Post-race blog

Written by Babs Pinheiro

And just like that, this is the last post of my TCS 2025 London Marathon journey! I still can't believe that I ran the ICONIC London Marathon along with thousands of other runners. I'm still on cloud 9++++ but let me tell you about my day - that's why you opened the link, right?

To say that the day met all of my expectations is an understatement. It was everything I'd hope for and so much more!

You hear all the stories about how iconic the race is, passing all the monuments and landmarks, how the crowds carry you but, until you're doing it, you don't quite realise how magical taking part in the London Marathon is.

My day started fairly "normal", heading to the race with Nick as we tend to do when we go to EHM but, instead of heading to Lammas Park or to Walpole, we headed down to Greenwich, where my Red start was. We chatted along the way, exchanging knowing smiles with other runners and relatives getting on or off the tube with similar see through bags that would eventually be dropped off at the bag check. Every time that I saw someone get off the train before Bank, I thought "what do they know that I don't? Why aren't they going to Bank like we are?" but maybe they had a later start or weren't going to Greenwich.

We walked up the hill to the start area before I took a big breath and (half) listened to Nick's last few words of advice (nothing new there) and headed to check the bag drop lorries. Since there was no indication until what time the bags had to be dropped off, I wanted to get that information before joining the other runners... queueing for the loos! There was already a lot of excitement and nerves in the air so before I dropped off my bag, I took a photo with my kit so that I could let friends and my aunt know what I looked like - I ended up running with a hat because it was going to be a very hot day and had the buff from Mind on my wrist instead. I've only done a couple of races with a hat instead of a buff and am still getting used to it! As I was sorting my things, I saw our very own Lauren and we chatted for a few minutes before she had to go join her start pen!

Once I dropped off my bag, it was go time! I joined my starting pen for wave 4 and I could definitely feel the excitement seriously build up. My starting times were between 10:07 and 10:11 and I crossed the start line right on time. From that point on, I can say that only the first few hundred meters didn't have anyone supporting the runners because as soon as we hit 200m meters maybe, the streets of London were packed!

Around Mile 1 or 2 (sorry) I spotted the first Eagles supporting the runners as I heard Lucy Rigg and Elizabeth Adams shouting my name and waving! You bet that I was smiling and blowing kisses and waving like I was a superstar!! The next Eagles spotting was done at mile 7 when Nick shouted for me! In a sea of people, it was a miracle that I actually heard him but luckily I recognised my nickname and his voice so that was another boost of energy - no kisses blown this time! I then knew that my friend Becca would be at the box crossing of mile 9 and some of the Eagles and my aunt would be around that area as well so I was extremely focused as I approached Canada Water. I saw Becca before she saw me so I shouted her name and she was beaming, shouting how proud she was and to keep going (no need to tell me twice)! Sadly, I didn't see anyone else at mile 9. Between the tracker being a bit dodgy and my aunt being shoved by a rude spectator and taking a tumble, I missed her completely (I only found out about the tumble after the race and she's fine!) but I could see that it was extremely busy so I wasn't worried. At mile 10, I saw a very happy Liz waiting for me along with Lisa Emerson! Liz ran up and gave me a massive hug while playing Hotel California on her phone! She knows how to play with my heartstrings! There's a photo of me blowing Liz and Lisa kisses for their support (and a bottle of water)! 

Onwards I went! Up to this point, I'm feeling strong, my Achilles tendon is sore, obviously, but it was completely manageable. I had started off at a pace I thought I could keep for a long time and then I'd slow down if I needed to.

The next big thing was seeing Tower Bridge and it took my breath away! I've crossed the bridge a few times but never under the arches surrounded by thousands of people. As I did the turn onto the bridge, I actually said "OH MY GOD" out loud because I was caught by surprise.

I wasn't sure if I'd spot anyone else along the way before mile 23 so I tried to keep my eyes and ears peeled but then every Bob becomes a Babs, every shout becomes a familiar voice but it kept me distracted! I did see Harry Claxton and Ralph Dadswell in the opposite direction and they were both looking strong.

Around Canary Wharf, I heard my name being called again and I saw Rachel and Andy waving and that was a sight for sore eyes because it had been a long while since I'd seen an Eagles or a friend so that kept me going. By this point, my whole body is aching so much that seeing Rachel and Andy was a much needed boost!

And then came MILE 23!!!!

