover who wants to know more than pace and altitude metrics. Cyclists have long used power meters to keep their energy reserves turning over at a steady effort for their desired time goals.
This shoe pod teaches racing with an even effort and avoiding over-extending oneself on uphills!

I hope you enjoyed the first installment with the highs and lows of training for such an undertaking. Even if I was training for just one of those marathons, it still is often fraught with such dips and mountain-top experiences. It's the nature of the beast - in a manner of speaking. You take on a marathon or any race distance, as a challenge to yourself. Not the "How bad do you want it?" mindset - that usually puts me off and I say, "Not as bad as that other person!". Instead, a personal "you can do this" and "why not me?" approach. It tends to spill over into the rest of your life too. However, I digress. Let's get to it!

After the stormy weather of Boston 2018, we packed for all eventualities. Well, maybe not the lightening that was predicted even up to a day before the event. How do you prepare for that? Practice making yourself really small? Check, please!

So I got on my flight to Boston and was ready for cold weather.
My first run in Boston on the Thursday before the race was a speed session. I knew this was not aimed towards the race in Boston but for London as it takes about 2 weeks minimum to reap the fitness benefits of any workout. So I ran my warm-up and got into it. In one easy jogging interval, I ran up alongside a gentleman who was out for his run but was in Boston on business. Business that would mean he would fly out before the race! He had run Boston before himself so he wished me Godspeed as I headed off to my next  speed interval. Yes, I am that person who will chat with other runners mid-run. Running makes us even more human and lets us grow together as a race. At least, I feel that way. What do I know?!

Next up, meeting up with Jaimie and friends (read: other crazy ultrarunners who were using Boston as training for the 56-mile uphill Comrades Marathon in May)! We picked went to see the sights of Boston (the Ducks on the Common who were good for sitting and posing on) and then we picked up our numbers. More posing ensued!

We had a tight schedule to leave the Expo (which thankfully was on Boylston this year). After grabbing our numbers, T-shirts and goodie bags, from which we swapped out products we didn't want (No thank you, Ensure!).

A summary of the next two days:
I went back to the Expo on Saturday morning with my friend, Eliot who arrived from Chicago, went for 2 more shakeout runs (with Altra and McKirdytrained runners, respectively), met my Coach, Heather McKirdy for some last minute course and race plan advice and a Tina Muir (elite runner and Podcast host) meet and greet at Tracksmith running shop. Finally, I relaxed ready for the race. Oh and I ate, quite a bit of food!

Bright and early on race morning, I pscyched myself up whilst nibbling my food and getting ready (see above pictures). The Marathon Glitter was applied (best carnival on legs!) and I was layered up and ready to go. At the hotel reception, I asked for some see-through bin bags to wear over myself for extra protection from the rain. I had my little bag of food and my racing trainers in hand.
I wore my first pair of marathoning trainers (Nike Zoom Fly I believe) and was ready to donate them at the starting area.

As I walked in the pouring rain - yes, Boston, raining again - I joined the steadily growing crowd of folks headed to Boston Common for the Race shuttle buses to the start. After a spot of security checking and dodging ever-growing puddles of water, we were on a queue for a bus and promptly on it!

I chatted to the gentleman beside me as we headed off to the start line in Hopkinton. I can't tell you what it was about because I cannot recall. Such is the nature of race morning nerves!
All too soon, we were there. We disembarked and about-turned to head back up to Hopkinton. Even before getting though the gates of the starting camp, we had to do more puddle dodging!

As soon as we had made our way inside, I clocked the porter potties and made a beeline for them. There was so much mud down-hill to those toilets. Oh well, needs must!
I was lucky thereafter, to walk further in and find the Clif bar tents and a seat with a blanket to hide under. I sat tight and cosy! Of course, I grabbed more freebie Clif blocs! I love those things for fuel on the go!

Expect the unexpected with Boston - the rain stopped just before the race began!
I changed shoes and put my original pair of Marathon shoes (Nike Zoom Fly?) on the heap of things to be donated as we walked to our start pens. It is about a mile walk down to the starting line so another - nervous - bathroom break was had. As we walked further down, trying to do a few drills on the way (no space for strides), we saw folks from the earlier start rushing down the side as one of the buses had dropped them off LATE at the wrong end of the starting area! The horror! Oh well, they got a warm  up sprint!

After shimmying my way into my starting pen, we were soon off!

This year, I had a different set of instructions from my (new and awesome ) Coach, Heather McKirdy! She planned a negative split race allowing me to go gently at the start (no downhill sprints) and to ignore my watch on the Newton Hills from Mile 16.

I also got to carry a water bottle with my electrolytes in it! Yes. Almost like an elite! lol! I even had Maurten 320 in the bottle - just like Eliud! (ha ha).

As we started running, I would still grab a cup of water but mainly to dunk on my head after a quick sip and thank you to the volunteers. However, within a couple of miles, I noticed something a bit worrying. The cold water I'd tasted moments before would feel hot on the back of my neck when I poured it through my hair! Oh no, it was humid and warm. I made a note to keep sipping and dunking water on my head.

By 10 miles in, my neck felt cooler with the water dunking. Phew, crisis averted. I didn't toss away my bottle until around mile 10 (plan was to throw it away around 15km so not bad).

I kept running within myself, waving and even managed a few high-fives with the ladies of Wellesley College at mile 12! Read a sign saying "Kiss me!" and I quipped, "Let's stay friends!" I was feeling good.

Past halfway, I kept gently pushing, keeping my pace a bit faster for this 10km portion of the race but also avoiding surging. I manually lapped my watch for the race so imagine my surprise to realise I hadn't noted the mile 16 sign as suddenly there was mile 17 on the right hand side of the road. I knew it felt hilly! The sun was out int full force by this point. The water, gel and dunking plan continued.

As the hills wore on from mile 16-21, I glanced down at my watch to see a pace slower than the 8:10/mile I hoped for this bit. Oh well, ignore it and keep moving. I noticed a man in front who's T-shirt prompted us to praise God. So I did. I sang a few songs on the hills of Boston, guys!

After mile 21 and that Heartbreak Hill (which felt longer in the heat this year), I was ready to rumble downhill. Except I knew it was still rolling up and down to the finish.

Somehow, I kept pushing and managed to see 7:20 - 7:30 pace as I cruised towards the CitGo sign! Who dis? Lola! I also winked at a guy in the last mile along Commonwealth Avenue (I think?) and he gasped and said to the person next to him, "she winked at me!"

It was time for that final couple of turns, right on Hereford, left on Boylston.
As I went up yet another incline (why) on Hereford, I told myself to give the last stretch everything I had left.

