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!

So I ran my second London Marathon on Sunday 23rd of April 2017.
It was my third marathon. And it was a beaut - we thank God! (Grab a cuppa, let's get into it!)

Last year, I towed the start line with so many questions in my head:

• Could I run this marathon without stopping?
• Could I even run a marathon?
• Would I hit THE WALL?
• What time would I make (my dream of 3:30 or my fall backs of 3:45 or sub-4:00)?
• Would I fall flat on my face at some point (a real worry)?
  
• Would I vow to never run again afterwards?

I was taking a big risk it felt: pushing my body to its limits (possibly) and making my mind up about this whole long-distance running thing.

Well, at the end of that race, I was hooked! I had run throughout and I was so carried by the crowds that I made 3:42 and some change! I was estatic! And of course, I wanted another chance to do it again.

Imagine my delight to find out that my time was "Good-for-age" for my age-group and I could enter without relying on the ballot (read, very unlikely) or charity places (I'm not so good at fundraising). The fundraising is something I have to work on but...not for now! lol!

So I booked my next marathon after a few more half-marathons and went off to Athens. You can read that amazing race re-cap here - it is the Original Marathon after all.

This year's marathon training was not a walk in the park!

I also had something to prove - to myself, really. I wanted to beat my last time but also push it down closer to the 3 hour mark! Yes, I am that crazy person!

By most pure string of serendipity, whilst searching for a fall marathon for 2017 after an awesome race in Athens (yes, I'm well and truly addicted!), I stumbled across 209 Events. They are one of only TWO tour companies that offer all-inclusive entries to the New York Marathon. Since at the time it was WAY too early to be checking for such entries, I clicked on their website and spied the "Spring Training Camp" with running, sports massages, yoga and one-on-one coach time! Add that to the fact it was in Algarve, Portugal - I was sold. 
 Of course I mentioned it like 500 times to my friends, whilst bookmarking and emailing the organisers about possibly getting a lift to the hotel a day early (yes, I'd checked flights - £39.98 return with RyanAir!). Sadly (for them) my friends were not as keen. And you didn't have to ask me twice before I'd booked my flights and paid my down-payment for the week!
 
I know you're curious about it. Too bad, I'm telling you anyway!

This is a requested blog post. A couple of weeks ago, someone asked if I could share some tips for running a half-marathon. So I thought I'd do a post to get others started.
 
First off, let me say: I am not a qualified coach, nor am I a running guru! I am just a woman with a passion for running that has allowed me to push past my preconceived boundaries to achieve SO MUCH MORE. 
 
Now that those house-keeping bits are out of the way:
 
A couple of years ago, I decided I wanted to run a half-marathon. Why? A friend of mine who had only started running very recently at the time had run one and she raved about it! I was shocked as I had not even thought of such a thing before that. I'll be honest, I didn't even know a half-marathon race distance existed! I thought it was 5K, 10K and those crazy Marathoners. Imagine my surprise when she danced over to me saying she'd had a blast finishing one and wanted to do another!
 
Well, my competitive streak had been held under for the last few years (we'll excuse medical school as we were all just pushing each other to do better, yadi yada) and I was able to pretend I was just curious to see if I could do it too. So I did the only logical thing I could think of: I ran a 10K to get that out of the way - I had only run a 5K race previously so I wanted to step up the distance. 
 
It was the worst 10K race EVER! And oddly enough, I am so thankful that it was. 
 
I started off too fast, (deleted sentence) and my feet were on FIRE by the halfway mark. Not in the good "Oh she's so fast" way - in the "I think I am going to combust from the soles up" way! I was at 16th position at 5K and decided (deleted word) to SLOW DOWN and let others pass me! I was (deleted word) praying for water (unheard of for me up till then) and found myself stopping and starting for the remainder of the race!
 
I actually ran a PB that day, but it taught me the difference between running the distance on my own on a Saturday and really RACING a 10K! As I crossed the finish line, I was thinking, "I'm never doing that again!" I only finished because I'd raised £400 for charity for which people had already paid me. I didn't want to feel like a fraud! 
 
Guess what? A whole FIVE minutes later, I was saying to myself, "when I run the half-marathon, I have to raise more money or have someone cheering me on!" I realised then how much the crowd and marshals telling me I was “doing well” really helped me. I must have looked truly horrible but I'll take any encouragement I could get.
 
Why did I share this story first? It brought home to me the fact that to run a race, you have to TRAIN for it! This was what I took with me to the half-marathon distance. 
 
That is where you must start: you must be prepared to TRAIN for your half-marathon. No causal jogging along shorter distances will suddenly make you able to run the whole thing in an amazing time! I know that adrenaline can do amazing things - see my first horrendous driving test (actually, let’s not) - but it won't make up for the fact that your body and mind are not prepared for the distance. 
 
So that will be my first tip! I will expand on all of these below.
 
1Be prepared to train well.
2Long runs are important.
3Know your limits! 
4Find a training plan you like.
5Stick to the plan!
*Bonus* Have fun with it!

Be prepared to train.
By this, I mean you must understand that, like all worthy endeavours, your goal will take some work. You need to run more regularly or use your current number of sessions per week more wisely. They must all be geared towards your goal of running a good first half-marathon. This is crucial for crossing the finish line without injury, complete exhaustion or losing your breakfast - trust me, I regularly see all three!
 
