Since deciding not to run a marathon on this forthcoming Sunday, I have done absolutely nothing that could in any way, shape or form be construed as exercise. Okay, that’s a actually a bit of a lie as I have taken the dog out for a walk most days but to me that doesn’t really feel like I’m doing anything active. Oh, and I did spend a couple of hours digging over the allotment yesterday (and by god did it need it! Only another 10 hours or so until it’s done.) What I mean is that I haven’t been running, gymming, swimming or anything else which might raise my heart rate over 120bpm.

Largely as a result of this but in no little part also as a consequence of eating, drinking, eating, more drinking and perhaps a little more eating, I’ve put on quite a bit of weight - at least half a stone in the last 2 months. Granted, it could be worse. So, motivated by the fact that my trousers are a little too tight in all the wrong places and the bloated feeling I absolutely loathe, I took to the treadmill this afternoon.
(more…)

I’ve finally decided not to do the marathon that I’d planned to do.

I feel a bit defeatist about it but the decision is made on the fact that I’m not doing the miles I need to. Last week I should have run about 40 miles in total. I actually managed 5 and struggled through that because of (yet another) cold that developed over the subsequent couple of days. One downside to being the parent of a young, illness-susceptible toddler I suppose.

It’s all a bit of bad timing really. The wife has had even worse morning sickness this time around than she did with numero uno. It’s not just a matter of feeling sick but being totally incapacitated by it. This does mean that trying to find 2-3 hours on a weekend to go out running just doesn’t happen.

Part of me still thinks that I should just enter it and do it and see what happens but I really want to be prepared for it both physically and mentally. As I don’t think I will be, I might as well defer and find a time to do it next year. Hey ho!

Half way through the planned training schedule so what did I do? Took the week off and didn’t run at all. No it wasn’t in the plan but I felt as mobile as a concrete paving slab and was certain that the globule of phlegm stuck in my trachea was a sure sign that I had some fucking shite clogging up my lungs - heavy wheezing going up stairs contributed to the evidence for the prosecution.

As usual, nothing came of it and I feel neither better nor worse and the piece of gunk in my windpipe is still there.
(more…)

Only 6 weeks in? Blimey! At least that means I’ve got 8 weeks left.

This week went better than expected even if I did only get 2 runs in - gentle five miles on wednesday and hard five miles on friday. The cold/chest infection I thought I was getting didn’t really come to anything much so I just went out figuring a run would make or break it into something. Don’t you just hate it when you know that you’re on the verge of getting sick but it’s not comign to anything?

I’ve written off running at the weekends at the moment which is unfortunate but necessary in current circumstances. I’d like to do a race next sunday but it might require some negotiation. (The schedule for the sunday after that involves an 18 mile run - I’d like to do it but that’s at least 3 hours out and will require some tricky negotiation).

The best thing is that I checked on the last dates for postal entries and it looks like I’ve got up until the week before the race or so to decide if I’m going to do it.

Definite decline this week.

I twisted my knee on a hill run on Monday so skipped Wednesday’s run. By Friday I was feeling wheezy and chesty and figured that I was next in line for whatever virus is going around so didn’t go out then or over the weekend. Still feeling subdued now but nothings coming of it so might venture out tomorrow for a make or break trot around the woods.

Weight training? What weight training?

Another awful week of training.

It started out well enough - a fast 5 miler on Monday, hampered only by my inability to go up the last hill because of tight calf muscles. Fortunately, the first 4.5 miles felt fast, flowing and free. I don’t know how there’s been such a turnaround in the space of 5 or 6 weeks but there has and it feels good.

Wednesday’s 5 miler didn’t feel quite as easy but I pushed it hard again and felt far stronger over a different route than I have before.

I’m glad I pushed both runs hard because that was it. I did nothing for the rest of the week. Still no trips to the gym and Friday’s run didn’t happen owing to work mostly (but also a certain amount of “why bother” having just surrendered my place in next weeks Rat Race. My weekend is already well documented and here we are back at Monday. I’m concerned that the tingling at the back of my throat is going to develop into something more and that the dull throbbing behind my eyes is ye olde mysterious space virus coming for a visit.

