Ice Baths

What are these all about then? They look painful don’t they? Well they are! Straight up, there are horrid. I wasn’t even sure why I was doing them. I just read that people (athletes) do them and as I was running silly amounts of marathons, I had to do everything possible that limited any injuries. I tried my first Ice Bath after the Thames Meander Marathon. I spent days leading up to the marathon making trips to the supermarket to stock up on bags of ice. I was wondering if people were assuming that I was a bit late on the Ice Bucket challenge! Well in some ways it was my own little private ice bucket challenge, just no nominations. 

I read several different ways to do an ice bath. No way was any better than the other. I climbed into the bath and sat down. Bags of ice at the side of the tub ready. My legs were bare, but I wore enough layers of clothing fit for the North Pole from the waist up, hat, gloves the lot! I turned the cold tap on, shrieked a little (Actually a lot) and watched the cold water, slowly fill up over my little legs! I thought it would be easier to sit while the tub filled up with cold water, rather than having to jump in it full. I waited for the water was at my waist, so that all my legs where under the water. This wasn’t actually too bad! I could handle this. I grabbed the bags, one by one, ripped open the top and just checked the ice in, bag by bag (there were 5 bags all together) till they were all emptied. I set my timer for 15 minutes, stuck my head phones in and tried to think about anything but ice! Not easy!! I was just looking at it in amazement. I felt like a human cocktail. I felt like the ice cubes where laughing at me! Then, about 3 minutes in, the water climates to the ice. It was like someone was hitting my feet with tiny sledge hammers. OUCH!!!!!! and what is more, I still had 12 minutes to go. It got colder and colder the longer I sat there, and every minute that passed felt like 10 minutes. This is literally torture. I tried to concentrate on the music I was listening to, but the pain of the cold was drowning out the music by a million! I had a can of strongbow cider with me, as I thought it might help ease the pain, never again!! A cup of tea is what is needed here! 

I pressed on, and managed the 15 minutes (I am not a quitter) but it quickly dawned me, that getting out of this bath may be another mission to face. I pulled the plug out and watched the water disappear around my legs. They where so numb, and bright red from the cold. I could no longer feel the pain of the marathon, just the cold. My teeth where chattering away to themselves. I just hoped that I would notice some benefits to this as I had put myself through sheer hell. As if running a marathon isn’t enough pain as it is. My body took ages to go back to normal body temperate, so did the feeling in my legs. I think they had gone into shock. I can honestly say that my legs felt so much better the next day. Stairs were not completely impossible. I did notice the benefits for sure!

I posted a few pictures onto Instagram and one of the runners I followed on there, advised me that next time leave my clothes on from the waist down too! Including socks! Doh! No wonder if hurt! I had mixed reviews on ice baths. Some say it works, some say it doesn’t, some say they’d never do it etc.. as usual, it’s what works for the individual. I am all for trying things once, even if it’s painful. if it doesn’t work, then least I would have tried it. I have done it again since, after the Vikings Coastal Marathon. This time I was fully clothed from top to bottom, and I had a nice hot cup of tea to accompany me. So much better! It was still very painful, but much more bearable. So the outcome is, ice baths do work, well for me anyway. I certainly recommend giving them a try, if you can bare them.

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The Northern Echo - Media Interest

I can't believe the last few days!!! I honestly thought that noone would really care about my challenge this early on. I thought that I'd have to proove my worth my completing at least half of the marathons first. It's really important to me that the North East gets behind me and supports me because I am a very proud Northerner! So to see a northern newspaper to put my story in their news is fantastic. Thank you Northern Echo for making my day! 

Here is the printed article, or you can click the image at the bottom to see it on their website:

A RUNNER is taking on the challenge of a lifetime as she attempts to run fifteen marathons in fifteen months to raise £5,000 for deaf blind children and adults. 

Kerry Whitney, who completed her third race at the weekend - the Vikings & Saxons Marathon, was inspired to take on the gruelling challenge to raise money for Sense, the national deafblind charity as she works for a special needs school in London. 

The 33-year-old, originally from Middlesbrough, said: “Sense come to our school and help us support pupils with sight and hearing impairments. Knowing that raising money could help the children at my school keeps me motivated. Whenever I don’t feel like training, or I ache and I am sore I think of them. If I could do anything to make any of their lives easier I would do it.” 

She started her challenge in September last year with the Berlin marathon and will finish in December with the Portsmouth marathon. Not only that but she plans to do the London Marathon blindfolded with a guide to help her around the course and recently completed the Great North Run dressed as a squid! 

She only started running four years ago and has completed fifty races since, including five marathons, and numerous 10ks and half marathons. 

“If someone had told me five years ago that I would be a marathon runner I would have laughed a lot," she said. "I once read a quote that said ‘I’m slower than a herd of turtles running through peanut butter, but I run.’ Don’t let people tell you that you can’t do something. Just never give up.” 

