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Preparing for the Arctic Circle Trail, Greenland

It's been a few years since I wrote any race reports so I thought I would combine them as one in advance of my Arctic Circle Trail report. Summer 2023 Trying to get more comfortable running marathon distance but struggling with old lady / postpartum mum injuries - hip bursitis and a strained hamstring. September 2023 - Pilgrim's Ultra 50-something km Holy Island to Craster. Beautiful, flat route. Hot day so we dropped like flies. I ended up getting lost on some sand dunes and then vomiting on a fancy golf course. Probably not what they usually pay their fees to clean up. My first ultra since having the children April 2024 - Two Bridges Ultra 40-something miles Longest run since having the children. About ten days previously I had felt an awful pain in my calf as I walked down the stairs in my house. My foot and leg ballooned but I was not sure what was wrong. So I started off the ultra in last place and took it slowly. I needed to stop frequently to loosen my shoe as I kept los...
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Trail Outlaws Devil's Foot Half Marathon

 Low key. Local. Not too much time away from the kids. Can enter last minute. I'm in.  I wanted a distance that I knew I'd be able to complete without the pressure of having to train. I have enough time away from the kids with work and I really enjoy whatever miles I can do at the moment, I don't need something else on my plate. BUT, I also wanted my legs to hurt afterwards because that's a glorious feeling. It didn't occur to me until I was running on the day that I hadn't actually run more than 15km in two years. See my last post on the Three Landers Marathon.... that was my last run over 15km! Six months after having my son I'd run two marathons. Six months after having my daughter, I've done considerably less. Anyway. The event was in two waves because some guy ate a bat in China back in 2019 and people couldn't handle eating the horrible British Christmas dinner without being surrounded by all their family back in 2020. Why eat overcooked brusse...
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Sisters Run Three Lander Marathon

Sister Sister start in Lindau Do you think I can train for a marathon in 10 weeks? Came the message from my small sister, Hillary. Of course I replied in the affirmative. What did I know, I've only ever trained for my first marathon and that was probably ten years ago. Plus, I'd always liked the idea of running her first marathon with her and I was up for another holiday. Hillary had picked the Three Lander Marathon; a marathon that started in Germany, ran through Austria, into Switzerland and then finished in Austria. That sounds pretty cool. Hillary flew from New York, we flew from the buzzing metropolis of the Scottish Borders. It was a good excuse to see each other and doesn't everyone think of Germany, Austria and Switzerland when they think of awesome exciting holidays? No? Let me remind you of those giant pretzels (bretzils?) then.  Buggies were not allowed in the marathon which meant Scott could not run. He looked disappointed to hear this news. I'm not...
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Isle of Harris Marathon - 5 Months Postpartum

I entered the Marathon Hebrides (the first full marathon to be held on the Isle of Harris) while I was still pregnant. Obviously pregnant with my first baby and therefore had grand illusions of what motherhood would be like. I bought a treadmill so that I could train when my future baby 'napped.'  AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, said my baby boy. At five months old, he doesn't nap and wakes up every 1-2 hours at night to feed (or cuddle, or just say hi, or something). We haven't even thought about weaning. Oops. Oh well, we'd booked the accommodation, ferry tickets, car hire and my ma to come babysit from New Zealand. My postpartum recovery was not as easy as I'd expected. Turns out running and swimming until the baby pops out aids neither labour nor recovery. Should have sat on my arse and eaten more cake. My training had to start with walk/jogging 1km at 8 week postpartum, a few weeks break as directed by the physio and then a pretty swift leap to 10km after 12 wee...
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Kiev Marathon at 19 Weeks Pregnant

When the superspeed duo of Ally and Norm sent through their list of 2018 marathon locations, Kiev seemed a no-brainer. I mean, who hasn't wanted to visit the Ukraine? I cannot remember if I was pregnant before or after entering but I clearly thought it would be fine regardless. Unfortunately, I didn't exactly glow during pregnancy and I dragged my feet out on two runs a week, one short and one long. Given that I wasn't particularly fit before pregnancy, building up those long runs felt pretty awful. On one occasion, Scott had to sprint home to get the car during a two mile run while I disposed of my stomach contents on the side of a country road.  On arrival, we paid some extra money at registration for some running travel insurance scam. I'm pretty sure that is what it was! Then I risked the life of my unborn child by taking a Ukrainian taxi through some back alleys. We went to dinner and there were guns on the walls. Some local youths then set the hotel bathrooms on...
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Boston Marathon & London Marathon 2018

The Big Reveal W alking up Arthur's Seat in September 2017, I told Scott I had something to tell him. After initially freaking out and throwing himself off the hill, I calmed him down to share the news that I had entered the Boston Marathon for the following April. I was not guaranteed an entry but we would need to book a holiday if I was accepted. Having studied in Rhode Island during the winter, Scott was keen to return during the summer. Shoulder season is not summer, thereby ruining his holiday plans. Female qualification times are much more lenient than the men's qualification times. Despite this, as I have spent the last four years injured and unmotivated AND the Boston qualification times are reducing each year, I figured there were few years left whereby I would be able to gain the qualification without too much stress. So on that Saturday in September when I looked up the times I was pleased to find that I had qualified while running as the Roadrunner cartoon in L...
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