Marathon Training Week 10

Last week was my stag weekend so I was unable to update with a blog. In summary I had to shorten my week and bring my Sunday long run to forward to the Friday. It was a 20 mile run and I didn't really have much of a plan of where to go. I headed out towards Hounslow with an intention of running past Twickenham. Wales were due to play England the next day and I wanted to run past the English rugby HQ as some ridiculous gesture of support for Wales. Whatever, it must have worked because Wales totally stuffed England and won the Six Nations!

My runs this week have been a bit strained. My easy four miler on Monday was hard work which was either a hangover from the weekend's excess or because I had concatenated all my training runs the previous week. Either way, by Friday I had run 9 miles on intervals, a slow 9 mile run and then a 5 mile tempo run. This has put a strain on my left achilles which feels a bit stiff and sore. On Saturday I went for a 3 mile easy paced run and my achilles came through it with no issues. But then later in the day it still felt stiff and sore.

Today (Sunday) I was meant to run a half marathon. My dilemma is that because of my impending wedding next Saturday I am having to run my 20 mile long run on the Friday again which means that I will have no rest days and don't want to risk injury. So I dropped today's run and will run an 8 mile fartlek tomorrow, followed by 6 mile slow run, 11 mile steady and a 4 mile easy run before the long run on Friday. Hopefully I will get through without injury. On the morning of my wedding I am going to run 5 miles. I had intended to run my 20 miler on the wedding morning but then common sense kicked in! On the Monday we are going on honeymoon to New Orleans and I am going to have to juggle my runs around again. I've had easer training schedules to arrange!

Here is my 20 mile long run from last week:

Location:Ealing,United Kingdom

Marathon Training Week 8

Week 8. Halfway through the schedule. Started quietly and ended quietly.

The Monday was penciled in as a rest day which I was pleased with so I could recover from the previous day's 20 mile run.

The next day I was supposed to run fourteen hill repeats. I woke up tired and still a bit achy from the Sunday run so the duvet called me back and I postponed the run till Friday.

Back off to Holland and an 11 mile slow run on Wednesday morning. I've become more and more familiar with the area around the hotel in which I am staying so ventured out further into the countryside. There are loads of cycle lanes which I have to run in because there are very few pavements. I'm not sure on the etiquette of running in cycle lanes but I prefer to do that on a dark morning than run in the road! I was rewarded with the sight of a beautiful sunrise over snooker table flat farming fields. The temperature had warmed up a bit this week as well so I was able to run just in my t-shirt top.

Thursday is tempo run day (1 mile warm up, 3 miles at tempo speed and a 1 mile cool down) so I ran the 3 mile loop around the hotel to make up the distance.

Back home on Thursday evening and then up early the next morning to run the hills postponed from the Tuesday. I don't mind hills but I do find it a bit boring doing the seemingly endless repeats up and down the same hill for an hour or so at a time.

Saturday morning was back to normal and my 5 mile easy route.

Saturday evening I drank a bit too much and woke up on Sunday with something of a hangover. No fit state to run a half-marathon! So, I called off the solo race (not having found a half marathon race to participate in nearby). My dilemma now is to see if I can fit it back in to the schedule. I am due to have the Monday as a rest day but I don't think I'll have the time to run a half-marathon before work. It's possible but tight. I may just go out for a leg loosener and write this one off to a bad day at the office. Or I may go somewhere in between and run a 6 miler at half marathon pace. At the moment that appears to be the most likely.

I also have the problem that the 20 mile run I am supposed to be doing next Sunday will have to be brought forward to the Friday (when I will hopefully be working from home) because I am going on my stag weekend and will definitely not be in a fit state to run on the Saturday or Sunday. Juggle, juggle, juggle. Over the next few weeks I'll be juggling a lot more runs around as I have my wedding at the end of March on the Easter weekend followed by ten days in New Orleans on my honeymoon. I've run on holiday before but a honeymoon is a totally different kettle of fish!

Marathon Training Week 7

I've had to shuffle some runs around again this week.

On the Sunday night I stayed up to watch the Oscars which left me with only four hours sleep and a general feeling not far off that of jet-lag. This meant that I failed to run my usual Monday morning four miler. But that's ok, I had anticipated it and used the Monday as my rest day.

Tuesday then became the new Monday and I ran the four mile route. Normally Tuesday would be hill day but I would push that back to Friday instead. Later that morning I flew to the Netherlands on business again, with warmer running gear than last time. Once bitten, twice shy and all that.

Woke up at 5:45am on Wednesday morning. Put on my usual running gear as well as a long sleeved running top over my short sleeved running top and also put on a warm running hat. I set off at 6am on a ten mile loop that I had worked out using Mapmyrun, trying to remember the turning points (right at the first traffic lights, right at the first roundabout, follow the road until it meets School-something Straat etc. etc.). Sometimes the joy of running in a strange land is actually just managing to get back without getting lost. My hat quickly became redundant as although it was cold my head warmed up too much beneath it. Better to be too cold than too hot. So I took it off and carried it with me, which actually helped keep my hands warm, almost like a partial glove. My long sleeved top on the other hand worked wonders. As the saying goes, there is no wrong weather, only wrong clothing. My pride had stopped me from wearing the right clothing and last week had cost me 12 miles that I had failed to run. Stupid pride. You can see the route I ran below:

The next morning I ran two laps of a figure of eight nearby the hotel. This allowed me to run seven miles at a steady pace. Being warmer reduced the desire to cut the run short like last week and once again I thanked my decision to bring the long sleeved top.

