So, I suppose the best place to start is right at the beginning, and one of the highlights of my day was finally getting to meet the amazing @clairec.runs 😍 we had arranged to meet in the morning and head to the Green start together! I really loved this as the last two years I have always travelled and been by myself so it was fantastic to have someone there to share the usual pre race nerves/excitement/toilet trips with 🤣

But soon enough we had to separate and go to our allocated start pens, and that’s when the nerves really started to kick in for me. I started feeling a bit sick, I was already hot and started thinking what an earth the next 26.2 Miles was going to have in store for me.

Okay, so you don’t need me to tell you this. But it was pretty bloody warm on Sunday, In fact it was confirmed that day it was the HOTTEST London marathon on record 😳🔥 I had been dreading the heat all week, and although it wasn’t ideal, it actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be!

The hardest thing was the constant thirst. I just remember having a dry mouth & throat for pretty much the entire race, but I was more worried about taking on too much water than not enough! I think I pretty much got my hydration spot on though, I took a bottle from near enough every water station, I took a sip, then poured the remainder over my back/shoulders/legs/wrists and then finally on my head, it almost became a bit of a ritual at every stop! The hardest thing I found at the stations was keeping your rhythm, especially when people decide to stop dead in front of you with no warning 🙃

By 10km by pace had dropped slightly to low 7s, and my ‘dream goal’ of breaking 3 hours was slipping away by the seconds, but rather than give up, I just adjusted my goal and carried on as best I could. I didn’t even feel any twinge of disappointment (which is strange for me!) and I just kept going and tried to enjoy it.

Before I knew it, it was fast approaching my favourite part of the race – TOWER BRIDGE 😍 not only does it mean that you’re technically half way through the race (I say technically as we all know a marathon is NOT just two half marathons!) the crowds are electric, and then shortly after if you’re lucky you will get a glimpse of some of the elites in action storming their way to the finish, which is something I have been lucky enough to see every year so far! (This was the only time I messed up a water station, I was too busy looking at the other side of the road and ran straight past it – doh 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣)

The heat was really getting to people now, myself included! But I was still feeling good, I was keeping myself cool with the water, I had taken two gels and I still felt like I had plenty of energy. As I approached mile 15 I suddenly got really nervous, this was where I hit the wall the year before after feeling great, and I was so worried it was going to happen again..but it didn’t! I ran past a water station which I remembered having a little cry at the year before and couldn’t help but smile knowing I felt so much better this year!

Soon enough I reached the 16 mile mark, and I couldn’t believe I only had 10 miles left to go!

So it was now getting REALLY hot. The sun was beating down, there was very little wind and very little shade. It was really tough out there, and it was really getting to people.

I had slowed my pace down again, was it to do with the heat? I guess I can never say for certain, but I’m pretty sure it had something to do with it, but I was still feeling good and stuck with my routine of sipping water and covering myself in it!

Before I knew it, I was approaching mile 20 (the point where it can all go wrong!) and I was really excited as I knew that @chris_x_runs was going to be there cheering, and sometimes seeing a friendly face is all you need to keep you going! So thank you for that high five & giving me that extra boost ❤️

Once I crossed the mile marker I looked at my watch and realised if I slowed down just a tad more I would still not only get a huge PB, but would probably enjoy it a lot more too, so that’s exactly what I did!

I have honestly never felt so relaxed in a race that meant so much to me before, and although not all the photos show it, I feel like I pretty much had a smile on my face for those final 6 miles..

I was genuinely having the best time out on the course that day. I felt so relaxed and so in control, and was just enjoying soaking up the atmosphere and just running!

Then all of a sudden the weirdest thing happened around mile 22/23 – my head suddenly felt like it weighed 10x as much (and after speaking with others they felt it too!) and it was a real effort to keep my head upright! It was the strangest feeling, and in fact the next day my neck aches more than my legs! I’m not entirely sure why it happened, I’m guessing it was something to do with the heat?!

