Headlines
Nattering Away the Miles
3rd May 2007
Rachel Rogers, who teaches German within the College’s Modern Languages department, ran her first half-marathon recently and – with the adrenalin still pumping – she was happy to share her thoughts with ”The Review”.
Rachel, tell us about the half-marathon you ran recently.
It was the Forest of Dean half-marathon, which was organised by the local Rotary Club and so, happily, part of our entry fees are going to local charities.
Was this your first half-marathon?
Yes, it was.
I was really nervous beforehand as I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd heard nightmares of people "hitting the wall" so was keeping my fingers crossed that wouldn't happen to me.
So how did it go; what was the course like; what time did you record - and were you happy with the way it went?
It went really well! The course was brilliant – it’s all forestry tracks and cycle tracks with only a couple of small hills. It was really good not to be pounding away on tarmac for two hours! I came in in 1 hour 56 minutes. I had set myself a target of under 2 hours so I was over the moon with my time.
I ran with a close friend of mine from Hereford and we took it easy and chatted all the way round - I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. The nattering definitely takes your mind off the running. You don't notice the miles going by that way!
What decided you to take up half-marathon running?
I'm not sure why we decided to do this half-marathon. I suppose I was running longer and longer distances each week and just thought "why not?".
It's always good to have a race, and an aim, to train towards - it helps get you off the sofa if you know you're going to be doing a race soon!
What’s your athletic and sporting background? Are you a fitness or jogging fanatic?
I've always been very sporty.
I used to play a lot of hockey as a teenager. When I went to university I gave everything up but when I came back to Hereford, after university and doing some travelling, I joined the Hereford Triathlon Club, really just to meet lots of new people.
I train 3 or 4 times a week when I have time, a mixture of swimming, cycling and running, but the running is definitely my favourite discipline.
My first triathlon of the season is coming up on 13th May in Lydney, again in the Forest of Dean. It's only a ‘sprint’ (400 metre swim, and a 20 km bike ride followed by a 5 km run) but I've already started getting ready!
How much training did you have to do - and do you enjoy training?
For the half-marathon I had to get my mileage up as I was only running about 8km on a regular basis, which is only about 5 miles! The week before the race, I did an 8 mile run and also made sure I could run for over an hour and a half, not worrying about distance.
It must have worked as I didn't cramp up - which is what they call "hitting the wall" - during the race.
When is your next half-marathon - and have you ambitions to run a full Marathon?
I'm hoping to do the Hereford half-marathon on 20th May which is in aid of St Michael's Hospice. A friend of mine does a lot of fund-raising for the Hospice, so I think he'd like me to do it.
My running partner won't be doing it though, as she's doing a triathlon in Redditch so I'm not sure how well I will cope if I can't talk all the way round!
I would like to do a full marathon someday but haven't got any plans to do one at the moment. I certainly want to do some more triathlons this season instead.
What are the good points about running - what are the benefits you gain?
Running is brilliant for overall fitness. Obviously it tones and strengthens loads of muscle groups, including core muscles (stomach). And of course it's great for your cardio-vascular fitness too.
What I love about it is that it so easy to get going. You just need a decent pair of trainers and the drive to get off the sofa and leave the house. That is the hardest bit.
It's also great if you join a club, like the Hereford Couriers or Wye Valley Runners. That way you meet lots of people who you can natter to while you're out running!
What would you say to someone who is thinking about having a go?
Go for it - and don't expect to be running 10kms in the first week!
Just build up really slowly, starting off by walking a bit, jogging a bit.
It's great seeing the progress you make over just a few weeks - I really didn't think last year that I'd be running half-marathons now.