I flew back to Blighty on Thursday evening and set off on Friday morning to run twelve hill repetitions. I had been looking for a new hill course and finally I think I've found one. The incline is 400 metres long and rises about 10% over the full length which according to the internet is the ideal incline for hill training. Same again next week I think.

Saturday was back to normal and my usual five mile easy paced route.

This left the last run of the week, a twenty mile long slow run. Normally for a run of this length and time (just shy of three hours) I would take two or three gels with me. I have a stash of gels that I buy in bulk. I checked them on the morning (stupid, I know) and found that they were out of date. Great. A glass of water and I was out of the door. It was quite cold and took me about four or five miles to get into my run. The route was one I had done once before about 18 months ago, going up to Wembley, down the Harrow Road to Paddington, traversing Baker Street and then back along Oxford Street all the way to Ealing. The last time I ran this route I remember having to stop in the Hilton at Paddington for a "comfort break". Well, history repeated itself and I found myself using the restrooms of the 5 star hotel. The advantage of being in running gear is that no-one questions whether or not you are a guest. It appears to be the assumption that you are one of those strange creatures who take their running gear with them when they stay at hotels (*ahem*). Anyway, the lack of gels didn't appear to have any major implications although I will need to use some for the marathon itself so I'll buy some from my local supermarket so I can make sure they don't have an adverse effect on my performance.

Here's the 20 miler from this morning:


Next week gives me a day off on Monday which is a nice bonus. I'm back in Holland for two nights a week until the end of March, so I'll be searching for more midweek routes. Then I have to run a half marathon race next Sunday. I don't think there are any locally so once again I'll run against myself on a nearby route that I've used before.

Marathon Training Week 6

This week has shown how a running schedule has to be adaptable to events beyond our control. Namely work sent me to the Netherlands from Tuesday to Thursday on business. This is where Google and Mapmyrun come into their own. Knowing where I was staying I was able to work out a 3 mile circular route for the two runs I needed to do on Wednesday and Thursday (9 miles and 6 miles respectively). I woke up at 6am on Wednesday morning and headed out for 3 laps of the route, only to be faced with a freezing coldness the likes of which I had never faced before. I had only packed my shorts and t-shirt and after one lap I was so cold I had to face the truth and call it a day. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour.

Waking the next morning at 6am I checked the temperature on my iPhone weather app and found it was -5 (-9 with wind chill!) so my sensible gene took over and I went back to bed. Disappointing but practical.
Next week I have to go back to the Netherlands so I am going to pack some cold weather gear (and thus will break my hope of running all winter in t-shirt and shorts, although I'll still wear my shorts. Some things are set in stone!).

The week started as normal with a four mile leg loosener. Tuesday saw my first hill session of the schedule. Ten reps. I had decided to try a new hill that was not so steep as the hill I had normally used. This had a modicum of success but the hill wasn't long enough so I ran the last four reps back on the "steep" hill. Next week I have twelve reps and will go back to the tried and tested hill. It may be a bit steeper than ideal but at least it's long enough.

Saturday morning was the regular five mile run. It was good to get back in the groove after the disappointments of mid-week.

This morning's long run was an 18 miler. As soon as I woke up I didn't fancy it. Not physically but mentally. I wasn't sure what route I was going to take and I had overslept by half an hour so knew my run wouldn't finish until about 10am which may not sound like much but I really like to be back in the house before 9am and if not then shortly afterwards. But, I had already missed a run and a half this week and from experience I know that you never regret doing a run, only missing one. So on with the gear and out through the door before any more doubts crept into my head. It was a cold morning. Not Netherlands cold but still in the minus zero territory and I still (foolishly?) ran in my shorts and t-shirt, a decision I regretted for about 15 of the 18 miles until I warmed up for the last 3 miles and felt reasonably comfortable (given the conditions). I cannot wait for the temperature to heat up. I made up a route that covered some familiar ground but also went down some roads I had never been before which tested my homing instincts. I managed to get back into familiar territory and was then able to utilise my knowledge of some extremely familiar roads to make up the distance and finish the run.

A problem I haven't faced for ages has started again, namely nipple rub. I will have to get out the surgical tape which can be almost as painful removing as if I didn't put any on at all!

Anyway, here's this morning's run which took in a meandering route that shows I really didn't know where I was going.

Next week is more hills (12 reps), hopefully two runs in the Netherlands (10 miles and 7 miles respectively) and a long run of 20 miles (the first of three over the next few weeks). Let's hope the weather warms up!

Location:Ealing,United Kingdom

Marathon Training Week 5

This week started with a fartlek session where I could run 5 miles and vary the pace as I felt fit. I always think I'll take it easy when given the choice but always, always end up running myself into the ground and this was no exception.