I have been at Mile 23 a few times and I know what the energy is like when our Eagles pass M23 but to be on the receiving side of that energy is mind blowing! Thanks to Krystal's post days before the marathon showing where to get on the ledge, I knew what to look out for but, first, I had to get there! Mile 22 felt like a half marathon within itself because you know your friends are just round the corner but you have to get to the M23 marker first. Eventually, the best looking postbox and set of traffic lights appeared and I went for it. I just hoped that I wouldn't fall off (I'm prone to accidents so it was always a possibility) and I ran! I saw the "Go Eagles" sign with the black and white balloons before I saw anyone - they were a bit further than normal - and I kept going till I saw a familiar face. For the 3rd time in 1 blog, here's another reference to Nick since his was the first Eagle face I saw out of everyone shouting! There was a lady in front of the Eagles' spot that had collapsed and, selfishly, all I kept thinking was "Please don't make me go down the ledge and then backup because I don't think I'll manage" over and over in my head - trust me, I would have if I had to! But I managed to swerve around the runner and the people looking after her and then I saw my aunt! Hers was the face I most wanted to see at M23! I just stopped and gave her a massive hug! I can tell you that the idea of that hug kept me going for the last few miles before I got to that very spot! There was so much joy in that hug that I couldn't stop smiling and I didn't want to let go but I had a race to finish! Thank you, Anna, for capturing that moment!

I hugged a few more people and then headed to the finish! I was on a high from the unbelievable energy of the M23 cheer squad and I truly cherish each and everyone one of you that took the time to stand and cheer us on!

I'm not going to lie, the last 3 and a bit miles were the hardest of the whole race - logical since it's the end - but man, I just felt like I was running and running and running! I just wished that Big Ben would stop taunting me and let me get to Buckingham Palace and cross the finish line. I was hurting, every inch of my body ached but I kept going! By the time I got to the end of Birdcage Walk, I think I cursed in my head at least! There was a sign saying "Only 385 yards to go"! Man, who the **** knows how long a yard is? Because I don't! Speak to me in meters and kms but yards?" So, I kept going till I hit the turn onto The Mall and I kept going and going and going till I hit the finish line!

I got emotional when one of the volunteers put that gorgeous medal around my neck and told me I had achieved something remarkable! I thought of my mum and why I was doing the marathon. One of the reasons I chose to fund raise for our local Mind is my mum because she struggled with mental health till she passed away so raising money for Mind is a way of helping the conversation about Mental Health going! There are a few more days for donations to come in but the fundraising is going well! If you wish to donate, here's the link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/babs-pinheiro-marathon

I had mentioned in my last blog post that one of my goals, besides being able to finish, was to remember! I wanted to be able to remember running the marathon, passing the Big Boat, the Big Bridge, the Big Wheel, the Big Clock and then the Big House! I remember the crowds, the noise, the funny signs that people were holding, the smell of a barbecue when my brain and body just wanted something savoury after intaking so much sugar, the crazy costumes, the people doing their best, like me, to get to the finish line. This is a day that I will hardly ever forget! 

I can't begin to thank you all for your support, reading my blog, giving me kudos on Strava, commenting on my posts, spurring me on with my training and my injury. 

The day was even more special because I ran the London Marathon as a ballot winner for the Ealing Eagles Running Club and it's been an honour! 

So... Thank you, thank you, thank you! See you out there and I can't wait to be at M23 next year cheering the lucky winners of this Xmas party's ballot draw!

Next stop… 2025 LONDON MARATHON!

Written by Babs Pinheiro

So, this is it… We’re officially in the last week of the London Marathon training block and we’ve checked into Taper Town! I guess my taper started soon after Lisbon and I was unaware that I’d booked a long stay.

The end of this training block has been far from ideal since the Achilles tendinopathy hasn’t gone away. It’s been quite the rollercoaster, with good days and not so good days and the race on Sunday is going to be completely different to what it could have been in different circumstances.

Instead of letting the injury consume my every thought, I’ve made peace with the situation and I’m going to make the most of the whole experience. I have no idea if I’ll ever be able to win a place for this iconic marathon again so I won’t let the injury overshadow the fact that come 10:07-10:11 on Sunday 27th April 2025, I will be joining 50 thousand other runners (Phil being one of them, of course), filling the streets of London, running past iconic locations like Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and especially, the Ealing Eagles Mile 23 cheer squad.

When people ask me what I’ll be aiming for on Sunday, my first answer is: to be able to finish the race (one way or another) and remember. Remember seeing my friends along the course, remember seeing all the iconic buildings I’ve mentioned, remember the party that are the crowds of people along the course, remember the experience of getting to Mile 23 and hearing the loud noise that a soar of Eagles make when one of their own gets to them.