A run will probably do me good.

Despite doing almost as little as I did last week, everything felt better. I think it’s because of the 12 miler I did last Monday - that just sorted my head out properly. Most of the week was hampered by a huge blister on my foot that had rubbed up the week before but that I hadn’t done anything about. I treated it properly on Tuesday and it seems fine now.

Running went okay: 5 miles (steady pace) on Wednesday and 6 miles (easy pace) on Friday. I had planned to do a five mile race yesterday but owing to other (family orientated) priorities, there was no way it was going to happen. I’m not worrying though as rather than take a rest day today, I’ll do a hard 5 miler to make up.
(more…)

The only word I can use to describe my attempt at training this week is diabolical. Out of the 5 training sessions planned, I managed 2 and a half. Well, maybe only two.

Strictly speaking, only one.
(more…)

Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

I’ve been on holiday. Nowhere exciting, just the west coast of Wales visiting the rellies and going to the beach. It’s relaxing in a “get up at 6am to take care of the hatchling” kind of way. Avoided email and internet and all in all it was bliss. The downside is that in my first week of training I ate too much, drank too much and only managed 2 out of 4 training sessions. Or 3 out of 5 if you include today. To be fair, it’s not too bad although I counteracted everything by the sheer amount of cheese, wine and beer that was consumed.

I am generally feeling bloated and overweight. I’m sure this will go away after a few days of healthy, proper eating and booze abstention. I just didn’t see the point of starting a diet when I was going to be staying at a restaurant.

Actual training this week ended up something like this:

• Wednesday: 5 miles, ~49 mins
• Friday: 5 miles, ~44 mins
• Sunday: 9 miles, ~88 mins

I’m trying not to look at the times too much as they were meant to be “easy” 5 milers and a “steady” 9 miles. I can’t help it though. 5 miles is only 8km and is a distance I should be able to do very comfortably in about 40 minutes or so (my fastest 10km race time is about 45 mins). However, these times are in keeping with the 14 week training plan I’ve got which is for a 3.5 to 4 hour marathon time so I’m not going to complain just yet.

I’m not doing the Dublin marathon. The online website I booked through eventually came back with an apology for the delay and a message that they had refunded my entry. I’m a little disappointed but it solves my quandary. I should point out, while I’m at it, that the quandary wasn’t so much about not having the funds but more that if I’m going to take a day off work and spend that amount of money then I should probably spend it on something that I can do with my family and not just spend it on myself. I’m nice like that.

Anyway, there’s always another time for the Dublin Marathon. Or the New York Marathon. Or, well, you get the idea.

What it all did confirm to me, however, is that I’m mentally ready to attempt that 26.2 mile distance. So instead, I’m going to enter the Luton Marathon. That is, I’m probably going to enter it. There’s one or two things holding me back at the moment. You see, the plus side to going to Luton is that it’s cheaper (under 20 quid for an entry - a bargain for these things), it’s at the beginning of December so I have longer to train (15 weeks this coming sunday), it’s geographically closer and it’s on a sunday. (What is with that Dublin Marathon being on a monday anyway? Is it an Irish bank holiday or just a fucked up day to have an event?)

The downside to the Luton race is that rather than being a single lap race, it’s 3 laps of a 9 mile course (just under 3 laps - whatever!), half of which goes through the city centre. And it’s in Luton. I always thought my first marathon would be a little more, I don’t know, exotic.

It does also have a strict time limit of five hours to complete the race which is a useful target and one that I should achieve. While it’s not overly ambitious, I would be aiming for 10 minute miles - at the very minimum - which would mean a time of somewhere around 4 hours and 20 minutes. I wouldn’t necessarily rule out getting closer to the 4 hour mark either but at this stage, the goal is simply to finish and to finish in under 5 hours.

There’s no question about it really - I’m going to do it.

I’ve just got to remember that I’ve got another event in London at the end of September which I need to get ready for. (Follow the link and watch the video and then watch this one and you’ll get a good idea of what my team is going to be doing.) After the run I did today, I have got a lot of work to do! :/