Andrea Herbert

Race to Remember – 4 Weeks to Go! Eeeek! 🏃‍♀️

Well, firstly, apologies for the radio silence! I can't quite believe that my last training update was at 12 weeks to go, and here we are with just 4 weeks until Race to Remember!

Life has been rather busy, to say the least! Between work, a busy home life, writing a workshop for therapists on using Compassionate Mind practices (which I'm delivering this coming Friday!), and organising a retreat in beautiful Devon with the lovely Dr Deborah Lee, there haven't been quite enough hours in the day!

I've also been spending quite a bit of time helping my running club develop some new progression and training opportunities for members, which has been really rewarding, but has certainly added to the ever-growing to-do list!

But rest assured, although the blogging has taken a back seat, the training certainly hasn't!

I've been steadily building my running and strength work, and my weeks have developed a fairly consistent rhythm:

• Monday: Strength and conditioning with my trusty dumbbells.

• Tuesday: A mixture of road and trail running.

• Thursday: Hill repeats or stair-stepper intervals at threshold pace. Definitely not my favourite sessions, but I know they're doing me good!

• Friday: Another early morning strength and conditioning session.

• Saturday: An off-road tempo run.

• Sunday: The all-important long run, usually heading out onto the trails.

Last Sunday marked the first of my really long training runs — five hours off-road, starting at 6:30 am! The early start was deliberate, as I wanted to begin getting used to the time I'll need to be up and running on event day. I've also introduced using poles into my training lately and getting used to chaffing where I have never chaffed before! 😳

And that brings me to something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately.

Although I've completed a few ultramarathon distances before, Race to Remember presents a slightly different challenge.

Believe it or not, despite having covered similar distances before, I suspect there will be considerably more actual running involved in this one! Previous ultras have involved plenty of hiking up steep hills, but this event will require a different approach, with much more sustained running.

I'll also be starting considerably earlier than I have for previous events, and I'll be tackling a route I've never run before. So there are a few unknowns, which makes it both exciting and just a little bit daunting!

The next few weeks are all about building endurance, getting comfortable spending five to six hours on my feet, and making sure I'm as prepared as possible, both physically and mentally.

This weekend is a slightly lighter one, giving my legs a chance to recover before the final big block of training and then, hopefully, a bit of a taper before the event itself.

And then, before I know it, it'll be time to line up at the start!

I'm feeling a mixture of excitement, anticipation and a healthy dose of nerves. But that's all part of taking on a new challenge, isn't it?

For now, I'll keep putting one foot in front of the other, getting those early mornings in, and hopefully remembering to write another update before the big day!

Four weeks to go. Eeeek! 🏃‍♀️💪

Thanks so much for following along with my Race to Remember journey!

Twelve Weeks to Go: Finding My Way Back into a Running Routine

With 12 weeks to go until the Race to Remember, it feels like the right time to pause, take stock and begin again.

Training over the summer has not gone quite as I had hoped. Between work commitments, running club committee responsibilities, a family holiday, visiting family and a pesky head cold, I have found it extremely difficult to establish any regular, consistent running.

I have also been managing a recurrent hamstring problem which decided to flare up again. The reality is that I rarely run completely free from physical niggles. I am constantly having to manage difficulties with my left hip, leg and foot, adapting my training and trying to work out when to push on and when to ease back.

Last weekend, I completed a 30-mile ultra. It was supposed to be my rematch with a race that had not gone well for me two years previously. On that occasion, I had just returned from a two-week holiday abroad, during which I had been unable to train. I arrived at the start line undertrained and unprepared.

This year was supposed to be different. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.

Once again, my training had been inconsistent and my weekly mileage too low. On the day itself, I also made some poor decisions about hydration and fuelling, particularly before the race and during its early stages. It was extremely hot, and I found the whole event incredibly difficult. I completed it, but it was far from the rematch I had imagined.

It has made me think about the constant balancing act between running, work, family life and everything else that competes for our time and energy.

Making time for my family has been important, and I would not want that to be any different. However, I have also felt rather burnt out in other areas of my life and have recognised that I need to step back from some things and reconsider how I use my time and energy.

Running is not simply another demand on my time. It plays an important part in supporting both my physical and mental health. It gives me space, helps me manage stress and allows me to feel strong and connected to myself. I also want to look after my body well enough to continue running into older age, not simply lurch from one event to another while constantly exhausted or injured.

And so, with 12 weeks to go until the Race to Remember, I am pressing the reset button.

As of yesterday, I am determined to re-establish a consistent routine and work steadily towards this incredibly important run. The Race to Remember is a 76km journey from Aldershot to Portsmouth, raising money for Combat Stress and honouring the courage and sacrifice of our Armed Forces veterans. It means a great deal to me personally, and I want to arrive at the start line knowing that I have prepared for it with the care and commitment it deserves.

I have never blogged before, but I am going to make an effort to share regular updates, both through blogging and vlogging, as I work towards the race. I want to be honest about the training: the progress, the setbacks, the physical niggles, the competing demands and the days when motivation is difficult to find.

In my work as a clinical psychologist, I help people work towards meaningful goals, develop more helpful patterns in their lives and find a healthier balance between the different demands placed upon them.

It is important that I practise what I preach.

This is not about suddenly training perfectly. It is about creating consistency, making conscious choices and continuing to return to something that matters, even when things have not gone according to plan.

Twelve weeks to go. Time to begin again.

Support my Race to Remember

This year I will be taking part in Race to Remember to raise vital funds for life-changing mental health treatment for veterans.

Combat Stress is the UK's leading charity for veterans' mental health. For over a century, they've helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, they provide support to veterans from every service and every conflict.

I’m taking on Race to Remember to help take vital steps towards ensuring veterans can get the support they need.

Thank you so much for your support.