She is aiming to raise £5,000 for Sense, to sponsor her visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KerryWhitney    By Graeme Hetherington

Click to read the full article

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Marathon Number 3 : The Vikings, Saxons and Normans Coastal Marathon

They say big things come in small packages. Well that was certainly the case with today's Marathon. Very slow key race and only a handful of runners, but an incredibly well organised race! From the second I arrived I felt like I already knew everyone. People were so friendly. I love meeting other runners, but what I love more is meeting other marathon runners. They are just a different breed of people. Fighters, very strong people!! Having now completed 8 marathons I'm now starting to really feel like one. 

Wasn't sure how I was going to cope with this race as it was basically 4 loops of 10ks, but actually it was good because as I'm a slower runner I wasn't trailing behind at the back on my own. With runners constantly running back down the other side I never felt lonely, and they all took the effort to speak to me and encourage me. Even the guy leading spoke to me every time he passed me. Not sure he even realises how much that meant to me. 

These runners are totally on another level. You think me running 15 marathons over 15 months is insane. Most people had done the double and ran yesterday's marathon too. Runners who had ran 10 MARATHONS in 10 DAYS..that's right DAYS. There were also loads of runner from the 100 marathon club. One runner was celebrating his 100th marathon today. How great to have been apart of that with him. Makes what I'm doing look pathetic. Though lots of today's marathon runners asked me about my challenge and were very supportive. One thing I always have to remind myself is we are all on different journeys. Though I'm not gonna lie, I'm slowly starting to feel the desire to be a member of the 100 marathon club. What an achievement that is!! 

With the race being so repetitive it's hard to remember much of it. Though, a funny point was I needed a wee for most of the race and at about 18th mile couldn't hold it in any longer. So without much thought I leaped over a wall, pulled my pants down, started to go..then I heard a squark..I'd jumped into a field of swans!! I shit you not..A field FULL of god damn swans. There was one about a metre away and it just started at me..straight in the eye, while I was weeing. Neither of us was gonna break the eye contact. Not sure who was most shocked me or the Swan. Then my dilemma was..do I pull my pants up showing the swan my front bottom or turn around and show it my bare arse. Arse it was to be.. but as I turned around a whole family out for a Sunday stroll, complete with children and dogs got the money shot. FAIL. 

I met a blind runner today. Me, him and his guide stood and chatted at the start if the race. He was running today to qualify to run the Boston Marathon, and he achieved it. People are so inspiring. What an incredible guy!! His guide ran infront of him too. It was interesting to see how they did it. 

So bit of a race break now. February I Needto get in the gym and concentrate on strength work. My legs need some work. Though it feels good to say marathon number 4 will be BARCELONA BABY!!!!

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Battersea 10k

I wasn't full of enthusiasm for this race. Mainly because I was still in a grump about the terrible 10k I had done on New Years Day!  Needless to say, I got up bright and early, and made my way to Battersea Park. I really needed this to be a better race for me, as I needed to get some race confidence back, in time for the Vikings Coastal Marathon.

It was a super freezing cold morning.  I arrived to the race village a little too early. They were still putting it all together!! Sadly there was nowhere warm to stand as it was a public park.  Thank god I have learnt my lessons from the past and layered up!! Though I was starting to worry about having to take off the layers!

The race was 4 laps of the park. No big deal. Not usually a fan of laps, but it was a lovely park, and very flat.  Just told myself to shut up and get on with it.  Not an awful lot more to report on this really. I completed it faster than the Serpentine 10k, which I was over the moon about. Finished it at 01:12:57 where as Serpentine I did a disgraceful 01:17:28.  So a huge improvement, a much happier Kerry, on and a fantastic medal!!! Totally makes up for the poor no medal show from New Years Day.

Thank you runthrough A lovely little race, which I will return to in the future sometime.

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My First Blindfolded Training

I did my first training blindfolded today. I set out to walk a mile, blindfolded round my local park. As my marathon guide, Abbie, lives t'up north I have a temporary stand it. My lovely friend Laura and she did a grand job. 

Honestly, I thought it would be easy. I'd stick the blindfold on, we'd be off and done in no time, and then off for tea and cake (which is what I'm rewarding my little helper with) Oh no, no, no!! It was extremely scary!! I suddenly felt so vulnerable, which I hate. I kept repeating "oh I don't like this, what have I done" Then what crept into my mind was how the fuck am I gonna do this for 26 miles?, while running too!! I had to concentrate so hard on my guides instructions, even though she walked me straight into a bollard as soon as we set off!! "Oops, sorry I forgot" she said Good start! 

