Music to my ears

Just a quick smug-lady update: after my post yesterday I actually went on a long run (according to Google maps its 6.1 miles - a bit contentious though, I think..) and finished in 45.20. The last time I did that course I did 45.54, so YES I feel like I can be chuffed. Why I can't do those sorts of times in races, we'll never know.

ANYWHO, moving on. My little pink iPod is pretty much my running lifeline and in times of great peril it's helped me battle through some brutal elements (I did A-level drama, can you tell?). I usually just stick it on shuffle and hope for the best, but one of my main galz Faye asked me about my preferred playlist the other day... so being the true inspiration that I am, I thought I'd share my top 5 fav running chooooonz. 

I felt this post needed some illustration...

In no particular order, here are some of the best songs to run to. I'd like to point out that my iPod is updated maybe once every 2 years, so YES I expect Jason Derulo 'Trumpets' is really good to run to but I wouldn't know. SOZ JASON:

1. Calvin Harris feat. Rihanna - We Found Love
THIS IS A GREAT SONG, okay maybe this is number 1 actually. Me and my mum AND my sister are all of the opinion that the banging beat and added diva element of badgirl riri are enough to keep you pumped for at least a mile. Although the song is only about 4 minutes long so it would have to be a bloody fast mile. 

2. Jessie Ware - Running (Disclosure Remix)
The main words to this song are 'keep me running, keep me running'. Totally motivational. I bet it features on many 'running anthems' compilation albums.

3. Foo Fighters - The Pretender
Spurred on by my sister's infatuation with a certain Mr Grohl and Foo Fighters in general, I once nicked her album and shoved a few songs on my iPod in an attempt to be current. And what a gem I discovered in the process! The Pretender combines the excellent skill of shouting (singing, sorry Dave) while also sticking to an consistent, quite well-paced beat. It also reminds me of my sister, who nearly pipped me at the Bristol Half Marathon with a lot less training. If that isn't motivation, I don't know what is... 

4. Kanye West - Jesus Walks
Many people think Kanye West is an absolute knob, but I am of the opinion that he is a GENIUS. Jesus Walks is one of my all-time favourite songs, and again has a really steady beat and some wiiiiicked lyrics. And he's singing about Jesus... Not that I am in anyway religious but it helps to have a Jesus song on your side when you're running 7 miles in the pelting rain.

5. Bring Me The Horizon - Suicide Season (Secret Handshake Remix)
Now I am not usually one for such a heavy band, but I heard this song for the first time in my best friend Rosa's car and basically just copied her by putting it onto my iPod... creepy. It's quite screamy but for some reason the lyrics 'WE STARE AT BROKEN CLOCKS, THE HANDS DON'T TURN ANYMORE ARGGGHSGHDHGHH' help me quite a lot when I'm really, really struggling. Maybe I'm subconsciously trying to run away from the scary, screaming men...

YEAH MUSIC!!!!

There are SO many songs that I really like when I'm running and remind me of certain things and make me get my butt in gear - anything by Arctic Monkeys reminds me of my boyfriend and makes me move my booty a bit faster - but I don't want to bore you with my extensively odd iPod playlist. Running without music is sometimes quite nice, although any longer than 20 minutes and my heavy breathing starts to get on my tits a bit. Much love for the iPod.

OH AND FAYE - NO TRACY CHAPMAN!!! No matter how fast her car is.
*I'd just like to point out that I do actually listen to current music, I'm just more of a YouTube gal, honestly.

10 things I tell myself during a long run...

My natural instinct to sit at home and eat endless bags of Revels (the coffee ones are the definitely the best, I don't care what people say), means that dragging myself out on a long run often requires quite a lot of self-motivational inside-my-head talk. Once I've made it out the house, this type of crazy lady chatter continues. Here at the 10 things that I think about the most when I'm out on a long run…

1. Oh get you, out running in your lycra
I used to get embarrassed that people would see me out running on the main road, but I have had a sort of epiphany and realised I could be slobbing on the sofa or pounding away on the 'dread mill', but instead I'm out keeping myself fit and taking in some fresh air. And wearing coloured lycra, which is always a plus.