Long runs are important.
You will need to commit to at least one long run a week. This will need to be from the range of 7 miles to 11 miles. You can run a bit slower on these, but you need to make sure you are doing one a week so that your body is ready. It's also important to train your mind to manage running for that long.
 
Know your limits!
If you haven't run more than 5K before, don't sign up for a half-marathon in less than 8 weeks. You need time to build up to the race distance. I ran 10Ks and more on Saturdays for quite a while before venturing to that distance. The shortest training for people doing such running beforehand is about 4 weeks: I've asked around - even many guys (who often seem more (deleted words) able to do these things at the drop of a hat) have to do 4 weeks of more focused training. 
The same goes for goal-setting: don't expect to do it just a little slower than the elite runners! You need to have an achievable goal that you can work up to! Something that makes you push THAT bit harder during the race. 
 
Find a training plan you like.
Don't just pick the one your friend does. Especially if it doesn't appeal to your inner training voice - does it speak your language? To clarify, I mean do you feel at ease doing exactly what it says? I know myself, I don't like not knowing the exact distance I'm supposed to run. So those plans which speak in terms of minutes run were not for me. What if I ran for 2 hours and was still several miles short of what I should have covered in training? I pictured the nightmare of not being able to finish, let alone achieve my time goals.
However, I know my friend loved knowing how long to run for so she could just turn round at the halfway time-stamp and run home! Everyone is different. And there are plenty of plans out there! (Links to some of these at the end!)
  
Stick to the Plan!
Here I must add, "within reason". Allowing for unforeseen life and scheduling difficulties, you need to stick to your training plan. That seems to be what makes the difference between runners who do multiple races versus those who may find their inner racing "chip" well and truly fried after running a half- or full marathon! By ensuring that you carry out the key workouts for the week, you will be gearing yourself up for a greater chance of success: be it finishing the race or running it better than you dreamed. 
 
Lastly, have fun with it!
This is a journey. A saying that always struck me as a child and probably made me fear marathons inordinately was, "Life is a marathon, not a sprint!"
You see, I'm more of natural sprinter - big surprise I'm Nigerian and played Hockey in secondary school. However, I've always been intrigued to see if I could also be as good a long distance runner. When I found it was all a matter of my thinking, I started chipping away at the wall I'd built in my mind.

You may be familiar with the building blocks of this wall: "I can't do it" or "I'm not built for distance" and "It's too late to start this now". Well, it's never too late to learn new tricks (see what I did there?). And you are the master or mistress of your own destiny. No one can tell you what you can't do. Only you can do that to yourself!
 
So above all, start believing that you can complete that half-marathon, and you're halfway there.

Thanks for reading my ramblings!

Below are links to training plans that I have encountered:
 
If you want my first training plan, it's from the book: 'Road Racing for Serious Runners. Multispeed training: 5K to Marathon!' by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas. I followed Schedule A (under 30 miles a week at the start).
​
Fitness Magazine's 10-Week Half-Marathon Plans: here
Shape Magazine's 12-Week Half-Marathon Plans: here
NSPCC Beginner's 14-Week Half-Marathon Plan: here
Runner's World Half-Marathon Plans (10-14 Weeks): here

Later, Ladies and Gents!

Ps: Special Thanks to Steve for casting an expert eye over this write-up!

 I know you are all ready to re-live the experience with me. (Photos of actual race by Marathon Photo!)

I'll set the scene.....

Pre-dawn: found my way down to Syntagma Square (central Athens) and caught one of many air-conditioned buses to Marathon with my friend, K! Whilst enroute, we were reminded of the historic importance of this route and to drop off our bags promptly on arrival by  a pre-recorded message in English and Greek. My friend and I ate some of our snacks on the way (Natural Energy Bars by Tribe and some fruit) whilst we took note of the gradient of the roads. Just how hilly was this going to be?

As the Sun peaked its head over the horizon, we arrived in Marathon and started making t-shirts out of waterproof plastic bags as we had to give up our long-sleeved jackets and trousers. The bag drop vans (by DHL) were ready and waiting to relieve us of our burdens.

The next order of business was to take numerous pictures: of the Marathon signs, the stadium, our national flags and with other competitors of note (see below). The latter included the Spartans from Poland who marched (and ran) as a troop with their spears, shields and swords!

Finally, it was time to get into our respective starting pens and take the Athlete's oath (first in Greek then English). Soon we were toeing the starting line and ...we were OFF!

I finally achieved one of my five-year plan goals: merging my love of travel with my love of running. This was meant to have also happened back in October with the Lisbon Half-Marathon but....too tired to travel at that point. 

So I went to Athens, Greece for the Authentic Marathon 2016!

I arrived at Athens International on Thursday 10th of November around 3pm and made my way to the metro station. After standing in two wrong queues for machines that either were not for the Metro (#1) or not working (#2), I chanced to meet 2 lovely ladies from USA who had flown in from Germany. Let's call them K and H! K was also going to run the Marathon (yes!) and H was there for moral support.

As we got on the Metro, we realised we weren't too far from each other centrally (Air BnB for them, Acropolis Select Hotel for me!) - so we decided to explore Athens together. This was definitely part of the Serendipity of this trip.

I'll split this post now into my hotel, the restaurants and the sights. My training will be sprinkled in but the main blog post for my Marathon experience will be a separate one. 

Hey ladies and gents!

I thought I'd catch you up on my Marathon day journey and what I've been up to since. And what better way than a good ole' chinwag via YouTube? lol!

Later!

*Lola*