Overthinking...

16 Days to Go

This is already getting ridiculous, I'm only three days into the taper and I'm already climbing the walls metaphorically speaking. It certainly wasn't this bad last year. Monday's club run was a nice, steady effort - apart from the first two miles which I did at a daft pace in order to catch up with Mike and friends. Not sure why I did this - it's obviously of no benefit, and there are lots of other nice people in the club to run with!

After a day off yesterday apart from a trip to gym, tonight brought another rep session. The plan of 5 lots of 600m runs was successfully executed over at Rowheath with extra points for dodging both the showers, a man flying a kite and the inevitable group of the youth. Managed to do the 8 miles and make it back before 7 o'clock which was a rare triumph.

Despite this activity, the mind is still racing ahead to the big day. I keep catching myself checking the weather forecast for Reykjavik - which is entirely useless since the race is still over two weeks away. There's meticulous planning and then there's a descent into outright madness! Hopefully Saturday's race at Stourbridge will help to burn off some nervous energy. 

It's either that, or start planning my Iceland itinerary...

Almost There...

23 Days to Go

I've made it to the final week of hard training before experiencing the twin dreads of any runner. On Monday it was getting lost - an impressive achievement considering there was a group of five of us and we were running in Birmingham where we all live. Still, made it back to the club having only run about two miles more than planned. Just remind me in future to ignore anyone offering an 'interesting' detour during a club run.

Tonight, brought an even worse fate - getting caught short whilst out on a run. Luckily I'd decided to do my reps over at Rowheath rather than Cannon Hill owing to the likely crowds post-cricket, so could just dip over to the Pavilion for my ablutions before resuming the 1km repeats. I don't think they were particularly quick (probably out that down to post-work malaise) but it's the thought that counts eh?

Tomorrow I think that I'll do the run home from work. It will probably be my last one for a fair old while which makes me feel a bit sad in an odd way...

As an aside, I noticed last night that there was a Reykjavik Marathon Strava group which of course I immediately joined. Sadly it was a bit underwhelming - comprising me and a bloke from Wallasey. Just hope that there's a bigger turnout on the day!

"A tide in the affairs of man..."

Week 10 - 58 Days to Go

A couple of days off from my weekend exertions so now back into training with abundance. Yesterday was the seemingly simple matter of an eight-ish mile recovery run. Unfortunately, the practicalities of running in warm weather when a bit ginger haunted me in abundance and it was a hard old slog - although bizarrely checking afterwards appeared to be almost exactly the same time as  the last occasion I ran the particular route. Strange indeed.

Today was tempered by the double whammy of a washing machine diagnosed as broken beyond repair and confirmation of changes at work. How this will affect me I am yet to find out, except that it will almost certainly hamper my ability to do my job. Roll on the end of the Masters course when I can hopefully secure alternative employment...

I tried to take my mind off things with the run - supposedly nine miles with 6 x 800m reps in the middle. Thanks to my woeful judging of distances, the choice of doing it on what passes for the track of Rowheath meant that by the time I got back I'd actually done about 10 and a half miles. Oops. 

On the plus side, the reps were consistently paced and no-one was about when I did them to laugh at me!

Rest Day tomorrow. I'm in two minds whether to head to the club or simply gym it. Variety is the spice of life after all...

Normal Service Resumed

Week Seven - 79 Days to Go

First post in a while after an enforced absence - last week was a mandated recovery week, which meant less running. Handily this was a good thing as on Monday I sat my first and only exam for my Masters this year. Having not had the pleasure of a written exam for about 13 years, it was a fairly terrifying experience - compounded by the fact it all took place in an old gym which gave me flashbacks to my GCSEs!

Anyway, out of the way now so nothing else to occupy my spare time apart from training and rehearsals for my stage debut (here on the 6th July). Yesterday I went out and managed a five mile threshold run along the canal. As per usual, I was for too quick - which made for an undignified spectacle on the last mile. Even more concerning was that the five miles finished just by a children's play area - the one place you shouldn't really stand around panting and sweating profusely....

Tonight was my now customary run home from work, and as is now also customary the weather was very pleasant. It was so nice (and to be honest I felt in such good shape) that I added an extra mile and a bit on the end to make a half marathon distance. The pace was pretty consistent, save for the inevitable road crossings and having to negotiate a small army of ducks in Highbury Park. It seems the recovery week has done the trick, so far 'The Plan' is doing the business.

The next few days are planned to be easy runs, building for the weekend. For reasons I can't really remember, I've entered a 10k race in Worcester on Sunday morning. However, I think that I may be giving it a miss - although I think I'm in the kind of shape for a sub-40 minute time, it probably won't be any use for the training regime which calls for a 18-plus run on the Sunday. Besides, the Droitwich 10k is booked in for a few weeks time. Hopefully post-marathon I can reap the benefits of the training and post some quick times over the shorter distances.