And, very importantly, I want to remember seeing my aunt Carla, who’ll be travelling from Luxembourg to support her crazy niece. She’s like a second mother to me since I lost mine just over 12 years ago. My aunt was there, in Edinburgh, when I did my first half marathon in 2019, and she was probably checking websites to book flights and hotel for this coming weekend on the night of our Xmas party in December. I think she booked her flights within minutes of my call to tell her that I had won a place in the club ballot. She’s used to running being part of my life and she even lends me her car when I visit so that I can go to Germany on a Saturday morning for parkrun – plus, she lets me book our holidays to include parkrun (if there’s one in the country of our destination).

This is our most recent photo together so, when you see her on Sunday at Mile 23, say hi and please look after her – she does have a designated bodyguard/guide (no pressure, Nick) but, she’s my favourite (and only aunt) on my mum’s side! I’m counting on you guys to make sure she has a great M23 experience.

I was in Luxembourg for a few days and visited one of my cousins-in-law, who’s a physio, and she sorted me out with some k-tape, which I’d never used before. I’m allergic to most adhesive (my skin reacts to the glue in most kinds) so I’ve always been against trying k-tape. But I talked it through with her and we did a “patch test” on my arm. Normally, the reaction starts very quickly so I was surprised when there was no itchiness or redness at all. I kept checking, comparing the temperature on both arms and nothing. I also kept sending updates to my cousin in law and, after 5 hours, we concluded that my skin could handle the tape. I did keep it on till Sunday morning to see if my skin would stay reaction free for a longer period (you can keep the k-tape up to 5 or 6 days) and then, on Easter Sunday, as a "family activity", she showed me how to put it on so I can tape my foot before I head to the marathon. I wore the tape for a few days and my skin did react but nothing noticeable or painful so, I’ll be one of those people, “held” together by tape! Tape and positive thoughts!

But before Sunday, there was the visit to the Expo! I had already decided that I’d go on the first evening to avoid crowds and have the time and space to do multiple laps of the place. When Nick ran London in 2023, we visited the Expo together also on a Wednesday with me acting as his photographer and bag carrier so it went without saying that we’d be sharing the experience together as our roles reversed. The feeling of getting your first ever race number for London is amazing, excitement fills your head and you just want for Sunday to come so that you can join the crowds. We listened to one of the talks on the big stage after visiting the national Mind stand. They were so happy to hear that I was raising funds for one of the local Mind locations and I’ll be looking out for them along the course.

So, “all” I have left to do is sleep, maybe a jog to loosen up the legs, eat a bit of carbs and… wake up on Sunday and run the LONDON MARATHON!

See you at M23, Eagles!

Race Strategies!

Written by Babs Pinheiro

As I type this, we're less than 19 days away from the big day and I'm currently icing my Achilles tendon. I would love to say that things have come leaps and bounds since the last blog but they haven't, really. I've reduced my running over the last week to about 15k (of the expected 50 or 60k) to allow the tendon to recover while not fully stopping the running. 

It's odd to be sitting on my couch and wondering what my marathon is going to be like on 27th April. Normally, by this point, I'd be so tired after a mammoth 20 miler run the day before, as my last proper long run, and settling into Taper Town but I guess I've been tapering over the last few weeks already. 

So, instead, I'm keeping calm, cool and somehow collected while trying to keep the end goal in my sights. Initially, my goal was to try to do the London Marathon in under 4 hours but, now, that's no longer my A goal. I don't know yet what I'll aim for (besides finishing the race in one piece) but the sub-4 hour marathon will be a challenge for a different day!

Since my first marathon wasn't that long ago - less than 2 years, to be more precise - I still remember thinking to myself how I was going to keep sane during a marathon. One of the things that I've always carried with me from my days as a rower was the spirit of competition. When I rowed, I competed against other crews or boats and I applied racing strategies, things to focus on between landmarks or sections of the course, especially for boat races (like you have for Oxford v Cambridge) where we raced for 6.8km. As the Edinburgh Marathon approached, I started to wonder if I could transfer that skill over to marathon racing since it's a very long way. Could I break the course down without the landmarks, how could I do it, what would it look like? I had worked out strategies to keep my brain focused on something else besides the pain for the half-marathons I'd done (sometimes it worked, others it didn't) but, going into Edinburgh Marathon, I had to come up with something else. 

I decided to enlist the help of friends and reached out to a few friends, some runners, others "civilians" to ask them to tell me something that I could focus on for a couple of miles at a time. Some of their suggestions stuck with me to this day and I use them for most races, even if the distances are shorter.

