It’s the final countdown!

 

7 days to go!

 

With the last long training run done and the final countdown in full swing, Its fair to say I’m spending most of my time torn between major excitement, and cold, fearful sweats! Can I do this? Will the wheels come off? Will I make it within the 8-hour cut-off? .., we’ll soon find out!

Until we do, lots of you have been asking me questions about our marathon effort, from the deep to the practical! So, I thought I’d cover some of them here, in case they offer wisdom (or even a few laughs), to anyone else embarking on a marathon journey of their own!

 

Q: why Brighton?

 

A: Well; that was my cousin Drew’s fault (bless him!). Like most marathon hopefuls, I stuck my name in the London ballot, and didn’t get in. When Drew heard, he suggested Brighton. We had planned to run it together, however we quickly realised that wasn’t going to work, given we’re at opposite ends of the country, with busy jobs and lives, making joint training almost impossible. I probably would have dropped out at that point, but the amazing Peter Williams stepped in; and we’re running it together! We’re excited though; Brighton has an amazing vibe, so we’re hoping for seaside breezes, great music, banter and crowds to get us through the course (and some great food at the other side!).

 

Q: Can anyone guide run a marathon?

 

A: In theory, yes! But ideally, you’d want to know each other, be able to practise together in advance to build the trust and partnership you need to get through a marathon. I’d also suggest doing some larger races together in order to get used to running in crowded spaces. Also, while it may seem obvious, but your level of fitness needs to be somewhat in sync. A guide runner might be fitter/stronger than you (definitely true in my case!), but you both need to be able to cover the marathon distance, and agree how you’re comfortable doing that (running/walking, combination of both etc).

 

Q: what have been the best/worst parts of marathon training?

 

A: everyone says marathon training is tough, but nothing prepares you for how tough it is! Training takes over your life, you’re exhausted, sore, and if you’re not running, you’re working! I’d say that’s been the toughest part about it, having to run in wind, rain, snow, run when you have nothing in the tank, run when all you want to do is lay in bed with a chocolate cake! However the flipside is you discover strength and resolve you didn’t know you had. Seeing my strength grow and my parkrun times improve has been a tremendous boost and really helps me believe we’ll make it, along with the incredible support of all the parkrun family and all those who have donated to us, it’s a trust and a responsibility I take really seriously, and want to make them all proud.

 

Q: what’s something no one told you about marathon training that you think others should know?

 

A: Your female bits hurt! Amazingly so after a long run! (can’t comment on male bits for obvious reasons!), not much you can do about this, other than buy yourself buckets of Vaseline and bathe in it!

 

Q: What are you most looking forward to after the race?

 

I know it’s a cliché, but there is nothing like crossing the finish line! I know we’ll be tired, drained, cold, filthy and overwhelmed, but the joy of knowing we made it and the relief of being done will be so special. That is closely followed by the joy of the pizza we’ll hoover as soon as we’ve recovered!

 

Q: Do you think you’ll do another marathon?

 

That’s quite easy to answer: in short, no!! mind you, like any savvy media person, I say no with a caveat! While I can’t see myself doing another one, if @stevehellercornwall ever wants to run the Eden marathon as my guide, I’d be 200% up for it! I think running around Cornwall singing some of his Cornish bangers would be a perfect fit for my Cornish language journey and overall madness, and a great way to raise funds for a good cause, but that really is the only exception! Its just such hard work; and I’ll be more than happy to enjoy my local parkruns for the time being, with the odd bit of touristing and 10K events thrown in.

The next challenge: vision2run returns!

 

Well hello there, 

 Here we are again… I never quite thought I’d be here! (and for anyone not yet in the know, here is just weeks away from the start line of my first marathon)!

 

You might be wondering how that happened; I know I am!! Lets rewind; all the way back to the Great North Run! Along with team Rikabel and a group of amazing parkrun pals; we completed that challenge! We had an amazing, fun, emotional weekend that I can never forget, and an incredible journey getting there! It was tough though, the training, the injuries, the self-doubt, and I had no plans to do anything like it again; my parkruns and the odd 10K would do!

But just weeks later, on my 40th birthday, the amazing Nik and the parkrun family organised a beautiful surprise birthday party for me (my first surprise party as it goes!). Among the beautiful and deeply personal gifts they gave me was a Notch bracelet already marked up to reflect all my runs so far! As I wore it, loving the tactile nature of the notches on it, the fact there wasn’t a marathon on there began to eat away at me! Would I ever have one? Could I do it? Would I be brave enough to try?

