I started running in June 2013 with Laura and the C25K. I am not your typical runner. I am by no means a gazelle and I still sport quite a good beetroot face when I go all out with a run. But saying that I am an enthusiastic and a passionate runner. My heart rate has a liking for jumping up when I run and I have to take walk breaks to bring it down. This has all been checked with the drs and they are happy for me to keep running. So my way of doing a half marathon is slightly different to some, but at the end of the day 13.1 miles (21.1km). Is still that distance however you do it.
I have two seasons in the year. From May to November is building up and speed. My distances are shorter and I work more in the gym and with flexibility. Mostly 5km’s with an odd 10km. I swim, weight train and speed work. Then November to May is the endurance and distance training. So last November I started building up to the HM distance. It was a bit harder this time as I hadn't done a HM last year due to surgery so I was building up from That as well as feeling like I was starting out with distance all over again. A good training plan helps as it is the same principal as C25K, slowly increase to protect your muscles. The lessons that C25K teaches you stay with you and you use them for 5km or Ultras the principals are just the same.
My training involved 5km running then transitioning onto race walking. I have been seeing an Olympic coach who did 50km in just over 4 hours and is now in his 70’s and still does under 1 hour 10km’s. He has got my race walking pace down from 9.39 to 8.19 per km at training.
I am often saying to people on here finish the program then go and use running to fit in with you. I love running and I love race walking, when I do my events there are no rules as to how I have to do it. As long as I can come in before the cut off time then I can go and do it my way.
So after all the prep and training yesterday was my event. I had had my pasta the night before and the dining table was full of all my gubbins ready for the early start.
I got to the event in good time and had 45 min until the start of the first wave. Being a back of the pack runner I was in the second wave. Started to wait to go to the loo. 55 min later I got to the front of the queue to use the loo. Went to the loo then ran like the clappers to bag drop and then back to the pen. They really needed more loos.
My pen started around 9:29ish. I say ish because I meddled with my garmin before the start to get my km pace time and wiped out the stopwatch side of the recording, so basically I was running blind about my time. I managed to start calculating mile times between markers so I knew I was a bit slower than I wanted.
My blisters started around 5miles and pain in the balls of my feet. I really must get to the bottom of the cause of this, I have literally tried everything but it still happens. Maybe time to see a sport podiatrist. Any way after 5km I transitioned into race walk and had to laugh because just as I was doing that Groove Amarda - I see you baby ......... came on my playlist, hehe very apt, it made me smile and off I went. My legs felt strong and only started to tire a little around the 11-12 mile mark. I had an amazing sprint finish which I have never had the energy to do before.
All in all a great event and even though I didn’t get a PB or the time I wanted. I am happy that as women in her 50’s i am going out and having fun with a HM and 3 hours 18 Min is a good time for me. My step count yesterday was over 40, 000 and my calories was 4,294 kcal so a good days work even if it wasn't a conventional HM 😀.
So my message is take your graduation badge and own your own way of running, there is so much fun to be had out there off the couch.
Happy running to you all
Rfcx
Written by
Realfoodieclub
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Brilliant !!!!! All power to you RFC , this is such a inspiring and amazing post . You have such a talent of expressing your thoughts into words that we can all relate to .
Many Congratulations to you on a fantastic achievement and you are completely rocking those braids and nails - LOVE IT !
Well done to you and the bling looks seriously heavy xxx
Thank you. I was so pleased with the braids, they went in the night before and were just lovely and loosened for the event. I love the fact I can out in public at 50 in pigtails. Rfc x.
lovely post, huge well done to you too. I am so with you on the run/ walk. I do this too, it means you can go alot further.... Well done, and yes i would definately see a sports podiatrist, blisters are horrible. Guessing you have looked into shoes, lacing, socks etc???
Thank you. My inner panther came out for the sprint finish. I have tried everything for the blisters and sore balls of my feet and every time I think I have conquered it, it happens again. so painful, I really have to sort it out. Rfc x.
Well done on completing your HM and as you suggest.. you covered the same distance as the person that won the race!! I'm interested to hear more about your speed walking technique if you can share anything or links?? I'm still incorporating walks into all of my longer runs (or perhaps I should say all of my runs) and that is one area that perhaps everyone can benefit from. I did a trail HM recently and there was a guy who could really "walk" and I found myself "trotting" to keep up with him!!