I picked up speed gradually as I approached the finish and looked up to see that I wasn't in for a PB. It was a course PB by 16 mins though!

Finished in 3 hours 27 mins and change (come on, I'm too lazy to check now).

After the race, I quickly found a volunteer to take a couple of pictures of me and my shiny new medal. I felt my butt spasming as I stood holding the pose. As I took a couple more steps to get my foil hood, my feet felt like there were in a vice!

I took of my racing shoes and gently staggered back the block to my hotel (with a lift inside, thankfully). Would you believe that Boston is the only race so far that makes me smile at the medical people with empty wheelchairs: hoping they'll offer me a lift? Yes, I've run 50km and 100km races and run 116km in 24 hours and still not felt like that anywhere else. Those hills!

As I crossed the last street towards my hotel, I spotted another lady holding her running shoes in hand and hobbling gently along. We gave each other an understanding nod.

As soon as I was showered, I was planning to eat all the food, see my baby cousin (it was her birthday!) and looking towards recovery for London Marathon.

Don't worry, I did the customary shuffle around town the next day. I actually walked the entire Freedom Train in Boston (yes, there were some steps involved) and got my medal engraved for free. I also got my new Boston Goodr glasses laser-etched with my finish time in that time before heading home to the UK that evening. Yes, nothing by halves here!

For my recovery, I had 2 days of NO Running. I did 15 mins of yoga each night as usual.

Then on the third day, I ran! I ran for 30 whole minutes initially. On the Thursday and Friday, I ran 30 mins. I then had a day off before another 30 minute run. By the second run, my legs were much lighter and faster (running Sub-8 minute pace without meaning to)!
I basically had a day or two of running, then a day of rest for that 13 day period. My legs felt so fresh!

I must admit, I've always found that after a hard distance run, my legs spring back faster. The super-compensation, I guess.

My awesome, Coach gave me a race plan in the last couple of nights before London. I was so ready for the victory lap in my hometown!

This was a new thing for me. We had a different start for men and women qualified with Good-For-Age running times. After catching the train nice and early, and following the crowd to our starts on Blackheath, I started getting my bags ready for my drop-off. A female marshal said hello and said, "finally, a woman!".

Just like that,  I looked around and realised I was surrounded by men! lol!

I changed to my shorts (stripped off as inconspicuously as possible) and dropped my bag before I joined a porta-potty queue. I had waited a few minutes before another female marshal came up to me and told me I didn't have to queue. There was a separate set of toilets for the women. Yassss!
So I walked over to these 3 empty porta potties - yes, so few women - and picked one! lol!

As I came out, another lady joined me and offered me her spare black bin bag to keep me warm. Yep, I always forget one. I thankfully accepted and went off to do my warm up. I did less than a mile of 10-minute plus pace to get warmer.

I then got into the corral and squeezed past so many men until I found my new friend to start with. lol! We got close to the start and kept warm among all these bodies.

Soon, it was time to go!

Guess what my race plan was? DON'T Go faster than 8:15 pace for the first 5K, then no faster than 8:10 for the next 5K, then no faster than 7:55 until halfway. If I felt good, go down to 7:40s.  Be prepared to feel like your legs are full of concrete at some point, so give yourself grace and back off the pace.

I'm a good girl! I followed the plan. I ran the paces and the crowds after the 3rd of so mile, helped. There was a downhill in mile 2-3 which Coach had warned me about, I let people pass me and I slowed a lot to not go over the top!

I did have some GI issues - darn it! At mile 11 and mile 18 (yes, I had to look back at my splits to see this), I ran to the porta-potty. I had to ask the marshal at mile 18 as it was obscured by the crowd! Yes, I can't handle a chilli pasta sauce the night before a marathon! And it seemed every time I came out of a potty break, another member of my club would be on the course. I did what anyone would do to allay suspicion: cheer them on and run away!

Rookie move, Lola!

However, my legs felt great for the WHOLE race. I ran over Tower Bridge and yelled across the road to my running club buddies to "Make some noise, CHASERS!". They loved it. Then I focused on running to keep the pace between 8:05 and the high 7s. It was so good! I got to mile 22.5 and snuck up on my club mates on the right side of the road to cheer! They were like, "How did she get us?"

I remember at times thinking of my other team mates who had started in the Championship start (that's you, Lauren) and sending up a prayer that she had an great race. Spoiler alert, she SMASHED it!

I came by another male team member who was struggling but tried to (gently?) urge him on as we were in the final mile!

And so, I ran. I ran for my life! And I even got a yell from the sidelines of the Embankment by none other than the Marathon Marcus himself! Whoop whoop!

The whole course was like a homecoming. especially since most of my training had been in and around Chester and Merseyside. I really felt so glad to be back home!

After the race, I did my customary "Strike a pose and grin like mad!" without the Boston ouchies in my shoes or behind!

Then I jogged (yes, jogged) to the bag reclaim van (mine was furthest away) and got suited up!

After a quick journey home (which feels like forever but is in fact 10-15 minutes) and a shower, I headed back out with my medal to a pub in Kentish Town to meet with my running club!

All the runners of the day were welcomed as conquering heroes!
A cheer and a drink was given! Sweet sweet victory!

And before you ask, I am signed up for both marathons for 2020 now. They are 6 days apart next year. I can't wait to see what these legs and lungs can do.

Ps: I have not run a marathon this Autumn/Winter. It has been a focus on 10Ks and half-marathon instead. So yes, a quiet little winter it has been. lol!

Hope you enjoyed the long awaited recap, all.

Later, Ladies and Gents.

*Lola*

I set myself a fun goal for April 2019: to run Boston and my favourite marathon, London (sorry, Boston fans). My new coach went along with it - thank you Heather McKirdy - on the proviso that I give marathoning a rest for 4-6 months afterwards. I agreed. We made that agreement just before Chicago 2018. And boy, was I tired of marathon training at that point!

Fast forward to May 2019... I miss marathon running! lol!

Now for a quick summary of my training over the Winter 2018-2019.

I somehow managed to have another rollercoaster training cycle this past winter. Here are the bite-sized points:

1. My anaemia continued to kick my butt well into the New Year.
2. I had a crisis of confidence in February - kept stopping in workouts.
3. Started to believe in my training again in late February/ early March
4. Repeat Ferritin (Iron levels) before Spring Training Camp were on their way up!
5. I had a GREAT TIME at the Spring Training Camp in Portugal in March.
6. I was SOOOO ready for Boston by the time April rolled around.

