I'm at the stage in training where I should probably start not missing meals after work and of course everyone enjoys the good tapering for an upcoming event (reduction in mileage). I'm currently thinking to myself that I really should start taking some sort of multi vitamins and staying away from fellow human beings that are coughing and sneezing. "Coughs and sneezes spread diseases", well not literal diseases of course! I really just want to put myself in a bubble for the next 2 or so weeks and stay away from society, but at current with rent and bills I cannot do this, bestest solution is just make sure I wear gloves at work.
The last time I updated was all the way back at the start of July with the Birmingham Black Country Half... and now it's September :0 what?!!! Time is for sure going too quickly. I don't like it, what's worse is I'm 21 in 15 days! (I feel old).
Marathon training has been so time consuming, and I have some confessions, like for example my longest run has only been 16 miles, but I felt fairly okay and Strava gave it a score of 'brutal' with 714ft ascent. It came with its flaws, I've never had to run on the actual road without a pedestrian path so most of my running was reduced to a walk in the first 2 or so ish miles for fear of getting ran over.
*Article blabber time, I cant help it, I'm a geeky university student. What do you expect?*
I recently read an article in Runners World magazine which made me feel more optimistic about my mileage sin. In short, all runners speeds per mile are different, as a result the distance covered will vary from runner to runner. they thus concluded that slower runners, like mwah should concentrate on time, not distance. They basically said a slower runner should use the basis of 3 hours of running in one session as a marathon training peak oppose to the generalised 20 mile standardisations in the vast majority of training programme! Mwhahahahahaha. So with that... I ran,
16 miles in 3:07:32 with an average pace of 11:43 per mile. That's pretty much what I'm aiming for, a couple of 12 minute miles isn't going to hurt me on race day. Putting into a pace calculator, if I stuck out and run/walked the latter of the course, I should get a finishing time of 5:07:12 and I put a 5hr 30min finishing time on my entry, so its cool!... I hope. When race day finally arrives I'm hoping the adrenalin will overpower my fatigue to make me get to at least 20-23miles, if I have to walk the last 3.2miles, I actually don't give two hoots, as my main aim is just to finish without gaining any injuries as such or collapsing. I'm thinking of doing that gay Facebook live session when I feel incredibly tired with hope of my fellow Facebookers giving me motivation. We shall see.
My latest long run was 14miles last Monday, it was such a calm and collected run. I'd worked 10:30-17:00, I felt restless, so I just made up the route in my head, didn't have a clue as to how many miles it would be. I just put my watch on and watched the miles pass me by with the stunning Coventry countryside sunset. I just went...
I felt fine having taken only 2 SIS Gels with me in my hydration pack at around 11 miles, I truly believe that we you run from your home you're familiar with the distance back to your house, I really do think this impacts your fatigue greatly. Like you know you've guestimated 2 miles until you can get home eat and rest, it then signals into your body, like "heyyyyyy, It's your brain here, you're going to feel like you cant continue for that last 2 miles" and it makes you feel like absolute crap. I'm expecting for this to have a delayed onset on marathon day!
So another 5 day week for me, a week has past. It's now Monday. My Mum texted me that my race pack had arrived. I awoke at a cheeky 11:30am and got round to hers as quickly as a child runs down the stairs to get into their presents on Christmas day and with it agreed to walk my doggies and doggie sit, from there I would cycle 2 miles back to where mum works and do her indoor cycling class and aqua fit, which I have done simultaneously for the past 4 weeks due to work being generous and giving me Sunday and Mondays off- Thanks guys. It's a nice diversion from running and its impacts, plus I get to have a bike at the front of the class and help teach with my mum- I love it. Like her little sidekick of DNA. Aha! Or as Fitness First For Women receptionist use to call me, back in the day "Little T", my mums name, Teresa- get it?!
Safe to say running a marathon isn't to be taken lightly, it is so time consuming. Especially when you're working and not finishing till 6, resulting in you not getting home until 6:40pm, what I've learnt is that even if you absolutely hate running on a treadmill, its really your saviour deep down. For example, when you were in your school days thinking a teacher was picking on you then you realise that you're a just a little shit and they do generally want what's best for you and to reach your full potential. I've done probably 5 runs in the past couple of weeks on it due to my gym being 2 seconds from work, If I go straight away, I'll just get on with it. Whereas, you come home do stuff, sit down and then convince yourself not to go out for a run, of late I've been exceedingly guilty of doing this.
13 days, I repeat 13 days before I take on the biggest challenge of my life. Will it make me, or break me? I have no idea as to what the future holds. Unfortunately, I have no future seeing powers. So the next time you hear from me on this will tell a tale not to be missed ;). For now I exceed no more than 6 miles and overdose on Berocca. Stay tuned.
My new purchase, courtesy of mother dearest for an early birthday present! Love it! I cant help it, I just like to be unique.
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