But anywaaaaay, I knew that for the final few miles I was going to see lots of friendly faces, including some of my @teamprojectrun team mates, the legendary #cheersquad and the absolute babe @shoulder_runner – I couldn’t wait!!

Around this point I took my headphones out and soaked up every cheer, every clap and every random person shouting my name (it really does make you feel like a celebrity!) I haven’t done many big races like this, but I don’t think ANYTHING will ever top the atmosphere at London!

For the final mile and a half, I think I pretty much had goosebumps the entire time (and that’s saying something considering how hot it was 🤣) but the crowds really were something else! And I just want to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone that came out and supported on Sunday, it genuinely wouldn’t be the same without you!

When I approached The Mall I was still feeling really relaxed (honestly I don’t know what happened to me!) but after a quick glance at my watch I realised I was still well under 3.15 if I just kept it steady and saved myself for a final push at the end.. so that is what I did!

I resisted the urge to speed up too early and I waited until I reached that final bend and then I opened up and gave it my everything! Seeing that finish line is still one of the best feelings in the world and the cheers from the grandstands really do make it feel like you’re in an Olympic final!

I crossed the line, and all I could do was smile (even if my legs did turn to jelly, again 🤦🏻‍♀️😂) I couldn’t believe how good I felt, how much I enjoyed it, and that I got a 26 minute PB!

The 4 months of hard work & dedication had been put to the test, and it worked! I honestly felt on cloud 9 😍

I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face! Okay, so I hadn’t achieved my ‘dream goal’ (which was a sub 3 incase you were wondering!) but if I am being completely honest, I only ever thought about because people put it into my head. My original goal was sub 3.30, which then changed to 3.15 – so I was over the moon with my time!

I have been lucky enough to take part in the @londonmarathon for the last 3 years, and this one has by far been the best, and not just because of the time.

I ran smart, I relaxed and I actually enjoyed it! I think I am guilty sometimes of putting far too much pressure on myself when really I have no need too. I am not an elite, I am not a professional athlete. I am just someone who loves running!

I’m going to be bold and say that Sunday was geniunely one of the best days of my life, and I will remember it for a very very long time, and it’s made me so excited for what’s to come ❤️

It has made me feel sad (and a little guilty I’ll admit) reading how so many of you struggled and didn’t enjoy Sunday, but I can’t pretend that I felt the same way.

London.. I LOVE YOU! and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen in 2019 ❤️🇬🇧🏃🏻‍♀️

Race Stats

Two blog posts in two days? OH YEAH! That’s what you get when you go away by yourself, lots of thinking and writing time!

This time I decided to talk about something that up until recently I didn’t really pay much attention to… Nutrition! I mean, I’ve always loved food and anyone who knows me, knows this is true. But I never really paid attention to exactly what I was eating, or how it was going to affect my performance.

If you read one of my first posts (Honesty Post) you will know that last year was a bit of an up & down one for me, I won’t go into details again, but one thing that affected me a lot was the weight I gained & my body shape. Basically.. I was unhappy, and eating a lot, and then eating more because I was unhappy about gaining weight (crazy huh) Anyway… enough about that.

In January I started my 16 week training block for the London Marathon. I was including 3 gym sessions a week, was getting faster and felt stronger then ever, as well as losing some weight in the process, which was great! But what I did find was as my mileage was starting to creep up, so was my appetite, and I was starting to slip back into old habits – snacking on the wrong things too often, grabbing a quick fix & completely over estimating my portion sizes. I started to worry that I was going to undo all my hard work, so I decided to get some help.

I had been following Andi (@andiscottshaw) on Instagram for a while, and was seriously impressed by his own & his clients transformations. As well as training like a beast, his passion is nutrition and he would regularly post food, menu choices and weight loss results.