Now some background.
In the preceding 2 years, I had run myself into a bit of a black hole. By that I mean I had depleted my body's iron stores with the increased mileage and foot-strike haemolysis (breakdown of red cells with every time my foot hit the ground) that went with it.
I also found that as my training paces were increased in the Summer of 2018, I fell further behind what I could achieve in workouts. Basically, I was still quite iron-deficient for my previous level of training. Something had to give.

Firstly, I reached out to McKirdy Trained as possible new coaches to see what they could work with me to achieve. I was initially alarmed when James McKirdy told me over the phone, "Maybe your not as fast as you thought you were!". I rejected that because I knew myself better than that. I was still not feeling myself, both during runs and even in my daily life.

He then asked if my training volume had been reduced whilst I was trying to rebuild my iron stores (and this tired little body). I answered "Nope". He then went on to explain that they had experience with many athletes who had experienced similar drops in performance with iron depletion who responded better to both a reduction in training load AND an increase in supplementation. He suggested I get my iron levels checked. That was in August.

I amicably parted ways with my previous coach as I felt our goals for myself were at cross purposes. I wanted to get faster but not at the expense of my health and well-being.

James paired me up with Heather - his soon-to-be bride! And we were off!
We had a very gentle ticking over training plan to get me through Chicago.
I got to meet my new Coach in Chicago and we had a plan to get me through that race.

The winter of 2018-19 was okay. I did my treadmill thing for a lot of it. I traveled home to Nigeria for two weeks to be with family and nephews. So yes, A LOT of treadmill running.
Once back in the UK, I moved up North to Chester and started a new job. On the weekends, I had my long runs which were often with marathon pace workouts. Somehow, my paces initially dipped! I was not best pleased. I kept worrying about my iron levels. A repeat blood test the day I was flying out to Portugal was it! I ran to the hospital!

I had one half-marathon to run on the weekend before my Spring Training running camp. The Vitality Big Half. The day rolled around and it was a 50mph windy mess. Somehow, I managed to PR by a few seconds in spite of the conditions. And I ran sub 7-mins for the last 3 miles!

On arrival in Portugal, I was loving that Vitamin D infusion (with Sunscreen of course). I got a running roommate, H-M and my blood tests came back with a higher Ferritin level than I've seen in almost 3 years.

That may have done it! I started enjoying my runs again! Twice daily runs with proper easy paces and even an afternoon off were the order of the day. I was still fasting for Lent (when am I not?) but I felt a weight lifted off me.

By the time the hilly 5K race rolled around, I was on another level! I ran a PR for that course and even got 3rd place female in my age group for the running camp group (there were over a hundred of us there!).

On return to the hills of Chester, I slowed down my easy runs and started reaching my paces for the quality sessions. My marathon paces dropped back to the faster paces and I enjoyed my spicy long runs. I particularly enjoyed an alternating Marathon Pace and Easy (steady) Pace 14-miler in the midst of an 18.5 mile run! Who was I?

In the final weeks before the first race, I was feeling a bit more like my old self. Okay, not the full-blown insomniac of yesteryear but a person who prioritised all the parts of training. Running, recovery, foam rolling, yoga, sleep! Yes, sleep!

I was still stressed with work (new town) and the new responsibilities thrown at me. Who wouldn't be? However, my running was back to being not just in the "love it but it hates me" territory but the "love it and it loves me back" one!

I'll end the recap on this note! Look forward to the actual Expo and Race week updates! Trust me, it'll be a good one!

 Finally, right?

I have been in several minds about this race. So, why not write this report and get it out of my head?!

Road to Chicago
After having entered this marathon last December, I was stoked to find out that my bestie, Laura was also in! She is a native of Chicago (in a manner of speaking, she lived there before moving to London 6 months before we met 3 years ago) - so this was a Homecoming race. Of sorts.
She had been training for Chicago before she had to pull out years ago due to health issues. This was time to put it to bed.

Alas, life got busy between December 2017 and August 2018.  In August, she let me know she was deferring her place to the next year! Darn!

I didn't blame her though. She had a charity race (Midnight-2-Midnight) to direct in the middle of London at the end of September. This usually meant lots of long hours, sleepless nights and organizational manpower even before the 24 hour relay was upon us.

She was still coming to Chicago though. AND, she was bringing an extra Mascot/ cheerleader. Okay, we also call him her boyfriend but I saw an extra cheerleader!

We planned to meet at the airport on the morning of our flight to take our United Airlines flights out to Chicago. I got my Uber and my giant almost empty suitcase and gritted my teeth through the SLOWEST route to Heathrow that I have EVER witnessed. It was like he was trying to make me late for our rendez-vous time! Don't worry, it was like 3 hours before the flight departure time.

On arrival to Heathrow, I located the self-service check-in and looked around for the rest of the party. Not a sausage (British saying for 'nothing here')! So I settled in to wait as I was sure Laura would be here and we just couldn't see each other.

Ten minutes later, they rolled up. This became a theme for this trip. Which is funny because, I'm the Nigerian who often shows up a few minutes late. Otherwise, my British leanings kick in and I'm early! 

Laura is the American who is always on time! So this must have been down to Myles. This was confirmed later in the trip but initially, I just thought traveling as part of a couple had thrown off her usually impeccable calculations, maybe. What did I know?

The flight was largely uneventful. Good food and movies.

Once we landed and got the weirdest Uber ride known to man (our driver stopped for gas and left the meter running and wanted us to pay....lol, nope. She had to stop the meter once she made stop 1 of 2.

My hotel was a dream and about 10 minutes walk from the start line. Hotel Julian was a find! (I booked 2 weeks before flying out - yes, I am THAT person!).

I went for a good little run shortly after arrival in my room. My friends arranged to meet at the Oak Shore  Beach and I used good old Google Maps to get there. Almost immediately, I noticed the famed "issues" with GPS between those skyscrapers! OMG, it was unreal! For a 1 mile run, I picked up very little actual distance. Then I ran the rest of my 60 minutes since my friends were once again running late. No complaints here!

What better ending to a run along a beachfront than to be complimented by another runner as I was in the last half a mile on my "very smooth running stride". Amen! Any my ankles were not sore after flying - that was a first since August!

The Chicago highlights of the trip before and after the race included:

1. Millenium Park and Bean pictures.
2. Chicago Deep Dish pizza at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria.
3. Race number pick-up and met Ron S.
4. Met Jordan Hasay, elite marathoner who was unfortunately injured and couldn't run.
5. Architectural Boat tour of Chicago  with Ron S. (met Alison, @alioop_0_o_runs, in person!)
6. Hung out with my Chicago-based friend, Eliot who I'd met at the London Marathon.
7. Met my Coach, Heather McKirdy (@itsheathersturn) for a one-on-one chat!
8. McKirdy trained Shake out run where I got to run with @kenny_runz (who I know from London)! Small world?
9. Climbed Sears Tower (now named Willis) to take some cool shots!
10. Invented a new dance craze - Chica-ga!

