I've entered my place in the New Forest Marathon which takes place on 13 September, exactly 2 months away. This is hugely exciting as it's my first marathon for 2 years, after various injuries in 2013.
12 July
Last Wednesday I took Poppy, our Jack Russell terrier, out for a 12-miler, which marked the start of marathon training. Last time, back in the summer of 2013, I dived straight into the whole long-distance thing with a 20 mile run and I felt utterly jaded afterwards. The run last week was fine, but Poppy, always bursting with excess energy and zingy brio, was done for afterwards. So we now know the limits of her little 15cm legs.
Today I did a run commute to work and back - that's two times 8.5 miles. I had to mentally gear myself up this morning, particularly with a light drizzle going on. It quickly felt like old times - the familiar route, eating all my lunch by 10 o'clock, and grimacing my way back into still-damp gear to go home.
I'm looking forward to climbing up the steep ladder of marathon fitness...
Update, 26 July
Last Saturday I ran 15 miles in a nice comfortable 2 hours. I was OK afterwards, but actually quite done-for over the following days. I was tired and hungry, but above all my hamstrings were really sore and stiff.
On Monday I cycled to work and did a yoga class at lunchtime, which I thought was being very careful and sensible. Then on Tuesday I had to sit in a car on a 6-hour journey to Manchester. I'm not sure that this was terribly helpful. I did an early morning run along the Manchester Ship Canal which was very pleasant except for the tightest legs that I can ever remember. The stretches afterwards were groan-inducingly hard work.
Another 12-miler with Poppy yesterday and I'm feeling a lot better. I'm hoping that I'm over the initial hump.
Monday, 13 July 2015
Saturday, 11 July 2015
RR10, 2015 - Marwell
The course at Marwell had changed since my last outing in 2013. It was now a single lap, but quite a complicated one. I spent a while studying the map and, following my experiences at Manor Farm a fortnight ago, I did a recce of the final hill before the start.
Despite this, I was feeling poorly prepared for the race. Mrs S and I had enjoyed a very pleasant pub lunch a few hours earlier, and I had to rouse myself from the sofa in a Wimbledon-soaked lethargy to leave the house at six-thirty.
Off we went, and I made a real effort not to get caught up in the initial charge. After a couple of minutes we were out of the wide open Campari and into narrow woodland tracks, full of tricksy tree roots. For a while it was a job to overtake, but I bided my time as patiently as I could.... and as a result I had a very happy time in the second half overtaking lots of people, and I had a good sense of how much of the race lay ahead.
I finished in 23rd place, equal with my Wilverley finish - very satisfactory. And I'd got my appetite back.
Despite this, I was feeling poorly prepared for the race. Mrs S and I had enjoyed a very pleasant pub lunch a few hours earlier, and I had to rouse myself from the sofa in a Wimbledon-soaked lethargy to leave the house at six-thirty.
Off we went, and I made a real effort not to get caught up in the initial charge. After a couple of minutes we were out of the wide open Campari and into narrow woodland tracks, full of tricksy tree roots. For a while it was a job to overtake, but I bided my time as patiently as I could.... and as a result I had a very happy time in the second half overtaking lots of people, and I had a good sense of how much of the race lay ahead.
 |
| You put your left leg in... |
I finished in 23rd place, equal with my Wilverley finish - very satisfactory. And I'd got my appetite back.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)