At first I will admit I was a bit sceptical and thought that like most diet plans you see online it just wouldn’t be achievable for the average person – countless expensive ingredients, having to spend HOURS prepping in the kitchen, and having to track every single crumb on MyFitnessPal (I mean seriously, who actually has time to do that?!) so for a while I just looked on, feeling slightly jealous that I wasn’t getting results like that even though I was working hard.

As I was getting further into my training cycle, I was seeing results I never expected and achieving PBs I thought were months & months away, and it really started to make me question my goals for the London marathon, and that if I took it a bit more seriously, I could potentially achieve something pretty special on the day. I knew that my nutrition could be the thing holding me back, so I bit the bullet, and dropped Andi a message.

I explained that my goals were not to lose weight, but mainly to ensure that I was fuelling my body correctly for the amount I was doing, and to hopefully drop some body fat so that I was in the best shape possible for race day – Andi has experience working with loads of different clients – whether that’s weight loss, muscle gain or lean muscle gain so this wasn’t a problem at all!

I was excited to receive my plan, but also nervous and apprehensive – I had tried and failed many times to stick to a plan, and I worried I was just going to be wasting both our time, although this time did feel different, as I had a real goal I wanted to achieve, rather than just ‘losing weight as quickly as possible’

When I got my plan, the first thing I thought was ‘OH MY CARB’ – there must be a mistake! My daily calories were high (approx 2,300) my daily carb allowance was high, and I was having carbs with every meal – surely I was just going to be bloated all the time & gain weight?! Because carbs make you fat? Right? WRONG!

My menu was simple.

Breakfast – Oats, Almond Milk, Peanut Butter, Blueberries.

Lunch – 2 x Wholemeal Wraps, Tuna, Cucumber, Crisps

Dinner – Wholemeal Pasta, Chicken, Pesto, Olives, Sundried Tomato (and whatever veg I wanted!)

Snacks – 0% Greek Yogurt, Strawberries, Almonds, Banana, Trek Bar

(NB – I am not including quantities as this was personal to me and my current weight & training. It is not a one size fits all plan I am afraid, but trust me when I say that portions are not small!!)

I honestly could not believe how much food I was eating! I felt satisfied after every meal and was genuinely enjoying what I was eating every day, but I still didn’t understand how this was going to help me get leaner.. well, that was until a few days into the plan!

I had lost weight, I couldn’t believe it – so guess what, my calories went up! When Andi sent through my revised plan it did panic me slightly – 2,600 calories! Again, I thought it was a mistake (apparently a lot of his clients think this when they first get sent their plan, we do trust you really!!) but I put my trust in it, and continued to follow it to a T.

I did also get sent a ‘B’ choice menu, but I was enjoying the food so much & got my prep nailed I couldn’t be bothered to change – so don’t panic if the thought of eating the same food everyday bores you to tears, you can always be flexible!

I genuinely surprised myself with how well I stuck to the plan. I definitely took the 80/20 approach though and have enjoyed a handful of meals out, wine, chocolate and office biscuits (why, oh why is there always biscuits!!) because sometimes life is too short, and you do need to have a little bit of what you enjoy now and then!

It’s now 11 days until race day, and soon enough my carbs will be going up (again!) but rather then being scared about it, I know it’s going to be the best thing for my body!

Although this was initially a plan to see me to the marathon, I am going to continue afterwards. Yes, I will relax it a little bit, but now knowing what a difference getting your nutrition right can make to your body & how you feel, I actually don’t want to go back to second guessing what I’m putting in and just hoping for the best. And then when it comes to Berlin Marathon later in the year I will be giving it 100% yet again.

If nutrition is something you have always struggled with, or you have tried many different diets (like me!) but not seeing the results, I highly recommend speaking to Andi (@andiscottshaw), whether you are an athlete, or just want to get in shape for a summer holiday, he will be able to help you.

As I have said before, marathon training is like a giant jigsaw puzzle, there are many pieces needed for it to all slot together and work properly, and I finally feel that now I’ve got my nutrition on track, along with my strength training & running, I am giving myself the best possible chance when I line up on the 22nd April!