Here are my favourite:

* Count how many dogs you can see for 2 miles - I didn't and don't really count but I can tell you that I always keep a lookout for dogs when I'm running and not just to ensure that they don't cross my path. You can imagine me running around going "dog, cute dog, oh another dog" as I pass different good boys and girls.

* Sing Hotel California in your head for another 2 miles - obviously my friend knew 2 things about me: 1. Hotel California is my favourite song and I got to listen to the Eagles sing it live at British Summer Time a few years ago and 2. My singing is best kept in my head.

* Keep checking in with your body, what are your ears hearing, what is your skin feeling, what are your feet feeling when hitting the pavement and so on for 2 miles. It's a good reminder to keep relaxed and loose.

There are others but those are my favourite.

It's wild to think that the next time I write a blog post we'll be mere days away from running the ICONIC LONDON MARATHON and just after Easter. But I'll leave all the excitement to that post! Instead, I'll just tell you that I'm going to be sensible and keep working on improving the health of my Achilles heel so that I can have the best race possible and see as many of you as possible at Mile 23!

The body strikes again!

Written by Babs Pinheiro

Ok, this time I didn't fall or sprain anything, I promise! I tried to be very careful but...

We are now within the 6 week window before the big day! Time is flying by! It's been over 2 weeks since the Lisbon Half and it took me a while to come down from that high. And since I don't do things in halves, I went from a massive high to a bit of a low. I wish I could be telling you all about my 20 miler that I did on Sunday but sadly my body has had other ideas!

Just after the Lisbon Half, I started to feel a niggle on my left Achilles heel and thought it was related to the mammoth effort of running a HM at a record pace. I took it easy that first week and managed to do most of my training, albeit at a pace that was much slower than I would have expected.

However, last week, my Achilles tendon decided that it was time to make me come to a stop and take the week off to recover. It was weird because I had more pain on my shin than I did on my tendon but the combo of both just had me perplexed. It was like my leg turned into cement when I tried to run.

Instead of doing around 70km, I did 18km, between 8k on Saturday and 10k on Sunday and I was sooo happy to do that much distance. 

I'm fortunate to have access to private medical insurance through work and I'm now seeing a physio, who told me that it's definitely the tendon that isn't happy with the additional training. 

I was hoping to avoid this, especially since I had a big goal for London BUT it doesn't mean that I'm not going to make the most of it. The poor physio probably hoped that I would have said that I'd stop running completely but instead told me to "run around the pain" (her words, not mine!!) and make sure that I don't push it so that I can actually run 42.2k in 6 weeks' time. 

Training will need to be adjusted and I will put the big goal on the backburner for London and save it for my next Marathon. I don't know yet what I'll aim for when I run London on 27th April but one thing is certain, I'll be having a ball! I was thinking of something that Nick said when someone asked him what were the chances of me dropping out from running London after the ballot. Nick told them "Oh Babs, she'll drag herself through broken glass if she has to but she'll do it!". I think I'd rather avoid that painful experience but he's so right!

One reason why I know I'll do London regardless is because I'm doing a fundraiser on the side. I decided to fundraise for Mind Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow, one of our charities for this year. Mental health has been one of the club's focus over the years and especially after the pandemic and, since I got my place through the club, I thought I'd shake a few trees and see if people are willing to sponsor a crazy woman running the London Marathon for one of our charities. Did you know that we have a page on the website where you can fundraise/share the link to your fundraiser? Check it out! https://www.ealingeagles.com/charity/#individual

So, let's see what the next couple of weeks brings me! One thing is for sure, I'll be making friends with the ice packs all over again! 

PS - Since Phil and I have been so in sync, I'm hoping that I'm the only one blogging about an injury!!

Another full circle, Lisbon version!

Written by Babs Pinheiro

5 years ago, I had planned to do the Lisbon half marathon as part of my race training for the Madrid marathon. As we all know, neither the Lisbon HM (I’ll call it LHM) nor the Madrid marathon took place that year and I wondered if I’d ever go back to either city and actually run those races. In 2022, I did go back to Madrid and did a 10k rather than the marathon distance since I was dealing with my chronic quads injury.

Since 2020, the LHM has become one of the 6 SuperHalfs, along with Berlin, Cardiff, Copenhagen, Prague and Valencia, becoming even more popular than pre-pandemic.

When talking HM races for this year, before even dreaming that I’d get the club ballot place for London, Nick and I decided very quickly that we wanted to go to Lisbon - me because it’s redemption after the pandemic cancellation (plus injury) and Nick because he’d have a native to “guide” him around town, in addition to kicking off our journey to completing the 6 SuperHalfs. On top of that, I’d get to see my dad, who has only really seen me run when I did my first HM in Edinburgh back in 2018.

