Hannah's First Race

Tonight was the British Heart Foundation 5km Canary Wharf Jog as the tee, modelled here by Hannah indicates:

Smiling pre-race aka hiding the nerves well = good sign!!

32 minutes and 5km later - Hannah is still smiling = even better sign!!!

Or wait is that hysteria?!

Seriously WELL DONE Ms Hannah Banana: We'll make a Marathon Runner out of you yet. ;-))

Hannah only did two running sessions prior to this event - her first ever race.

Hannah's recommended training plan is as follows: 

1 mile jog on the treadmill four days before the race

followed by a 5km jog on the treadmill on pre-race day.

Completely mad but it worked.......... for Hannah.

I was also running alongside Hannah tonight to help keep her going .....well........supposedly. 

But hey as a means of avoiding retelling another tale of my limitless running incompetence INSTEAD check out these bundles of cuteness currently rocking my morning walks to work:  

Cuteness Exhibit 1:

Cuteness Exhibit 2:

Cuteness Exhibit 3:

Too sweet. Almost as sweet as Hannah's accomplishment this evening. WELL DONE HANNAH - seriously impressive doesn't even come 5km close! Plus not kidding about you subbing for me on Sunday for the 10km!! xx

A Triathlon - Reebok Gym Style

Han welcomes me to the Holy Grail of Gyms!
If Carlsberg did gyms, they do REEBOK gyms ;-))

Hannah and I completed a Reebok Gym triathlon today - Yes we are triathlon stars - or so say I!  Actually we were at Reebok in Canary Wharf in order for Han to complete her second challenge of our skydiving bet: Han's 2 miles swim challenge (I was there as official adjudicator!!) but we got just a tad distracted on the way to the pool ;-))

WARNING: The Reebok Gym is beyond incredible. Be prepared to feel a big pang of gym envy - they have everything - TRXs, suspension training kits on a climbing frame (Mel would DIE!!), vibe plates, boxing rings, EVERY cardio machine possible, hoola hoops, climbing wall, free weights, 150 classes a WEEK!!, pool and of course the requisite dude listening to his ipod and shaking his tush - *giggles*. I am A LOT in LOVE and this is from someone who has been a blase gym member for years.

First up was a gentle (or so I hoped) warm up: aka a crazy Reps Class - free weights, a brilliant instructor and pumping music made for an hour of aching legs and arms. I have never got DOMS mid session before! Then again I have never touched free weights before. I am now a Deadlift Queen!! and I must admit that my previously emerging bingo wings completely disapparated on the spot. Eeek.

Next we headed to the treadmills in preparation for Han's first running race this Wednesday. Only Han decides to compete in a race 6 days before the event with absolutely no run training - I like her style ;-)). Reebok's cardio lounge is INSANE. There are probably hundreds of machines but it doesn't feel like a jungle due to the basketball court in the centre which acts as a glam light well. (Forgot to mention the basketball court before!) We both covered a mile (hushed tone: it took me twelve minutes - shhhhhhh don't tell AJ). BUTTTTTT I should add that my lungs are majorly rubbish at the moment - try taking in sufficient air to run when you feel like there are thousands of elastic bands wrapped around your chest - very tricky. Plus I had already been for a miniature run with Lucinda along the Thames earlier that morning, prior to my trip to Reebok's Holy Land of Fitness. (Although again I was so unbelievably pants running wise - I'm surprised Lucinda didn't tip me into the Thames and speed off as she had every right to do. My new mission is to prove to my incredible always-up-for-a-run partner Lucinda that I can ACTUALLY run. One day she will be the one requesting we walk for a bit - so help me Running God.)

To finish off our Gym Triathlon we headed for the pool - for every length I completed and I am a bonafide front crawler (those gazillion swimming lessons have finally paid off) - Hannah completed two lengths. Smelling a rat - Han confessed that she used to be a Regional Swimmer and swimming two miles was her most comfortable challenge of the four I'd set her (i.e. ridunkulously easy). OR it would have been if we'd haven't just killed our arms and legs via weighted squats, lunges and biceps and tricep curls and if Han hadn't just run a mile after not running anywhere for about 6 months. OK so the playing field had been sufficiently levelled. So whilst I leisurely splished, splashed and sploshed my way up and down past the Millenium Dome - INSANE view, counting Han's lengths and debating whether to go grab a pair of the flippers on display available for these lucky gym members, Han zipped up and down the pool at lightening speed. We did call it quits after 0.5mile and headed for the steam room/ sauna which was a rookie mistake as as you guessed it - we never made it back to the pool. Instead chilled out and feeling like pampered, very toned gym bunnies but with LEAD LEGS, we headed off to lunch and shopping. YAY!!