Thank you. I looked into the racewalking website and found there was a coach near me so I go training every Thursday night. the main difference is the heel strike, you strike with your heel then you roll through and then push off. it is a very fast transition. a bit difficult to explain but there are some good videos on you tube. my advice is get someone to watch you. I thought I was doing it correctly but when I got someone to watch what I was doing it was nothing like I thought it was. one of the young girls I train with won the under 13 UK championships yesterday, she just leaves me standing when she sets off.
So pleased that this race unfolded more as you had hoped, and with the temperatures soaring I can only imagine how hard you were working...😎💪...the thought of 21.1k is still so daunting to me!
You absolutely deserve your bling, ( its huge) and you look very happy and gorgeous in the photo. Running suits you.😊xxx
What a fab post! Well done🏅.You’re race walk is the speed of my running 😂. You are so right about owning your own way of running, I get hung up on speed as I am a snail & scold myself if I didn’t do a full 5k. I’ve had a tough time with my health, I’ve never been into taking part in sports but I am proud to be able to run for 30 mins plus & to do 5k. Thanks Realfoodieclub for putting things into perspective.
Thank you. hehe my race walking is faster than my running too, one of the reasons I love it. I find that running gives me different muscles than walking and I like the shape it gives me, I use running for toning and walking for speed. it seems to suit me. you should feel proud of your 5km and 30 min they will always be a great achievement, if you are like me and worked hard to get there they will always be special to you. I worked harder to get to 30 min than 5km to 21.1km so it will always be my bigger achievement Rfc x.
Huge well done RFC! I would also like to learn a bit more about the run/walk system you use. That is a great medal too. Hope your blisters are not too sore today.
Thank you. The medal is mega I love it. Blisters are waiting to pop, yuk..... I have two that I use. 1 min /1 min or 1 km/1km. I have tried many combinations but these are the ones that suit me the best. I know the other popular breakdowns are 3min/1min and 5min/1min. I use 1min/1min for fast speed work and 1km/1km for longer distances. maybe in the next couple of weeks I will do a full run/walk post with lots of links and information. that way anyone who want to think about it has good information. Rfc x.
That is brilliant, well done and congratulations! Enjoying those things is a different level of enjoyment!
I think you once mentioned that you ran in my local park in Dulwich and l thought l knew what you looked like and l thought that a lady running in the park was you so l thought l should smile at her when galloping in her direction. Now that l can tell that the lady wasn't you, all l know is that somebody out there is thinking "why the hell was that freak smiling at me, as if he was insane, or summink...'
Thank you, hehe that made me laugh, I must admit I think I heard that you run with American tops on so I give big cheesy grins to guys in American tops just in case. 😀.
Haha, yes but at times I wear 'sober' ones, although always basketball, top and shorts. Recently there were three other guys in Battersea park, all with NBA tops. This is getting messy,
That's just fantastic, I am so pleased for you. You are such an inspiration. I love run/walk too, I find I am slightly slower, but I can just keep going. I shall have a look at this race walking stuff too xx
Thank you. Hope you doing ok. Run/walk is great and race walking was great for recovery as well. I found that at times when I needed to boost my immune system more speed walking helped to keep me going as sometimes running can take it out of me. Take care of you. Rfc x.
I've been waiting for this! Many congratulations on your fab achievement and fantastic bling! You are such an inspiration and to come back from major surgery and do this HM is amazing. I would be most interested in your run/walk info because although I do walk occasionally my walk is so slow I lose a lot of time on those bits so anything that can help will be much appreciated. Absolutely fantastic that you had such a good time (apart from the blisters - ouch!) and your photo is wonderful - just like you xx
Awww thank you so much. I am going to do a race walking post I think as I found this great article about how it compliments running and can help to increase you speed. I will put it all together in the next couple of weeks. I really do feel like the HM has put me back to being me again. 😀.
I read your post yesterday, and my thoughts kept on coming back to you during the day , 24 hours later and I'm still thinking about the things you said.
You are one awesome lady! You are inspirational. Thankyou for your lovely post. Good Luck.
Amazing! I am slowly gaining the confidence with running and exercise to realise is all about doing things our own way and your post confirms this in such a wonderful way. Fantastically well done
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xxx 
so anything that can help will be much appreciated. Absolutely fantastic that you had such a good time (apart from the blisters - ouch!) and your photo is wonderful - just like you xx
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