Okay, that last one was made up, but a top 10 is always better than 9!
I did run around a few times in the GPS-challenged downtown area of Chicago. I figured, I really needed to turn off the auto-lap as it had no idea how long a mile was anymore!

I also went to a Blues Bar and Second City Comedy with my friends in the evenings and had a pre-race evening meal with Kenny (pasta)! It was a nice chilled but enjoyable trip.

All too soon, Race day was upon me!

I woke up very early and put on my racing outfit - my new red MyWambas sports bra with a handy pocket for my phone and my newly-designed Mornington Chasers Racing Crop top were on! I also put on my vest over the top because, I had no idea what the weather would hold.

A quick selfie before the extra insulation layers (long running tights, long-sleeved running hoodie and my race number, initially pinned to my crop top).

The long walk to the start line was in order. Many runners in various states of sleepiness, zombi-like or just plain nervous, all joined me in that long trugde. Security checks over, we went to the areas for bag drop-off. I opted to keep mine a little longer.

It started to rain.

At this point, I was starting to question my life choices - What am I doing out here in the dark, in the rain, waiting to run 26.2 miles. Okay, the last bit I couldn't wait for (I'm a sicko like that) but the early morning rain was really getting to me!

I found a little hut to huddle in and sat next to a lovely lady from South America who had flown over for her first  marathon! I encouraged her to not put time pressure on herself, go easy in the first half and really just ENJOY the day. It is a celebration of all those months of preparation! We soon were unceremoniously kicked out of the hut (they had to set up some refreshments for post-race), so we parted ways with good luck wishes. I dropped off my bag and started the next bit of searching for my start pen.

The day was brightening up quickly and I was feeling a bit less of that pre-race foreboding feeling.
I found my pen and started doing some warm-up drills. The rain even decided to stop! Hurrah!

Of course I then felt the need to pee! Could I hold it in for another 10 minutes? Nope.
So I climbed back out of my starting corral and went to join a pretty swift-moving porta-potty queue. Funnily enough, I was not the only person climbing out and finding the loo (yes, I am British!).

Business done, myself and my fellow last-minute stoppers somehow made a gap in the fence to shimmy back into the corral. Oh, such rebels!

And all too soon, it was go time! I thought, there goes Mo Farrah, time for me to follow! Lol

The first few miles were all about finding my stride and starting slow.
I noticed that the rain had stopped and the GPS was indeed crazy. Thankfully, I had managed to switch off my automatic lapping function just after the Shake-out run with McKirdy Trained athletes the day before.
As expected, Mile 2 read a funny little autolap (like 5:xx) so that was out!
I chatted briefly to a lovely racing lady who had braids and maroon lipstick - darn, I need a race day lipstick colour like that, I thought - and she was aiming for around 3:25 finishing time. I was aiming for 3:20 at this time. We wished each other luck and carried on trucking.

There were a bunch of  "Jesus Saves"-style signs along the start of the course.  I'm a faith-filled Christian and I appreciate that they wanted to be there but their tone was OFF. Most of the signs seemed to say, why are you running when you should be in church, you heathens? How about, God gave me a passion to run and every mile is my prayer and praise to Him? That's what I wanted to answer those posters. It was so off-putting! Other runners I spoke to later said they'd felt the same way.

Did I mention, it started to rain again around mile 3 or 4? This continued for the remainder of the race but it was a gentle steady drizzle most of the time.

I finally settled into my groove by the 6th mile, but found I couldn't get myself to speed up much more. I realize now, I prefer to be a metronome in races - a steady pace overall since the later miles take more effort to keep even the same pace. So holding a 7:50-ish pace became it!

A friend had texted me just before the start saying he would cheering be around 9.6 miles - I know, random distance or what? So, I craned my neck left to right and scanned the roadsides from miles 9 to 10. No dice! We missed each other. Just as I'd missed him whilst cheering at the London Marathon. Oh well!

I kept saying to myself, see how you feel at halfway, maybe you can stop for a second!

As soon as the 12th mile marker went, I knew it was just a lie I had been telling myself to keep me turning over. I had no GI issues, I had no need to pee, I had no cramps in my legs....so, no GOOD reason to stop. I ran past that 13th mile marker and the clicked my auto-lap, as planned.

The remainder of the race was about putting one foot in front of the other and noticing my surroundings a bit more.

I noticed Chinatown - there was no food cooking. Apparently everyone was out cheering! lol!

Around the 17 mile mark, I was still enjoying my jog (sorry, run) through Chicago. Thinking about how to keep avoiding the Gatorade holders and grabbing water after eating a Clif Blok or two, I choked. Yes, I choked on a gulp of water! I tried to style it out. Act like I meant to choke on that very sip and just cough to the side.

Just as I was recovering my breath, I heard my name being called. That can't be right?!

I looked up to see my best friend, Laura yelling and jumping up and down in excitement! And her boyfriend, Myles was going nuts too! (Camera forgotten around his neck as he waved manically at me! I don't know if I managed a high-five or not. All I know is I was touched and super suprised!
It was so unexpected but it was the very boost I needed!

I ran on to the finish, just focusing on the mile I was running. I completely forgot to lap the 23rd mile (so it was extra-long - lol!). I ran up to and said hi to Julia (from Instagram) who went on to run a PR!

A guy ran alongside me at mile 24 saying I was "looking strong"!  I thanked him but knew I was partially faking it, partially just not working that hard. It was positive reinforcement though. I kep going. 

A thing about Chicago is that it is famed for being FLAT. Well, I felt every incline up a bridge, every decline and I wondered, "what the hell are they talking about?"
I felt Boston was more my speed even with its accepted hills and valleys!  Whenever a race is famed to be so FLAT or even DOWNHILL, it tends to backfire. I mentally hated every slight or proper incline.

So at mile 25.9 when THE hill of Chicago came, I was over it! I was like, whatever, just show me the finish.

And as I turned left at the top of the hill, I was so ready for that finish line.

I also noticed one other thing - the clock read 25:xx. So I sped up and raced across the line.
I stopped my Garmin but didn't even look at my time.

My watch had a joke for me though. Knock, knock....who's there? Fastest 26.2 time: 3:18:xx. Lol! This GPS really is a joker!