This was followed by an eight miler on Wednesday on a route that I hadn't run for about a year. It's nice to reacquaint yourself with an old route.

The weather had been above zero for most of the week until my long run on Sunday when freezing fog decided to descend. I'd chosen a new route. It was fairly simple run up the A40 until just past RAF Northolt and then run down to the Uxbridge Road and run back to the house. The path alongside the A40 disappeared for a bit so I had to leave it to run through a housing estate before finding my way back further up the road. I like to think I have a good sense of direction and haven't got lost, yet! Even when running abroad it's not too difficult to plan a route and then use Google Streetview to help familiarise yourself with the turning points before you head out onto the streets.

Here's this morning's run, you can see where I had to turn off the A40:


Next week hill training starts! And for the next two weeks after that with more and more repetitions. I've been doing some investigation on the internet and the hill that I have used for the last three years appears to be too steep so I'm going to try a new hill and see how that works out for me.

Location:Ealing,United Kingdom

Marathon Training Week 4

A few weeks ago I said I had what felt like shin splints and hoped that it was my legs adjusting to the slightly higher training effort. This week my shin splints have gone, which I presume shows that my leg muscles have become stronger and have adapted to the extra miles.

This week culminated in what was meant to be a 10k race. I couldn't find any local races so had to run against the clock which is tricky because you don't get the extra shot of adrenaline and competition that an actual race gives you.

My midweek mileage is creeping up week on week. This week started with the usual easy 4 mile run. I like the Monday run and pretty much follow the same route every week. In this instance familiarity breeds further familiarity!

Tuesday is interval day. This week it was six repetitions of 800m with a 200m recovery separating them. Quite a tough workout and you certainly know you've been running. I love it.

Wednesday is mid distance day. This has been increasing each week. This week was 8 miles at a slow pace. It took me about four miles to get my head in the game (as proper sportsmen call it) which may have been a hangover from the previous day's session.

Thursday is tempo day. A mile to warm up, three miles at half marathon pace and then a mile to cool down. Not a bad work out, nowhere near as exhausting as an interval run.

Friday is rest day. Much needed.

Saturday is another easy pace run, this time five miles. Again I like to follow the same route each week.

As I said at the start this week's long run was a 10k race. I was determined to beat my last 10k time which was 44:06 and was hoping to get under 44 minutes. I started off a bit too fast and at half way was looking at a sub 43 minutes run which would have been my fastest ever time (currently 43:06). Then I ran into a headwind for the next mile and a half and my pace slowed. I managed to pick up the pace towards the end and came in at 43:56. My second fastest time ever and under the magic 44 minute mark. At the end of the run I tried to cough and almost threw up, surely a sign of having put everything into the run! My schedule gives me Monday off this week so I'm looking forward to a few beers tonight and a bit of a lie-in tomorrow.

Here's my 10k "race":

Location:Ealing,United Kingdom

Marathon Training Week 3

Warmer weather, finally got to do some speed work and a run along the Thames.

No snow this week, a little rain but nothing to worry about. Plus the temperature stayed pretty much above freezing for the majority of the week which made running infinitely more pleasurable as well as allowed me to keep running in a short top and shorts.

On Tuesday I ran some mile intervals (four to be precise), which was exhausting but rewarding. It never feels like I've started training for any race until I have to start doing interval training or speed work. Having missed a session last week due to a combination of snow and illness I was keen to make sure I ran the session this week. I like intervals. I know most don't but I think they help mix things up during the training week otherwise running similar distances at similar pace becomes monotonous quite quickly. I still get slightly anxious before the run but once it's underway all stress dissipates and I can concentrate in hitting the interval targets.

Intervals over with and the rest of the week was relative simple. A seven miler, four miler and five miler at slow, steady and easy pace respectively saw me through to the weekend and this week's long slow run. This time it was a thirteen mile run that, as I hinted at last week, took me down to the Thames and along the river to Richmond where I crossed the bridge and ran back via Syon house and the Grand Union Canal. It's one of my favourite routes and this morning was cold and crisp. Perfect. As I ran along the Thames several rowers were out early in the half dark. They had little lights on their boats that reflected off the water and made them look quite pretty. I ended up running alongside one or two of them as their rowing pace was similar to my running pace. Eventually I sped up a little bit and left the twinkling boats behind.

Across the bridge at Richmond and back up the other side of the bank. Halfway through the run. Homeward bound. Running through the grounds of Syon House and then a short stretch along the Grand Union Canal before cutting over to the Boston Manor Road. I had to add a few twists and turns to make sure that I ran the full distance and that was it. Back home before 9am and a hot bowl of porridge with honey.

Here's the run from this morning:

Next week my Sunday run is supposed to be a 10k race. At the moment I can't find any locally so I may just have to make my own up around the streets of Ealing. There's a function on my Garmin watch that allows you to run against a virtual partner. You set the speed that your partner will run at and you have to try and beat them. Sounds like a race to me!

Location:Ealing,United Kingdom