With 2011 almost over and my last race of the year finished, I’ve been reflecting on my love of running. Just why do I love it so much? Enough to make me buy a headtorch and run on cold winter’s nights. Enough to get myself back up again after falling flat on my face and finish that run. Enough to get up early, drive to a race and run til I’ve got nothing left to give and then some. Coping with bad weather, sore toes and cold noses is just part of the runners winter skill set. I’ve pulled muscles, am about to lose a toe nail and grazed myself in places you can’t even imagine with a fall. Yet I still love it – why?

This year started off with a promise. I promised myself that I would see a running coach to try to work out why I was so slow. In February I drove up the motorway and met up with Ian for the first time. I was nervous and excited. What would I do if he thought I was rubbish? What if I couldn’t change? Running with him was a revelation. A revelation in what I could achieve. With him I ran 8 minute something miles (I was more of an 11/12 minute miler at this point) off road in the beautiful Peak District.

Then I returned home and in my next run promptly forgot everything and injured my hip! I really struggled to change my technique and over analysed everything. At one time I remember describing my running style as of that of a lob sided elephant! I soldiered on though and we went off to the alps for 12 weeks. I had some great runs out there. Stunning views, gorgeous weather and awesome trails. I raced a 10k in Chamonix in July and finished in 1:09 which I was quite pleased with as there was a big walking section in it due to the trail and the sheer amount of racers.

Back in the UK, Ian came down to see me to check on my technique and go for a run. He, again, opened my eyes to what I could achieve. I ran faster and smoother than I had ever done before. The following weekend I raced the Blacks North Face Singletrack Trail 10k race. I loved that race but know I can do better – I want to do that race again and beat my time (1:04). Ian’s teachings began to gel after this race. I just seemed to get ‘it’ without really knowing what ‘it’ was. My speed increased, my recovery times improved and I began overtaking people on my local runs. This was new to me and I liked it!

In November I ran the Dirt Half Marathon, an off-road half that I really wanted to try my new technique on. I only ran with a wrist watch and had a rough idea of running 10 minute miles which I knew I could do fairly comfortably. I really enjoyed the race until mile 11 when my quads just got really tired and by the time I finished the race I was wrecked. So wrecked I couldn’t do any stretching back at the car and hobbled downstairs for several days afterwards. I finished in 2:13 and am chuffed with this because I know I can do better. If my legs hadn’t given up 2 miles before the end who knows what time I could have got?

Last week I ran the British Heart Foundation Santa Jog in a Santa suit. I loved it, I felt strong and fit and invincible. Amazingly I was the first lady Santa over the line at 8k and I’ll take that as a win! What a way to end my running year. I feel I’ve come far but I also feel I’ve got lots more to come. Bring on 2012 that’s all I can say!

It was the Dirt Half Marathon yesterday – the event I’ve been training for since returning from the Alps in August. I’d seen a running coach, trained hard, avoided illness and injury and arrived healthy and fit on the start line. What would the race hold for me? I had no idea how fast I was, how hard it was going to be on my body or what the course was really like. I woke up yesterday morning and thought ‘Yikes’!

We dragged ourselves out of bed at the ungodly hour of 8am – 8am on a Saturday just shouldn’t be allowed! My kit was ready, jelly beans packed, number pinned on and all I had to decide was whether to wear a cap, sunglasses or a buff. The cap won the battle as it was foggy but the sun had potential. I had a big bowl of home made muesli (recipe here) followed by a strong cup of coffee to get me buzzing. After the inevitable faffing we were off. The drive to Leighton Buzzard was short and there was no traffic so we arrived in plenty of time for the 10am start. Parking was a bit of a problem though and we ended up driving over some grass and parking in a school playground – no idea if we were supposed to park there but we just followed everyone else. There should really have been someone to help direct the parking as it was chaotic. I picked up my timing chip and sent text messages to my 2 twitter buddies I was due to meet up with.

