“Oh that’s really great, I couldn’t run a mile”

& the story of my first run.

Here’s my problem with this humble sentence, a mile is actually a pretty far run for anyone just starting out. 3.1 miles makes up a 5k, and anyone who does run can tell you that that’s a tricky balance of speed and endurance, and they would be totally knackered after finishing one.

I too would have used this phrase in the past, because, of course, it was true, but I also couldn’t run 1km/0.66mile, or 800 meters (half a mile). Oh, I couldn’t run 400 meters either.

I thought I’d run you through the stats of my first run. Anyone who knows me knows that data analysis is my passion (sad), so here goes.

Distance along the X axis and heart rate up the Y, this graph shows that I stopped running every 0.25miles (400m), up to a total distance of 1.25 miles (2km) on my first serious run. You’ll just have to trust me that my heart rate peaked 4 times at 196 beats per minute, interestingly the exact highest heart rate a 24 year old should be able to hit. This means I was pushing my body as hard as I possibly could, and let me tell you, it did not feel good.

If this sounds pretty tragic to you, then great, you’re already a better runner than I was. If this sounds particularly familiar, then I have some great news. 200 meters, 400, 800, 1km, 1 mile are all milestones that you get to run through if / when you ever decide to give running a go. And let me tell you, the first time I ran a mile without stopping, it was probably the happiest I’ve been on this whole journey.

If 200 meters feels like a very long way (it is) running through the start line of any run is still a huge achievement in my books, sometimes it takes a whole lot to get there.

Hackney Half - full circle moment.

Anyone who’s had a conversation with me in the past year already knows that I use the Nike run club app to track mileage, distance on shoes, and also for training plans. This is where both my half marathon and marathon plans come from, but way back in November 2021, I set off on the beginner’s training plan within the app.

Run by Coach Dora, this plan starts with a 7 minute run, and, over the course of 4 weeks increases duration up to the 4 mile mark. It took me around 4 weeks to begin this training plan, as I couldn’t run 7 minutes uninterrupted initially. What I loved about Dora’s coaching was the shame-free short runs. I was so hard on myself starting out, as I’d just assumed 7 minutes would be a given for me, but the positivity in her coaching in these runs taught me to view it all totally differently. A 7 minute run is a whole lot more than no run at all!

After completing the beginner training plan, and catching covid on the very last run of the plan, I had about 2 weeks of running intuitively, before signing up to the half marathon training plan, run by Coach Bennett. This was misguided, my fitness was unfortunately gone post covid, but at this point I really believed I was about 9 weeks out from my first half Marathon in Paris. Clearly this plan didn’t work out, and I regularly returned to Dora’s short runs, as a way of ensuring that I would at least complete one run. My fitness slowly returned, but if I could give any advice to other runners, don’t do what I did. Restart the beginners plan, take those wins, go easy on yourself, adjust your race expectations.

Almost exactly a month after my first half marathon in Germany, I just happened to be in London the weekend of the Hackney half. I’d already done one, I’d trained for another month, how hard could it be?

It was 24 degrees on the day of my second half marathon, A full 10 degrees hotter than Paderborn was, and I thought that was hot! I added 15 minutes to my PB, which was hard to swallow, but the last hour of the race was one of the most difficult things i’ve ever been through. It was getting hotter with every step I took, and at the pace I was run/walking, the finish line had never approached slower.

Looking up after this photo was taken by one of my new friends in the strava tent, I saw a face I’d recognise anywhere, a face that had lived in my phone for at least 4 weeks at the very beginning of my journey. You guys know it wouldn’t be like me to be shy, but I was starstruck.

“Hey, I was just wondering if you’re one of the Nike coaches”

It was Dora.

-to be continued-

First Half - Paderborn, Germany

Work in progress, I’m excited to tell you all about this run.

Got Covid, running is hard again

On the 24 december, 2021, I embarked on my longest run ever, the four mile run. After stopping to catch my breath 14 times during its duration (the heart rate data proves this, I was in no state to count!) , I began to wonder if something could be wrong.

The next afternoon I tested + for covid. A dramatic moment for anyone on immune suppression. It took three months for me to run 4 miles without stopping again.

This was the beginning of the domino affect for my training in 2022. I scrapped plans of running the Paris half marathon, and instead signed up for Paderborn half, on 16 April.

Becoming a Runner + gear tour

On 3 October 2021, I watched London Marathon on TV and thought that I’d quite like to give that a go next year. So I signed up. There was only one problem. I couldn’t run one mile, let alone 26.2.

From the very next day I dedicated myself to training. I thought, how hard can it be? Literally zero to a marathon in exactly one year. I’ve always loved a challenge.

I had three main goals for my running journey:
- enjoy it
- don’t get injured
- become a runner

Here’s the gear that carried me to where I am now.

Trainers:
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36

In addition to beginning running from scratch, I also aimed to increase my daily walking mileage, as a lower impact way to get my body used to travelling greater distances. The peg 36s have a 10mm heel drop, which doesn’t stretch out my achilles (past issues!) too much. £45 in the Nike Factory Store. These shoes probably have around 6-800 miles on them.

Nike ZoomX invincible run 1

My daily trainer. Designed to allow you to run further with less injury, and a marathon is definitely further than the zero miles I started with. Picked these up for £85 in the sale, and they’re currently at around 300 miles. Size 5.5.

Nike Alphafly Next% 1

Race day shoes. Got a major bargain on these & wear them only for very long runs or those where I’m pushing pace. Currently about 90 miles on them. Size 5.5.

Hoka Clifton 8

My most recent purchase. After trying on 8 pairs of trainers in “Pure Running” in Belfast, I decided these would be the shoe to carry me through the next 5 weeks of my training leading up to the marathon, after finding the Invincibles a little tight for summer running. Size 6.

Garmin forerunner 245 Music

Replaced my apple watch series 3 with this. Most importantly I wanted a watch that wasn’t touch screen. If you were there in the early days, you’ll remember 0.34mile runs on strava because a raindrop would end the activity on me. Also constantly monitors heart rate, which the apple watch didn’t.

If someone would teach me how to use the music function on my watch before the marathon that would be much appreciated x

Science in Sport gels

For a half marathon, I’d take one caffeine + carb gel, and one normal carb gel. Still working on the plan for the full race. It’s vital that you train with these - nothing new on race week!