Disneyland Paris Semi-Marathon - a Big medal for a Big effort!

Finally, my first medal this year - or rather, my first half marathon in 3 years! 

It wasn't easy getting to the starting line - exactly 13-months after baby was born, the training finally resumed in late July/early August upon doctor's/physiotherapist's advice to 'take it gently' - we arrived at Disneyland Paris at 0615 CET last sunday morning, for the start.

It wasn't even light yet - but I was accompanied by lots of keen runners - lots of them dressed up in Disney characters. I thought about it, but looked back at previous races where I have worn a tutu (Cancer research 10k) or have had too much clothing on (Santa fun run!), I get annoyed with the extra luggage along the way. Besides, I have enough distractions (Disney Characters - photo opportunities) to slow me down, really didn't needed more. I have a blue top (Inspired by Finding Dory) and a yellow hairband...that was good enough :)

It was a slow start - lots of waiting around - official start time was 7am, but for Corral B (the second stream of runners to start) , we only made it pass the starting line (with Mickey, Aladdin counting down on the screen 3-2-1 for us) at around 730!

The first 5 kilometres was the highlight of the half marathon - with a tour of Disney Studios and Disneyland Paris. I haven't been to the Studios before ...it was interesting being taken to the set where an explosive London Scene happened (Tube station, Bus, Postbox and all), or through the stage or through another indoor set...Rock'n'Roller coaster avec Aerosmith... occasional characters appearing here and there, and then I saw the typical Disney phenomenon...a queue!  From then on it became a strategic exercise of 'which character has a shorter queue' /'do I like the character enough to have a photo with them'/'how to maximise the number of pictures on my runDisney photopass (an extra 40 euros of investment to get them all on an account - which 7 days on STILL isn't available to download yet)/'how am I going for time'? As from previous experiences , toilet queues in races could take up to 10 minutes, and despite not having trained enough to have breakthroughs in timing , I didn't want to be slower than my first debut at Watford Half Marathon.

So I managed to get Spiderman in Disney Studios and Mad Hatter (of Alice in Wonderland) in Disneyland. An official photo, and a selfie (conclusion: I'm very bad at selfies!) at the same time. 

 The rest of my first 5k was spent taking in the Toy story scenes (army parachutes and Buzz Lightyear...Barrel of Monkeys spelling out goodbye), Space Mountain! Fantasyland, Adventureland, Main Street USA!  and then photos of other runners getting their photos taken , such as with Cinderella and crew..

Aladdin and crew...

and of course, Disneyland Castle! There wasn't much time to be wasted perfecting my selfie...sigh, must practice next time.

and then at the 5km mark - a drinks station appeared, and so did the exit to Paris Disneyland...I took a cup of water, glanced at my watch - 36 minutes!  Time then to make up for lost time...

The next 12km or so was through the outskirts of Parcs Disneyland - past a school (we ran on their Athletics track!) and some residential areas of Val D'Europe, a newly developed area. No more Disney characters to cheer us on the way , but there were bands, cheerleaders to keep us going....lovely selfie kilometre markers (which I didn't want to try after one failed attempt in getting a virtual cowboy hat on early on the course)

Energy stations were not something to look forward to - Special K bars and apple wedges in plastic bags...hmm, I stuck to my one Powergel Vanilla halfway around the course (having lost the other Gu as it fell off the belt). My Timex Ironman watch became my best friend - as long as each kilometre was under 6minutes, I was fine....I enjoyed the time on my own, celebrated the end of the weekend long runs and mid week shorter runs that became increasingly hard to make time for... and try to avoid hitting people who were right in front of me from time to time (lots more walkers in this one compared to most - maybe due to the 'fun' nature)...I enjoyed watching numerous Mickey and Minnie ears, Donald and Daisy caps (great idea, might try that next time), Tinkerbells, Elsa's, Incredibles, Captain Americas weave in and around me. 

At 17kms - I saw Hotel Santa Fe - the start of the Disney resorts with a 'Cars' theme...yes, we were close to home now. The last 5kms were familiar to me, as I was at the Disneyland Hotels for a work conference 2 years ago and ran around the lake, but I kept my eyes peeled for familar faces. 

