2010 Progress Entrant - Iola Wilson

Contents:- -Intro- Report -1- -2- -3- -4- -5- -6- -7- -8- -9- -10- -11- -12- -13- -14- -15- -16- -17- -Final-

Report (Final) - 16/05/10

The X-ercise Files - Diary of a 'wannabe better' long distance runner

It has been 19 weeks since I wrote my first update and it's time to look back and reflect on my training and experiences. Back in January I agreed to be a featured runner because I felt it would help me focus on running and make me accountable to others, motivating me to work harder. I was feeling fairly unfit and demoralised after a hard year trying to run with untreated asthma and really wanted to regain my fitness and energy.

The first couple of months were hard work, due to my lack of stamina and the cold weather, but being able to look back over my weekly reports and times helped me to keep it up during this time. By mid-March I was feeling good, my stamina and speed were improving and I was starting to push myself harder. My sessions running with others (both the Harriers endurance sessions and hill sessions in Wick) have been invaluable as I work much harder than I would on my own. In April I was starting to think about what I would aim for after Mey, something I hadn't done in a long time.

In the week before the run I took it easy, with a couple of shorter but reasonably fast runs. I had a few pre-race anxieties - a very sore throat and chesty cough started 5 days before race day (and didn't clear up until nearly a week after the race) and I had a very severe leg cramp one evening that I could feel for a couple of days after. Then there were jitters about the weather, what to eat and drink before the race etc.

I woke up feeling nervous and excited on race day. My lungs didn't feel great but I took an extra couple of puffs of salbutamol and some paracetamol in the morning. We took the kids over to granny's house as she had offered to bring them to the race for us, then made our way over to the Castle of Mey. I had 3 running outfits in my bag for different weather conditions and after changing my mind about 10 times (a woman's prerogative I believe!) went for shorts and a vest as although there was cloud in the sky it was hot when the sun was out. The atmosphere at the Castle was great. There were lots of excited, nervous people and I felt in good company. After registering I had the requisite 3 visits to the toilet (we only arrived just after 1pm!) punctuated with pinning on my number, warming up and chatting to folks I hadn't seen in a while.

The nerves that I had been feeling for the couple of days before the race were with me up until we joined the crowd at the start line. Once I started telling other people they were going to be fine and to enjoy it I forgot my own nerves and started to relax. Neil and I ran the race together. As usual, we got carried away with the crowd at the start and our first mile was our fastest. But we settled into a steady pace after this and I felt that I worked hard all the way round. I think I had managed to blank the memory of how tough the route was last year from my mind as I was surprised by the number and length of hills. After recovering from one hill we were straight into another, it was relentless! I worked so hard getting up the hills, I felt I had nothing left in my legs when I should have been stretching out on the downhills. It was also very warm and I found the heat sapped my energy levels, boy was I glad to see the water station. We hit 5k at about 25 minutes which was on target but I knew I had run the first half hard and didn't think I could keep that pace up. When the doubt set in I began to lose my positive mental attitude and I think it really affected my running from that point onwards.

On a more positive note it was fantastic to hear people shouting my number or name, spectators and other runners, it really gave me a huge lift. When we got to the last kilometre I felt completely exhausted but could now see the finish and tried to increase my pace, I knew by this stage that I wasn't going to make it back in under 50 minutes but remembered my long runs and how I could increase the pace even after 9 miles running. As we entered the Castle grounds my greatest fans were waiting and shouting ‘Go Mummy' which was just fantastic. As we ran towards the finish line I could see the clock getting closer to 52 minutes so in a determined final sprint I made it in before it hit 52.

After the race everyone asked how I did and a few asked whether I was disappointed not to make it in under 50 minutes, my goal for the 10k. I have to say that I truly wasn't disappointed as I felt I gave everything on the day and ran as hard as I could in those particular conditions. I am pleased that all the training I did in the run up to the race served me well. It gave me confidence and I really drew on it all during the race, especially when I felt tired and when Neil reminded me of it as I slogged up one of the hills!

Being a featured runner has been a hugely positive experience for me. My running has improved, I've rediscovered the enjoyment of running in a group and the buzz you get from pushing yourself really hard and I now have a really good training base for the next race. I am very grateful for all the support from the Mey 10k organisers, and everyone who has been reading the updates and asking me how it's going. I hope that reading about my ups and downs has helped motivate other runners and look forward to next year's Castle of Mey 10k, when I hope to make it under 50 minutes...