Running on Full

Random thoughts, used to be about running

running

Science in sport caffeine shots

Science in Sport (SiS) nutrition

Sophie–Products, Running, Thoughts on Running–

At the beginning of the year I was a newbie in sports nutrition products, including SiS nutrition. I remember on a long run last year, a friend giving me a gel to try. After taking the smallest of slurps, I came very close to spitting it out. Then before the London Marathon I was invited to a Science in Sport (SiS) afternoon on nutrition and fueling for marathon day. I came home with some pointers and a great batch of goodies that I incorporated into my marathon training. You can read about what I learned here, and then what I put […]

Ealing half

Race Review: The Ealing Half

Sophie–Race Day, Running–

The Ealing Half has an amazing reputation. I wanted to see if it lived up to its reputation as winner of the UK’s best half marathon in 2014, 2015 and 2016 from the Running Awards. I was offered a free place in return for a blog post and signed up. So did my running buddy, Mary, to raise money for the Rowcroft Hospice in Torquay who had provided amazing support to her mother-in-law. This was her first half marathon since beginning running. Mary and I go back a while. We met on the first day of the beginners’ course 5 […]

Eridge Park 10

Race Review: Eridge Park 10

Sophie–Race Day, Running–

When I heard about the Eridge Park 10 from a fellow running club member, I knew I had to do it. Ten miles of hilly trails, only I somewhat underestimated the hills….and the mud! A few days earlier I opened the instructions and the route goes a little like this – ‘the New Gully leads the descent to the biggest of the three lakes Carp Baggers; the second Lake Serene sits at the foot of the first long climb taking you through the infamous Cheeky’s Bog… freewheeling down Heavenly Hill; open grassland takes you into the Lost Wood; to emerge […]

River relay

Race Review: Thames River Relay

Sophie–Race Day, Running–

I’m chuffed. Yesterday I ran 4.9 miles as part of the Thames River Relay. I beat my predicted time by over 45 seconds per mile! Post-ultra, I decided I wanted to get faster so I’ve been doing self-styled speed sessions over the last month. While there are still improvements I can make, seeing such rapid progress is encouraging. And the race, it was followed by a picnic to end all picnics. My running club knows how to put on a great spread. It was an early start with leaving home at 6.30 for a 7am pick-up. I’m not an early […]

Reasons to run an ultramarathon

6 Reasons to Run an Ultramarathon

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

So what are the reasons to run an ultramarathon? I get odd, quizzical and confused looks from non-running folk when I tell them this year I’ve done a couple of marathons and an ultra. For those of you new to running, an ultra is a race at a distance longer than the 26.2 miles of a marathon. I don’t look like a marathon or ultra runner. Indeed, I don’t look like a runner at all really. My thighs are not on the small side and there are bits of me that wobble that perhaps shouldn’t and I’m slow. But following the […]

Runthrough Hyde Park

Race Report: RunThrough at Hyde Park

Sophie–Race Day, Running–

RunThrough at Hyde Park – I’m feeling almost recovered three weeks since my 50k. I’ve no big training miles planned at the moment so while one of my aims over the next six months is to get a little speedier, my other is to have fun. I’d set the goal of having fun for this10k. A couple of folks from Twitter said ‘Wouldn’t it be great to meet up at Hyde Park race?’ I was in two minds – I wanted to see how my recovery was going; but I wanted a sociable run. So after much procrastination, I signed […]

Running a 50k

Running a 50k: Lessons learned

Sophie–Race Day, Running, Thoughts on Running–

Running a 50k is an amazing experience. Well, there was a lot of walking on my part but hey ho. It’s been a couple of weeks since I completed the Chiltern Challenge 50k. Review here. I learned a lot – in the training, on the day, and about myself. While the day certainly didn’t play out as planned, took longer than expected, and included a lot of pain, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. There’s nothing I’d change about the race itself, but there are things I’d do a little differently in the lead up.   Running a 50k: […]

ultra recovery

Post-Ultra Recovery

Sophie–Race Day, Running, Thoughts on Running–

A week ago I did my first ultra – a 50k in the Chilterns with Extreme Energy. There was joy, there were a few blisters, and there was some loud sobbing, but I finished! This brings me on to post-ultra recovery. I’ve found recovering from the 50k easier than the marathons I’ve done. OK, stairs were a little tricky to negotiate for a day or two but I haven’t felt nearly as battered or bruised. So the last week’s gone a little like this …   Post-Ultra Recovery – The Last Week Feeling like this at random moments   A lot […]

On why we run

On why we run

Sophie–Books, Running–

Running with the pack: thoughts from the road on meaning and mortality by Mark Rowlands (2013) – on why we run Mark Rowlands has been a runner for most of his life and is a professional philosopher. For him, the two – running and philosophy – are intimately linked. At the heart of Running with the Pack, he is seeking to answer the question: why do we run? Do we run to stave off middle age, for the company, to relieve stress, to exercise our dogs, for self-improvement? Or do we run for its own sake? Is running a form […]

Me with a huge grin on my face with medal on one hand, and other hand and arm in a sling.

Race Review: Chiltern Challenge – My First Ultra

Sophie–Race Day, Running–

My first ultra – There is something about ultra running that appeals. I don’t know what it is but I’m fascinated by runners’ stories about their adventures and the ups and downs of running 50k, 50 miles, 100 miles, 200 miles or events like Marathon Des Sables or the infamous Badwater. An ultramarathon is a race longer than marathon which is 42.2k/26.2miles. And my first ultra was the challenge I set myself earlier in the year. It was time to bite the bullet and sign up. I decided I’d start with a ‘short’ ultra, 50k/31miles. So I looked at some races […]

Running free

Running Free: A runner’s journey back to nature

Sophie–Books, Running–

Review of Running Free: A runner’s journey back to nature by Richard Askwith (2015 edition)   You know you’re a runner when you wonder what non-runners dream about. Running Free is about freedom and liberation from the commercialisation of the sport we love so much. Askwith’s writing is a thing of beauty, his passion for the sport evident from the first page. This book is for you if you’ve fallen out of love with running. It’s for you if you’re feeling ‘mergh’ about running. This book if for you if you love running, with some handy hints on surviving running […]

First ultra

Ultra Training Diary: How I’m thinking my first ultra will go

Sophie–Race Day, Running, Thoughts on Running, Training Updates–

They say a picture paints a thousand words. So rather than rambling on about what Saturday might be like, this is how I’m thinking my first ultra will go …   Fear of not waking up on time means setting multiple alarm clocks at 1 minute intervals and no sleep   The next morning   Breakfast   Coffee Getting dressed   Leaving home   The arrival   First things first At the start line of my first ultra   A few miles in   A few more miles in   At the aid stations   A few other thoughts   […]