We sat in the car waiting for the start when everyone suddenly started walking to a small gate in a hedge and squeezing through. On the other side was a big field and this was the start. I lined up in the 2 to 2:30 hour finish group and eagerly waited for the start gun/horn/bell/whistle. There was no obvious start but we all started moving forward and the race was on. I had decided not to start too quickly this time as I always make that mistake and resolutely stuck to my 10kph pace letting other runners pass. Some of these looked as if they were on their last legs in the first mile, they were totally out of breath, coughing and pounding the path with every last ounce of energy they had left – I have no idea how they made it to the end if indeed they did manage to finish. We did a loop of a water park and then hit the long towpath alongside the Grand Union Canal. There were a lot of elbows along this narrow trail!

I only had my analogue wrist watch for company on this race as I sold my Garmin 305 recently and didn’t want to keep getting out my iPhone to check my pace. I wasn’t too bothered though as I knew what 10kph felt like and knew if I could keep that up that I’d finish in a reasonable time. The race was a mixture of tow path, country lanes and dirt tracks, trails in Stockgrove Country Park with a cow pasture thrown in too. It certainly was varied and I heard a moaning minnie behind me complaining that it was hard to find a rhythm with such variety – but that’s the point isn’t it – much more interesting than running round and round the Silverstone circuit for example.

I loved the trails in Stockgrove Country Park. I was still feeling strong and light on my feet. These trails were muddy, rooty, covered in leaves and hilly – great fun! I did some overtaking here and realised that I was going to finish in a reasonable time. After the fun in the park we came out onto the cow pasture and I overtook a few more people struggling on the muddy steps and bridges. I seemed to overtake or pull away from loads of people on the downhills too – thanks to coach Ian’s advice to just ‘let go’. We popped back out onto the tow path again but at mile 11 I started to feel it. It seems to take forever to reach mile 12 on the tow path and my legs were tiring quickly. I did reach mile 12 eventually and then it was just a lap of the water park to go. I could see the finish line on the opposite side of the canal but in a cruel, wicked twist of race organisers humour the water park lap went uphill and nearly killed me! I eventually stumbled, shuffled, hobbled over the line in 2:13.

Mr R was there to greet me and best of all, I didn’t feel sick and wasn’t crying – always a good end to a race! I’ve spent every minute since then eating and my quads have decided they’re having the day off today and will not be walking downstairs for love nor money!! I was a good race overall with a personal best by 39 minutes and I did another during the race at the 10k mark in 54/55 minutes too.

Things I learnt;

• I don’t like jelly beans
• I must drink more than 2 sips
• I didn’t need my running pack
• I don’t need GPS on every run
• Elbows hurt
• Mr R rocks!

I would have liked to have finished stronger though and will be working on that for the next half marathon which will be in the Alps and will be quite punishing I bet! Next race is a 12k race dressed as Santa in 2 weeks time – that will definitely be a personal best as I have never run a 12k race before – ho ho ho!!

So I had a look on the internet and bought myself a basic head torch for £35 from Amazon. You can spends £100s on head torches but I only wanted a cheap one so I could see if I got on with running at night. It turned up in the tiniest box you ever saw last Tuesday morning. I popped the batteries and immediately blinded myself for about an hour! Please don’t switch on your brand new head torch whilst looking directly at it. I walked around the flat in it and found it to be really bright but how would it handle on the trails?

I tried it on a drizzly Thursday evening. The start of my run is through some leafy single track out to a wider trail and I wasn’t sure if my head torch would be up to the job. I switched it on, set it to half brightness and half width and set off. It lit the trail splendidly and I was able to run off road at full speed. Mr R rode alongside only using the light from my head torch. I found it lit up the drizzle and my breath but nothing too distracting – although blowing my nose with a white tissue was a bit bright!

My chosen head torch is the LED Lenser H7. You can change the light to be wider or more focused and it can be brighter. It fits securely on my head but stays in place better when wearing a hat or buff. Not sure how long the batteries will last but I’m chuffed with it right now. The dark makes boring, repetitive routes interesting and navigation challenging. I find that running outside in the dark lifts my spirits almost as much as running in the sunshine and it is often the best part of my weekday!

