Running on Full

Random thoughts, used to be about running

ultra

deal with it giphy

On dealing with a bad race

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

On dealing with a bad race … You’ve done the training, it’s gone well. For a 50k, you’ve covered marathon distance, you’ve hiked hills with a weighted backpack, you’ve run up and down many other hills, you’ve tested nutrition and hydration, you’ve tested your kit. The day arrives. All is going well. And then it all goes to shit. This was me in July. And no, I haven’t blogged since then, not because of the trauma of a race gone bad, life got in the way. To begin, this has nothing to do with the race itself, the Chiltern Challenge […]

Image of nervous girl

How I think my second ultra will go!?!

Sophie–Race Day, Running, Thoughts on Running–

So…my second ultra…hmm. For those of you who don’t know what an ultra is, it’s a race longer than marathon distance. I’m doing a ‘short’ ultra, a 50k, through the Chilterns on Saturday with XNRG. My training has had its ups and downs – a brief lurgy or two, some twinges in my knee. But otherwise, it’s pretty much gone to plan. In addition to covering the miles, I’ve run and stomped up a lot of hills, covered marathon distance on a rather warm and sticky day, walked around every now and again up and down said hills with a […]

Tow girls pouring water over their heads

May Roundup: Feeling hot hot hot

Sophie–Training Updates–

May Roundup: Ah, that time of year when it hits 16 +, it’s sunny, running equals pools of sweat and distinct tan lines… fun times… (and well, the tunes, I couldn’t help myself). Now, I’m well aware that my friends in Australia will laugh at me. Growing up, we’d put our jumpers on once it hit about 20 or 21 degrees. Very occasionally in winter it might get really cold and dip below double figures. Yep, I’m from Brisbane so a little sub-tropical and where they sensibly start Parkrun at 7am – even then you need to take water, wear […]

April Roundup: When training doesn’t go to plan

Sophie–Running, Training Updates–

When training doesn’t go to plan … I’m training for the XNRG Chiltern Challenge, a 50k race in July. This was how I fared last year … I was slow, so very very slow. There was pain, there was sobbing, but I finished. I laugh every time I see this photo. You can read how it went in detail here. I’m doing this race again because I have a point to prove to myself! But over the Easter weekend, about a month ago, I tweaked my back … again. This time is was soft tissue damage in my lower back – […]

Back pain and running - panda saying 'not again'

Back Pain and Running… no, not again…

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

Back pain and running don’t go together! ‘No, not again’ I muttered when I felt that familiar tweak in my lower back. I was on a run. There was a dull pain. That spot where I’ve slipped a disc twice and had ongoing issues with the joints that sit around it (more of the back story here). It was a pain that built during the day to a crescendo in bed when trying to turn over. OK, this pain sucks. Over the next couple of days, I did stretches, I did some gentle walking. Time to hit the Arnica (limited […]

Picture of me at work, and me at the end of the Chiltern Challenge

What Running Has Taught Me: On Being Self-Employed

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

Have you ever had one of those moments? You know the ones that slap you in the face and you realise there’s a choice to be made. This was me in terms of my job last year. So, here are some thoughts on what running has taught me. It had been brewing for a while. I was walking down a nondescript corridor in Whitehall and the thought entered my head ‘I can’t do this anymore, something’s got to change’. And the thought stuck. I was lucky. This happened in the early stages of a radical restructure where my Department was […]

The people I've met

2017 Running Review

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

The 2017 running review – and what a year it’s been. I was going to do a ‘best of…’ and then realised it was impossible – too many moments, meetings, and races, to choose from – each unique and memorable in their own way. So here are some of the highlights…   Panic training Those moments. You know those moments where you realise what you’ve signed up for? The first – When I realised I had the London Marathon to train for. It wasn’t that I didn’t have a plan. It was the fact that life had gotten in the […]

tips on training plan

6 Tips on Putting Together a Training Plan

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

I’ve been running on and off for five years now. It’s only this year I’ve really worked on putting together a training plan that works for me. There are some key elements I’ve included which might be helpful if you’re struggling to develop a plan you can generally stick with. For me, the real benefit of spending time on this is it means for weeks at a time, I don’t have to think about what run I’m doing that day. As I mentioned in Why Motivation Sucks (and how to get your arse out the door), it means I don’t […]

7 marathons in 7 days

Kasim: 7 Marathons in 7 Days for Grenfell

Sophie–Running, Thoughts on Running–

What do you say to someone who tells you they’re about to run 7 marathons in 7 days to raise funds for Grenfell? To run from Manchester to London? Added to this was the line, ‘I’m not really a runner.’ My thoughts came in rapid fire, from that’s insane yet really amazing to ooh, that’s going to be tough. What I said? ‘That’s amazing,’ and then of course I asked lots of questions, the first of course being why. Why would someone who’s ‘not really a runner’ embark on such an epic journey? I don’t normally write about others writing […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]