Thoughts on Running Archives | Running on Full

Pre-training Training: Part 2

Sophie — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 11:28:29 +0000

I might not be fast. I might not run far. But over the days, the weeks, the months, I am seeing some progress. It’s hard to know where I’ll get to. Will I run the London Marathon again? Will I get to the Guernsey Ultra? I want to run far but whether my body will let me is another story. And I miss it. I miss being out in the world – of running in torrential downpours, of running through my local woods, of the chats when running along with someone, of the social connections, of the random stuff you […]

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6 Tips for Making Running Stick

Sophie — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 06:45:17 +0000

Making running stick can be hard work. I can picture clearly showing up on a spring morning to a beginner’s course … for running. I didn’t know what to expect and was nervous – here were 40 or so people I’d never met. Included in our instructions, ‘when starting out, talk to someone while you’re running. If you can’t talk, then you’re running too fast.’ WHAT THE [insert expletive here] I was freaked. ‘What do you mean, talk to people?’ We did warm-ups and then the running. It hurt. The following few days hurt more. One of the helpers (that’s […]

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Why motivation sucks (and how to get your arse out the door)

Sophie — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 09:55:37 +0000

Why motivation sucks – this is one I’ve been thinking about for a while. If I waited for the motivation genie to strike, I’d rarely get out the door to go for a run. I don’t know about you but ‘motivating’ quotes like ‘Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations’ ‘Pain is temporary, greatness is forever’ ‘Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it.’ make me gag a little. My visceral response is ‘bollocks’. Dreaming of being a supermodel (NOT something I dream about) or being a famous fiction author (if only I liked writing fiction enough) or running a sub-4 marathon […]

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On waiting for the London Marathon Ballot Results

Sophie — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 08:00:25 +0000

It’s that time of year again. A couple of hundred thousand of us anxiously await the outcomes of the London Marathon Ballot. I’m assuming it’s a ‘SORRY’. I think this might be my 6th year of applying through the ballot. I’ve been fortunate though. I’ve run London twice, getting places via my running club. What happens, happens. And the cool thing is, whether it’s a yes or a no, I still get to be part of it. My club always marshals on the day, so if I can’t run it, then I marshal. Wishing everyone the best of luck!!! On […]

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On dealing with a bad race

Sophie — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 09:40:48 +0000

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 […]

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How I think my second ultra will go!?!

Sophie — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 12:54:59 +0000

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 […]

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Lizzy Hawker: On finding what puts colour in your life

Sophie — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 10:54:45 +0000

I’m at the Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports centre in London to hear Britain’s greatest ultrarunner, Lizzy Hawker speak. I kept overhearing references to UTMB, UTMR and the like, easily said, the sort of races you do. People were casually chatting about covering the sorts of distances I simply can’t get my head around and the sorts of climbs in races that make me turn green at the thought. If you don’t know Lizzy, you should. The woman is amazing, as an endurance athlete, as a person. The talk started with a few laughs with staff trying to sort the […]

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Pacing the Hackney Half

Sophie — Mon, 21 May 2018 12:49:16 +0000

Pacing the Hackney Half for 2:20 – What a day! Sunshine, a real buzz running through the crowds of runners and supporters, a half marathon to be run. And best of all, despite a touch of heatstroke, I made my time but more on that later…. The race is part of a whole weekend of the Festival for Fitness which include a 5k on the Saturday and a line-up of fitness classes which includes an action packed boxing lesson. And Virgin’s ambition? To make fitness fun and accessible to all and celebrate the spirit of Hackney. The half marathon is […]

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Running in Brussels

Sophie — Tue, 15 May 2018 12:49:43 +0000

Running in Brussels: Let’s just say I’m not a travel writer but here goes… An invitation I couldn’t pass up. I was on the phone to my Aussie bestie when her 3 year old son started shouting in the background ‘Est tante Sophie venant à ma fête.’ (Is Aunty Sophie coming to my party?) You see, he and his twin sister were having a party to celebrate turning 4. They wanted…no, the needed to know, was I going to be there? So I did as any good Auntie does, I booked my Eurostar tickets to Brussels. Now, I figure you know […]

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The London Marathon: On being a marshal

Sophie — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 11:18:42 +0000

On being a marshal: The 2018 London Marathon was my third time marshaling this race, and the most challenging. But I’m getting ahead of myself… First to say well done to everyone who undertook the race. It was the hottest ever with the running beginning with high humidity and bright sunshine. I know there are many runners who didn’t achieve their time targets, and a few who had to pull out due to issues brought on by the heat. But brilliant work my friends, you’re an inspiration! Second, my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Matt Campbell, a 29 year […]

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Back Pain and Running… no, not again…

Sophie — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 10:39:44 +0000

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 […]

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When A Run Goes Bad

Sophie — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:08:24 +0000

Earlier this week I had one of ‘those’ runs. There was nothing in my legs and while I was meant to be doing hill sprints in my efforts to achieve PBs anywhere from 5 to 50k this year, I managed only three. By the time I got home, I was in a grump! It got me thinking about what goes through my head when a run goes bad. I now know why it was so awful as I sit here with the dreaded lurgy. I didn’t feel it coming on otherwise I wouldn’t have gone out the front door! I’ll […]

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What Running Has Taught Me: On Being Self-Employed

Sophie — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 12:31:46 +0000

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 […]

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2018 – From 5k to 50

Sophie — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 12:52:59 +0000

Here we go again… another New Year, another set of running plans, a few goals. From 5k to 50 will be part of the story for the year for me. A bit of a repeat but not too much of one. These aren’t resolutions as such. I kind of think resolutions suck and give me something else to beat myself up about. So I’m thinking of this as more of a plan. A plan to get stronger and faster and kick butt (my own that is). The aim this year is PBs from 5k to 50. Maybe longer? Who knows…will […]

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2017 Running Review

Sophie — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 14:03:08 +0000

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 […]

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6 Tips on Putting Together a Training Plan

Sophie — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 11:40:04 +0000

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 […]

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The VIP Race Experience: Coming to a race near you

Sophie — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 10:58:21 +0000

There’s something afoot in the world of racing in the UK – the VIP Race experience. Pay anywhere from £20 to £80 and you can get those extras – food, a better location for parking, private toilets, post-race massage, a warm tent or building in winter, and sometimes race photos. Not everyone’s heard about it but it is a growing trend. It tends to be the bigger races – in 2017/18, Reading Half (VIP £60), Bath Half (VIP £80), Manchester Marathon (Premium £35 or Premium+ £65), London Winter Run (Premium £25). This trend leaves me uncomfortable and I’m trying to work out why. I […]

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When does running get easier?

Sophie — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 09:16:30 +0000

A big question for me last year and one I continue to ask myself as I train for my first 50k in July: when does running get easier? Last year it went a little like this… It happens to the best of us – when running takes a dip, you mainline Netflix and your favourite pair of running shoes gravitate to the back of the wardrobe. You look on your scales – perhaps the numbers haven’t changed much but your clothes are a little tighter and you start feeling soggier around the edges. And I’m not alone. The lovely Amanda […]

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