Obviously running at night has some different challenges:

• If you’re going off road it’s a good idea to angle the head torch down a bit so you can see the trail in front of you and avoid any trip hazards.
• Make sure you have a running buddy with you as everyone you meet looks like a dodgy, menacing murderer!
• If you’re running alongside a road – turn your light off as you will confuse and blind the tin box drivers.
• Know which route you are taking and don’t try any new stuff.

One tip though, don’t look directly at oncoming pedestrians or Mr R riding alongside – they don’t like it!

This morning I got up early (well 8am) and popped over to Dunstable Downs for the Blacks Northface Singletrack 10k Trail Race.  It was a bright, crisp autumn morning so I donned a few extra layers to keep warm before the start – looking down at myself I realised that I should have won a special prize for the most amount of Northface clothing any one person can wear.  Honestly, apart from my bra and sunglasses it was all Northface.  Alas this went unnoticed and no prize was given!

Anyway, we got parked up and wandered over to the 10k registration tent (there was also a 5k race starting 15 minutes earlier) and picked up my goodie bag, timing chip and race number.  Mr R attached the chip to my shoe as a recent sudden departure from my mountain bike meant I had a sore back and couldn’t bend over.  Number attached and goodie bag ransacked I was ready.  There was no group warm up or people dressed up as rhinos, just a rather serious bunch of runners and a safety briefing which I didn’t hear a word of thanks to a rather loud family on the sidelines.  Anyway, how difficult could it be – this wasn’t the Alps!

We set off on the dot of 10:30 and cruised down a gentle slope for a couple of kilometres.  A nice warm up but I probably should have gone out a bit quicker.  Down we descended to the lowest trail of the loop and my legs were feeling great although my breathing was getting away from me a bit.  The lower trail was undulating with a gate and lots of singletrack which made overtaking quite interesting.  There were a few dubious moves but then again this was a race.  Between 4 and 5k came the hill – it was short but steep with large steps to get up.  Nothing like the Alps but still made me walk to conserve my lungs for later in the race.  After stopping at an water station for a gulp or 2, I found myself running next to a rather lovely chap who told me he ran in the World Mountain Running Championships 35 years ago and was currently running with a broken kneecap!  I paced myself with him for some time until 2 runners split us with a harsh overtaking move  and I lost his footsteps to follow.  Running through the woods was fun with downed trees making interesting natural obstacles and then it was only 2k to the end.  Up a quite country lane and we emerged onto the home straight.

I came over the line and the announcer said my name (I love that!).  Bottle of water and my timing chip removed I was finished.  I felt sick (again) but forced down some water and a slice of tea loaf that I’d baked yesterday and felt much better.  I don’t know how to stop feeling sick when I push hard so any advice will be gratefully received!  The goodie bag contained this rather nice technical tee shirt plus a buff that I have no idea how to wear and look good in (all the ways I tried I looked like a 70s rocker!).

Since getting home I’ve managed to eat everything in the cupboard, drink litres of peppermint tea and have a nap.  Not bad for a Sunday!

I’ve read some inspiring running books lately so I thought I’d share my favourite 3.

• ‘Born to Run’ by Christoper McDougall.  A little obvious this one but it is truly inspiring whether you subscribe to the barefoot running school of thought or not.  It’s a lovely mix of travel, adventure and running.  Well written and the only book I’ve finished and then read again immediately from cover to cover.
• ‘Ultra Marathon Man’ by Dean Karnazes.  Regardless of what you think of Dean you’ve got to applaud the man’s achievements.  This book covers his humble beginnings right through to the Badwater and Western States races.  An easy to read and quickly devoured book.
• ‘How to Run’ by Paula Radcliffe.  I’m cheating here a little as I only got this book yesterday and haven’t finished it.  It’s a coffee table book with loads of illustrations and beautiful looking rather than the word heavy paperbacks of the other 2 books in my list.  It covers everything from goal setting, choosing the right shoes to how to become a successful marathoner.

So, if you’ve lost your running mojo, pop along to your local bookstore and get inspired!