Here are my results from just over 5 weeks following my plan. I am unsure what my current BF% & weight are due to being away, but I will be checking in when I get back next week.

Left – 11/04/18

Right – 06/03/18

Jordan xxx

Hola!

So I am writing this from a currently sunny (albeit windy) Spain!

I decided to make the most of the Easter holidays and my taper week and book a last minute trip for some sunshine… ON MY OWN!

When I told people I was going away on my own, you could tell they were surprised. And I get it, normally holidays are something you share with either a partner/family or friends. But should it really be seen as sad, or a bit weird to go away on your own? I definitely don’t think so.

If you have been following my training for the London Marathon, you will know that I have been working pretty damn hard over the last 4 months to get to where I am, and to be honest my body, and mind had been calling out for a break. I really wanted to get away, but the thing that kept popping into my head was ‘but I have nobody to go with’ – so I kept putting it off and accepting that it probably wasn’t going to happen.

As you all know, weather wise we pretty much had the WORST March ever – it was freezing, dreary and rainy, and I was seriously getting fed up (along with everyone else!) so I finally thought bugger it, did a search for some cheap flights and BAM, I was going away.. and I only had 8 days to wait!

And do you know what was so nice about it, I didn’t have to worry about ANYONE else. I didn’t have to fit it around dates anyone else could do. I didn’t have to worry about anyone else’s budget. And I didn’t have to worry about what I was going to do whilst I was away and that the other person might be bored/not enjoying themselves.

I knew exactly what I wanted from this trip, and so far (currently on Day 3!) it’s been perfect. I’ve got some lovely early morning runs in, enjoyed a quiet coffee down by the beach every day, had some epic afternoon naps and got stuck into some good books!

So if you’ve ever been in the situation where you want to get away, but not had anyone else to go with, my advice is just GO FOR IT! Yes it might be scary to go somewhere far away on your own, but life is too bloody short, and I actually think it’s really healthy to spend some time by yourself.

I’m already feeling more relaxed, and I know that when I get back on Sunday I’ll be in the best place mentally & physically going into the final week ahead of the marathon. I have already decided that I will be doing the same thing next year, and maybe even this Summer too!

Adios

Jordan xxx

26.2 Miles. 42.195 kilometres. 138435 feet. 1,660,032 inches

However you look at it, a marathon is a long bloody way! And what was once seen as the pinnacle of running, that only the best of the best would take on, is now being completed by hundreds of thousands of ‘normal people’ on a regular basis, people exactly like you and I!

But the big question is… How do you get your body ready to tackle those miles? Here are some of my top tips for getting you marathon ready!

1. It’s all about the long game…

99% of us couldn’t just wake up one day & decide we are going to run a marathon (I say 99% as there are always the exceptions!) or at least not without injuring ourselves or putting us off running for life! So to put it simply, practice makes perfect!

There is a reason that most marathon plans out there are between 12-18 weeks long, its because our bodies need time to adapt to the mileage & the training, and not over loading too much too soon! During this years training cycle, for the first couple of weeks I didn’t hit over 10 miles during any of my runs, but rather than freaking out about having to run another 16.2 at some point I knew that I was just preparing my body for what was to come.

So my first piece of advice is, DO NOT RUSH or try to cram in high mileage quickly. Have patience & build up gradually.

2. Practice Makes Perfect.

Not every training run is going to go perfectly, at one point or another something will go wrong, but it’s about accepting this & being able to move on which will make you a stronger runner in the long term.

