39 miles and counting
It is only the 11th January and I can’t believe I
have already run more miles than my previous record MONTH! Marathon
training is well underway and I have so far stuck to the training plan- if
sometimes through gritted teeth.
3rd January- Last Saturday saw….rain, a hell of a
lot of rain. In the time it took to get changed into my running gear it went
from a dry, mild day to freezing torrential rain.
I did try to give Lee the look of ‘I can’t run in that’ but
he was having none of it so I would have no one else to blame but myself if I didn’t
pull myself together and get out of the door.
On stepping out one thing was for sure. My shower proof
jacket would not survive…I was right.
Result:
6.2 miles
9:06/mile
56:36
4th January- It honestly rained yesterday?! I
headed out Sunday evening for a steady 5k, perhaps trying to prolong the time
more than anything to try and prevent the inevitable Monday morning back to
work around the corner.
Result:
3.1 miles
8:51/mile
27:48
5th January- Monday was supposed to be rest day
but still in my New-years-healthy-eating-resolution-haze I decided to head out
to Lidl to stock up the fridge for the week. Packing my rucksack with Ikea bags
I headed out- yes I am the crazy one running the dark streets with florescent slap
bands and a red rucksack! Good excuse for some resistance training.
Result:
3.1 miles
8:57/mile
28:07
6th January- Rest day. These are just as
important as the days that I don’t run. Recovery is a huge part of my marathon training
and I want to protect myself as best I can from injury.
7th January- Wednesday night I had planned to do
a 4 mile loop when I realised we had run out of bread which we needed for
Isabella’s sandwiches for nursery the following morning. Lee saw this as a
perfect excuse to request a bottle of wine so I again headed out with my
rucksack, running back the second half with all of the above- plus a couple of
custard slices as a treat.
Result:
5 miles
9:19/mile
46:44
8th January- By Thursday I was exhausted from a
week getting back into routine and working again after a long break over
Christmas. It was most definitely a shock to the system but on returning home I
dragged myself out to do the loop I had previously planned including a 270ft
climb. It wasn’t pretty.
Result:
4 miles
8:57/mile
35:57
9th January- Rest day. Throughout my training
leading up to London ,
I will plan in at least 2 rest days a week. Friday night involved carb loading
in preparation for Saturday’s planned 10 miles.
10th January- Saturday morning my alarm buzzed at
6.30am. It’s Saturday for crying out loud! Getting out of bed was the hardest
it had been all week but I knew I need to be up and get breakfast before
heading out- accompanied with the cries of ‘mummy mummy! Wheatabix!’. To break
up my long run I planned it into segments including Shrewsbury parkrun to make it more digestible
and give the illusion that it wasn’t as far as I thought…
I started my run with 2 miles to the Quarry before joining
in Parkrun. Finishing these two parts, I knew I was half way and would now just
need to battle the wind back home before finishing with a 5k lap. On my way
back home I went into my thoughts and started planning my afternoon (seeing as
it was only around 10.30am). I decided to have another bash at my sweet potato chocolate
brownies so decided my run would take a detour to pick up some chocolate. I
texted Lee to put the bag and some money out for me so I could grab it on my
way round.
Now, if you are reading this and you are a runner you will
more than likely know the mile points in most directions from where you live. So,
as I carried on up to the shop I worked out if I did just an extra .2 of a mile
I would actually finish on 11 miles!
After being pulled into a faster pace at Parkrun, I found
myself slowing towards the end of my run finishing with a 9:54. That’ll teach
me!
Overall though, I am just so pleased to have got the
distance under my belt. Only another 9 training miles to find on top of that
and it is only 11th January so I won’t complain.
Result:
11 miles
9:15/mile
1:41:54
11th January
Today’s run had been planned as a 5k but as soon as I headed
out early afternoon I could feel my shins resisting.
Instead of powering through, I made the decision right at
the start to cut down to 2 miles and work on some foam rolling and stretching
when I got back. This was most definitely the best decision. Listen to your
body!
Result:
2 miles
9:33/mile
19:15
I still struggle with the thought that I am in fact training
for a marathon but this week’s training has shown me I can do what I set my
mind to. It hasn’t always been easy to get out of the door and I know I will
experience both good and bad runs but these few months will definitely be an
exciting journey.
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