It’s been a festival of running this weekend in Chamonix. Yesterday was the 10k and half marathon and today is the full marathon. In-between was a variety of children’s races, pasta parties and prize giving ceremonies.

Having lived in Chamonix for several summers I’ve been longing to have a go at one of these events as they start from my doorstep and pass through some of my most favourite routes. I decided to tackle the 10k race. It was billed as a taster for mountain races but if knew anything about alpine sports and Chamonix it was not going to be easy.

I checked out the route online, decided to take advantage of my local knowledge and run the route a few times before raceday. The route consisted of a fair amount of double track trails and one large section of single track, technical trail. After walking the single track section and working out some crafty corner cutting and tricky foot placements I felt quietly confident that I could run a good race. I figured that the race would be won or lost on the double track section before the single track where overtaking would be tricky.

So after one full practice run and several partial runs on the double track I figured I could probably finish this race in 1 hour 15 minutes. My personal best for a 10k is 58 minutes but this is not the type of terrain for beating a personal best.

The night before the race I started to get nervous. I don’t usually get nervous before races but I suddenly thought that I might get left behind by such a strong field of runners. Mountain runners are a mentally tough bunch and a lot of them are lightening fast and quick on their feet – I am neither!

Race morning, I got up at 7:30 and forced some muesli and a coffee down. I don’t normally drink caffeine but do occasionally use it when I need a energy boost. It was a beautiful day with clear skies and the sun shining on Mt Blanc. The race was due to start at 9:00 and the start was only 10 mins jog away so there was plenty of time to stretch and get ready. The nerves really kicked in and I felt a bit shaky although that could have been the caffiene!

The race start was in the parapenting field and was due to kick off just 30 minutes after the half marathon. Knowing the French I was expecting chaos when I arrived there but I was surprised – the half marathon appeared to have started on time and the field was full of 10k competitors. It was the usual bunch of runners from people in full on raid outfits complete with rucksacks to people in casual shorts and tee shirts. I was somewhere in the middle in my full North Face kit but taking nothing extra.

I decided to line up at the front of the pack. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay there but at least I would get a good start. We counted down in French and then we were off. I must have lost 20 places by the time I crossed the line – I have never experienced such a fast start to a race.

I set off too fast which I knew I would at the front but I was ok with this as it was only 10k and I was unlikely to burn out. Off we went up the doubletrack and then to my surprise we cut across to the other side of the forest. I couldn’t believe it – we were running the course backwards! All of my planning and hard work went out of the window (I later discovered arrows on the route map that I’d not noticed before – duh). I couldn’t really chatise myself for too long though as the pace as fast and the competition fierce – elbows and people taking your line away from you but it all settled down quickly enough and I found a pace that I could just about maintain.

We hit the single track section and everyone started walking. It’s very steep, with rocks and roots everywhere.

Normally I would run on this type of trail but I needed to get my breath back and there was no room for overtaking. We walked for about 5 – 10 mins and then hit the top. It was like something pushed the runners behind me forward – they came at the downward trail from all angles. The downward trail is even more steep, rocky and rooty than the upward and these people were taking some risks. I was more worried about one of them slipping or tripping and taking me out than I was for losing my own footing! There was more than one incident on that trail judging by the comments and shouts behind me.

Back out on to the doubletrack and it was downhill for a while longer. The track was wide but with a loose covering of stones so footing was still a bit tricky. I didn’t bother with the water station as I knew I wasn’t far from the finish and I needed to overtake as many people as possible. The trail crossed L’Avreyon river and went uphill for about a kilometre before cresting. Then I knew it was downhill or flat all the way to the finish. Not that it helped much as I was still running way out of my comfort zone and was pretty pooped at this point.

I held it together though and made it into the parapenting field for a lap before crossing the finish line in 1:09.  Check out this video from the event.

I was 321st out of 609 finishers and was pretty pleased with that. During the race I promised myself I’d never put myself through this again but now I’m thinking I know I can do better next year!