Finally at 18.5km I saw 2...Thankfully..

Not long to go! The last kilometre or so wasn't hard...I just had to keep running and not walk....

It was great seeing the 'Arrivee' sign and a glimpse of Mickey coming out to shake my hand...but the organisers said 'no photo'! so we were hurried along to pick up my well earned medal, take more official photos (more queues - especially with some who took their entire stash of runDisney medals for the photo op) 

meet hubby and baby, and set off home (5 hours + drive across the Channel Tunnel, and lunch, and wait times on the way).

My body must be not used to the shock of doing 13.1miles anymore, as I went down with a stomach bug the day after, a cold within the next week and was very tired in general. Hoping to get another chance to train for something else soon, so I have a reason to be out and about and feeling good getting fresh air into my lungs and those aching arms and legs.

When I have the official photos from runDisney Photo pass I will share them - its been a very long wait! 

I was happy enough with my time and an almost negative split...from 36mins at 5k then doing around 5:55min/km at 5-10km, 15-20km intervals, finishing at 2:12...what if there's no distractions? :)

Wokingham - my 5th visit & a medal in the household

(This being a post that sat in the draft folder..only publishing now)

The fourth variation of the wokingham medal came home on the 21st February 2016, but landed on hubby's side of the curtain railing.

(For this picture, I had to borrow my 3 as the other 2 on his side were eroding away from more sweat?)

It's an experience bringing baby as a spectator, this time he was there right from the start.

What's all this about ? He must be thinking. It's cold, and there's lots of people, including daddy, and then they run off!

An hour or so later, they all start running back!

And then they get a medal, have lots of food and drink afterwards.

He will slowly get the hang of things in the months to come, when he has his own running buggy, and comes on long runs with us. 

At Wokingham , baby and I were both spectators, but in a few days, one of us doesn't have to be.

Stay tuned.

Firsts

7 years ago, 1st February 2009, I finished my first half marathon.

(Thanks to Facebook for prompting these memories).

7 years later, 1st February 2016, I finished my group yoga class at the gym, after childbirth.

How life changes when you have to modify your fitness goals to what you are able to and allowed to do at the time.

4 weekends ago, I did my first long run in a long time. Enjoyed the Time on my own. Did not try to go fast at all, and my pelvic bone took its toll. 7.5 miles plus turning back at the 'wild fowl sign' on the towpath. I enjoyed it and looked forward to the weekly designated time-slot (exemption from taking baby to swimming class) to build on my long run, plus 5kms on the treadmill (or 5 times round Twickenham stadium) each visit to the gym, I would just be about ready for wokingham half.

But that Monday after, my Physiotherapist looked at my input/output diary and wrote on her notes 'recommended no high impact sports' until she is happy with the overall situation that everything was healing properly and under control. 'Sorry to spoil your fun'.

Not much choice, but it was for my own good to follow her advice.

Wrote to the organizers and had my entry transferred to hubby.

No more treadmills at my twice weekly gym sessions, but 5 minute circuits on the spin bike, elliptical, rowing machine, exercise bike and the spin again. Glute machine, powerplates. 

Core strengthening. Planks whilst playing with baby. Up dog, down dog, my first yoga class today in a long time (wobbly, but getting there towards the end of class!)

The focus has changed to having'just about time to train for my first spring half in 2 years' to  'all the time in the world to train for a proper (as can be for a veteran) autumn season'. 

Glass half empty, glass half full.

The list of possible races to 'revisit' builds..10ks and halfs....

Til then, every gym session and home stretching session counts. 

There will always be another medal waiting to land on my curtain railing. 

I must focus on getting back on track. 

Hope it wouldn't be too long before that First medal as a mother... ;)

(Down memory lane with baby last week: where the '385 yards to go' banner was, after turning off Birdcage walk for the London marathon finish; the mile marker for my lunchtime runs...;the RPFHM routes ...)

Back to Richmond Parkrun on Christmas and New Year's Day

That's 10kms in 8 days.