I soon became very aware of how hightened my other senses had become. My hearing for one. The things I could hear were incredible. When walked passed the tennis courts, I could hear a tennis balls being hit so clearly, like it they were right next to me. I run through this park all the time and never heard this before and the courts are always busy with players.I could hear things so far away in the distance too. Police sirens, dogs barking etc What was making me feel scared though, was hearing when people were going to walk or run passed me. Especially from behind. I could make out distant foot steps and zone in on them getting closer. I couldn't shake off the worry I was going to walk into someone. I must have gained a little confidence after a while as my guide informed me that my walking speed had increased. Which must have happened subconsciously. Then I heard my Garmin bleep telling us we'd done a mile. That's it. Mile done.

So I have walked in the foot steps of a visually impaired/blind person. Having now experienced this, I have never felt more determined to do this. Even though it has scared me so much. My admiration for blind and visually impaired people, who carry on leading a normal lives is unreal. I see runners at all the events I do with all kinds of disabilities, blind runners, amputees, double amputees, Downs Syndrome runners etc. Disability is not stopping them from leading a normal life. They are just getting on with it and not letting it stop them for living!! So I gotta shut the fuck up, take their lead and get on with it.

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Serpentine New Years Day 10k

What better way to start the New Year than with a 10k. As soon as I saw this advertised I signed up to it without a second thought. Even more so for the fact that it was in London. Having been quite sick over the christmas holidays, I was unsure I would make it in the end. I haven’t actually been able to get out and run for a while so I was unsure how my body would hold up to this. 

Having to set my alarm for 7am for New Years Day was quite painful. The sacrifices of doing this race meant I had to say no to any kind of New Years Eve celebrations. It was quite difficult laying in bed, listening to the fireworks going off all over London at Midnight. They seemed to be endless. I couldn’t shake off the mental image of everybody out there, partying, having a good time, while I am here, in bed. I was sure I was in for a long night, fighting to get any sleep. 

I was less than happy when the alarm finally went off. My immediate thought was, “ah fuck this”. I tried to come up with a million reasons to get out of this race. “I didn’t wake up on time”, “I am still sick’, “I am just too tired” or how about “I am just a lazy fucking wit” Though, I know that excuses just do not cut it. I had to just get up and do it, and with all that negative thinking, it was now 8.30am. Time to move it. Plus, there is a certain someone out there would not let me live this down if I cancelled this race (you know who you are!!) I’d face ridicule for the next 12 months. So for that reason alone, I got my arse out there front door, with the mind set of “I’ll Show you”

As I arrived at my destination at Hyde Park Corner, I became super excited as I realised the 10k would be running near the Winter Wonderland, in Hyde Park. It was so exciting to be there so early. Hardly anyone there. It was lovely to be able to leisurely walk through it. As excited I was starting to feel, it hadn’t gone unnoticed on how cold it was. Actually it wasn’t cold it was freeeeeezing!! it’s the 1st of January, what did I expect? 

I collected my race number, dropped off my bag and within no time at all, it was time to make my way to the start. I felt pretty good. I just told myself to do the best I could. No pressures at all, and before I knew it, the gun was fired. 

NO MEDAL!!!!

The first 5k was fine. The route was pretty flat, so it wasn’t particularly challenging, but I could really feel the impact on my body, which was still recovering from being sick. It was just too soon to be running and I knew that. I had to slow myself right down, I got so angry with myself for this, but had to reassure me that it was ok. I had been unwell for god sake. 

One thing I had noticed, was that this was quite a serious race. It wasn’t very friendly at all. Only a handful of marshals were friendly. The rest of them did not acknowledge me at all. I was letting this impact my mood too. I just kept telling myself, it’ll be over soon, get my medal, get myself a sweet treat from Winter Wonderland and I can go home. The finish was in sight. Thank god!! It is over. Usually I am full of fight at the end, but i had nothing left to give. No sprint finish. Just a low key, thank god it’s over finish. I walked over to a guy who had medals in his hand, only to be shrugged off, very rudely and told I couldn’t have one! ERM..WHAT!!?? There was another man next to him who handed me some flimsy, crap quality red draw string bag. I literally thought it was a joke. I asked the man if I could have a medal and was told “no these are for the 3k fun runners!!” 3k fucking fun runners?? Are you literally having a laugh? I have just ran 10k on New Years day in the freezing cold, to be mugged off with a bag that looks like a prize from a Christmas Cracker!? What the hell has my race fee paid for exactly? There was no road closures or anything. I appreciate not everyone cares about getting a medal, but I do. I like to have something to hang up so that I can look at it to remind myself of how well I am doing. I bloody love a medal! Even if it’s poor quality. I probably would have accepted there was no medal a bit better had I been spoken to in a better way. 

I will not be taking part in anymore Serpentine Races. Not that I can imagine they care. It seemed like a super serious race, for faster runners. Looking on the positive positive side, I got myself out of bed on New Years Day, and I ran a 10k. I have to be happy with myself for that. Though I ended up with a dreadful finishing time of 01:17:28, I won’t dwell on it too much. Just have to look towards Marathon number 3 now, which is 3 weeks away.









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