As soon as I mentioned it to my dad, he went into full “cheerleader dad” mode, just like when I was a kid, travelling across Portugal (and once to France with the national team) to see and support me as a rower. Not sure who was more excited between the 2 of us! I did tell him that we were a few months away so he could calm down and not try to book the first hotel he came across!

Fast forward to last weekend and the LHM has been and gone so let me tell you all about it!

People think that Portugal is the land of the sunshine and to be fair, is it… in the summer! It rains A LOT in the Autumn and Winter months, maybe even more than in the UK - sounds plain wrong but there you go! And this weekend was mainly one downpour after another! 

The day started with a train ride from Roma-Areeiro to Pragal, with train being the only means of transportation to the start for anyone staying in Lisbon. This is because the start of the race is on the iconic red Bridge, also know as the 25th April Bridge (Ponte 25th April in Portuguese). We got to the station fairly early, having decided to go to the 1st of 4 stations north of the Tagus. For me, it was an obvious choice as the train would be empty and only getting busier as it reached the last station on our side of the river. 

The rain hadn’t relented the night before and it was still going strong at 8am when we reached the South of the river. At this point, I thought that I was going to just go round the course, on survival mode between gusts of wind and pouring rain. We stayed at the station for a while before deciding that we’d need to face the rain at some point to get to the start. 

Expecting pouring rain as we walked out of the train station, we were surprised that the Portuguese weather gods had listened to my request and decided to stop the rain completely! We walked up a hill, joking that this was hopefully the only hill of the course. And it was! 

After going through a body “search” (they just waved a metal detector around), we made our way down to the bag check area to drop off Nick’s bag - I’d left my backpack with my dad - before going for a warm up mile to loosen up the legs.

At 9:15, we walked to the start area and, almost by miracle, were tapped on the shoulder by Clíona, Zita and Bill, who were also doing the LHM. Caroline Crehan was also around but stuck at baggage check - more about the baggage check later. 

After an Eagles’ group photo, the speedy eagles made their way to their starting pen and Clíona and I stayed in the next one up, for the not so speedy people.

It wasn’t long till the race started and off we went… slower than I had intended! The start was very congested, since there wasn’t really a staggered start. I had to zig and zag my way around slower runners and ended up doing my slowest km of the whole race. Luckily, soon I managed to hit my pace and stride and just kept going. 

The sun graced us the whole way and I was too warm due to the fact that I was dressed for cold. I had removed my gloves by the 3rd km, stuffed them in my shorts’ back pocket and tried to forget about them. I kept running in my long sleeve vest under my eagles top but was starting to feel too hot so did a little striptease number, hoping it wasn’t caught on camera. I have to say that one of my proudest moments of the race was that I was able to remove the long sleeve top without slowing down at all!

Around the 17k mark, everything was hurting! I had set the goal of running at a pace between 5 and 5:10 per km, which would put me at a PB of at least 3 minutes vs my fastest HM, which was EHM last year. I knew at this point that I was in PB territory but could also feel that it would easily slip away. After hearing (but not seeing) Nick just before the 17.5k turning point at an “out and back” part of the course, I knew I just had to keep pushing and not relent. I allowed myself another 1.5k before I made my “move” and picked up pace to be at the top end of my pace window (5 min km) and make it the best race I could do. The aches of running a solid HM were all there, my core reminded me that I was pushing hard but I didn’t listen, I just ran!

I knew that I would be running 21.2k since my watch had beep 80m “early” the whole way round and I didn’t let it get to me. I knew where the finish would be and boy, the joy of crossing that finish like was something special with the Jerónimos in front! I saw that I’d crossed it a 1:49 something, which meant that I was truly in PB territory. I had only stopped my watch a few seconds after I’d crossed the line and it showed 1:48:03.

Nick had finished about a min ahead of me and he waited for me near the finish and it was a good thing he did. He kept me moving and I managed to catch my breath after a few steps! Everything just ached but I didn’t really care!

We grabbed our medals after seeing Bill and Caroline, who had both finished ahead of us, and made our way to the bag check lorries via an ice cream stand - for Nick. 

We’d heard some of the horror stories last year about the bag check and had hoped things had improved but they hadn’t. Nick had to wait for 90 min to retrieve his bag in what I can only describe as a shambolic auction like situation with the local scouts showing the bags to the expecting crowd hoping to see their bag appear. If you read the comments about the race, that’s one of the biggest complaints. During those 90 min, there was a downpour, which obviously didn’t help calm the exasperated runners.