The first 5 was difficult, over Christmas day and on the back end of recovering from a cold. I had brought along my cousin-in-law (uni fresher but still a teenager!) along to her first Parkrun, and being a real veteran of the event (& first time back) I felt the same nerves as she did to an extent.

Had that surreal feeling when the start beep went off. I know this course only too well. Surely it must be easier without baby on board? In 2015 I have been round Richmond Parkrun with Baby inside me in various stages, twice as a pacer, and a few times as a participant. 

But too much has happened downstairs that it is almost a couch to 5k experience.

I completed. With picture featured on Richmond Parkrun Facebook page. Me and cousin Maddie in the middle.

It's the first time I had done a jog (indoors and out) for a month and it hurt for the whole week! My thighs had the half marathon finish feel but it was far from it.

I didn't do any more the week of Christmas and focused on recovery.

Back again on New Years Day 2016. Totally exhausted due to 4 night feeds (2 more than usual, maybe due to baby being excited over new year's?) and an early start. The crisp air got me going.

I was shocked that half the people around me at the start had their hands up to 'do a double' i.e., run Richmond New Years at 9am, then to crane park (4 miles away) to do 10:30am Parkrun, or Kingston at 10am! 

In the old days, I would've done it, a great way to train 10 miles with a fast start and a fast end. But times are different now - the times I can make it to Richmond Park at 9am depends on my hubby being happy to take baby along and wait under 45 minutes for the whole thing to be done. Which means a sacrifice of hubby being able to do his morning cycle or run, AND baby being fed and changed all before 8am ready to go.

I spoke to the couple sporting an ironman bob buggy with a 16 month old child in tow, and a few others on the course, and can realistically see that it will be a while before I can be back on saturday mornings.

Today's run was easier but still not quite a walk in the park. My legs were coming back, applying a run-walk strategy in the hilly second half. I know how to, but the stamina was missing after the long absence. 

Memories of the heel pain, wearing the night splint to fix plantar fasciitis, and images of the wokingham countryside flashed before me. 

Less than 2 months before I will make that starting line. For now, assume, business as usual.

Runkeeper's constant yelling of 6 minutes something per kilometer - way below marathon pace, as I picked up towards the end, waving to hubby, holding baby in a brown bear snowsuit....

I got the 225th token at the finish.

Had a chat with Mr flourescent Tshirt who started with me and checked my targeted time of around 30.

How did I go?

..well, considering first times back since the birth of my 4 month old..

It's a long road, but one must start somewhere.

Happy New Year!

An article to share and reflect :

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/how-to-return-to-running-after-time-off?cid=soc_Runner's%20World%20-%20RunnersWorld_FBPAGE_Runner%E2%80%99s%20World__Motivation_RunningTips

Hello from the other side...

10 days since I posted my last blog, my baby boy was born.
Next week, on Christmas Day, he will be 4 months old.

Hello from the other side.

So much has happened in the last 4 months to be captured in just the one posting.
From the days of struggling to get out of bed, or to get any form of proper sleep, to putting on my trainers, to running my first 5km, to getting back to the gym.

It isn't easy to just pick up and go anymore. For one, you cannot simply just lock the door and go for a 4 mile loop around the block.

It always has to be a day when hubby is at home, and I have fed and cleaned, feeling less exhausted.
I said, 'this has to be the day', and off I went, donned my larger sports gear I have procured during my pregnancy days.

That was November 1st.

Too scared to have missed the window, I forgot to visit the bathroom before heading out, and had to suffer the slight unfortunate consequences.

Everyone seems to have emphasised the importance of pelvic floor exercises after childbirth, and times like this you understand why.

To understand whether I am doing them properly, I engaged the services of a physiotherapist that specialises in this area. I had to explain to the GP, 'not just any physiotherapist', as I am no stranger to  spending time in these practices.

Thankfully the situation isn't as bad as I initially imagined, but it does take time to build up those muscles again. The first few visits got me keeping a diary of my liquid inputs and outputs, which gave myself and the physiotherapist a good understanding of my capacity.