Hopefully the steam room and all of today's cardio has done the old lungs a world of good. Right now I'm so chilled out (understand KNACKERED) that I am heading off to bed. At 6.30pm. Call me Grandma!

Can you imagine what I'd be like if I ever actually did a real triathlon!! xx

p.s. BIG NEWS - I managed to tempt Han onto the scales in the uber deluxe changing rooms - guess who's lost another 7lbs in just a month?! CONGRATS Han so well deserved. You are looking HOT.

Must. Not. Feel. Jealous. INSTEAD. Must. Stop. Eating. Chocolate ;-)))

60km: The Protege becomes the Master

As you know brevity is not a gift I was blessed with - so you have two options - 

Either just enjoy the 90 second photographic tour of this weekend's 60km adventure and stop there.

AND/OR you can continue on and read my account of 60km - it's honestly JUST the highlights.

Either way understand this - HANNAH whipped my butt. BIG TIME ;-))

Registration - 7am and yes I am apparently cross eyed

Slight bag differential - mine is the baby one - thank goodness

Both weighed a tonne though

Getting ready at the start - see it is a race ;-))

Then of course the heavens open

Urgh - most hideous photo of me on the planet number 200876

BUT - wearing Lucinda's size 8!!!! waterproof jacket - couldn't really breath

Breathing is so overated - size 8!!!!

THANKS Lucinda  - hoping it's still a size 8 when I give it back?! xx

No kidding - 12 hours of delay before I can sit down again

I miss proper Park Lane - with traffic and buses and pavements

No idea where we are right?!

There is no glamorous way to get over one of these - after 87 attempts or thereabouts in one day we can say that with confidence.

At least neither of us attempted to leap over one very wet fence like one unfortunate male - sometimes you really just have to laugh!

Forgetting about the walk for a sec and being a tourist - SORRY Han!

Re: strange outfit - The kit list asked for bright clothing so I wore all of mine at once

1/3 of the way - woop. Time for lunch.

First mammoth hill.  

Twenty seconds after taking this snap I tripped over a rock and nearly fell off a cliff face. Gave Hannah a heart attack - oops.

This was my view for about 7 hours of the walk - then she seemed to speed up or did I get slower?!

Half Way Now - The Marshy Bit.

30km took us exactly 5 hours 59 minutes (including breaks!)

The Pony Toll - a close encounter of a different kind

My squirrel topiary - it's the little things that made me happy enroute

Starting to fall behind. Pace is getting too much

Han............nah.......wait for meee.........

Told you. Hannah is too zoomy for words 

- This was at the summit of the three kilometre vertical Bignor Hill. 

We completed 40km in almost exactly 8 hours.

Dinner stop at the top of this section - WOOP de DOOP

Going solo - just me and my camera now - no Hannah. 

She's basically already at the finish line, feet up, with a cuppa in hand ;-))

I'm only smiling as I've just been fed. 

Another pic for my superhideous modelling portfolio ;-))

Totally stopped smiling when I saw this hill.

This was the dreaded V track section

Flint. This was a good section.

Sense of humour returned a little here - just 12 km to go

 - basically the distance from my home to work

Finish line in the distance - between the two fence posts!!

The guys were trying to convince me it wasn't far then apologised with a choccie biscuit

Hand swelling - not a good sign

The dreaded V tracks underfoot - don't let appearances deceive you - this was nasty

The hunt for the glowsticks begins as the forest gets dark

For all you Mentalist fans - this creeped me right out - especially as a man had just jumped out of nowhere behind me about two mins prior and the adrenaline was still pumping

- I only just managed not to scream the place down - cos he was cute. 

Serial killers are not cute right?!

Creepy barn with the open door at the bottom of a wooded glen 

- I so wasn't going to check out what was inside

This place was literally a beacon of hope 

-You could see these lights from about 2 miles away - heaven

See - the glowsticks help

This is a great depiction of how I was feeling in the latter stages

- I actually thought I saw blood pouring out of my shoe at one point 

I had to check three times to make sure I was just seeing things

Racecourse - Hooray

Goodwood and the finish line in sight

Just 2km left to go

Even walking on the road by this stage was painful

Loving the glowstick arrows

Victorious smiles - 60km completed

Challenge Hannah  = 12 hours and 10 mins

Girl on a Mission =  12 hours and 40 mins

Hannah showed me!!

p.s. Hannah has also raised over £1000 in sponsorship - TOTALLY incredible

60km took me 12 hours and 40 mins 

(plus c. 2 minutes to remember to turn off my stopwatch)

and only 77982 steps (77000 of those were like walking on a bed of nails ;-) )

You can see the difference between having Hannah pace setting and me going it alone - pre and post 5pm.

