Story
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">THREE MUNROS BAGGED IN THE LAMM!</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">12/13th June 2010 Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I was correct in thinking that the marathons were going to get progressively harder. I’m already thinking of London, a distant memory away, as a ‘short and fast’ race and I don’t know why I was under the impression that Exmoor was hilly? I think I will take this moment to point out that this marathon differed from the previous two in that (1) Tim and I had to work as a team so going at the slowest pace (mine) and (2) we had to carry EVERYTHING with us, that includes (but is not exhaustive of) a tent, stove, fuel all food for the duration of the event, sleeping bag, clean socks for day 2 and toothbrush. The race took us eighteen hours of navigation and ‘running’ split over two days (but with a surprisingly good nights sleep in between!) and proved to be harder than I expected. We scaled three munros (over 3,000ft/914m each), misplaced each other once but generally had no ‘I told you we should have gone south off the top of that hill’ moments. I’m now scoring the websites to find another and I’ll probably spend all summer trying to get rid of my tan lines.</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #006400;"><strong><span style="color: #000080;">EXMOOR CONQUERED, ONE TO GO…</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;"><strong><span style="color: #000080;"> </span></strong></span><span style="color: #006400;"><strong><span style="color: #000080;">22<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> May 2010 Exmoor Coastal Trail </span>Marathon</span></strong></span></p>
<p style="color: #006400;"><span style="color: #000000;">Exmoor made London feel like a casual weekend run. A fantastic way to celebrate turning 30! With 9180 ft (2798m) of ascent and then back down again, it was pretty hard going for the whole 5 hours and 40 mins that it took me. I had a few bad moments, where I couldn’t remember why I had decided that this was a good way to spend my 30… but I quite liked the fact that I was in a race where even the front runners reckoned they spent a significant amount of the distance walking too! The scenery was spectacular, made all the better by the blistering sun and it was great to be in a race where there was time to enjoy it and not mile count. Brilliant to have my sister there at the finish to scope me up, rush to get me cold water, tea and my post-race favourite, orange and cranberry juice mix! The good news is that I could have run some more on Sunday so I’m still looking forward to the LAMM next month. Better get that kit list planned!</span></p>
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<p style="color: #006400;"><strong>LON-done, TWO TO GO…</strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;"><strong>25<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> April 2010 Virgin </span>London Marathon</strong></span></p>
<p>I thought I would leave it a few days before I posted a race report to give me a chance to 1) feel pleased with myself and 2) be able to walk downstairs without clinging to the handrail. I ran a personal best of 3 hours, 32 minutes and 26 seconds that put me in the top 5% of the girls! While I couldn’t quite cross the finish line in under 3:30 I did knock 5 ½ minutes off my previous marathon time and I have promised to stop beating myself up about it. I blame the ‘fun’ runner with the ridiculously large tiger papier mâché head that got in my way during the first few miles! I had a brilliant time and apart from miles 21 to 24 where I put my head down, zoned out the crowd and chanted the mantra ‘I will not walk’, the whole race was almost fun. The best moment was coming over Tower Bridge when I saw Paddy and all my supporters.</p>
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<p>After a greasy spoon lunch at my local café, Sharpy and I spent Monday afternoon at the swimming pool. We didn’t do more than a few widths of the pool before heading to the spa and sauna. A cheeky lifeguard told us that we weren’t exactly pushing ourselves, so Sharpy bluntly put him straight, and we received a sheepish apology! Of course my leg muscles are exhausted and Tim pointed out today that the LAMM will be harder (I think he is wrong… I hope).</p>
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<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Update 26th March 2010</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><span style="color: #000000;">One of the things I haven’t mentioned yet is why I have chosen to raise money for the MS Society. Helen’s dad was diagnosed with MS about 12 years ago and the MS Society has given them so much support over the years. When I started running a few years ago (after a long absence after the enforced school cross country days) Helen was hugely supportive and last year introduced me to the interval sessions at the Battersea track that have seen me slash my PBs in the last few months. As I have benefited so much from the support that Helen has given me, I thought it was appropriate to support a cause that has supported her and her family. </span></span></p>
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<p>MS is the result of damage to myelin that protects the nerve fibres of the central nervous system. It is the most common disabling neurological conditions affecting young adults and ~ 100,000 people in the UK have it. It is complicated because of the unpredictable periods of relapse and remission that can become more progressive. There are many research programs for treatment that include stem cell research and clinical trails for drugs to prevent relapsing. The MS society is providing support to those affected and their families as well as providing a source of information on the help available both financial and pastoral.</p>
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<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Celebrating the big Three-O (p</strong><strong>osted 16th Feb 2010)</strong></span></p>
<p>It started off as one marathon. I agreed to run one last road marathon. Sharpy and I both had places in this years London marathon, so I thought, why not? and confirmed my place early last year. I then caught the off-road running bug and signed up for a few off-road half marathons and adventure races along the South West coast. There I met some fellow off-road runners (Ellen and Steph) who had signed up for seven off-road marathons each (!), which made me think; why run a half-marathon when you can run a marathon? So I signed up for the Exmoor coastal trail marathon that was conveniently on the weekend of my thirtieth birthday. During all of this I got chatting to a work colleague who had done quite a few mountain marathons. Having failed to make it to the start line of two of these events in the past few years, I decided that this was the year I would make it to the finish line. Tim and I signed up for the LAMM a few weeks ago.</p>
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<p>And so there you have it, 3 marathons, in 3 months, in 3 different ways. Let the count down begin...</p>
<p>Virgin London Marathon - 25th April 2010 (<a href="http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com">www.virginlondonmarathon.com</a>)</p>
<p>Exmoor coastal trail marathon - 22nd May 2010 (<a href="http://www.endurancelife.com">www.endurancelife.com</a>)</p>
<p>Lowe Alpine Mountain marathon (LAMM) - 12/13th June 2010 (<a href="http://www.lamm.co.uk">www.lamm.co.uk</a>)</p>
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<p>I have a very supportive husband, Paddy, who is encouraging me all the way, who himself is training for the Austrian Ironman in July (be relieved - this is not something I can ever imagine myself signing up for)! If you would like to support me, all donations to the MS society will be gratefully received. Thank you for your support!</p>
<p>Alex</p>