Over the year that followed, my studies ramped up, and I had to focus more on work and less on the fun stuff, but I watched friends take on new challenges (Nik succeed at her very first Marathon in Manchester with an incredible time!), and the challenge continued to call to me!

Later that year, I did what anyone with Marathon ambitions does and stuck my name in the London ballot (I didn’t get in of course!). Soon after that, my cousin asked me if I’d consider doing the Brighton Marathon with him. He lives there and fancied a bit of a challenge himself! I agreed but he quickly did the sensible thing and decided it was a bit too much/not the right time etc. I could have done that, however, I mentioned it to the parkrun family, and was quickly met by willing volunteers from all sides! To my delight, among those volunteers was Peter Williams! Peter ran my first ever parkrun with me, and given his wealth of pro running experience and a multitude of marathons to his name, not to mention his extensive guide running experience, I felt completing a marathon with him would be a dream! His wife gave us the green light (partners of runners put up with al lot!), and the rest, as they say; is a work in progress!

 

Right now, we are 7 weeks away from the big day and I’m terrified! But I have a great guide beside me and the wider parkrun family supporting our every step! Team Rikabel remains at centre stage, with Isobel taking me to spin classes for cross training, and Nik updating the social media channels for us! So, over the next few weeks, we’ll keep you updated on our triumphs, PBs (there have been a few at parkrun lately!), blisters, chafing, cakes; the full marathon experience!

 

Finally, as with our GNR challenge, it remains very important to me to try to give back to the blind community I’m part of so for this challenge, I’m getting behind Blind Veterans UK, who do incredible work supporting service men and women rebuild their lives after sight loss, whether in active service or beyond it. These are difficult times for all of us, and so there is absolutely no pressure to donate, but if you can help, anything you can spare will make a massive difference to this amazing cause: do give what you can, and share the link as wide as you can too!

https://2024brightonmarathonweekend.enthuse.com/pf/ruth-forrest

 

Most of all, keep us in your thoughts, prayers, and surround us with good vibes, this is the toughest challenge I’ve ever taken on, but its definitely exciting; especially seeing how strength and endurance really start to build. I’ll share more about that over the next few weeks; but for now,  many thanks; and wish us luck!

Reflecting on the year that was 2022

My parkrun Birthday (yes, it IS a thing!)

Great North Run - Ruth’s reflection

So, the dream that began on my sofa watching the Great North Run culminated in us running our race on Sunday 11 September…finishing it. Thinking back over such a momentous weekend, it’s hard to find the words to express what completing GNR means to me and how much this entire journey has shifted my perspective.

 

Despite all the training and preparation, GNR seemed to creep up on me and I did not feel prepared. I’d been busy with work, I’d had exams and I got injured. Although my physio told me I could participate, I still had to be careful. I had to tape my achilles and walk portions of the run. I felt I hadn’t trained much and I was nervous. Add to that the Queen’s passing and for a moment, we wondered if the race would even go ahead. All of this made me anxious but the real route of my nerves was born out of a fear of not finishing. 

I was fine about walking, fine about the crowds and, if anything, quite excited about the event. But what if I couldn’t finish? What if I had to face all those who had given so much to us in donations and tell them I’d jumped on the bus at mile 6 and hadn’t completed the race? 

 

We travelled down to Newcastle full of laughs and anticipation. It was a joy to be sharing the weekend with Sam and Katy who had both been such a huge part of my journey along-side the other 2 forces that make up the dream Team Rikobel. We were joined  by my husband who was pretty strong and stoic in the face of 5 uber-expressive women. We had a wonderful 2 day race prep attending local parkruns and enjoying great food, company and laughs. Yet I didn’t dare express my real nerves. I texted a few friends back home silently admitting that I was worried about not finishing. Then I just prayed and hoped for the best. 

 

The morning of the race flashed by in a blur; dropping our bags, finding our start line and just like that Team Rikobel were on our way. As we crossed the line, Nik said,

‘this is what dream realisation feels like Ruth, you are realising your dream!’

And she was right.  I knew then that whatever happened, I had to finish this race; it was the real lap of honour following all our hard work.

