It's marathon season!

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.