Ten weeks until London

Ten weeks until London.

First off I hate it when people refer to a marathon just by the name of the city it is in but predictably I have become one of those people.

The London marathon, a race I will be running in ten weeks

Ten weeks until the Virgin Money London Marathon then.

London, it is a city, it is here, it is not ten weeks away

The headline news is that I am actually following a marathon training plan, it's quite a change in my whole running ethos.

I always had the notion that if I ever got into London (FFS I've done it again) then that would be my impetus to follow a plan/train harder/lose weight/eat properly/do more strength and conditioning, all the things I feel would improve my marathon performance but haven't quite had the motivation to implement before.

So far it's working.

I'm following a training plan, the asics target 26.2 sub 4 plan (there would be a link to the relevant webpage but it has been wiped from the internet and now replaced with asics frontrunner) to be precise.

I'm eating a bit better, not loads better but trying to cut back snacking and controlling my portion size.

And I'm putting an emphasis on incorporating some strength and conditioning work into my routine, mainly plank based exercises and techniques from James Dunne @kineticrev.

Time will tell if they all make a difference but early signs are encouraging.

Training recap:
I really enjoyed a great interval session on Tuesday hitting 5x10K paced 1K intervals.
Last night I tolerated a bitterly cold steady paced 14 miles, so demanding maintaining a slow pace when it's so cold!

The week ahead:
Some marathon paced running and maybe a hill session mid week.
Greenwich 10K on Sunday, following the plan this will be HM paced.

So far so good.
Trust the process.
Enjoy the ride.

Thank you for all the sponsorship so far, to donate to my fundraising efforts for PARC (Essex) please click here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gareth-davies109 Thanks!

Chelmsford Marathon race review

On Sunday I ran my seventh marathon at the second Chelmsford marathon. I will get straight to the point, I ran an awesome race, smashed the course and knocked 6 minutes clean off my PB to finish in a time of 4.03.52.

Chelmsford as a marathon appealed to me as it is only around 15miles away from where I live and usually an easy enough train journey. However this weekend there were train engineering works so the journey became a bit more stressful involving a much earlier start and rail replacement buses.

I was pretty apprehensive in the week before the marathon and much of this was down to the uncertainty of the journey to the start line, as if weeks of tough training weren't hard enough! 

Despite being my seventh marathon this was only my third 'race' at marathon distance as the others have been hilly trail marathon which although great fun are no good for fast times or PBs. So discounting my first marathon where I didn't really know what I was getting myself into despite training as thoroughly as I knew how to at the time this was then only in affect my second marathon attempt.

I felt pretty confident of running a good time and challenging my PB as my training has much improved in recent months since my involvement in Asics 26.2 at the end of last year, there's plenty of my blog articles that talk about this I won't harp on about it again! 

So I felt good heading into the race although a little dubious about my long training runs as I felt that I cut them abut short and that I would have really benefited had they been a mile or two longer. Every little helps!

My general strategy was to aim for around 4 hour pace and see how the race worked out. Although my pacing strategy was to just run comfortably and see where that got me, as Long as I didn't push the pace early on I knew I would be OK. I also knew I was comfortable at running at 5.25min/km (approx 3.40hour pace) for a considerable amount of at least the first half. If I could get some good distance in at 5.25 and then finish off at around 5.40 pace then sub4 would certainly be possible. 

The first mile or two were pretty congested and quite twisty turney but I managed to get into a rhythm and I felt good. After around 3miles I was running behind two guys and overheard their discussion on pacing, they were aiming for around a 4 hour finish and like experienced long distance runners who were going to pace themselves sensibly  so I aimed to keep pace with them. I managed to keep them in my sights sitting comfortably around 20m behind them for the whole course until around mile 21 when I managed to surge past them. 

I passed the first 5K at target pace as well as the 10K point, the miles were being ticked off in the required 9minute mile pace and I felt good. 

As for the course the first section was largely uninspiring apart from the amusement of running through the town of Springfield, unfortunately I didn't spot any Simpsons! 