 

People tell you about the magic of GNR, they tell you about the crowds, the live bands, the love, the positive energy, the masses shouting your name, the incredible sights and stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for charity and those they love. People tell you all that but nothing prepares you for the true wonder of GNR; you just have to drown in it for yourself. People screamed my name and, through smiles and tears, I screamed thanks back cheering them on, lapping up the love and feeding it forward. The cheers became wings on my feet and, though the injury niggled, I kept surging forward. The day became hot unbearably so at times but our incredibly Issy kept us cool. Rushing to collect ice poles from bystanders and  chucking ice water over me at each water station (I did tell her to, honest),

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know I’ve never really gained a working understanding of distance. So, given that and the injury issues, I’d asked the team not to tell me about mile/KM markers, ignorance was bliss in my view.  But, I knew the guide dog bus was at mile 6; when we reached it the tears began to flow. My biggest worry had been that I’d reach the half-way point with nothing left in the tank.  Instead, I reached the half-way point feeling like I could go on;  I started to believe I could finish.

The miles rolled on, I did tire and, as predicted, I had to walk. Isobel’s stride training meant I was able to keep the walks energised and strong, using long strides that made it easier to stretch out the injury and move back into running again when it loosened up.

8 miles became 9, then 10, then 11, and then we turned that famous corner that you see on TV, when the runners run down the hill and the sea finally comes into view. The breeze carried the salt air to me along with an even larger cheer from the crowd; the scent of a BBQ hung in the air- I was going to do this. Then, within what felt like seconds, we had crossed the line. We stood on the grass at the finish, in tears, overwhelmed crying and smiling from ear to ear. None of us had words, we just held each other in a group hug realising we had made it. Sam and Katy finished their run and we all spent a beautiful evening soaking up the energy in South Shields, sharing a fantastic meal and lots of celebratory vibes with Guide Dogs UK our chosen charity. 

 

I could write pages about the magic of the day- the people we met, the costumes we saw and the amazing laughs we enjoyed. If you are at parkrun over the next few weeks, you’ll hear it all from us 1000 times over. Ultimately, it comes down to exactly what Nik said to me at the start - dream realisation.

This incredible journey has taught me something I thought I knew, that dreams really can come true.  If you have a goal in mind and are prepared to work on it, anything is possible.  We all know this but dreams feel easy to realise when you are young. Perhaps, with age, we lose the confidence to follow our dreams and our hearts.  Perhaps we lose the certainty to believe in our gut, to believe that we have what it takes to change our own destiny. The moment that medal was hung around my neck, I realised it was true and made a new commitment to do exactly that. I also realised that it is critical for us to keep on raising the bar for ourselves in life, even more so if we have a disability, as society will never do that for us.

 

Most of all I realised that we truly are interdependent. The wonder of my journey is not what I achieved but the beauty of the component parts that brought it all together. From Andrea telling her co-worker about parkrun, who reached out to Moira and put us in touch. To everyone at Strathclyde parkrun who welcomed me into such a loving, passionate and inclusive community. To everyone who has guided me on my runs (we counted 14 at the last count and its growing all the time), everyone who has volunteered and cheered me over the line, to all those who donated to our page and shared our story far and wide. Before this journey, I tended to compartmentalise my connections never getting too close to anyone for fear of not really being seen or accepted. The parkrun family gave me an equal and affirming space in which I could simply be myself, that has been the biggest miracle/light on the path.

 

Most of all, I owe the biggest thanks to Nik and Isobel for everything they did to make this dream a reality. Their kindness, support, organisation, logistical planning (because I have absolutely none), and their unshaken belief in me is truly humbling and inspiring. My thanks to Nik for being an amazing friend, for her patience and passion on the journey, for all the late night runs after work, for all the deep chats, the hugs, the coffee and the laughs - you are a friend for life.

To Issy, for being an inspiring guide, for giving me back my childhood love of free running, for being a great baker, for being all round ‘mum’ to our group and keeping us right and being an utterly phenomenal wing woman on Sunday- we could not have done it without you!

 

Some of you might be asking so what next? Up till now, I’d always truly believed that GNR was my goal and once done I’d be happy to revert back to my spectator sport of watching runs from the comfort of my sofa; both Nik and I agree that vision2run can’t end here. We don’t know exactly what next; I need to rehabilitate the injury and pass my finals.  We do know we want to do some awareness raising work, especially among visually impaired children and families. We want to share the joy of running I’ve discovered with so many others. We want to continue the blog and I, for one, want to cash in on Nik’s exceptional marketing skills demonstrated all over our socials.  Also …, I might have signed up for the GNR Ballot reminder service for 2023 … ya know, … for information purposes only!

We don’t know exactly what’s on the horizon but we know there is more to do.  I know for sure that parkrun has been the best part of my journey and will be a key part of my life forever.

Thank you each and everyone of you for making my dream come true. You are all beautiful people and I could not have done this without you.

