Throwing Caution To The Wind (Beaumont Half Marathon Race Summary)

Saturday was RACE DAY!!

From the moment I started packing my case on Friday I was a big bundle of nervous energy! I didn't know if I was excited, afraid, nervous or just plain scared of getting injured again (my last venture into a half marathon race ended up in serious injury and a lot of hopping). I also had no idea what time I was going to aim for and was feeling a bit lost. Even though I didn't want to put time pressure on myself I still thought I should have a rough idea of pace as a target.

I LOVE the marathon/half marathon in Beaumont, TX. It's small enough so that it's not a crowded race and they don't have to start you in corals but it's exceptionally well organised with an abundance of water stations along the way. I set off tucked in behind the 2 hour pacer as I knew that was a pace I'm usually comfortable with - not too fast, not too slow. Conditions were good (except for the mean head wind in the second half!) so I figured I could run with them for a while and see how I felt and could always drop back if I didn't feel good.

As it happened the pace felt great. However the group fell slightly off pace a few miles in and about the same time that they picked up the pace to catch up, I had to stop due to pain in the knee that I have IT band problems with. Luckily just adjusting my knee brace and doing a few stretches was enough to make me feel like I could carry on without discomfort. From that point on I mostly ran alone with a couple of stops to stretch out my knee when it started to ache. I had no idea how I was doing other than that I could see the 2 hour group not too far in the distance and wasn't caught up by the 2.10 group.

Source

Somehow I still had a sprint in me at the end and my final Garmin time was 2 hours and 3 minutes. I'm really happy with how the race went. I'm a bit like the tin man today (left knee pain and right hip pain are not a good combination!) but I'm feeling pretty proud of myself! I raised over $2000 for MND/ALS charities, got over my fear of half marathon related injury and proved to myself that I've bounced back after the illness and operations I had at the end of 2013.

If anything it's got me thinking... if I can do a 2.03 untrained.... what time can I get if I can keep healthy for a full training plan??!! Watch this space: I have a feeling I'm going to feel the need to find out!

Running For A Cure

This Saturday I'm running to raise money for people with Motor Neurone Disease (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Please check out my video below for more info:

Shona Noyola: Running For A Cure 2014 (US) from Paul Noyola on Vimeo.

If you would like to support me please click this link if you're in the UK or this link if you're in the USA

Thank you xx

Running For A Cure

True to my word I signed up for the Beaumont half marathon last night. I am doing it in memory of my Godmother and will be raising money for charities are responsible for supporting people with MND/ALS (same thing just with a different name, AKA Lou Gehrig's disease) and that are dedicated to finding a cure.

If you live in the UK and would like to support me I'm raising money for the MNDA

The Motor Neurone Disease Association's vision is a world free of MND.

• They improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers. 
• They fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments, and brings us closer to a cure for MND.
• They campaign and raise awareness so the needs of people with MND and everyone who cares for them are recognised and addressed by wider society.

If you're based in the USA and would like to donate, I'm raising money for the Texas Chapter of the ALSA Community for Hope.

The mission of The ALS Association is to lead the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy, while also empowering people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support. They would like to

• Lead, direct and/or collaborate on global research to understand the disease, develop treatments and ultimately find a cure.
• Provide every person with ALS and their families access to high quality, consistent and compassionate support services

Both these charities need support to help find a cure for this terrible disease so please sponsor me if you can. If you're in the UK please click here and if you're in the USA and would like to donate please click here

A Change Of Plan (Twice)

When I got the all clear from my surgeon that I could run again, I immediately decided that I wanted to run the Beaumont half marathon on 8th March. I really wanted to do it not just because it would be a good sign that I was all better, but also because I LOVE that race! I did the half marathon in 2011 and full marathon there in 2012. I would've run it last year but I wasn't in the USA at the time.

I launched into a half marathon training plan, being careful to increase mileage carefully to avoid injury. However I'm a bit all or nothing and if I was going to race, I wanted to do the best I could. Unfortunately it seemed to be too much too soon as I kept getting run down and suffering from cold after cold. I comfortably ran 10.5 miles about 3 weeks ago but decided after that run that I wasn't going to race in March and that I should go back to just running two or three times a week without the pressure of performance and keeping up to a plan.

Last week I received some very sad news. My Godmother who has been fighting Motor Neurone Disease (Lou Gehrig's Disease) passed away. She was the reason that I was inspired to run 2011 in 2011, my first half marathon and full marathon for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and York Against MND. With news or her passing my heart told me I should run again in her memory and try to raise money for the charities that are trying to find a cure for this terrible disease.

So watch this space.. I'm signing up and will appreciate any support you can give. I don't plan on going back into the full training plan, I'm just focussing on staying healthy and running shorter runs. I'm looking forward to running a race without the usual pressures that I put on myself to perform :)

Facing My Fears

Yesterday I had to face one of my biggest fears.... I'm not someone that puts themselves on the spot in front of lots of people. I'm the sort of person that usually tries to hide from cameras (especially video cameras or anything that can record my voice) and I tend to turn into a trembling wreck if asked to speak to even a small group of people. I remember being nervous speaking at meetings for the Yorkshire bank and Cedar Court Hotel, even though it was to people I knew and saw everyday! 
So you can imagine my thoughts when I got a call from BBC Radio York on Monday asking me to go and chat to them on their Drive Time show about my fundraising for the MNDA. My instinct was to decline but I knew that I really can't shy away from opportunities like this, so I agreed before my brain had time to think about it!

Trying to stay calm before the show

Yesterday I made my way to the radio station with Paul. I'd only told my Mum and Dad and had asked them not to go telling everyone they knew as that would just make me more nervous! However I surprised myself at how calm I felt before and I felt comfortable all the way through.

Elly Fiorentini

Elly was a great person to be interviewed by as she's very bubbly and chatty (I guess that's a basic requirement for radio though eh?!). I didn't think I'd like the result as much as I do and I've been pleased with the feedback that people have given me too. The interview lasted about 10 minutes and is 10 minutes into the show. Click here  if you would like to listen ... it's on until Wednesday 18th January :)