How sweet are Hannah's parents?!

Thank you

The route

The elevations

Between stations 5 and 6 was the two-staged Bignor hill

Between 6 and 7 was the cursed v track hill

By comparison - the last hill up to Goodwood through the forest was a doddle 

- I even managed to overtake a couple of people on the last hill!

For the complete race highlights, please read on:

Well finally home after yesterday's epic race.  Han disagrees that it was a 'race', rather it was a walk but if you'd seen the intense pace Hannah set right from the off and maintained for 12 straight hours, not to mention the amount of overtaking - it was definitely a race. Please feel free to walk 10 minute kilometers for 12 hours straight with just seven brief rests and tell me that's not a race ;-))

We lucked out with the weather - despite my worst fears - only the beginning and end were wet. The most difficult and painful aspect of the 60km wasn't the distance but the terrain.  We joked early on that we were covering every terrain known to man - mud, swamp, woodland, grass, stone, gravel, chalk, flint, concrete, tarmac, basically everything except sand.  We spoke too soon as later on there was a horse trail to follow - of deep sand. Tick.

I probably cannot fully express to you the sheer pain of walking on flint - it's sharp, uneven, loose, impossible to negotiate and did I mention PAINFUL - all despite the protection of walking shoes.  There was A LOT of this too - maybe 30-40% of the course was flint. I vividly do NOT recall the recommended training plan outlining the need to perfect the art of walking on a bed of nails or on hot coals.

A terrain almost equally and surprisingly painful to walk on were tractor tracks - it may just look like harmless mud in V shapes - but it was extremely compacted and impossible to find a good footing and again painful to walk across.  We also encountered both of these terrains going up some epic hills - gradients basically vertical - which of course did little to endear me to them.

The second and third hill we encountered (of the four most horrendous ones on the route) basically broke me.  The second hill - Bignor Hill was sneakily in two stages - I thought at the end of the first stage after a kilometer of climbing and seeing the 40km sign that was it. But then I rounded a corner and saw Hannah still climbing and now about 500m in front of me and basically started sobbing on the inside. At the top of Bignor Hill after another 2km of basically vertical incline, was a memorial to Bob. This very nearly became a memorial to Bob and Justine. No kidding. (Hannah's insider tip - regular 30 min sessions on the stairmaster are key!!)

Fortunately after Bignor Hill was rest station 6 where dinner was served and I managed to regroup - slightly.  At this point, with 18 km still to go it became clear that I was not going to manage to keep up with Hannah and her awesome but punishing speed EVEN SLIGHTLY. I was having serious hand swelling issues and my right arm was also swelling up worryingly and painfully sore.  From what the medics could determine, my rucksac position was cutting off the blood supply to my right arm - this swelling had kicked in from the c28km mark and I only realised about my hands and arms when I went to give Hannah, c. 50 meters in front of me a thumbs up and realised I couldn't close my hands. A tad gruesome. Anyway realising that personally I needed to take it easier, we agreed that unstoppable Hannah should press on ahead and I would take a more manageable pace, more in line with my pain threshold and the intensely painful terrain we were crossing, and catch up with Hannah if I could.

I couldn't ;-))

Hannah was incredible - however crap a runner I am, I pride myself on being a fairly decent and fairly fast walker but Hannah is something else. In just 4 months the girl is completely unstoppable. Hannah is the weight I was when I started out 15 months ago and so has an extra 2 stone on me (currently and not for much longer knowing Hannah), her backpack is bigger and heavier than mine and I still couldn't keep up. Seriously impressive (and/or I am seriously lame).

The third hill was personally the toughest for me mentally and physically - as I was spent after Bignor and this hill was massive and visible from about a mile away. I could see how steep it was and how tiny the groups of people making their way up were and how slow their progress was.  It was also where I first encountered the deadly V tractor track terrain. Dear God. It took three pep talks to myself, some seriously 'about to give birth' laboured breathing and a lot of praying but eventually I made it.  I have never been so relieved to get to the lip of a hill in my life.

From then on it was a case of just keeping going however slowly and painfully; not stopping for more than a few minutes at the last two rest stations and definitely no sitting. Just swapping some banter with the incredible volunteers whilst partaking in my two cups of blackcurrent squash drinking race ritual which commenced from rest station one and continued for all of the eight stations. FYI: I have never full out sweated for 13 hours solid - it is gross.  I am still amazed that Hannah's parents allowed me into their car post race.