A massive plus point of the event is the frequency of water stations which were located every few miles and are much more frequent than an average marathon. 

I still opted to carry my hydration pack though so I could easily have water, gels, an energy drink and an emergency pack of jelly babies close at hand.

After the first 7 or 8 miles of a marathon is where the fun starts, 10K has been and gone and you know you are into the main body of the race. My plan was to just focus on each mile and keep reevaluating my race goal every few miles.

It was at around this point that I knew I was going to have a good race as the miles seemed to fly by, I didn't have to longingly look ahead for mile markers or agonisingly gaze at my watch hoping the minutes would magically skip by. 

Miles 16, 17 and 18 soon came and I knew I was still on for a finish at around 4 hours and more surprisingly I was still feeling good. I kept running and waiting for the tiredness to hit me, waiting for my pace to slow right down as my legs turned to stone, but it never came....

Sure I slowed down, yes I felt stiff, and I had nagging pains pop up in my hip, groin and foot but nothing enough to slow me down. 

Somewhere between miles 18-20 marshals had placed some homemade motivational banners along the course. One in particular appealed to me and stuck in my mind:

With this thought at the forefront of my mind I also had the motivation of 'don't be shit!' Ringing in my ears, these two phrases stuck with me in the closing miles and definitely earned me a few extra minutes.

Over the last third of the race I ran and chatted for a bit with two or three different runners. At mile 21 I started chatting with a marathon debutant who was maintaining a decent pace although he was bravely fighting to keep going and complete the marathon in his target time of close to 4 hours. I assured him anything near to 4 hours was a fantastic first marathon time. We seemed well paced with each other and both seemed to be spurring the other on to keep going which felt great. 

Towards mile 23 something clicked, running at this steady was hard for sure and a finish of around my existing PB of 4.09 would be pleasing I actually felt good, I could definitely go faster, maybe sub4 was still on the cards. 

So I wished my latest running buddy all the best and sped off, it felt great to be aiming for a target and giving everything I had to hit it. For a mile maybe a mile and a half I kept up what I imagine was 8 minute mile pace before  I finally ran out of steam and I just had to hold on until the end.

Looking back now I feel that my realisation at that point earned me my PB , although I slowed down badly in the last mile I don't think it would have been any slower than it would have been had I just kept plodding along and I had two faster miles to show for it as well.

I am so pleased with my PB, there's something about a PB that just keeps you buzzing, the achievement, the satisfaction, the pride, so many positive emotions. 

But so much more than this I am astounded at the improvement in my performance. In past marathons the final miles have been a struggle, a walk/run affair to slowly limp over the finish line having to muster every bit of mental strength to keep myself moving forward.

So what changed this time? Here are the factors that I think positively contributed to my improved performance and PB time:

• A better mental attitude of believing anything is possible, Chris and Tony here's your shout out boys, thanks for the support! 

• A clearer understanding of what a marathons all about, knowing how hard it is, how long it is and what it takes to finish.

• A more restful taper- The week before the marathon I ran about 12K the week before that around 20K, I definitely felt more rested and energised.

• Interval sessions - Since Asics 26.2 and the subsequent track sessions my running has definitely improved. Intervals give your legs that power and knowledge that they can easily change a gear and up the pace when required, a necessary requirement for keeping to pace in a marathon. 

• Midweek longer runs - I identified in the build up to my last marathon in August that I had ticked a lot of boxes with my training, long runs, speed work, tempo runs, recovery runs but I felt I needed a longer run midweek. So in this training cycle on top of the weekend long runs and shorter speed work sessions I have ventured out on longer runs of around 15K at and faster than target marathon pace.

• Sustained high mileage - In the last two or three months I have trained for and completed the Vanguard Way Marathon, 4 laps at Spitfire Scramble (40K), Bacchus Half Marathon and a 10K race. I have racked up 430K in the last two months and another 320K in the two months prior to that, the sustained high mileage over several months has definitely made me stronger and increased my stamina.

Still buzzing with my PB several days after I have now increased my love for the marathon and feel with a few improvements I am capable of knocking 10-15 minutes off my PB in early 2016!