From then on its the diligence of doing those various types of squeezes, holds and releases several times a day - and then, no running til January. The physio said, you need to have stronger muscles before you can lift those weights (high impact of running on the pelvic floor).

On December 1st, I resumed my membership at the gym - tandemed with baby spending an hour in the creche (which needed to be booked not more than 10 days in advance).

It was surreal being back, to be able to use the rowing machine, the powerplates (which had been a no-no during pregnancy) and the steam room. However, it was very difficult to not look at the treadmill and jump on.

I had to keep my word, to make it work.

My first 2 weeks back have been focused on reactivating my glutes, a lot of cycling, time on the elliptical, and the relevant weight machines.

The one hour usually goes by too quickly, and too long before the next one.

So last friday, I had a longer session with 'hubby creche' in tow - an extended gym and swim.
But it has been too long, my body wasn't used to it and the immune system got attacked....

I have been down with the cold this week. Every cough and sneeze, tests the strength of my exercises.

There's still more to do - but first, I must not veer from the path to recovery.

Then - perhaps, perhaps, I can still do my first race of the year (free entry to Wokingham Half based on last year's volunteering). But I won't be disappointed if I don't make the starting line, or have any expectations of anything but just to get round.

Just with every new experience on motherhood, things happen slowly, but surely.

I hope to update you all soon with more activity. in my own time.

On one of my buggyfit sessions waiting for hubby to finish his run in our local park, back in October

The Journey - (almost) at the Finish line

Is it a half (or a full) marathon? It's very likely to be an ultra....

Unlike most 'races' I have prepared for - 'THE one' in 2015 is one that has an undetermined finish (although at 40 weeks+, I am almost there).

Mantras, Nutrition, Visualisation and warm-up exercises are the norms for a runner training to get the finishing medal.

With this one - the 'medal' will be big and heavy, with long lasting effects!

In this blog, I've very often referred to my 2 regular courses that help me in bigger races ahead:
1. Richmond Parkrun - 5km's on hilly terrain
2. Wokingham Half marathon - first one in the year, rain or shine.

This year, I've been behind the scenes in both - seeing the ones that come in first, a sense of achievement, and those who just get around, grateful to have completed the course.

My 2015 challenge isn't one that will be determined by a Personal Best (yes of course it will be my first), or there will be any prizes for getting there the perfect way.

My Asics GT-2000 (since Autumn 2014) have only gone through a 10k at its max, but with bump in tow - we have been places. Mule trails on the Greek volcanic island of Santorini,

on a yacht in Oslo Harbour, to my first training ground for Paris Marathon (Regent's Park and Primrose Hill)

My load increasing with every step I take, and yet my midwife advises , "you will stop when your body tells you to stop".

so there we go. The only 'race' I signed up this year - the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge on Wednesday 8th July at Battersea Park. 

My 8th entry (out of 9 years in London) - again a very familiar 5.6km course. With the option of running or walking - which suits me perfectly at 34 weeks. I chose "Walk" with a conservative estimated finish time of 70 minutes (probably same as my first ever 9-10k over Sydney Harbour Bridge (main objective was to be on the bridge to take pictures) - so all back to square one, with minimal training, and starting off with my first 'proper' Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand t-shirt (the logo wasn't ready for last year's entries as the merger was still to be finalised).

It's great to report that I had friends along the way. I had an old friend who started with me (who had a 10k race lined up for the coming sunday), which I encouraged for her to take off, as it became increasing hard for me to pick or maintain speed in the first kilometre when the crowd was at their most energetic state. 

As I slowed, I looked around and spotted another familiar face at JPMCC, walking with a backpack! I said hello, and glad to find out that she was also on my journey (2 trimesters behind), so we took the time walking the course.

I remembered the journey over this route in the last 7 years, rain, or shine, the years when I rushed to the start, or when it was very hot, or when it was totally pouring and the course was muddy. We were encouraged by the marshals at an easy pace, took time at the drink stations and enjoyed.

The course became flatter and smoother as we approached the end of 4kms, my legs were warmed up and I had an urge to run. I said goodbye to my mate and thought I would give it a go.