Poor choice of words for a blog about marathon training but best not to walk before you can run!

First Day Back

Week Four - 101 Days to Go

Just a quick entry tonight, I have been woefully neglecting reading for the solitary Uni exam in a few weeks, instead I've spend the night aimlessly browsing the internet and posting unnecessarily vague announcements on Facebook.

The rest over the weekend appeared to have done the trick, the nine miles this evening felt alright (apart from the first couple obviously) and I finished it off with some 100m strides along the old Cannon Hill gravel pitch - much to the amusement of a group of rude boys and a bemused father playing cricket with his kids. Humiliation is part and parcel of running, probably due to the ill advised lycra.

Checking good old Strava afterwards I noticed it was at a quicker pace than last week, even with the extra mile, so quite pleasing. The real test will come tomorrow with the big run back from work. 'The Plan' calls for 14 miles. I think it's doable, but with the mileage increasing steadily, and with the prospect of the longest run so far pencilled in for Sunday, I feel this week will either make or break me. 

Fingers crossed. See you on the other side. 

So Far So Good...

121 Days to Go

Two days of running under my belt now. Tuesday went better than expected - Kangaroo Court wasn't in session and my day at work was again enlivened by the presence of 'The Shadow' in the office. The man absolutely fascinates me - he appears to have coasted through the last 28 years of his working life , producing absolutely nothing tangible but has still managed to work in some of the most interesting areas of business. It should make me angry, but it takes sheer effort to get away with it and such audacity must really be applauded.

Hellish traffic on the way home increased my journey by about an hour so it was through the door, quick change and out for the first run - a threshold session. I must admit to a shiver of excitement as my Garmin ticked towards the three mile mark and the four scheduled miles at pace began. I chose Cannon Hill park again, reasoning that it would allow me space to get up to speed without having to constantly stop at junctions. Oh, the travails of city living!

The miles were consistent which was a good omen for Stratford. Even better was the fact that I was only harangued by one member of The Youth. He ran with me for about ten yards before giving up - likely due to the danger of tripping over his ridiculously outsize pants. I can only put the lack of interest down to either looking like someone they don't want to mess with, or being too quick for them. Either is fine in my book.

Wednesday and 'The Plan' calls for a weekly medium-long run. I thought the most sensible approach was to run home from work. In the end it worked quite well, the route isn't particularly exciting but seems to be a similar gradient to the marathon course which will hopefully benefit me in a few months. Plus, the thought of dripping my sweat over the more affluent areas of the Midlands appeals to my inner left-wing firebrand...

Again, it was a good consistent pace and the route means that I can add extra loops of Moseley and surrounding environs as the mileage demands increase. Overall then, an encouraging start.

Tomorrow we are having a rare visit at work from Management to give us the lowdown on the Brave New World we will shortly be embarking on. Like most of their proclamations, it doesn't fill me with much confidence. Then in the evening it's back down the club with a steady run in the schedule. I just hope that with the London Marathon on the horizon, someone will be there to run with me!

- As an aside, I saw this yesterday. I could get used to being above average at something!

A Walk in the Park

Pretty simple idea today - a three mile-ish threshold run (the ish being how far it is around Cannon Hill Park twice and then back out again). It went quite well, as I felt truly terrible by the end but didn't appear to slow down during it. I'm still running quicker than the half marathon pace that I should be doing, yet more evidence that I need to sort out my pacing pretty sharpish.

The main problem was that the unnaturally pleasant weather meant that the park was pretty much packed by the time I got there, turning the run into an obstacle course at times. Starve obsessives can attribute the slight drop in place to the points when I had to weave around oblivious walkers.

In other news, I've noticed that my increase in performance can be directly correlated to stress at work. This means that tomorrow's run with the club will probably be at a world record pace...

Speed Work....

Better today. 

One of the things about the training program that I'll be following for the marathon (more on which later) is the number of lactate threshold workouts (or for layman like me - running until you blow out of your arse).

As one of life's natural pessimists, the thought of these fills me with dread. Obviously this is completely irrational as I've done them before both as club training sessions or as quick runs when I have foolishly attempted to impress girls. 

So to assuage my concerns, tonight's session was a couple of miles warm up down to Cannon Hill followed by a loop around the park and back to Cecil Road as quick as possible (passing some slightly bemused club mates en route). 

To be honest it was probably too quick, even after several years the art of adequate pacing still eludes me but I felt good afterwards. I was even full of enough bravado to go back home up the Cartland Road hill.

All in all, a good session - although I expect partly fuelled by the frustration of the constant farce that is my current employment.