Best moment EVER was seeing the racing fences of Goodwood, seeing the finish line lit up and hearing the cheering in the distance and passing the 58km sign sometime after the 12 hour mark. When I eventually rocked up over the line 30 minutes after Hannah at 12 hours 42 mins - I was glad to be done and more than a little sad not to have been there when Hannah crossed the finish at woop, woop 12 hours 10 minutes!!

Hannah is such a testament to the notion that you can achieve anything you put your mind to (even if it's something that you don't really want to do) - Hannah has gone from never really walking anywhere to complete 60km in one go and at an incredible pace - she was wayyyyyy up front - all in less that 4 months of training.  There were tears.  WELL DONE Han. Incredible doesn't even come close. Only 3 more challenges left to win our sky diving bet. Help.

Things I've learnt yesterday:
a) I'm much more a 11-12 minute kilometer pace person over really long distances.
b) Flint is the devil. If I never see another piece of flint in my life it will be too soon.
c) I cannot wait for the 26.2 mile Moonwalk next weekend and some more sane, flatter and smoother walking terrain.
d) I still want to do the 100km Gurkhas challenge next year.  Hannah has already said absolutely, positively, categorically, even if hell freezes over N.O. - so I'm on the look out for three team mates if anyone's keen?!
e) I love the camaraderie between the participants on long race challenges - we met some real characters: - the scary lady who walked 10km extra, the men walking on their own, an Italian foursome going the opposite way. Everyone was on form no matter how hideous they were finding the walking.
f) The South Downs are beyond beautiful - Arundel is such a photographic gem that Hannah had to insist I come back on a tourist visit and to get a move on.
g) Never ask me the height/ depth of something - at one point I genuinely exclaimed in admiration "look how high we are?!" Hannah responded "that's a river" Doh.
h) Walking 60km over very uneven terrain have given me a very sculpted bottom - hurrah!!

So now it's time for some well earned relaxation so I'm off to the cinema to watch - you guessed it - Hanna!! A film about a girl, called Hanna, with the strength and stamina of a soldier. Though I believe I've already spent the weekend with the genuine article.

Well done Hannah. Talk about an inspiration. xx

p.s. For all you ex-SUPERchicks out there - we have another incredible lady in our midst who also achieved an incredibly poignant and personal milestone last week. I implore you to go check this out.

Home Truths: Challenge Hannah ROCKS.

This is a really difficult, if not THE most difficult post to write as I’m hoping it will help mend some fences, allow me to apologise profusely for my thoughtlessness and engender even an iota of self-belief in a lovely individual  MARATHONER: As you already know my prose isn’t up to much so this is a VERY BIG ask today! Here’s hoping I don’t mess it up too badly............

Watching the London Marathon this morning courtesy of BBC iplayer and my bed – yup I’m officially lazy – I was vividly reliving Challenge Han’s and my route around the course – whoa that’s the section of the increasing frantic ETA loo countdown (opposite the Morgan Stanley building just as you enter Canary Wharf), that’s the bit where Big Ben needed to come into view about 40 mins earlier and the walk was getting a tad stressful. Home stretch baby, never been SOOOO relieved to see a finish line....... as I was urging on Keitany during the last mile from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace.

How incredible is Mary Keitany – winning the London Marathon in the Female elite category in 2 hours 19 min and 17 seconds and becoming the 4^th fastest Marathon Runner in THE WORLD? 

Not bad for a Sunday morning ;-)

However truthfully, Miss Challenge Hannah also deserves her recognition as WORLD CLASS. I casually rocked up yesterday at Greenwich Station for a long distance training walk – in preparation for the 60km walk on the 5^th May - after Han had had the brilliant idea of walking the London Marathon route the day before the actual Marathon. Hannah even organised amazing pack lunches for us both and ensured I got out of bed sufficiently early so that we would finish before sunset! THANK YOUUUUU 

What hadn’t fully sunk in for me was that this was a legitimately BIG DEAL for Hannah.  This training walk was in fact an EPIC MILESTONE for Han  – of course – so blatently obvious to anyone who knows Han and isn’t as dim witted as me. 

As Hannah is WAY toooooo modest about her own accomplishments, I insist I fill you in........

A year ago Hannah was a size c.22 or thereabouts and unable to cover a kilometre comfortably. Two months ago, after meeting this lady with the BIGGEST and MOST FUN PERSONALITY POSSIBLE through group training, I talked a reluctant Han into undertaking a 60km walking challenge with me in May. At this point Han hadn’t even considered walking the 7km to work everyday as a possibility, and yesterday, now a foxy size 16 (the culmination of 12 months hard work – WOOP, WOOP), Hannah completed a full London Marathon course and the additional 5 miles entailed in not being able to follow the course route exactly (something about human beings minus cars not being allowed through the Limehouse Link Tunnel etc when it's not race day).

