Marathon Training Week 1

Right, where were we?

It's been over a year since my last entry on this blog. A year in which I tried and failed to train for the Edinburgh marathon by getting injured 5 weeks into the training programme. I then spent a couple of months recovering and putting on about a stone in weight (14 pounds or 6kg depending on your unit of preference). Then I fulfilled a long held dream and cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats during two weeks in the summer (you can see the whole story on my other blog mikelejog2012). Then I decided to enter two half marathons to finish off the year. The Ealing half marathon and Run To The Beat which is held down by the O2 in Greenwich. I managed decent times in both (sub 1:40) and had no hint of injury.

I've spent the last two months base training and looking for a spring marathon to enter. My annual attempt to get into the London Marathon by ballot failed again so I searched for something nearby and decided on the Richmond Park Marathon which is held on the 5th of May.

This then was the first week of my sixteen week training plan. I'm going to be training by pace rather than heart rate because my heart rate monitor has been rubbing my skin and causing it to go dry and hard. So I'm going to give it a rest for a while for my skin to recover.

This first week has managed to coincide with not only me having a sore throat and head cold for the past week and a half but also a cold snap that has meant the temperature hasn't risen much above 0C for the entire week. I'm not sure if I'm being obstinate or stupid or a bit of both but I'm still wearing shorts and a short sleeve running top. It may seem a bit odd but I soon warm up and don't really notice although I have had some looks and someone in the street even shouted out that I was mad. I'll see how it goes but my stubborness makes me think that I will see out the winter.

My schedule has me running six days a week with a rest day on Friday. I might shuffle this around a bit as I'd prefer to have a rest day on the weekend.

This week was pretty easy with no speed work (lucky given how dark it still is in the mornings and the fact that we've had snow for the last three days). This culminated in a 10 mile long run on the Sunday which will increase week by week with the odd 10k race or half marathon (if I can't find a race to enter I'll just try to race against myself around the streets as best I can).

Here's this morning's 10 mile long run:

I'm hoping to make this a weekly blog again as I enjoyed writing it the last time I was training for a marathon. Fingers crossed it doesn't end in the same way!

Location:Ealing,United Kingdom