2. The first mile is the hardest
Whether or not this is actually true remains to be seen, but I have told myself this many, many times (I even once tweeted a running magazine this when they asked for 'running tips'. Such an expert). Getting out the door and getting past the first mile always helps me get into my groooooove, and after that I'm totally cruising along the main road like some sort of magical gazelle. Maybe…

3. You are wearing a wonderful sports bra
If you look the business, you feel the business. I am in no way breastically (?! maybe not a real word) gifted, but even my little mounds of flesh need a proper sports bra to hold those puppies down. No bouncing over here please!

4. SHUT UP EMMA, your legs do not hurt thaaaat much
The amount of times I've finished a run after practically crawling down my road feeling very sorry for myself and shaking my head a lot (I am quite the fan of shaking my head at myself in disgust) because my 'legs ache' or 'my calves hurt too much' is ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is the amount of times I've then realised that my legs are absolutely fine. Exercise is supposed to hurt at times, slackerrrrr.

5. No one else cares
I constantly worry about what other running folk are doing and get distracted in big races. This could be me being nosey, but I think I also have a very sad and slight obsession that people are/could be faster than me. Probably around half of the country of females are faster than me and you know what WHO CARES?!?! When I think about it properly, I'm never going to be the fastest but running is enjoyable because it's about self-development and reaching your own personal goals and achievements.  So ignore what everyone else is doing and don't let them affect you. And now I feel like Ghandi…

On the outside I am smiling. On the inside, however...

6. You are not Paula Radcliffe
If you are having a slower training run than usual it really doesn't matter. Chill out, and refer to point 1.

7. Stop looking at yourself you vain tosser
I always stare at my shadow and try and look at myself in shop windows. This is quite unhelpful as wobbling thighs are often very disheartening

8. You are on a main road
Ah, the killer. Got a bit of a love/hate relationship with running along the main roads of my hometown (BIG UP KEYNSHAM). It's a good route to take as it keeps me going, bad because the moment you slow down, someone you know is just BOUND to drive past, beeping and waving enthusiastically. I've even had texts of concern before after my friend drove past me while I was trying to subtly throw-up my afternoon snack of a sausage roll….

9. Ooooohhh yeahhhh, I'm going to be so fit after this and will look GREAT naked
Sorry, mum.

10. After this, you can have a bath
There is nothing in this world more glorious than a bubble bath.

OH. And always have your iPod charged. Long runs are shitty without one.

Track training: Not as professional as it sounds

Once a week I take a break from ruining my knees on the pavements of Bristol and inhabit the running track at Whitehall. It's nothing special, just a basic track with a few spectator seats, but it's my little mid-week haven.
As some people will know, I train at the track every Wednesday, without fail. I have the most wonderful group of friends who are so supportive of my hapless running ambitions, and they fully understand that I can do most things, most days, except a Wednesday. I've been quite committed to my track sessions since I got back from university last May, and I train with my old running coach, Dave. I quit his running group when I was about 15 but he somehow managed to pick up my mum (oi oi - no no she's a married woman) and has trained her into a running superwoman - she's ranked top 5 in the UK for her age group - so I thought I'd tag along and attempt it...

Just me finishing a track session

Track training is bloody hard. It has some great benefits; it gives you a completely flat and consistent surface to run on and it teaches you to be disciplined. The sessions usually work on speed but definitely help with longer runs, when your legs are dying and you feel like they're about to collapse. Track training is definitely a love/hate thing but it has undoubtedly given me a bit of spring in my step.

As I'm still slower than everyone else in the middle-distance group, Dave gives me my own session. He also gives me a watch which beeps every 100m - the idea is that I should be either matching or beating the beeps; it can get intense. Luckily I have a fabulous training partner. Hen is quicker than me but we do the same sessions and she is always super encouraging when I'm moaning that I'm hungry or complaining that my legs ache.