The last 1.7km, which usually involves going around a playing field, almost felt like a 'Forrest Gump' moment when he broke free of his crutches. I'd like to believe, but not quite.

I picked up speed, altering my running stance as I go (as I have been doing in my last attempts in the previous month to take hold of the increasing load). 

I felt the cheering in the background as I passed more 'able' runners who were not dashing for the finishing line.

My breathing felt good, although my right knee was starting to give a little. 

I tried to imagine going for it as I would in my old days (although in previous attempts I would be exhausted at this point), which taking into account how fast I can *actually* go....

I held on....didn't slow down, and reeled in the finish line. 

The text came on my mobile. 00:58.42. Wow...a sub-1! I was proud of myself.

My friend who was with me at the start greeted me at the finish - I was grateful for her hanging around to meet me there!

So - another proud finisher t-shirt to add to my collection, and this one will be going to the bag with me soon as I approach THE big day.

and of course, visualising the memories of the last 1.6km at Battersea Park on that sunny afternoon in July this year.

The Journey 2015 - right from the beginning (Wokingham the 4th time round)

The typical February weekend finds me at Wokingham, for the start of the year's running season, and 2015 is no exception.

Wokingham Half Marathon is a 'fast, flat course' and I have done this in 2011, 2012, 2013... 2014 it was cancelled due to the floods, so our entries were carried over to 2015.

It's a race that 'has become like a Parkrun' due to my familiarity of the course, and having done it in rain and shine (the muddy shoes at the finish). A mantra for the days when I hesitate to go out for a long run - that 'I've completed the 13.1 mile at Wokingham whilst raining throughout, nothing can stop me'.

This year, I have special privileges.

I have a special parking pass, which I placed on the dashboard, and walked around 300 metres to the start, upstairs into the building.

This year, I am a race official - a marshal for the Wokingham Half Marathon.

We worked in pairs, and I teamed up with Mark, a veteran marshal on the course (but not a veteran finisher of the course like myself) - together we gathered the space blankets, the high viz jackets, a set of instructions, as well as my backpack with thermos and a paper bag of official snacks, a director's chair - we boarded the van that would take us to our marshalling point, just off the first mile of the course - a strategic location as we will see the runners start and return.

"So why am I not running today?" he asked.

He would be one of the very first people to be let in on the secret! I was in my first trimester of pregnancy and didn't want to take any risks. Another 'benefit' of being a marshal this year was that you get automatic entry into the 2016 race - which means a deferral without an extra fee. Who knows what next year might lead me, but at least it is in the calendar.

Being a marshal and speaking to Mark made me appreciate the work that's been done behind the scenes. Most of these marshals are sourced from local charities, and these men and women give up their 3 hours on a wintry sunday morning to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Interesting observations that I hope to take into my future training (whenever that might be)...
- The keen runners actually run up to mile 1 as a warm up before the race starts (thats 2 extra miles on top of a 13.1!) (well it's nothing, I still remember passing Liz Yelling doing bonus miles after she's completed and won the Half one year)
- the ones that finish earlier return to mile 12 with a more refreshed look than the later finishers who seem to be walking and looking tired.

It's a local race, and the atmosphere was great. Kiddies supporting their parents, or neighbours pouring out to the streets to cheer everyone on. I had my colleague to cheer on as well - having previously told no one that I'm not doing the race...she was a little surprised when I called her name on the way out at mile 1. Its always good spotting someone you know amongst the runners.

It's so much 'easier' being a runner, to be on the course for a time that you can sustain, and be rewarded with honour afterwards. Ladies with medals returning to their families and the pram with their little one , smiling with pride on finishing in good time - could that be me next year?

This marshalling experience will encourage me to say my Thank You to all those who helped. After 3 hours + standing there, we were picked up by the van (luckily containing no runners) and drove into the finish....following the very last runner of the race, as the clock ticked 3:00:00.

What will this year hold for me in terms of staying active? It was still early days in February, and one needs a crystal ball to be only able to imagine....