Here are some things that have gone wrong for me during training runs in the past;

• Getting horrendously lost
• Not taking any water/fuel with me
• CHAFEGATE

In fact, lets throw it back to 2016. My first 20 mile training run. And it quite possibly could not have gone any worse! I had recently moved to a new area and I knew some shorter routes but had never ventured out that far on my own before. Did I check out a route before hand or have any sort of plan? Nope! That was my first mistake. Did I take my hydration pack or any gels with me? Of course I didn’t! That was my second and possibly biggest mistake. And did it happen to fall on a very wet & windy Sunday afternoon? Of course! (obviously this was out of my control, but it all adds up!) So off I went and started chipping away at the miles, the first half of the run went well but then slowly but surely it all started to fall apart. I got majorly lost, and ended up running through endless farmers fields which were wet, muddy & extremely windy. NOT FUN! This completely zapped any energy that I had left but without any water/gels/food there wasn’t much I could do about it. I was starting to get seriously fed up, and my love of running was disappearing by the second. Anyway… I finally made it back to the village I was living in, and still had 3 miles left to do. Did I do it? Nope, I basically crawled to my front door and collapsed on the stairs, feeling very deflated & disappointed!

I was determined to get my 20 mile run in though, I felt like I needed to hit that milestone as a confidence boost for the marathon. So what did I do? I got over my bad run, and planned it for the following weekend. I headed back to an area that I knew like the back of my hand, I took my hydration pack & gels with me and had a brilliant run!

So, do not worry if you have a bad run. It doesn’t mean you have failed, dust yourself off, give yourself a couple of days break and then get back out there!

3. Adding Fuel to the Fire 

As I mentioned briefly in the last point, fuelling & hydration can be the difference between a successful & unsuccessful run. Sometimes I get this absolutely spot on, other times… not so much! 

Everybody knows that running (and exercise in general) burns calories. But what about when you are running further? What happens to your body then? Don’t worry, I am not going to go into full on science mode but to put it simply, during prolonged exercise, your body will burn calories (what you have put into your body) but then it will start tapping into your glycogen stores, and before it gets to this point its important to put some calories back into your body, as depleting muscle glycogen stores can have a seriously negative effect on performance!

The easiest way to put calories back into your body during a run is using energy gels, as they can be stored easily (I keep mine in my Spibelt) and can be taken easily on the move – don’t panic if they don’t work for you, there are other alternatives out there. 

Everybody will work slightly different, but as a general rule, you should be looking to start replacing calories lost after around 60 minutes of steady, continuous exercise, and then continue to do so every 45-60 minutes. Again, this can be different for everyone, which is why point number 2 on this list is so important – practice practice practice!

4. Refuelling 

As well as fuelling during a long run, refuelling after is just as important, and you should start the process as quickly as possible (ideally 30-60 minutes after exercise)  So, remember that glycogen store I mentioned? That is what is going to be screaming out for some attention, and the quickest way to give it what it wants… CARBS! Good old starchy carbohydrates that are packed full of glucose & sucrose (sugar!) as this will also aid muscle recovery too, which is very important after you have just ran 20 miles! The general rule of thumb is that your body will need 0.5g of carbohydrate per lb of body weight. And also, don’t forget about protein! You have probably heard that protein aids muscle recovery so this should also play a part in your post run snack/meal too. But to be honest, if you have ever run long distances, you will know that RUNGER is real, so if you want to smash a large Dominos pizza to reward yourself – GO FOR IT!

Recently I have started using SiS REGO Rapid Recovery for a quick fix after a long run, which contains the perfect blend of carbohydrates & protein that your body needs to start the recovery process. It works well for me as after a long run I can sometimes struggle to eat proper food, so this allows me to give my body what it needs without making myself feel sick in the process!

5. Mixing it Up

I love running & I love long distance running, but even I will admit that sometimes the thought of going out for ANOTHER 2 1/2 hour run can seem a little monotonous, but, I know I need to do them so the best thing to do if you are stuck in a bit of a rut is mixing it up!
Over the course of this training block my long runs have really varied, which I think has really helped! These have included races, running with friends, or simply a new running playlist – sometimes a few new good songs can be all you need to give you that extra splurge of motivation!

I also vary the paces of my runs, so sometimes it can include a few Marathon pace (the pace you are aiming for on race day) miles, which gives you something to aim for and focus on, rather than just pounding the pavements for miles & miles!

