Swiss miss

Many months ago when I was at fit as a whippet, I entered the Swiss Alpine marathon. It's actually a series of events from K10 (for 10km) up to K78. Oh yes. I entered the C42 - the easy version of the marathon. I think C stands for custard.

Anyway having been quite poorly recently I'd not trained at all I'd decided to do some latter distance. The half marathon (K21) was as hilly as the Alps could be. The K30 was just the marathon without the downhill on it. The walking event insisted you take walking poles and was instantly out of the question. So the K10 it was. Race strategy, jog slowly over the start and finish when people were watching, walk everything in between.

I forgot this strategy and walked the start due to congestion we all walked the first 8 minutes of uphill and then pushed past to finish 69th woman out of 233 odd. How very pleasing.

Cool things about running in the Swiss Alps.

• Beautiful scenery. And I mean ooh wow look at that scenery. 
• Small children and grown ups with massive cow bells ringing them at you. 
• Alcohol free beer at the finish line. 
• Catching a wee train to the start line. 
• Starting in bright sunlight and finishing in torrrential rain and thunder
• Running past a raclette and fondue house
• Getting a very cool tshirt that you actually want to wear. 
• Watching the K78s come in. 
• 8 days of free travel with Swiss Rail. 
• Watching Lizzie Hawker and other great runners finish. 
• Finishing feeling really strong and wanting to do it all over again. 
• I'd really recommend doing this event 

More Pics And how could you not want to do the K78 after watching this?

Convalescing with competition urges

Let's be honest, I'm a bit of a wreck at the moment. I had an hour of gentle reformer pilates on Friday and ached everywhere the next day, needed an afternoon nap from walking up a big hill and fall into tears at the drop of a hat. Anyone's hat. 


On Friday I stopped myself from leaving the house. So what did I do? Signed up for cycle training with the council (hey I want the basics before I'm a triathlete!), signed up for lots of SkyRide Local events, registered for USwim and made pilates bookings.


I'm supposed to be resting resting and resting and then making a decision about Ironman. It kinda feels like I made the decision doesn't it?! I don't want to give it up and actually if I did, I'd have ended the only thing that doesn't seem to be changing in my life right now. It's probably not the rational way to make a decision, but it seems really important to me to keep one constant. I feel like if I didn't have the idea of Ironman to cling onto I'll lose who I am as it's the only thing left. It almost doesn't matter which I do or when, just to start the training and remind myself of who I am, because I don't recognise any other part of me right now. 


I keep telling myself that all the tiredness, patience and headmess is brilliant training for mile 65 on the bike course.  :)


Next week, I'm doing four sessions of reformer pilates. Yes four. And one swim coaching. Slow build. Slow return of me.

R and R

I'm resting at the foothills of the Pennines and it's so lovely to know this is my second home, now that I am moving to Manchester.

Yes I'm giving up the bright lights, big city of London and my great job as a marketing strategist to get better.

I'm so very very tired and even more tired of being sick - and if I stand even a little chance to complete the Ironman I have entered then I need to properly rest.

Wish me luck.