Thanks as always for reading and for everyone who has supported me in any way big or small, thank you and happy running!

Ready to run my next marathon

Following on from my last post which took a look back at how my training had gone I have just completed a gentle 2km jog and in doing so have now finished my marathon training.

Now I sit and wait for 9.30 tomorrow AM for the race to start.

Today I have mostly rested as well as prepared for tomorrow. I have my kit and supplies all ready and I have again consumed vast amounts of carbohydrates as I continue my carb load to ensure I am fully fueled for the 26.2 miles that lie ahead.

In the last week or two I have again questioned why I run and specifically why I run marathons and have again chosen to put myself through a grueling marathon training program as well as running a marathon.

It's a curious question, I certainly enjoy running, I like the free time, I like getting out and exploring, I enjoy challenging myself and I feel I need the focus that marathon training brings. These are just a few of the reasons why I do what I do.

I came across this article in the week about the growing trend in society for people to push themselves in extreme pursuits. It's an interesting question with no clear answer readily available. 

I certainly feel that I continue to run and enter marathons under the guise of trying  to 'scratch an itch', something in me that just won't go away and won't be satisfied by another hobby or activity. On a more personal note I am still striving for a sub 4 hour marathon, tomorrow will be my 6th attempt even though I know this feat is impossible tomorrow as the course is far to challenging and hilly for personal records to be achieved.

Scroll through social media early today's I was pleased to see this quote pop up.

To me it sums up that marathon running is about so much more than running. Tomorrow will be about running, enjoying the experience, the scenery, the comradery with other runners, the challenge to name just a few. I was also reminded this week that having running in my life is also a kind of stabilizing focus on my lifestyle. This week I had a work drinks reception, a colleagues leaving drinks, an evening at the football, a work summer barbecue party and drinks with ex colleagues. It was both a challenge and a disappointment to have to hold myself back not to have a proper drink or enjoy as much food as I would have liked and to have to come home early. But then I think of all the extra calories I would have eaten and the excess alcohol I would have consumed had I not had the  marathon this weekend as a get out clause to hold myself back. I know I felt much better this week sticking to the orange juice, not eating too much and getting to bed early.

So now onward to marathon number 6, the vanguard way marathon following the vanguard way path through the North downs. It's a race I ran last year and thoroughly enjoyed despite getting lost three times! You can have a read of those escapades here. 

Good luck to everyone else racing this weekend or training hard for the next event. Race report to follow once I have ran and sufficiently recovered marathon number 6! 

Reflections of my marathon training from week zero

My sixth marathon the Vanguard Way marathon is coming up on Sunday the 2nd August, here are my reflections on my training and preparation. 

So here I am in the middle of week zero, although I haven't followed a formal training plan The last week pre marathon remains the same for any runner.

My last long run, a 15miler, safely completed 3 weeks prior to race day. A 10K at race pace ticked off the Sunday before the marathon, my last effort run completed on Tuesday and now just a final few miles tomorrow before a gentle loosener on Saturday and then that's it race day.

I have tapered down in the last two weeks significantly reducing my mileage and I have upped my card intake over the last few days with an even higher intake to come in the final few days.

Marathon paranoia (maranoia? I thought it was a thing, but turns out I think I imagined it) struck last week, the realization that my training has been done and I can no longer do anything to positively change my marathon experience. My general observations on my training were as follows:

• I should have done at least one more long run in the region of 18 miles
• My shorter harder runs have not been hard and fast enough
• My long slow runs have not been long and slow enough
• Not enough cross training
• No where near enough strength and conditioning work as this has slipped away to become almost non existent.
• I should have incorporated a more focused midweek longer run. 

From my experiences being part of the Asics Target 26.2 competition I have made the following changes to my marathon preparation:

• Every run and pretty much every kilometer of my training has had a focus (this has been the biggest change to my training ever and really 'flicked a switch' in my training approach)
• Moved my last long run from 2 weeks prior to race to 3 weeks prior
• Ran my longer runs aiming for 30 seconds plus race pace per km.