It was only much later that I realized my time was 3:26 FLAT. Yes, you read that right. I'm that precise!  Ha ha!

On to the celebrations!

First things first. They had an UH-MAZING set of goodies for the runners!

Shortly after crossing the line, I was given a can of beer (lol, I don;t drink but okay)! I'm not sure if I got that before or after my Medal!  I took a few sips as I was handed 2 plastic bags to collect goodies from tables lining the finishing chute.

Then handfuls of Gatorade recovery bars and products were thrown into my bags and I was offered bags of Ice. Yes, ICE! Perfect, I can sit on that later for my glutes- I thought!  Post-shower, of course!

Suffice it to say, I had a blast grabbing my goodies! (I still have Gatorade bars I grab after a workout on the treadmill from my stash - I kid you not!)

I bumped into the legend that is Patrick Cutter (@irun26point2_) one of the McKirdytrained coaches and an IG buddy, @Diorisromero. Her friend turned out to be the lovely lady with the poppin' (yes I left out the 'G') lipstick! So we took some pictures and got changed!

I then stumbled across the free massage tent on my way out - Yaaaaasss! So I limped my tight butt over there and walked out a bit less like a Zombie and more like a lady (after a fashion). I also tried to convince my masseuse to give Marathon-running a go!

I will admit now that I stopped at a Starbucks on my walk home (all of 3 blocks) to grab a croissant sandwich which I devoured). Post-race meal was actually another Chicago deep-dish pizza - this time at Pequod's Pizza. I live the life of a marathoner!

Lessons now:

1. I can run a marathon even it I have no enthusiasm towards it for over 6 weeks beforehand.
2. I need to engage with the crowd more as I noted afterwards that I was basically tuning out for the main part.
3. I needed a break from the marathon... it was too much to do two and a half-years of marathon and ultra-marathon training and not expect to feel burned out.
4. My fueling was on-point! Seriously, say NO to Gatorade and you won't have the two horrid bathroom stops that I had in Boston earlier this year. Even CIM last year had me grabbing my stomach at times but managing to not stop (will-power?).
5. I need to remember to HAVE FUN! Remember that the 26.2 miles is a celebration of the whole training cycle. I GET to run a marathon. It's the best party of feet I've ever been to.

Hope you enjoyed my little mind ramble and the pictures.
Do drop me a line below if you were in Chitown or have run a marathon this year.
Any questions or tips are welcome!

God bless.

*Lola*

After psyching myself up for this race for say 8 months (I lie, a whole year), imagine my dismay to realise that the weatherman's predictions were true. It was going to rain and be very windy with 30-50mph gusts and freezing cold temperatures on Marathon Monday!

Sacrilage!

Anyhu, I had packed an old black cotton hoodie I was willing to throw away. It was meant to keep me warm in the Athlete's village before the start. I added a pair of cheap (thank you, Primark) leggings to the mix and my outfit was complete!

All that was left to do was apply my Sarah Marie Design Studios Boston-inspired nail transfers at 1AM in the morning! Yes, I am that person. In my defence, they looked pretty cool and I had slept well the preceding few nights.

On waking up, I threw on my outfits and added my game face - light make up and Unicorn cheek glitter. Every marathon feels like a Festival to me so why not look ready to party? Oh and never mind the rain!

I rushed downstairs to get the packed breakfast essentials the Hotel had left out for the runners: I opted for the Raisin bagel and peanut butter (YASSSSS) and left the granola and apple - too fibrous by half!
I did something that saved the morning then. I asked the concierge if they had any trash bags. She did - she gave me two see-through (for security) trash bags that I made holes in the top and sides for head and arm holes. On wearing it, it was almost floor-length on me - I am short! He he!

Stepping out of the hotel, I was immediately assaulted by the tempest outside! No word of lie, The wind and rain whipped at me. I quickly slipped my arms back inside the bag's protective poncho-like cover and held my food bag to my chest. As I walked the 800m to the bus loading area on Charles Street, my feet (which were the only parts not protected by the bag) were well and truly sodden. Oh and my Buff had to come down. It was so soaked with water from the driving rain, I felt like I was being water-boarded! Not the best of feelings.

I opted not to leave any gear for checking to avoid a 1-mile walk after the race. (A smart move prompted by a fellow-runner's suggestion the night beforehand.

Sliding through mud, we got onto the bus queues and I was directed by the Volunteers to a bus. They loved my facial glitter! I was low-key singing Rihanna's "Work, work, work, work, work!" in the cue and they agreed the sound system should be blasting tunes!

The bus ride was long but cozy! However, by the time I was on it, my shoes and socks were soaked! I noticed on the line that people who thought to protect their shoes fell into two categories.  They either covered each shoe with a plastic bag, or they carried a pair of dry shoes for the rave, sorry race (Freudian slip!) and aimed to throw away the pair they wore. During the bus ride, my feet thawed out a bit and my Buff dried - yes it was that long a ride!

Arriving at the Athletes Village revealed a new set of issues.

The Athlete's village at Hopkington was a muddy affair! There was snow which had fallen in the  earlier hours of the morning. And there were mud pits from all the rainfall thus far!

I quickly used the ladies' facilities and made my way to the Clif tents where we were  promised there were heaters. Of the four, there was only space in one! And in that one, there was face painting on offer. I declined since I already had my glitter on but they used my glitter style to entice others to have their faces similarly done up with glitter or country flag colours. I assured the curious runners that the glitter tended to last for the whole race (at least it had for CIM - lol!).

I sat briefly to put in my toe warmers (which did absolutely NOTHING for my numb toes) and shake out and apply my Hand warmers inside my arm sleeves and gloves. As I ate some of my snacks, a tall man came in and wished us well. He warned us to try and keep warm and watch it on the downhills. Then he said, "I'm Scott Jurek". *Gasp*

I looked to my left and YES, it was Scott Jurek! I was internally fan-girling but was too cold - numb fingers and all - to grab my phone for a picture. Darn it!

Shortly, they called the first wave Red bib wearers and then our second wave!

As we moved towards the holding area in the parking lot behind Athlete's Village, we all excitedly chatted and tried to calm our nerves. All too soon, they herded us forward on the half a mile walk to the actual corals. On the way there, there were more porta-potties for us to get rid of the extra layers and food we didn't want for the race.

I took of my leggings at this point but kept my trash bag poncho and the black hooded sweater.
I grabbed a mouthful of water and gave my spare trash bag (which I hadn't used for sitting at the Athlete's village (too muddy and wet) to one of the many lovely volunteers.