Last night was Wednesday, and if you've been keeping up then YES that means a track session. Last night's session was:

5 x 400 at 88 secs with 80% recovery
3 x 400 at 86 secs with 100% recovery
2 x 400 at 84 secs with 120% recovery (YES THANK YOU DAVE)
2 x 200 at 'dying'

I'm not going to lie, those times are not very fast in the grand scheme of life. I definitely feel quite sluggy compared to everyone else at the track, especially since I heard one of the sprinters call me 'the slow one', cheers honeyyyyy, sisters are doing it for themselves and all that. 

NOT SO SLOW WHEN I'M WINNING STOUT

Anyway, Hen wasn't training last night (super sad) so it was just me and that little beeping watch. Me and that little beeping watch have had many stern words over the past year and I'm not going to sugarcoat it, sometimes I despiiiiiise that watch. But thanks to a lot of encouragement from my real-life mum and my surrogate running mum Sarah, I got round in one piece. Also I was wearing some super tight lycra shorts, so basically looked well professional and didn't want to let down the lycra-loving side.

Wednesday track sessions are probably the hardest, but most enjoyable session of the week. I always feel like I've actually achieved something and imagine that I am Mo Farah in female form, just with an extra few pounds on the old derriere...

This is my happy post-track/drunk face

RUNNING: A history

Let's not confuse things; I run a lot. I enjoy pounding the pavements and the feeling I get when I've beaten my watch timer at the local running track. I own a vast amount of lycra and am the proud and protective owner of some ankle straps. I think I can count myself as a runner, but I am by no means a natural at it. I really, really enjoy getting drunk and this is probably hindering my progress quite a lot, but heyyyy I'm a 22 year-old sassy female and my friends are too good for me to neglect them too much. People who know me will be forgiven for assuming that I chose this as my hobby because I'm naturally good at it, but they would be WRONG. With a national champion for a mother, and a few medals hanging in my room, I don't blame anyone who would think I'm genetically blessed at the ol' running thing.

But, such is life and I happen to rather enjoy it and it keeps me below the obesity line so I've stuck at it, and entered some races along the way in the hope of claiming eternal glory. I recently did the Bristol 10k in 49.57mins and was super disappointed not to go under my target time of 48mins. I'm not embarrassed to say that I trained unbelievably hard and gave up a lot of time that would usually be spent drunk, hungover or watching TV in my pyjamas. Realising at about the 6k mark that I'd more than likely missed the time I wanted was well gutting and when I got to the end I burst into tears, OH THE SHAME. Such an uptight running idiot... Luckily my eye make-up was still in tact for the obligatory Facebook photos.

Me and my super-running mum

ANYWHO... since that tragic, tragic day I've decided to pick myself up, stop being such a baby and enter a few more races. I sadly quite like a challenge, which is probably why I continue this running malarky, and also have planned a holiday with my mr lover-lover and don't want to embarrass him in my bikini. 

This blog will hopefully help me chronicle my pilgrimage to becoming a self-confident running goddess, and also will stop me continuing to talk about it on nights out (to my friends, I apologise profusely).

See, I bloody love it. Bristol Half Marathon

At the moment I try to run 4 or 5 times a week. One or two long runs (5 - 8 miles), a 30 minute jog, 4-5 1mile reps along the main road (HIYA) and one track session. Yes I go to a track, yes it's a bit weird for a 22 year-old average runner to be running at a track WITH A COACH and a fabulous training partner but I go way back at Bristol and West Athletic Club so they just humour me (and have helped me immensely after my chubby uni stage). 

My other hobby

This is totally a 'dear diary' moment for me so please excuse me while I cringe at myself, but sometimes things need to be written down and this is one of them thingssss I'm afraid. WISH ME LUCK!!