Due to the crowds and my dad’s initiative not to follow instructions, it took me as long to retrieve my backpack. I was in agony by the time I managed to get changed!

But, even with that mishap, I’m so happy with the race on 9th March 2025, the day I broke not only the sub 1:50 HM but also the 1:48! My official HM PB is now 1:47:50! 

The race was unbelievable, at so many points, I could have taken the pedal off the gas and taken it easy. My brain and body were fighting a fair bit but I didn’t listen, I had a goal and went after it! The goal was, besides practice nutrition for the big race on 27th April, to see what I could achieve on a flat course after hitting sub 2 hours at EHM last year, the 3rd time I’d ever managed it.

And… Mission accomplished with a massive smile - although you can’t tell from the pictures I’ve seen!

I don’t have any other races where I’m planning a PB before London. There will be plenty of time for that on 27th April!

Never thought I'd be someone's claim to fame!

Written by Babs Pinheiro

Let me start by saying that I've been telling everyone I know (and sometimes even strangers) that I'm doing the London Marathon at the end of April. And I mean everyone!! It pops out of my mouth before I can help myself! At work, most people now know that I'm training for London - although some of them thought I'd done it before - probably because they know I've done A marathon before so thought it had to be London, in the blissful ignorance that it's easier to get struck by lightning than getting a ballot place for that race. 

Last week, I mentioned it to a couple of colleagues and they were so excited you'd think they got a place themselves and we'd all be running London together! It's almost that picture of Phoebe and Rachel jumping excitedly together in an episode of Friends - if you've watched the show, you know the reference! For non-runners, like I was one 7 years ago, knowing someone that is running London is like being invited to meet the Queen (or should I say the King, now...). So, one of them told me this week that I'm her claim to fame, she's been telling all of her friends that she knows someone who's running London at the end of April! So funny!

By the time that this is posted, I'll be into the 8th week of Marathon training, which also means we're almost halfway the 16 training plan for London. WOW, that is daunting and exciting at the same time! 

Week 7 of training came with a bit of a struggle. Training load has increased and my body is relearning to deal with it after some easy months post EHM last year. The constant fear that one of my injuries is making a comeback is all too real so I've been trying to keep an eye on things while doing everything that I can to prevent it, between stretching, strength and conditioning and rest.

The struggle was also a mental one, trying to juggle a busy work diary, life admin (mainly back at home in Portugal) and the training. BUT training ends up being the easy part, since I know what I need to do when and my brain appreciates that "easy" structure! 

I did skip a 5k run that week because my body was drained of energy after a full day at the England XC Nationals on Saturday 22nd Feb - it was for a good cause so I didn't feel too bad about it. The people who ran/were at Parliament Hill will attest, the ground was a mud bath and it was a struggle to walk around or even "stand" around, officiating. Despite the long day, it was a very fun way to be involved in the XC Champs as a non-runner! I was on "Walkie Talkie team" duties and, my role, along with another official, was to report the lead runners and the back markers to control so that they could keep track of them and also pass it onto the announcers. It turns out I was (along with at least the back to Stuart Pugh) on telly quite a bit since there was a camera near our area. You can see a photo below - that's Stuart's hat at the bottom of the shot!

There was an almost incident as a gorgeous, gentle Dalmatian ran into the route as the Senior Men were flying towards us and suddenly I just heard Stuart shout "Babs, grab that dog"! So, for a good 10 minutes, Willow the Dalmatian and I got acquainted while hundreds of men ran/skidded their way past us and I tried to keep her safe and calm. Eventually, her owner made it across the lane and rescued her and I could go back to lead runner spotting duties. That was a bit of unexpected excitement that was only topped by all the cheering I did especially when I could see one of our Eagles run past me! I'm not sure I saw everyone, especially in the men's race because there were SOOOOO many people running!

So, almost halfway there, rock on the 2nd half of the training now!

TRIPLE THREAT - mostly to myself!

Written by Babs Pinheiro

Don't worry, I'm not here to tell you about another injury (knock on wood, I hope to stay injury free for a long, long time)! But I think you're learning that I'm a very special person (in more ways than one!).

In 2013, I found out that I was gluten and dairy intolerant right before my birthday. My world was already upside down due to two bereavements earlier in the year and this just made 2013 even worse for me. I was rowing at the time and on top of dealing with loss, I struggled to know what I could eat to keep me fuelled for the long days of work and then training sessions in the evenings. So, for a few months, I worked with a nutritionist to help me relearn to manage my "diet". During this period, I also found out that I was intolerant to sugar - and I mean all types of sugar, natural, processed, fructose, the whole lot. My body reacts abnormally to it and I can only describe it as being a state of euphoria and then hangover with massive headaches as the aftermath - given that I’m t-total, it’s all guess work here. 