All too soon, it was time to go! Aaargh. I jogged up to my corral - actually, I jogged past it, oops - then waited to be let loose on the course. I quickly wrapped my Buff around my Visor hat instead of my neck to prevent a repeat of the previous water-boarding incident!

So after pretty much NO warm-up because, what would be the point, the rain was freezing, I started at an 8:20 - 8:20 pace. Immediately, my Garmin started having issues. The sleeve of my hoodie, made heavier by the heavy rain, was hitting the touch screen and making false-laps!

Using that as a gauge was OUT then! So I ran on feel.
I made sure to be careful on the downhills and not go too fast.

I was very afraid in those early miles. Coming back from an injury that had me not running for 2 weeks and then having a short taper for the same reason, I didn't want to damage anything on the course! So when I noticed that my feet felt like blocks of wood, I was afraid!
You see, my feet were numb - not just the toes anymore - the bottom of the feet and I could just about feel my ankles. With a recent Right shin splint injury and the left calf being tight as usual, I was scared I was unwittingly doing damage! Hence, I took it easy and prayed internally for my feet to be okay. "Dear Lord, help me!" I made sure I did absolutely NO WEAVING between people. No energy wastage here!

I took my Clif bloks at just over the 3 mile point and kept moving! I threw off my outer trash bag between mile 3 and 6. I was overheating within it!

There were puddles everywhere! The middle of the road, the sides and when we dipped into any valley, the whole width of the road was wet.

As I neared the 6th mile, I realized I was having some GI discomfort. My lower abdomen felt tight and it was making me run slower and slightly hunched forward. I had alternately been drinking a sip or Gatorade and 3 sips of water from the cups. I want to shout out @Heatheruns from Instagram who gave great tips for grabbing water in cups from volunteers. I used those tips at CIM last year and again this year at Boston!

I briefly saw Bethany Davis of @be.fit.davis (IG) whom I'd met at the Rambling Runner meetup the day before. She was looking strong! Whoop whoop! As my discomfort continued, I let Bethany power on ahead of me and I struggled to keep pace.

I kept telling myself: "Never trust the first half of a marathon!" and "aim to be slower in the first half to pass folks in the second".

The rain and wind continued to batter us.

I was taking the Gatorade and water at alternate water stops up to mile 11. And with each step from mile 7 to 11, I felt my lower abdomen feeling more and more bloated.

No matter how I tried to ignore it, I just felt more bent forward with the pain. As I passed mile 11, I felt I really needed to pee (TMI alert!).

So for the first time in any race, I ran for the first loo I saw.

As I headed back out, I felt SO much better! Suddenly, I was actually back within 10 seconds of goal marathon pace. And just like that, 12 miles were complete! I dropped one of my hand warmers at this point (from my right hand). This meant it started to freeze up with the cold into a claw hold!

That was when I heard them! The screams!!

I turned to my left, about to ask if there were people being murdered up ahead, then remembered.
WELLESLEY! This was when the tables turned! The much lauded ladies of Wellesley College were just as loud and encouraging as they have been spoken of.

After a few high-fives (no extra energy for KISSES), I was sufficiently reinvigorated to keep pushing the pace and start flying towards the hills.

 As I passed the halfway point, I had a choice to make. Either I hold on to my top layer of clothing, which was wet and making my GPS go crazy in the rain, or I ditch it and face the elements that were here to stay cold and wet.

So I threw off my Hooded zip up sweater and ran for the hills!

The crowds were very much in support - I believe we were now in Natick and crossing shortly into Newton with its famed hills.

I was prepared to try the 1 mile easy, 2 miles hard approach I had read on one of the many articles as I'd swatted up on the Boston course last week.

Imagine my happy surprise to find that I barely felt the hills!

Yes, you read that right. I had trained on Primrose Hill and even around Hampstead and Golders Green as little as a week beforehand and those were WAY harder than the hills of Boston. Even with the downhills at the start. My quads were not shredded as I had been warned by Bill Rodgers and my pal, Dr Steve Harris to train well downhill in long runs!

The main thing I noted was to keep up my cadence on the uphills (whilst many started walking) and not break on the downhills. When my left knee gave some protest on the first downhill, I leaned forward and let gravity take me rather than the backward lean I had unconsciously started with.

I kept passing people and I even had a friend yell, "Looking good, Lola!" I turned to see Bethany Davis again. She was holding on there but I knew these hills were a struggle for most.

The crowds held up signs and yelled encouragement. More and more people read out my number and rooted for me! This was EXACTLY what I needed. People took to calling me "Sparkles" because of my facial glitter! lol!

At mile 17, I made my second bathroom pit stop as darn it, I drank one more sip of Gatorade and it made me cramp (abdominally) again! No more Gatorade thereafter. I grabbed water at every other station from then onwards.

I perfected a new water grabbing technique here. With my right hand now frozen into a bit of a claw, I would swoop my left hand around the cup to lift it from the volunteer's hands and prevent splashing us both! Oh dear!

Sadly, my second had warmer fell off at this point - darn mile 17 - so my Left hand was a bit less frozen than the right but starting to feel the elements too!

This stretch of the course continued uphill until I was suddenly upon the infamous "Heartbreak Hill".

Some spectators had a rad sign saying "It's only a hill, get over it!" at the bottom. I flew up this hill.

Okay guys, here's my take: if you've done even a 2-3% gradient on the treadmill once a week, you are good! I did 2-3% as my minimum inclination on even easy runs and 4% + when I was practising for Heartbreak Hill. This hill was actually a beautifully low incline upwards over - I guess half a mile - and I didn't feel taxed going up it. I'm sure the crazy hills of Ultra races were miles worse (one had my heart racing just walking up it!) and they are more formidable foes.

Around mile 22, I noticed I was running with the same girl from San Diego. I figured that her shirt showed that because the crowd would alternately yell my number or say, "Go San Diego" as she an I kept shoulder to shoulder.

Someone yelled out somewhere around mile 23 - it's all downhill from here!

For the next 2 miles, "San Diego" and I would pass each other on uphills (she would pass me) and downhills (I would pass her)! So we battled onward.

I had been surreptitiously looking up to the horizon, searching for the CITGO sign I had seen on my Charles River shake out run and when I had gone close to Fenway Park a couple of nights beforehand. No sign of it (excuse the pun).

Suddenly, with about a mile and a bit to go (maybe 24.5 miles in) I spotted it. And it was close!
Shortly, I say the One mile to go signs by the crowd.

Someone yelled, "1-3-3-3-3, you're the best I've seen!" That was flattering! lol!

