ASICS Target 26.2 Team: Emma

Introducing the fifth and final member of our ASICS Target 26.2 team - Emma (aka EmmaC)

She’ll be posting her training progress and be receiving physio and nutrition advice from the ASICS PRO Team live on this thread so make sure you bookmark this thread to find out how she gets on.

You can read more about Emma's running background and goals by clicking on the article link at the top of the thread.

Good luck Emma!

Congratulations Emma- I'm hoping for sub 4.30 at Brighton next year so will follow your thread closely!!!

Tremendous ...well done !

All the best and hopefully you will receive positive energy and support from the forum as well as the coaches

Cheers

Graham K

Well done Emma, look forward to meeting you and the others on Saturday.

Good luck

YEEEAAAHH - well done you!! So pleased you got through. Amazing news! Enjoy London and the rest of the journey

x

I'm overwhelmed at all the posts already!

Bit scared now - I've aimed at 4:30 for the last 2 years at VLM and failed - so hope this will be the year!

I'll let you know how it all goes on Saturday - having my fitness assessment filmed. Slightly concerned about my jowls and belly wobbling up and down!

Hope the weather holds off - track training tonight. Last week was a washout - by the 2nd rep we realised we couldn't get any wetter and sploshed around for 4 more reps of 3 mins

Anything you would like to know please ask.

I'll try to remember that when I running through hail!

The winter training makes running in the spring so much sweeter doesn't it!

Thank you Nicole!

Hope you are still doing Brighton! x

I think you might know this anyway but thought I should add a little background to explain a bit about my life and my running....

I started running after the birth of my second son as it was the only way I could fit in any excercise at the time. My Mother-in-Law was very ill and hubby was working away from home. During the 9 months of pregnancy I managed to gain nearly 5 stone so really needed to shift some baggage!

Got bitten by the bug and loved working steadily up to managing a 10k about 6 months after I started. Then I got a VLM place running for the Hospice who had cared for my Mother-in-law and the realisation of what I had let myself in for became aparent.

But .. I trained too hard, didn't listen to advice and got injured. SO I was really unprepared in 2010 and hobbled round in just under 5 hours. Amazingly I got a ballot place for 2011 and prepared much better - should have been on for about 4:30 but crashed and burned at mudchute and qued up for a while at the portaloos! Managed to know 11 mins of previous time even with the pit stop!

My life is mental (in a good but very busy way) - but running is the thing that keeps me sane and fit enough to cope with the sleep deprivation caused by having 2 little boys and a teaching job! I also have to fit around my hubbys football matches and training - every year he says he will retire and he is taking longer to get over the knocks... we shall see!

I love running and am so excited about this amazing opportunity - I hope that you can all benefit from the advice and training that I recieve. With a bit of luck, hard work and great advice I hope I can break my 4:30 target and actually manage to run a marathon faster than I gave birth!

Happy running everyone!

Yay!!! Well done Emma. Enjoy every moment of it all... and don't forget to wrap up warm!

Abi 

I'm copying Knight Rider here...

Age: 38 (But have told my children 28)
Resident: Sussex
Status: Married
Children: 2 boys (7 & 4) - Same as Knight rider!
Pets: None
Driving Licence: Clean
Music: Beatles, Police, Jam, Motown - pretty eclectic!

Food: Risotto or Thai
Film: Ryans Daughter, Lord of the Rings and so many others that could go in there
Marathons: 4:47 (2011) Qty = 2
Half: 2:01.01 (Feb 2011) Qty 4
10k: 51.33(2011)

So is 4:30 a sensible target?

Hi Emma

Looking forward to meeting you properly tomorrow and chatting about your goal and programme.

Your current PBs certainly put you within the realms of a sub 4.30 finish. In fact, I'd go so far as to say sub 4.15.

It depends a little on whether squeezing in an additonal session (to your current 3 days per week) is feasible. I'll be interested to know what your training frequency was in your last two marathon build-ups. Not to say it can't be done on 3 days a week, but an extra day gives a little more to play with!

So see you tomorrow! Cheers, Sam

Hi Sam

Thank you - really looking forward to meeting you tomorrow and I have an idea about how I might be able to sneak in an extra run around my hubby's football!

4:15 sounds like a crazy time but am happy to target what you think is sensible! I'll bring my training log from last year with me.

See you bright and early tomorrow.

Emma

Today was the most surreal, amazing and actually overwhelming day!

So much to tell about the day - I am so, so lucky and feel very priviledged to have met and to be working with such lovely people.

Full report to follow - along with a review of my new asics support tights - they should help stop me wobbling and recover quicker ... ooo er!

Going to try a more comprehensive report about the day - once I have come down to earth!

Hey Emma

Great to meet you today. Hope you're home alright. I'm still on the train just past Berwick adjacent to a guy who, having been drinking special brew steadily since Kings Cross, is now supine on the floor in the aisle eyes-to-ceiling slurring "it's just as well I'm not pissed". His slightly more sober mate is trying to engage a large upright suitcase in the luggage rack in conversation. Did I tell you about mince pie man on the way down? I don't have much luck with trains! What an incredible day though, am still a bit stunned by it all..

Good luck for fitting in that extra run!

My oh My sounds like the Journey from hell!

I'm hoping that he doesn't relieve himself of all that special brew... get ready to put him in the recovery position!

Can't wait to wear my new tights tomorrow - I may or may not have a running partner for the morning as she is out on the sauce tonight! I might have to try a country run on my own - with out my dog protection!

Congratulations Emma   Did you get a running partner this morning or not?

I have to agree about the asics tights - I have a black pair that make my legs look fab!

I did manage to get a running partner and we went out for a rather frosty, but lovely country run this morning - Thank you for asking Ultra Sparkly Bridget!

I wore my new tights (Asics of course - but more importantly Performance leg balance tights) that are meant to reduce your muscles wobbling.Given that I have a fair amount of leg and bottom to wobble I was a little dubious about the claim.

However I LOVE THEM! Trying to get them over my hips also provides some resitance work. They feel great and I know its very girly but they are smoothing and slimming. Usually to get tights that actually fit over my bum and thighs they are massive on the waist so they slip down when I run and I get webbed leg effect - not comfortable or attractive! These stayed up really well and even held my post- baby tummy in place! Sorry this sounds like an advert for asics, but I have purchased so many pairs of tights that were fine in the shop and useless when I went out running. I would also add that I think asics come up small (can't possibly be beacuse I've been eating too many pies!).

The other bounus is that I really don't feel as achey in my legs as I usually would! Yay!

We ran a bit over 11 miles (forgot to restart watch after a tricky road crossing) and I was chuffed that I managed to do the last 3/4 mile at somewhere between 1/2 and 10k pace. Some of this was due to being downhill but mainly because another lady for my running club glided past me effortlessly running much quicker than my 10k pace having only had her baby a few months ago!

I also ran past 4 dogs not on leads without freaking out - that said I wasn't on my own and am happy to use Colleen as a human shield if needed!

How is everyone else doing?

You've got to be kidding me - you're tiny!  Never mind wobbly!  Isn't it funny how we're all so self-critical! I would never guess you were still carrying any baby-weight because you certainly don't look it! 

I love ASICS tights too - I don't know how they do it - but I find the waists perfect even though mine don't have a drawcord! 

Hope you're feeling super slinky today - just think of the thighs of steel you'll have by April.  Glad you had a fab day.  Hope the fitness test wasn't too torturous.  Tell us more - looking forward to the full report...