The taper stage of training has gone well and I have really eased up on my activity levels and have noticed a marked increase in my energy levels. My legs feel good and aside from the odd niggle in my calf, knee and shoulder I feel good. I have eaten well and have (so far) managed to stay off the booze for the 2 week period prior to race day, not easy when the week prior to race day contains three evenings out and going to a football match!

So now I sit and patiently wait for the clock to tick down to race day while scoffing all the carbs in sight. The following links are some resources I have found useful in my marathon preparations:

Runners world Asics Target 26.2 training plans: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/target262/training.aspx

Runners World 'How to carb load'http://www.runnersworld.com/fuel-school/how-to-carb-load-for-marathon-week?cid=NL_QOTD_-_07282015_HowtoCarbLoadforMarathonWeek

Race day tips
http://www.mapmyrun.com/blog/10-day-race-preparation-tips-4008/?utm_source=silverpop&utm_medium=email&utm_content=racetips-button&utm_campaign=newsletter&spMailingID=49165746&spUserID=NzU2MjYyNTk2MjUS1&spJobID=723001597&spReportId=NzIzMDAxNTk3S0

10 tips to master the marathon:

http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/10-tips-to-master-the-marathon?cid=socTP_20150728_49588246&adbid=625893486626107392&adbpl=tw&adbpr=14882900

Foods to help running performance: 

http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-for-runners/performance-training-foods-for-runners?adbid=621182427981942784&adbpl=tw&adbpr=14882900&cid=socNut_20150715_48489646&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

What to eat the week of a marathon

http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-for-runners/what-to-eat-the-week-of-a-marathon

Another overdue blog update

My running continues as ever even if my blog posts continue to remain scarce into 2015.

I am eagerly training for my next two events, the Vanguard Way Marathon on 2 August and Spitfire Scramble on 15 August. 

My marathon training has really upped a gear from previous campaigns. Every session has an aim and every kilometre a specific desired pace.

Whether concentrating on going slow or being determined to run fast I am focusing each time I got out to run.

My long runs have been very slow and steady, I have being aiming for around 30seconds per km slower than my desired sub 4 marathon pace and I have found this very comfortable to sustain for longer period and have completed back to back 16 and 17 mile runs in the last two weekends.

My most recent run on Sunday was 27.6K in 2 hours 50 with all but the first few hundred metres completed in heavy summers rain which made for a sodden and soaking running experience.

In the last two weeks as my training has really peaked I have covered 120K in just 14 days.

I feel like I have cracked the idea of marathon training, I have sussed it, it's not that hard! 

A weekly long run at slower pace, a good amount of speed work midweek, plenty of stretching and conditioning and the more miles you can cover every week the nearer you will get to your goal or the easier your run will be.

A pretty simple formula to follow! Following my three marathons in three months last year and then being involved in the Asics Target 26.2 competition I feel like my marathon training has now clicked into place. 

I am enjoying my running as much as ever and feeling fitter and stronger and am really looking forward to my up coming events! Hopefully I can maintain some blog writing motivation to post some regular updates on how I get on...

Getting back into marathon mode

Following on from a successful Parkrun yesterday where I added in an extra fee miles from the course to the station and then the station back home, today I had planned a long slow run.

My plan was to get into 'marathon mode', to run long, run slow, forget about running fast and just relax enjoy the run and without being cheesy 'get into the zone' and really enjoy running.

I was taking my hydration pack out for its first spin in a while to get used to carrying it again ahead of hopefully completing a few marathons in the autumn.

I had planned out a proposed route of sorts, an ambitious there and back route of at least thirteen miles heading through some local parks and out onto the London Loop sections 22 and 23 towards Rainham.

In the end I only ended up completing about half the route, firstly as it was a lot longer than I anticipated, secondly I was more tired from yesterday's running then I though and thirdly last nights enchiladas had played havoc with my stomach, but the less said about that the better! 

My adventure began after around 5k when I headed onto the first off-road trail section of the London Loop section 22. A quite little residential road leads downhill into a dark wooded area that looks like it should be the setting of a horror movie as it is so out of place at the end of this quiet suburban road.