I thought to myself in those last 2 miles, "I can put up with ANY amount of pain for 2 miles!"
I was feeling my hamstrings and I was just T-I-R-E-D!

Suddenly, there was the sign for the right turn on Hereford! We were almost there!

Within a few yards of turning on Hereford, we were turning Left onto Boylston!
I could just about squint and see the finish.

I asked myself, "Can I push it a bit more? Can I go faster?" My muscles were screaming "No!"

However, I looked slightly to my right and saw that "San Diego" had switched to that side and was revving up for the finish.

Well, it was ON!

I started to speed up and used my arms to drive me forward. I knew I had a finishing kick in distances up to the half marathon but here was a chance to use it for a marathon. And at Boston NO LESS!

So I ran for my life and kept her behind me as I strode to the finish!

I looked up and saw 3:49 on the timer but knew it was several minutes off when I started so I would wait for my net time. I had given up looking at my Garmin at around mile 22!

Once I was over the line, I followed instructions to keep moving. They were handing out water bottles just behind the photographers (yep, NO ONE needed that at this point)! I started looking off to the right side to see if I could sneak off to my hotel ASAP.

Then I thought, I feel like I'm forgetting something....

I hadn't even gotten my medal yet and I was trying to get home! *Face palm*

So I kept moving forward a few more yards and there were the medals *sigh* and the beautiful hooded foil ponchos! I was too cold to actually managed to put it on by myself so a kind volunteer helped me fasten the front velcro!

I then turned to the side and was showed a gap through the barricades to get back to my hotel.
On that short walk, approximately 300m - I encountered the slightest incline. I had to turn around and walk up it backwards to stop my legs hurting. I looked crazy but what else could I do.

After a quick selfie and a few frozen handed mirror pics, I jumped in the shower.
My back was seizing up from the cold!

After the first 10 minutes, I stepped out and immediately started shaking again.

Another 20 minutes in the shower it was! I actually posted my instagram update in said shower (hot water on my back!).

I just want to say how amazing that race was!

In spite of the crazily adverse conditions, I learned - alongside many others - that as long as I showed up and kept trying, I could achieve anything I put my mind to. The first half reflected my mind not being set on fighting (and my poorer fueling choices) but the second half more than made up for it with my rediscovered GRIT!

The volunteers and the spectators were the real stars of the show! To stand there in the pelting, freezing rain and wind and yell encouragement for us all! I am humbled beyond words.

My final time was 03:44:28. My personal worst! However, it is still a London Good-for-Age qualifier and on one of the hardest courses out there!

That was a whirlwind taster of Boston. However, it has left me wanting more.
I have a CIM qualifying time already for next year (holler!) and I will try to improve on that in the year!

Thank you for coming on this Boston Marathon journey with me!

Later, Ladies and Gents.

*Lola*

Ps: Hand warmers are the BEES KNEES for keeping warm in cold races! Toe warmers did NOTHING for me. I do have a spare pair so I will try them in drier conditions to see if they fare better then.

Sorry, nowhere else to share this random tidbit. Okay. I'm done now.

Having just returned from Faro, Portugal after a week of warm weather training - seriously though, why is the Beast From the East back in the UK? - I thought I would share these lessons from my second experience of Spring training camp. The last three points are just a few of the nuggets of wisdom from the top coaches at this camp.  Now remember to listen to your body on such a camp and not try to do EVERYTHING. That's a survival tip right there!

It was organized by 209 Events and they are planning another camp in September this year. I am tempted but I do have races and other trips which happen around then.

Now without much further ado:

1) You're stronger than you know! I survived twice daily runs for over a week. And I had mid-day sessions of yoga, pilates or core strength and conditioning between them. You never know what your body can do until you push it a little (with supervision - don't go crazy!).
2) Night time stretches and targeted foam-rolling works! My legs could take all that road running mileage and not feel dead because of my 6 months old habit of nightly stretches.
3) Low mileage and speed works also. I was happy to learn that certain camp-mates had gotten much faster with mileage in the 25 to 30 mile a week range. Keeping sessions short and sharp can be effective for building speed up to the half-marathon distance. You do need to do longer runs for targeted marathon races though - that aerobic engine is important.
4) My leg speed and cadence is still good - from my track session. I just need to build that cardiovascular engine. I know my cadence went down with all the Ultrarunning from last Summer. However, my recent focus on doing more speed work and shorter distance in the last 2 months has helped get it back. I find that once I am racing, my cadence is always spot on. Now to make sure my easy runs are also that efficient.
5) Cross-training works. A super-speedy runner (1:23 half-marathoner) only runs twice a week and does Aerobics and HIIT the rest of her week. Obviously that works well enough to build her aerobic engine. I downloaded new phone Apps for core, leg and upper body workouts that I'm going to use to switch up my strength training. I used to be very regimented about my strength routine but have fallen out of love with my previous go-to. A change will do me some good.
6) Lots of recovery runs help. It allowed my legs not to "fall off" from twice daily runs, a long run and a 5K race in one week! Daytime naps were also a bonus - however, beware of being awake all night!
7) Eat like a Pro (aka Paula Radcliffe)! Having 5-6 smaller meals a day is how to fuel optimally. That way my energy levels don't dip too low before the each workout.

Now three RACING lessons from the coaches (www.runningwithus.com):
1) PRIME yourself for success: Have a pre-race routine that works for you. From your meal beforehand to your warm-up. Practice it during your training and just go through the same steps on race day. This is how the Elites and world champions do it, you should too! Find what works for you and stick with it.

2) Learn to control your body (centering): Remember that you have control over yourself. So practice mantras to say to yourself during the race to remind you of this when things get tough. Examples include, "You've got this!", "Relax into the pace", "Run tall", "You trained for this" and my favourite, "Smile!". Smiling fools your brain into perceiving less effort and can also lower your heart rate.

3)  Tap into the power of visualisation: Visualise the painful moments in the race - they will come - and prepare for them. How will you get through? Remember, to run a PB (Personal Best), you have to run harder than you ever have before!

There were plenty of more lessons from the Coaches but these three really stuck with me.
I hope they help you in your future running - and rest of life - endeavours.

Watch this space for a Speedier Lola!

Later, Ladies and Gents!

*Lola*

This marathon was my fourth. I went into it with high(ish) hopes and accordingly beat up myself afterwards. I did get back up and re-focused on my goals, thereafter.

This marathon was chosen from its close proximity (speaking temporally) to a Stateside wedding I wanted to attend and I marked it as my goal marathon for the Fall.

I learned some very valuable lessons from my rather stupid mistakes going into this race.

So without much further ado....