Guide Dogs for the Blind

When I first committed to doing the Great North Run, I knew I wanted to do it for a charity. Part of my attraction to GNR was sparked by the volume of funds raised while having an amazing run and a lot of fun.

The issue was what charity to support. There is so much that needs to be done in the world, there are so many things that matter to me. When I met Nik, this added a new dimension. Whilst we are passionate about many of the same issues, inspired by our own life and work experiences we support different charities.   We could have run for different organisations but the partnership element is key to everything we do and so, we wanted a charity that represented both of us.

I’d been putting this decision off really unsure how to pin it down. The final decision was made on New Year’s Day over coffee (aren’t all good decisions made that way?). We had been to the New Year’s Day parkrun (by far the best start to a New Year I’ve ever had). During the post-run coffee (the best part), conversation turned to the various run challenges the parkrun pals had coming up during 2022; GNR being one of them.  I mentioned that I was really hoping I’d achieve my GNR dream this year, but of course, it was all dependant on what happened with the ballot.  It was Isobel who told me about the GNR charity sponsors who have a number of guaranteed places for those who fundraise for them.  She suggested I take a look at the list and consider applying that way. Sam brought up the list and 3rd from the top was Guide Dogs UK.  Something clicked inside my head, this seemed like the perfect charity fit for us.

Guide Dogs are a charity close to my heart perhaps for obvious reasons. I don’t personally have a guide dog yet. Training for a dog is intense and takes time but its definitely on my to-do list after I finish my degree. Through my work and friendship groups, I’ve seen first-hand what a difference having a guide dog can make giving a blind person increased independence and confidence, rather like running has done for me.

 

Like many charities, Guide Dogs have been hit hard by the pandemic. Their inability to train during covid lockdowns meant that many blind applicants couldn’t get a dog at all. Many of the new puppies lined up to be trained had to be rehomed as the training window had passed for them due to inactivity. One of my work colleagues had to retire his dog during 2021 due to ill health. He has a very active lifestyle with 2 small children and a job that has him flying the length of the UK on a weekly basis. His guide dog is pivotal for all he does however he has been told that he may need to wait up to 3 years for a suitable match. This has, quite literally, thrown his life into a state of flux. Taking his kids to school, or going to the train station have all become major challenges. He now uses a white cane to get around, as I do, however he hasn’t had to use one for many years.  Re-learning this skill takes so much longer. Increased funding will enable the charity to address this shortfall, acquire more potential guide dogs and employing additional staff to train the dogs and their human companions.

 

Guide Dogs do much more than training and matching guide dogs to new owners. They also support blind people with rehabilitation skills, training them in the use of a long cane so that they are fully independent while waiting for a dog. They can help with daily living skills for those with newly acquired sight loss, and do a range of awareness raising work to create improved built environments for the visually impaired and for guide dog users. Funding helps to support all of these areas making a massive difference to so many. It creates a legacy simply by supporting people to maximise their potential through mobility and independence. 

 

To me, my journey with Nik was representative of all of these aspirations making Guide Dogs such a good fit for us. Running has empowered me, it has given me confidence, expanded my friendship circle, and enabled me to raise awareness of both running and sight loss in ways I never could have imagined. By being my guiding star, Nik has acted as my eyes; the way Guide Dogs do for their new owners turning their lives around. The work going on really mirrors our journey. On top of all that, Nik and I both adore dogs of all kinds; it was an effortless match all round. I registered to run for Guide dogs on that same New Year’s Day;  the rest is history. Well not quite as this is where we need your help.

 

To support our efforts for Guide Dogs, we have set up a fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/vision2run Already, we have been blown away by the generosity of friends, colleagues, family members; and all those beyond our circle who have heard about our efforts and offered their support. It would mean the world to Nik and I if you could support our efforts by making a donation. Any donation will make a tremendous difference to Guide Dogs and will truly inspire us to train hard and run strong for you at GNR. Even if you can’t support us financially, you could help us out massively by just sharing our fundraising link, spreading our story through any on or offline channels open to you encouraging others to help where they can.

In the coming weeks, our training will become more intense. We’ll be increasing distance to make sure we can run the entire 13.1 miles that is the Great North Run. We’ll have to think about how we keep hydrated and energised throughout the run. We’re not aiming to complete it in a particular time; we just want to enjoy our first joint experience of running a half marathon. We are already so thankful to everyone who has followed, shared and, hopefully, been inspired by our journey. You are the driving force behind every step we take. Thank you in advance for any support you can offer, it all makes a difference and really does motivate us as the big day gets ever closer.

