The latest #marathonspotlight comes from Virginia Cryle. I met Virginia through school and our love of running took different paths but we are both now fully loving running, and through our roles as physiotherapist encouraging exercise to our clients. Understanding the training requirements, the mental stress, physical strength and self awareness required for training. This instalment made me laugh, reminisce and also packed full of great advice. Thank you to Virginia and also look up the 5Star Running Group who Virginia runs with.
Marathons Completed?
One and one only! The inaugural Stirling marathon 2017.
Beautiful course but the loops got me. In a place steeped in history, I felt part of something really special. It was well organised and the crowd support was fantastic.
PB Marathon time?
3:58:24
Favourite Marathon and why?
Hard one as I found Stirling so tough and it was the first and last! Although, some of my closest running friends will argue they don’t think that door has closed for me. Maybe they know me better than I know myself!?!?!
I have subsequently gone on to run GO33 which I enjoyed FAR more! I paced myself so much better and fuelled correctly thanks to the checkpoints! Beautiful course and having no time pressure combined to make it a great day out.
Worst marathon memory and why?
So, mile 25 at Stirling was a 13minute mile for me. My husband later asked if I had went to the Thistle shopping centre at that point! I found it so tough and never expected it to be that difficult. There was a funny moment, however, when an American I passed had commented, saying his mother had the same name as me and to go for it, I honestly never thought I had another mile in me. My friend’s husband didn’t even speak when I passed and he held a gel out for me – he just knew!
Tell us about the group Five Star Active and how it was formed?
So, a little over two years ago my good friend and founder of Five Star was lacing up her shoes to embark on another lonely run from home when she thought, wouldn’t it be great to start a club where others could join her and she could help them to improve their fitness and achieve their goals. I don’t think Fiona had envisaged quite the impact this would have on the local community of Auchterarder (half marathon details in link) . It is a small but growing town, where lots of people with similar lifestyles have now come together and, with Fiona and her husband Steven’s help, have achieved things we never ever thought possible!
Many have gone from 0 to 5k, 10k and beyond with some having completed their first ultra marathons at GO33 last year!
I remember as a teen running with you James, once. It quickly became clear I wasn’t a runner at that time, I think I am now ?
Funniest training memory?
Oh my word, I have so so many, it’s difficult to pick one out. When part of a club I think memories are accumulated so much quicker as there is a lot of shared banter and ‘running’ jokes. Pun intended.
I can honestly say, almost every run I do has created memories and the ones where I run with others are definitely most fun. I think when training for events with others it is more like a journey experienced together and we help each other out in any way we can.
Running has definitely been a learning curve we shall just say that ?
As a physio, do you think running helps you to explain how training should feel etc?
As a physio myself, I definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, believe being a runner makes me better equipped to deal with injured runners. I understand the race distances and requirements, I understand footwear and fuelling but most importantly I understand how injury can psychologically effect a runner, or indeed any athlete. My empathy has dramatically improved since becoming a runner and for that I am grateful.
Hydration, nutrition and snack of choice on long runs?
I am possibly the wrong person to ask this one. It is a bit of a joke of run club and between my friends and colleagues that if there are rules, I will break them. Not a great advert, but I almost have to learn from my own mistakes. I struggled with nutrition from the get go. My stomach tolerates gels ok but when trying out tailwind I didn’t like it so didn’t drink it and ended up with no end of issues, as that was what I carried on my long runs before Stirling. I do quite like the bloks but only on a downhill, ha ha! So, for a half I would use SIS gels, a full, gels and lucozade sport and ultras, well whatever I the heck I like to eat. I’m certainly not the best example when it comes to nutrition but I am learning.
Shoes, minimal or maximal?
This is another question which may make my run club friends laugh so I better be honest. I, as per usual, don’t always conform and my latest mistake involved me wearing racers for our own Auchterarder half. To give me an edge, I thought, but having not trained over that distance and terrain in them I was setting myself up for disaster. A calf strain and some significant blisters later, I realised that I had done the wrong thing.
I don’t like bulky trainers and find the Saucony rides great for longer distance but plan to use my Saucony Kinvaras more and build up to half distance in them. All about specificity during training there.
What is you mantra…
A (in running)? Always, the faster I run, the faster I’m DONE!!!!!!
B (in life)? Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Terrain? Trail, track or tarmac?
Tarmac all the way. As a runner who focuses too much on times, I find I like to be able to go as fast as I can -and tarmac lets me do that. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of track but I always say to my coach: “I think I was born to run track.” Shorter distance and fast is what I prefer. I don’t hate trail running though, if with friends and no time pressure, it can be the best feeling ever.
Top tip for project 345?
Change to project 330 (at least). No pressure, but your training is going great. Tips: fuel better than I did and don’t go out too fast. The loops of last year are gone and psychologically I think this year will be better. Try not to stop, keep the momentum going. I walked a few times and found it really hard to get my legs turning over again.
You will do great! I always remember “Pain is temporary…..pride is forever.”
You’ve got this!
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