This morning I ran my final long run, a 20 miler, before three weeks of taper.
I had planned to run down the Grand Union Canal to Paddington, then along to Regent's Park before heading down to Oxford Street and back to Ealing. As I set off I decided to go "off piste" and make up a route as I went along. I just fancied running a circular route with my house as the centre point. So I ran down to Acton, up the A40, through Alperton to Harrow and Sudbury, then Northolt where I got a little bit lost, found my way to the Uxbridge Road and back to Ealing. My third 20 miler of the training schedule and also the most comfortable. This plan must be working! Although I did end up with a bleeding nipple. Never a nice thing, especially on a white running vest. I could see the wincing faces of passers-by in the street thinking how painful it must be. The truth is that I didn't realise it was bleeding at all until I looked down my vest with three miles to go. I'd even put vaseline on before setting off but maybe I need to look into using surgical tape in future.
Now I have three weeks of taper with no midweek runs over single-digit mileage. That will either make a nice change or will drive me mad. In my experience it's been a little bit of both.
Over the next three weeks I need to decide which pair of running shoes I will run the race in. I've eliminated one pair due to their risk of causing blisters. This leaves my everyday running shoes or my specialist racers. I'd like to race in the specialist racers but I don't know if they'll last the long distance (or rather if my feet will). I'll use them more in the coming weeks so I can make a value judgement.
In the meantime here's my run from this morning:
Sunday 15 September 2013
Sunday 8 September 2013
Back To Life, Back To Reality
I've been home from my holidays for about a week and a half and completed 9 runs. I have come to the not very earth-shattering conclusion that I am very much a temperate weather runner. Going out for a run at 6am and the temperature is about 12C is much, much better than running at temperatures twice that.
Both of my pairs of running shoes have come to the end of their lives. They've now gone to the big running shoe shop in the sky, otherwise known as the local charity shop. I'm now using two pairs of running shoes that I had used for about a month before I had to pull out of marathon training because of injury. Why I had bought new running shoes when I started another training plan instead of using these two pairs I cannot fathom but at least I'm using them now.
I'm also taking what may be a risk. I bought a pair of race shoes back in 2010. I used them to run a 10k and a half marathon (getting PBs in both) but after using them I had peroneal tendonitis. They are incredibly light but I used to overpronate and this is what my physio believed caused the issue. It's been almost three years since then and my running style has altered. I think I am now a bit more of a neutral runner. With this in mind I have used them for an 8 mile run and a 4 mile run. Both times I came through with flying colours. I think I'll use them once a week until the marathon with the hope of using them for the actual marathon itself as I believe the lightness of the shoe will give me a big advantage come race day (such hubris!).
I've followed the training plan religiously since I've been home. My long runs have been 18 miles (with 14 at marathon pace) and 17 miles respectively. Because my watch was being fixed I had to guess my marathon pace. By the time I got home, loaded the route up into the computer and checked it I found that my guessed marathon pace was 4:45 minutes per kilometer which is about 15 seconds quicker than what I should be running if I want to get under 3:30 hours in the marathon. Result! Not that I am going to run at 4:45 per kilometer but it's nice to know that I am capable of it.
This morning I ran 17 miles down to Richmond Park, around the trail path along the edge (following the marathon route from 5 months ago, albeit in reverse) and back via Kew Bridge. My watch (third time replaced, third time lucky?) ran out of battery for the last three miles (my fault, should have checked last night) so I had to run them effectively blind although I've been running the streets around here for the last five years and know the distances very well. I had run a 10k "race" yesterday so today's run was on tired legs to simulate the last miles of the marathon. I enjoyed it a lot. There were moments when I wanted to just stop and walk but kept going instead and managed to complete the 17 miles in 2:21:06 which is a good pace even if the last 3 were estimated.
Next week is my last major week of training ending with a 20 miler. Then it is three weeks of taper until the race itself. Looking forward to the taper, it will almost feel like a holiday but without the stupidly hot weather!
Both of my pairs of running shoes have come to the end of their lives. They've now gone to the big running shoe shop in the sky, otherwise known as the local charity shop. I'm now using two pairs of running shoes that I had used for about a month before I had to pull out of marathon training because of injury. Why I had bought new running shoes when I started another training plan instead of using these two pairs I cannot fathom but at least I'm using them now.
I'm also taking what may be a risk. I bought a pair of race shoes back in 2010. I used them to run a 10k and a half marathon (getting PBs in both) but after using them I had peroneal tendonitis. They are incredibly light but I used to overpronate and this is what my physio believed caused the issue. It's been almost three years since then and my running style has altered. I think I am now a bit more of a neutral runner. With this in mind I have used them for an 8 mile run and a 4 mile run. Both times I came through with flying colours. I think I'll use them once a week until the marathon with the hope of using them for the actual marathon itself as I believe the lightness of the shoe will give me a big advantage come race day (such hubris!).
I've followed the training plan religiously since I've been home. My long runs have been 18 miles (with 14 at marathon pace) and 17 miles respectively. Because my watch was being fixed I had to guess my marathon pace. By the time I got home, loaded the route up into the computer and checked it I found that my guessed marathon pace was 4:45 minutes per kilometer which is about 15 seconds quicker than what I should be running if I want to get under 3:30 hours in the marathon. Result! Not that I am going to run at 4:45 per kilometer but it's nice to know that I am capable of it.
This morning I ran 17 miles down to Richmond Park, around the trail path along the edge (following the marathon route from 5 months ago, albeit in reverse) and back via Kew Bridge. My watch (third time replaced, third time lucky?) ran out of battery for the last three miles (my fault, should have checked last night) so I had to run them effectively blind although I've been running the streets around here for the last five years and know the distances very well. I had run a 10k "race" yesterday so today's run was on tired legs to simulate the last miles of the marathon. I enjoyed it a lot. There were moments when I wanted to just stop and walk but kept going instead and managed to complete the 17 miles in 2:21:06 which is a good pace even if the last 3 were estimated.
Next week is my last major week of training ending with a 20 miler. Then it is three weeks of taper until the race itself. Looking forward to the taper, it will almost feel like a holiday but without the stupidly hot weather!
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