Injury

Still got a niggling injury, but it's ok cos I'm mainly stationary at the moment decorating. Managed to get hold of a radio so I didn't just listen to Electric Feel a billion times. Hoping to race this weekend but not sure. Will be interested to see how my short distance times change after the marathon, admittedly without having trained properly recently. Mainly been on the "rebounder"/mini trampoline which is pretty fun.

Over and out!

Not updated this at all, so for those few who do follow it and don't actually know, I did it! Did it in 3:59:31 so just sub-4 hours. Very pleased with that and will be looking for more races and probably another marathon at some point soon. Definitely think I can improve my training and race strategy, especially in the weeks leading up to it.

Thanks for reading!

Time flies

Disappointing commitment to blog updating has fortunately not been reflected in the running stakes. I had a setback a few weeks ago trying to run a half marathon straight after football and a bike ride to the start, not having time for lunch. I burntout about 8 miles and an hour in and took an hour to get round the rest of the course, having to sit and eat a gratefully received orange with a friend.

However since then I've tried to keep at it and the other week ran 12.35 miles in 84 minutes, mostly along the marathon route. I was absolutely dead afterwards but it was a good morale boost, thanks to the inspirational TC who I've mentioned before as a running sensation. This week I managed to put out 4 lots of 6.4 miles, one lot of 5.5 and then on my Sunday long run day I paced my dad for the last 5 miles of his half marathon and then ran a 13 miler in the early evening at about 7min 35s/mile so feeling pretty good about things. Need to keep it up and do a proper 18-20 miles in one go this week. I've bought some 1000mile socks to try and stop getting blisters in my arches and they seem to work great, except now I've got a tiny blister on the front pad of my foot. Hopefully it'll be a temporary thing while getting used to the sock.

Not long left, but fundraising has gone well, nearly reached my first target of £1.5k.

Summary

I have been pretty lax updating this for a week or so, however I have still been running. After the last one I wrote about I did 4 fast miles on the Thursday, I think I did some running on Friday and then had the weekend off. This Monday I went out on another 16 miler and ran it in 2 hours 25 seconds which was fantastic. I used some jelly babies, wore my gloves and went further along the marathon course, to about 9.5 miles which is where the loop finishes as well. I did another fastish run on the Tuesday and felt good, though a little sore as expected. Wednesday off as usual and Thursday I went out again, planning to do 6 at speed. I don't know whether it was the second 16 in 2 weeks, or whether it was because at the youth club I helped at we played a game which basically amounted to me doing many very violent squat-leaps, but when I started the run my quads just above the knee felt weird, as if they were flapping a bit. Thought about calling it off but headed on since I thought it was just a niggle. About 3 miles in I started to think something might not be quite right as on my right leg it felt like it might go at some point. About 3.5 miles in I had to stop as it sort of gave up. Annoying. It's not a serious problem I don't think, but I'm taking the rest of the week off, and next week will aim to just do runs on flat and reasonably short distances. I might even do some swimming instead, but since I should be running in a half marathon a week on Sunday I need to be careful.

Blergh. I've done what I can with ice and deep heat stuff, and though they were particularly sore yesterday evening walking downhill, I think I'll be fine.

Tuesday too

Quick post for a quick run. Just a recovery I guess, since I definitely felt a bit of yesterday's run in my legs once I got moving, but it wasn't too much trouble.

3 miles
0:22:38
Conditions: dark
Mood: Happy.

Two's company

Ran the first of what I guess you might call the long distance runs on Monday with Tom. It was great running with him since he is a speedy man and also massively motivated so we got through it together, with my pacing and his determination. Very happy when we'd done it, but very tired. Got some muscle spasming in my left quad(?) at about mile 13 for a second or two, but we slowed down and got round in a good time, for me anyway. Dad said that the spasm is because of overworking the muscle without enough carbohydrates in the body (or some such madness) which makes sense since I hadn't really eaten properly beforehand - two bits of toast, a sandwich and a mars bar don't really constitute "carb loading".

16 miles
2:08:00
Conditions: good, light wind, light rain at times
Mood: Elated.

Getting faster

Out again today, all alone though. Headed towards King's, the science buildings, turned right, headed back towards the park, turned left, ran along a bit, turned right to the park and hoooome. Put a fair bit of pace into it but feel good at the end and felt good for most of it too.

4.37 miles
00:31:42
Conditions: wet underfoot
Mood: Very happy