Moreover Hannah covered the 31 miles despite aching hips, recovering from a recent knee injury AND carrying a heavy backpack AND all in around 8 hours; mucho FASTER than the Hare and I who, last summer, free from any baggage (we were in our bras afterall!) completed just the Marathon distance in 7.5 hours. Hannah did it all too without the anticipation of a medal, pat on the back or getting any of the recognition that she REALLY REALLY deserves. I wouldn’t have been motivated to do anything similar. I am ALLLLL about the medal and recognition - as my family will testify - much to their chagrin I didn't take my Marathon medal off for ages.

Hannah at the kick off of her SERIOUSLY INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT.

Love this photo as despite my rubbish camera skills - it encapsulates Han's larger than life personality brilliantly. 
Fittingly by comparison I'm not even half as fun/funny ;-)

As I've discovered over time any race is equally, if not MORE, a test of mental rather than physical prowess – I have only walked a marathon distance with two people – yesterday was a different and tougher experience for me mentally towards the end, though on reflection I think I pissed off my marathon compadres then and now equally.  CRAPIOLA :-(

FYI - It takes nine people to put these miles markers up - four to do the work and five to stand around ;-)

Yesterday at the 21 mile mark, Hannah was starting to really feel the distance (her longest walk previously was 30km) and neither of us really appreciated the extra distance our detours were adding to the official Marathon distance, else I would have initiated an immediate sit down protest ;-) Yesterday’s training was nearly doubling Hannah’s previous PB distance. That’s like turning up to run a 10km and being told half way round you are actually running a half marathon. Not recommended by a long shot. You just don’t do it. SORRY Numero 1.

Over these sorts of distances you get an insight into different aspects of people’s characters – when I’m tired everything becomes hilarious (even things that are blatantly not) but my coping mechanism is laughing inanely at anything and everything. Not at all annoying!!  SORRY Numero 2.

When Hannah's blood sugar drops she becomes frustrated by what she perceives to be her failings. Comparing yourself to anyone is a femme fatale curse though knowing that never stops us ladies from succumbing.  I hadn't appreciated that by not verbalising my sore feet etc I was giving off the impression that this was a walk in the park for me. SORRY Numero 3.

Just under half way c. 13 miles.

I should have been picking up the signals that all was not well.

I am THAT dense.

SORRY Numero 4. 

So it's time for some home truths.

Hannah is the life and soul of any group - she is HILARIOUS but she is also equally courageous and one of the most determined people I've met. It takes a lot to exercise in public when you're a size 16 plus. With Hannah, the last thing you notice is her size (particularly now that she is miniaturised!!), her personality is such a show stopper.  Yesterday she was truly and legitimately fed up with the relentless walking by the 21 mile point (and at my failure to distract her sufficiently - SORRY Numero 5) and with still 5 miles and an hour and a bit left to go - she didn't pause or slow down (or keel over as I would have done in her place!) Neither did she accept any suggestion that we cut the distance down or stop for a breather - she just knuckled down and power walked express speed to the finish line. I REALLY had my work cut out keeping up with Hannah by the end, believe me.  It wasn't the most relaxing finish but it was certainly the most determined. There were tears. (SORRY Numero 6)

In a very short amount of time Hannah will wipe the floor with me. To be honest, seeing her determination yesterday Hannah already has. What Hannah has achieved in a year is I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E. What Hannah achieved yesterday is I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E and she hasn't peaked by a long distance. I thought I could helpfully encourage people out of their comfort zone as I want them to see for themselves what they are capable of. Yesterday I learnt that I was bordering on meddling with things and people's feelings that I am not qualified to meddle with. Hannah - I'm really, truly SORRY (Numero 7) for pushing you too much, too far, too soon. I still know heart of hearts that you could/will run circles around me completing this 60km challenge or any of the challenges in the bet - but it is still a MASSIVE ask and I feel horribly like I've signed up a non-runner for an Iron Man as their first race. Totally, TOTALLY unfair. I'm so so SORRY (Numero 8 - a GAZILLION) and mortified by my thoughtlessness. 

Also I would really rather not be at risk of aggravating anyone so much I end up getting punched - unwittingly it was a really close run thing yesterday so I'm SORRY (Numero Gazillion and 1) 

Hannah you really should believe how incredible you actually are. You are a well deserved Marathoner and you have the guts to achieve ANYTHING you put your mind to - that much is abundantly clear. 

As for me, in future I will try to keep my mouth firmly shut, not make any sudden movements and try to be wayyyyyyy less irritating ;-)

WELL DONE DUUUUUDE. So, so proud. xx