I’ve heard a lot about ‘flow’ – the state of running or riding where you are totally at one with your environment that you forget you exist. Up until this trip to the alps, I had never experienced ‘flow’.

What changed for me was getting some running coaching. I learnt how to run more efficiently but it wasn’t an easy process, I’m still learning and probably will always be.

So in learning to become more efficient I injured my hip. Besides being incredibly frustrating I was concerned because I obviously wasn’t doing ‘it’ right. But instead of giving up and going back to my old style, I kept in contact with my coach, sending him videos of me running and kept at it. I fell out of love with running during this time, my hip kept hurting and I felt slow and heavy.

We came out to the Alps in May (I saw coach Ian in March) and before arriving in France my running was a bit sporadic as I was trying to let the hip heal but keep some running fitness for this trip.

I’m pleased to report that my running improved amazingly quickly when I started running in the mountains. I think it was due to the fact that you can’t spend your time over-thinking running when you’ve got to navigate, watch for rocks, roots and have stunning views.

Now, 3 weeks into my trip I believe I’ve reached a state of ‘flow’ with my running. Most importantly, it doesn’t hurt to run – no hip pain, no pain of any type. I feel just as fresh after my runs as I do before them – fresher infact as my mind is cleansed. When running, I am not thinking about specifics such as posture all the time anymore, I am just running. I seem to float above the trail with feet barely in contact with the ground. This sensation is my ‘flow’.

If you’ve been following my tweets recently you will know that I’ve lost my running mojo. After getting super enthusiastic about learning a new running style, I then went out and injured my hip and have been struggling with my running ever since. I let the injury heal and shortened my runs but my hip kept aching after a few minutes. I primarily run because I want to but this niggling ache stopped me from enjoying it and so I fell out of love with running.

Today, however, I’m pleased to report that I’m head over heals again! Nothing has really changed physically but my mental approach has altered significantly. I went out today and ran my regular 7k route backwards with Alice in Videoland blasting through my headphones. I kept my mind on keeping my steps short, lifting and relaxing my feet and just went with the flow. And flow is what I found I’d been missing for a few weeks – that feeling of lightness, completeness and happiness. Welcome back running, I’ve missed loving you.

If you’ve lost your running mojo, try out a few of the hints below and see if you can find it again:

1. Run a different route (or the same route backwards)
2. Run on a different surface (if you’re used to tarmac, try trail or vice versa)
3. Make a running playlist of your absolute favourite songs timed to the length of your run and stick some really uplifting ones in there at regular intervals
4. Forget about everything, leave your troubles behind and just run
5. Enter a race
6. Book a running holiday
7. Relax and smile – it really does help!

My new coach said he needed to video me running and we walked round to a small lake at the back of his house.  He set the camera up and told me to run naturally – very difficult when you’re being filmed.  We then trotted back to his house for the analysis.  I thought I ran pretty well but I knew it wasn’t efficient because I always but in a lot of effort and was still relatively slow.  I suspected I might heel strike as I saw this in any running photos of me although my brain said I didn’t.  It seems that I was doing everything wrong – it’s a wonder I didn’t injure myself everytime I ran!

I then walked, hopped and jogged around his living room barefoot trying to emulate the coach unsuccessfully.  I felt like a small elephant to his light and airy style.  And with that we drove out for a run.

I’ve not run with many people before – mostly with slower, new runners but he was fast and I was worried.  I thought he’d slow down for me and he probably did but for me it was the fastest I’d ever run – 8 minute miles at one point (my best before that was 10 mins).  I felt like my legs weren’t doing any work and the only thing that was telling me I was running faster than normal was my legs turning over faster and my breathing was heavier.

What a revelation!  I would have never been able to make the changes without him – there’s just no way because the changes felt so wrong but produced such great results.  Now I know I’ve only been for one XC run and I hope I haven’t forgotten everything when I run tomorrow but I just know – really know – that last Sunday was a great day in my running life.  I got to meet fabulous people, go for a fabulous run in the Peak District and improve my running style – what more could you ask for?

My thanks to @thinkrunning and his lovely wife for making me feel so welcome!