Hence the triple threat = I'm intolerant to dairy, gluten AND sugar.

The fuelling on days of boat races back in the day was fairly simple - have something that was quick releasing before the race started and the boat races were over fairly quickly compared to any running competition longer than a 5k.

Switching to running, when I started training, I didn't know what nutrition during a race was so I was running on maybe a sip of water by the water stations and that was it. This strategy worked OK till I did EHM in 2022 when I was going for a sub 2:05 and, at the 19K mark, I was literally running on fumes and wasn't sure if I'd manage to finish it that day. I did do a PB that year but I realised that, if I wanted to be serious about doing a sub 2 hour HM, I needed to be as serious about my nutrition during the races. For a person with fewer health concerns than me, this would be a less complicated decision however, in my case, it sent my head into a spiral. I'd mastered the art of reading labels when food shopping but the whole sugar intolerance still worries me on a daily basis. 

At first, when I was racing, I used to take dextrose tablets and alternate them with Bounce balls, which had been my race fuel during my rowing days and I can say that this strategy worked for a while and for HM races. I went along with it for the whole of 2023 and it did help me get my sub 2 hours just before the end of that year. I used it again for my 1st Marathon in 2023 with no problems - think I was too focused on my sprained ankle - but by Newport last year, I realised that I needed something completely different. Besides my wacky strategy to run Newport as a 28K HM, my body started to reject the mixture of dextrose tablets and bounce balls. My mouth couldn't handle the chewiness of the Bounce balls and, at 30K, I couldn't eat anything else. Which meant that, for 12 and a bit km, I didn't manage any fuel to keep me going and was feeling somewhat sick.

So, I had a decision to make: either I could stick with the strategy that I knew wasn't going to work for me or be brave and find out how my body would cope (or not) with the nutrition that other runners use. 

I spoke to a couple of people and they recommended different things, like gels (that was a hard pass for me since just the thought of the texture makes me want to throw up), chews and bars that are like pure sugar. Let me tell you, for someone who hasn't had sugar in 11.5 years, just opening a packet of those bars probably got me high! The smell was so sickly and sweet that I almost changed my mind but I needed to give it a go! 

A lot of it has been trial and error (with a massive headache in between) but the errors have been fewer lately and I'm getting used to fuelling better or differently during my long runs, at least I think I am. I've discovered that I like to alternate between the chews and the bars, the different textures definitely keep my brain entertained and my stomach seems to tolerate it all. I’ve also got a protein bar to try before I start running and see if that’s a good move or not. I've been increasing the amount of carbs during my long runs because training is not just about the running itself, it's also about getting my body used to being force-fed sugar for a long period of time! Trust me, for someone who hasn't really eaten anything with a high sugar content, sometimes that's what it feels like! I’m slowly working my way up to 60g ish an hour and I have 11-ish weeks to keep trying, right?

By the time I'm writing this blog, I'm 5 weeks into London Marathon training and all is going according to plan - again, my problem is almost never with the training journey. Having said that, these are the easy weeks of the training plan, even if I've been doing 60k training weeks already. Long runs have been a mix of solo runs and running with Eagles part of the way or crossing paths with Eagles, which makes Eagle spotting very entertaining. And obviously, I'm loving the temporary club route (wonder who temporary it will end up being) since I get to run along the river where most rowing clubs train on a Sunday morning! See you out there, Eagles!

Training has started!

Written by Babs Pinheiro

Training has started!

We all know that there are different approaches to training, some people like long training plans, others prefer them short and sweet, mostly based on experience or the lack thereof…

In my case, I’ve gone for the more traditional 16-week training plan since I don’t have that much experience in marathon running. Yes, I’ve done a few 10Ks, half-marathons, even the odd 20 miler as training races but marathons, marathons, I’ve done 2 until now and neither of them have gone according to any sort of plan.

I’m starting to think that my marathon “life” was doomed from the start… hear me out and you’ll see where I’m coming from.

I’d originally signed up to do the Madrid marathon in 2020, after being told by a couple of friends that “Hey, you’ve done a half marathon (EHM 2019), you can definitely do a marathon.” We all know how that panned out and no, I’m not saying that I triggered the COVID pandemic when I signed up for the Madrid marathon! I mean... 