With thanks and love,

Ruth and Nik (Team Rik) for Guide Dogs x

Thoughts on yoga and running

I’ve written briefly about yoga on the blog; I speak about it all the time. If you ask any of the parkrun family, I’m sure many tire of me singing its praises. For anyone who’s not had the talk, I wanted to share a little about why it means so much to me and how it could help you improve your running. If you’ve never wanted to go to a yoga class and don’t necessarily think yoga is for you, this is the blog for you  

 

I discovered yoga in 2016 after various unconnected contacts had recommended it to me. I knew roughly what yoga was but had little interest in it. This was largely due to my aversion to attending classes and being unable to see/understand what was being demonstrated.

After doing some research though, I realised that yoga has a rich tradition of being taught 1 to 1, directly from teacher to student, in precisely the manner I needed to be taught.  So, I went and found myself a teacher and decided to give it a go. My first class was tough, painful and awkward due to my complete lack of flexibility. Even with all those aches and pains, I already knew I was hooked and that yoga would be a practise for life.

 

Yoga is an Indian wellness practise which sits within the banner of Ayurveda,  an ancient school of healing similar to traditional Chinese medicine. Yoga practises are wide and varied with differing practise styles and lineages. Most have originated from India but some take their origins from Chinese Martial arts. There is some evidence to suggest that yoga was practised among tribes in Western and Northern Africa.

 

The school of yoga I mainly practise is ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga means 8 limbs, and of these 8 limbs, physical practises, known as asanas, form a small part. Arguably it is this part that is most relevant to us as runners.

The other 7 limbs are comprised of attributes (such as non-violence, non-attachment, discernment etc), as well as breath control, meditation and focus.

 

How can ashtanga yoga help me as a runner?

So, how can ashtanga yoga help us runners? On a physical level, the ashtanga primary series is fantastic for building strength, endurance and flexibility, which are all key for runners. It helps to open the upper body and the chest, while the breathing practises contained within the series help to build lung capacity which is critical for long, healthy runs. Many of us in the West breathe through our mouths, which can be detrimental to our health and can impede the breath when running. Ashtanga helps to build strong, deep nostril breathing as well as combining breath to sync with movement, which is key when running.

 

Practising ashtanga yoga was my first introduction to free movement, and I now realise I would not have had the confidence to run without this grounding. Ashtanga is mainly taught 1 on 1. Even in group classes, students will come and practise the sequence alone, at their own pace and according to their own ability. The teacher will come and adjust/give feedback, based on the students need, like a 1 to 1 in a group setting. This way of working really empowered me, but also helped me understand my own body movements in relationship to others, and improve my proprioception/understanding where my body was in space, critical if you’re doing a headstand. 

 

Practically though, ashtanga has kept me strong, resilient and relatively injury free. Lots of runners tell me they don’t practise yoga, because they aren’t flexible, which always makes me smile. After all, if we were flexible already, we wouldn’t need it.

Long runs will tend to tighten the hips, knees and ankles, but yoga is the perfect way to strengthen the muscles and reverse any tightness or unnecessary tension that we carry. 

 

The ashtanga yoga primary series can be off-putting, it takes about 90 minutes to complete, and a traditional student will practise 6 days a week, with 1 day off.  If you run, work and engage in other sports, you probably won’t have that time, or even the inclination.  That doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate elements of ashtanga yoga into your life to improve your runs.

 

Here are a few links to teachers I know and follow, and some of their resources you might use to get more familiar with yoga practises to improve your runs.

Leading Yoga teacher David Swenson created ‘short forms’ which are extracts derived from the primary series which makes fantastic warmups before any run, and only take about 15 minutes to complete when you know them well.  Check out one of his short forms here:

https://youtu.be/dAySDECiM90

Glasgow based yoga teacher Mark Russell works extensively to Taylor yoga practises to meet the needs of runners. In this blog post, he shares thoughts on why yoga is so important for athletes:

https://www.fionaoutdoors.co.uk/2013/10/guest-blog-benefits-of-yoga-for-runners-and-triathletes.html

Finally, when it comes to your warm downs, yoga can be just as helpful. I think we’re all guilty of missing out the stretches when we get home, but they are critical if you want to build flexibility and stay injury free. Slower yoga practises such as yin yoga, can be incredible for helping ease tired muscles and aid recovery post-run, try this lovely gentle weekend flow that will take you less than 30 mins.

https://youtu.be/6MFo7p-wtxA

 

I hope some of the above do inspire you to try incorporating some yoga into your fitness routine. I’d love to hear about ways in which you use yoga to improve your running.

Ruth X