Firstly, I regretted picking this as my Fall marathon as it was actually much later in the year. The anticipation and nerves in the last few weeks before the race has overshadowed Christmas for me. Yes, I couldn't see Christmas without the spectre of #CIM35 looming over me. Training was a blast though! With lots of over-speed runs and a good marathon pace long run in there - I really was happy with how my body was revving up.

To try and calm my nerves, I went on the race website in the preceding 2 weeks and watched video footage of the race course. For some reason, I couldn't find the elevation profile. I did heed the warning by Tina Muir (@tinamuir88 on IG) who said it had its fair share of hills. Thank heavens I did! I also did some basic last minute preparations like booking my hotels and Greyhound Transport to and from Sacramento on either side. I flew into Oakland on the Thursday before the race.

STATESIDE TRAVEL
On arriving in Oakland, I spent one night at a hotel close to the airport and made arrangements for my transit to the Greyhound station. The actual Greyhound travel was actually very smooth though waiting a couple of hours at the terminal was an experience! So many random people there, but I digress.

I went straight to the Marathon Expo on arrival in Sacramento on Friday afternoon. Yes with my giant suitcase and carry on luggage! Thankfully, a kind volunteer by the name of Keith offered to look after my things at one of the welcome desks!

After getting back on the bus, we ate our bananas and around 6:20 am we headed back out. I went to drop off my bags and had one more quick bathroom queue up (for luck) before my dynamic warm-up stretches and 800 metre jog. I headed to the start around 6:45 am and shimmied -no better word for it - my way just past the 3:22 pacers!

We stood as the anthem was sung and the disabled runners (sight-impaired and those with wheels) headed off 5 minutes early. Within what felt like seconds, the starting gun went and so did we!

It was a cold start - between 1 and 4oC and I could see my breath in the air for the first few miles. My left fourth and little fingers were numb until mile 8!

I usually start off slower and tell myself repeatedly to calm down. Therefore, I kept around a 7:40-45 min/mile pace to start with. The 3:22 pacing group initially chased me then I tuned them out and ran alone.

At around 6 miles, I noticed the first signs of something not being quite right. My left glute (upper hamstring insertion point) started hurting. Not in a cramp-like or overtly painful way, just a niggling ache I hadn't felt for a couple of weeks. I said a little prayer along the lines of: "Dear Lord, don't let this sideline me!"

I decided to stick to my fueling and hydration plan: eat three Clif Bloks (equal to 1 gel) every 4 miles and drink electrolyte drinks and water in sips at each station. This seemed to help.

Those first few hills had my pace all over the place according to my Garmin but I made sure I kept the effort steady until halfway. I was momentarily thrown off by my 10K time - I thought I was too slow - that I stupidly surged for at least half a mile! I got my nerves under control again and reminded myself the real race was after 20 miles. 

THE SECOND HALF
After the halfway point (watch footage of this above), I tried to increase my pace to 7:25-7:35 min/mile as planned. However, my legs weren't having it! Uh-oh!

When at mile 15, the fatigue was more than I was used to at that point in the race, I regrouped mentally. I decided to have another set of Clif Bloks (1 mile early) and chew a RunGum. I think the former helped to keep my pace from falling below 7:50 min/mile but I can't say I noticed much re-invigoration from the caffeinated gum. I sent up more prayers to keep me strong and going!

Every time my body saud, "Let's stop!", my mind would reply, "Let's see at the next  mile!".

Somehow, I made it to mile 20. And with dismay, I noticed those men and women I had held onto zoom away from me. I couldn't find even a tiny extra gear shift up! (See me hide this well below: on the clock - 2:36:19 to 2:36:25)

FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED:
1) Be thankful and be present throughout. I was giving thanks to God as I crossed each mile marker. In spite of slowing down a bit in the second half - I have seen my 10K, Half, 20-mile and finish splits - I was so thankful for the mental grit that took me over the starting line and ultimately the finish line. And all without falling over! Seriously! In the last mile, someone stopped abruptly in front of me at an aid station but still I had the presence of mind to swerve and keep moving!

2) I had finally HIT THE WALL! I thought it was a feeling that stopped you completely and made you reconsider your life choices. Nope! You can keep running! *insert shocked expression*   I think it was mainly because I changed up my in-race fueling plan to give me carbs more regularly! However, no amount of gels or their equivalent can sort empty muscle tanks! I was unable to go above my base paces because above that, I ran out of glycogen and my muscles slowed me into fat burning category. A good friend alerted me to the fact that all I was feeling in those last 11 miles were symptoms of hitting the wall. Bless you, Dr Steve - I'm sure he'll love seeing his title on here! On the upside, yay - I can run on fat at 7:40-45 minute/mile pace!

3) I must NEVER EVER NEGLECT CARBO-LOADING again! Although running can sometimes be seen as an excuse to "Eat all the food", after most hard workouts, my appetite dips. I usually force down a replenishing energy/protein drink mix during such training. When doing a hometown marathon or even in Athens where I was with friends, I could eat all the pasta and pizza without judgement. In a hotel which doesn't serve anything but breakfast, and miles from the centre of town, I ate breakfast and dinner only! And on the night before my race, I didn't even manage dinner! Returning from the Expo to Folsom via Light Rail (RT) and a convoluted teaxi-finding expedition, I was too tired and cold to go out for food. So I ate 2 mini-waffles left over from breakfast and went to bed! I had to get up early, right?

Big mistake!

4) I am tougher than I think! I had the mental fortitude to keep going when my body wanted out! I actually enjoyed the hills - blasphemy, I know. The flat sections of most marathons let my mind wonder too much whilst a good hill gets me calculating effort and enjoying the downhill on the other side!

5) The crowds are always amazing! I had over 10 individuals call out my name over the course of the marathon. Yes, that is actually low compared to even half-marathons I've run in the UK. However, the person picks you out, calls you, makes eye contact and wills you forward!

Yes, there were high-points in this race. These were three-fold:

Firstly, I finished strongly and I fought for every inch of that asphalt jungle! I could honestly say, I left it all out there (something I have not been able to say with my previous marathons).

Secondly, I got a new PB: 3 hours 24 minutes and 16 seconds. That is almost 2 minutes and 15  seconds better than London. Considering how I felt during the race, this is nothing short of a miracle!

Lastly, a lady approached me and tapped me on the shoulder shortly after I crossed the finish line saying, " I just wanted to tell you that you motivated me SO MUCH out there!" I was stunned! I felt like I was being slowly churned from the inside-out on that course and here was someone behind me using that PULL that another runner in the race can give you! I can only thank God for this grace!