As the pandemic hit, literally a month into it, I got injured with a chronic tendinopathy on my right quad and did barely any running up to the Summer of 2022 since the injury kept coming back in some shape or form. Throughout those 2 years of recovery, I didn’t know if I could ever run properly again and then, even if I could run, if I could run long distance. When the physio signed me off for the last time in June 2022, it was the best feeling in the world. It was like I had been set free! I ran EHM that September and it worked as an indicator that all was back to normal and I could run freely again. 

I think anyone that has been injured, especially long term, thinks that their injury is always lurking, any small pain or ache is the injury coming back but so far, that one has stayed away!

I then signed up to the Edinburgh Marathon in 2023 and I thought it was a sign since that’s where I’d done my first half 4 years before. BUT me being me, I should have remembered that I had what I think was tonsilitis back then and that as much as I love Edinburgh, it possibly wasn't the best decision. So, it won't come as a surprise that I sprained my ankle going down a flight of stairs on my way to parkun the day before the marathon. A sensible person would have gone back upstairs and rested their foot, maybe put some ice on it but that’s not me. Not only did I go to parkrun (Saturday mornings are parkrun mornings, right?) but I ran it and then the next day ran the marathon. It only really started to hurt around 32K and by that point the damage – if any – was already done by then so I kept going. Luckily, all I ended up needing was a few days of icing and rest and I was good to go again - disclaimer: I do not recommend this approach to marathon running!

Come 2024, I had entered Newport after hearing Gref (you may know him as Greg) talk so much about it and how it was the BEST marathon in the world (no, I don't need to get my head checked) so obviously I had to give it a go! Mostly, I did it because it was a flat course and I could spend time with one of my friends who lives in Newport. The training was great, I was feeling like I could do it and I had a plan. What happened to that plan, I hear you asking? Well, it went out the window within 1 min after setting off. I can’t explain it, I think it was the lack of experience of running 42.2K, the excitement of running with 2 working feet (highly recommend it), who knows…? I can only describe it as running a half-marathon and a bit but at a slower pace. The whole way round I just kept telling myself “You’re feeling great now but you’ll pay for it eventually”. That eventually came at 30-32K in where I really struggled to even run/walk and make it to the finish. But I did, the tenacity, stubbornness and resilience that make up my DNA wouldn’t let me stop!

I’m now 3 weeks into the London Marathon training as I write this and it’s going great so far! But we all know now that my problem isn't with the training! I’ve done a couple of  Sunday Club Run down to Barnes Bridge and back. These were the 1st times I did Sunday Club Run and I'm planning to do the run most Sundays. On the first Sunday, Phil and I took a photo together since we hadn’t been at the Xmas party. We wanted to celebrate the draw and also to mark the kick-off of our training - I know you may have seen a similar photo in Phil's blog but here's another version (minus Paul Duffy photo-bombing us).

It's going to come full circle in 2025!

Written by Babs Pinheiro

Can someone pinch me, please? It's been just over a month since the draw of the London Marathon places was done but I don't think I believe it quite yet that on 27th April 2025 I will be running the London Marathon as an Eagle!

I mean, I know that my name was drawn, I saw the Facebook post with the photo of Nick and Anna doing the actual pulling of the name from the bag (thank you to Paul Thomas for immortalising that moment), people I've told me to my face, but can someone pinch me, please? 

Doing the London Marathon will mean coming full circle in my running journey (brace yourself for the incoming cliche). In 2018, I volunteered with a friend for the Alzheimer's Society at the London Marathon at one of their cheering squads down in Canary Wharf.  

We turned up at Mile 17 JUST in time to see Mo Farah and all the elite/fast runners fly past us, but this wasn't what led to me starting to run. I had tried to get into running a few times, but it just hadn't been my thing or maybe it just wasn't my time. But that day, in April 2018, something clicked, and my inspiration came from all the people at the back who would be running the marathon in 6 hours, who looked like me and they were still going strong (or some not so strong but were moving) all with massive smiles on their faces! So, my friend Becca and I decided there and then that we'd get home and start the Couch to 5K app that afternoon and that's how it all started. We then did several races together (from a very VERY slow mile on the Mall a month after we volunteered at the marathon, laughing the whole way round to racing our first 10K in September), discovered parkrun in June and in August/September that year, I joined a running club called Ealing Eagles and my life has never been the same! 

And now, less than 7 years later, I will be one of those people, on the other side of the fence, having a go at running the streets of London and who knows, maybe I'll inspire a person or two to get into running and one day they'll inspire someone else, and we all keep the world moving? 

So, can someone pinch me, please? (No, not literally because I bruise like a peach )