If you do really struggle to motivate yourself to get out of the front door, I would highly recommend trying to find a running buddy – I have a couple of friends that I know I can call on if I need someone to run with, and vica versa!

6. Tricks of the Trade 

As well as being a demanding physical challenge, running a marathon is almost as much (if not sometimes more) of a mental battle too. When your legs are hurting & your lungs are burning, sometimes you just need to dig deep, have a word with yourself and get on with it (tough love there – sorry!) 

Similar to point Number 2, not every run is going to go well. And there will be days when sometimes your brain just says ‘Nope’ and thats fine, but its how you get around that, and how to make sure it doesn’t happen on race day.

It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed when you first look at your training plan and see that you have to run 20 miles. That’s a bloody long way, and normally a distance people would only tackle in a car. So what can you do? Break it down! Don’t think of it as a 20 mile run. It’s simply a 5 mile run, thats repeated 4 times! If you read my post ‘10 Reasons Why You Should Run A Marathon then you will know that I like to think myself of some sort of mathematical genius on my long runs, and this is definitely one way I combat getting over the mental battle of running a really long way. It may seem silly, but if you haven’t tried it before, give it a go on your next run, and I promise you it will make the distance seem less daunting!

7. Dress for the Occasion

Like I have mentioned many times in this post already, practice makes perfect! Marathon training should be seen as one big experiment – and your kit & trainers are an important part of that!

Similar to nutrition & fuelling, there isn’t a ‘one rule fits all’ so even if your friend SWEARS by their new trainers, they might not be the ones for you. But I get it, it can be easy to get sucked in, and social media plays a massive part in this now too. If you are on Instagram then your news feed will probably be full of fellow runners posting about how great their new kit/trainers/sports bra is, and whilst it is useful for recommendations, make sure you get what is right for you.

For example, last year for a very short period of time I switched trainer brands (basically I was being tight and they were on sale) They were a very popular running shoe from a very popular sports brand so I thought they would be absolutely fine! Now I know I can never say for definite, but shortly after switching I developed a very painful calf issue which put a halt to my running & training for a good few weeks. I tried everything to try and resolve it, but it only appeared to get better once I switched back to my usual shoe. Lesson learnt there!

It doesn’t just stop at trainers though. Most of us at one point or another will have experienced chafing, and if you havent, just imagine the inside of your legs being set on fire & you will sort of understand how it feels! Again, people react differently to different materials, different short lengths/cuts etc so it is important to find out what suits you. Whenever I get new kit, I always test it out either at the gym or on a shorter run to see how it feels before attempting to run lots and lots of miles, as the last thing you need when you are 10 miles into a long run is to discover that your shorts ride up & theres a small chance you might set fire to the local park if you carry on!

I was lucky enough recently to be contacted by Ronhill UK who very kindly sent me some of their kit for me to test out during my marathon training. If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that I am honest, and I would not endorse a product I didn’t either use or believe in it, but I have to say I was really impressed, especially with the shorts!

As per my own advice, I first tested them out on a shorter run as I wanted to make sure #chafegate wasn’t going to be an issue, and luckily it wasn’t! The base layer shorts fitted perfectly and barely even budged during my run, and there is also a seriously impressive pocket in the back of the shorts, which would be perfect for you phone, keys & a gel! Also, you can’t beat a colour coordinated running outfit, so that gave them a few extra bonus points too!

 

8. RELAX

My final point is quite simple… RELAX! If you have an upcoming marathon (or any race!) it can seem very overwhelming when you start to think about the training – whether it’s because you are running further than before, faster than before, or maybe just starting running all together! But at the end of the day, the majority of us run because we love it, we don’t get paid for it, we aren’t going to be breaking any world records or winning gold medals, so just try to enjoy the journey that it takes you on, and I promise you, it will be worth it when you finally cross that finish line!

I hope you have found some of these tips & tricks useful! Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Jordan xx