The trail is great though and an enjoyable but technical route to run.

It soon opens up into a large meadow which was beautifully in flower in this early part of the summer.

Some more trails around some ploughed fields and through hound woodland and I was soon back into built up residential areas. A quick lap around the Upminster Bridge area including the start of the London Loop section 23 And I then started on my return journey taking much the same route.

A slightly different path took me past some some lovely pink flowers.

I also had a quick stop to chat with the resident pony that lives in a little small holding along the route.

After a quick chat and a few handfuls of grass, (for the pony not me!) I headed onto through the fields and along some nice green trails.

Soon enough I was heading for home and back into Pages Wood and then Harold Wood Park before less than 2kms back to home to round off an 18km run in a snip under 2 hours.

Once home I was quickly into a cold bath to aid my recovery as these form a key part of recovery strategy after longer runs.

All in all a really enjoyable run, some great sights to see and really what I wanted in terms of just running slowly and enjoying the scenery. 

The London Loop is a network of pathways designed to provide a route encircling greater London, you can find out more about the London Loop on the TFL website here, the sections I partly ran were sections 22, Harold Wood to Upminster Bridge and section 23, Upminster Bridge to Rainham. I have previously ran these sections in their entirety and you can read about my experience doing that here. The best way to find out more about the routes make up the London Loop is by reading other peoples experiences, a quick google will bring up a plethora of pages. There are several pages by people who have walked, cycled or ran large parts and in some cases all of the London Loop, a particular blog I have enjoyed reading on this subject and many others is Diamond Geezer which is well worth a look, his post on section 22 can be read here. 

Three marathons in three months summary

Three marathons in three months completed, the challenge I had myself as a physical ambition before my 30th birthday, my aim that I have worked towards for the last eight months, finished, completed, all done and dusted.

Three marathons in three months has certainly been tough and challenged me which is exactly what I wanted, OK so it's nothing when you compare it to other marathon challenges you might have seen in the media over the last few years such as Eddie Izzard's 43 marathons in 51 days, Amy Hughes running 53 marathons in 53 days and Rob Young currently aiming to complete 367 marathons in 2014. 

These accomplishments are well ahead of my own and all deserve so much praise and recognition for their incredible physical achievements.


So how do I feel now that my focus for so long is now over?

On the one hand I am pleased to be able to relax and not be concerned with the demands of training. On the other hand I feel disappointed and empty to not have something to work towards at the moment, I am definitely in a typical post marathon slump experiencing some post marathon blues. 

Don't worry though I am already making plans for 2015!

I am planning a 10K in January so I can focus on getting stronger and faster over the winter months to be able to then put in a speedy race in the new year and make a competitive attempt at breaking by PB!

Aside from that I am also aiming for at least 3 marathons next year and these are likely to include Halstead, South Weald and Vanguard Way again and who knows what else....

Here is a recap on my three marathons:


1/2 - The Vanguard Way Marathon - 3rd August time: 4.55

Race report here

In summary a great run, with terrific scenery exploring an unfamiliar part of the country with some tough hills and terrain. My training and preparation was good and during my training I had established a good card loading fueling strategy for the race which worked well. Obviously getting lost (not once, not twice but three times!!!) really frustrated me and curtailed any chances of a competitive time. I am fairly confident that without the detours I could have ran a time of around 4.30. Realistically this kind of event with its tricky terrain was never going to be about PBs and it was more of a run about enjoying the scenery and the challenge of the course which I feel I did on both counts.



2/3 The Robin Hood Nottingham Marathon - 28th September - time: 4.10 - PB!

Race report here

A proper large scale mass participation city marathon such as this is such a different proposition to an off road trail run and in honesty not one that I enjoy as much. Although it was a relief to run on nice flat tarmac roads where I could just get on and run rather than worry about steep hills or muddy conditions underfoot. 

My training had progressed well since the first marathon and although my challenge was a marathon every month the timings of the first two meant the gap was actually 8 weeks so I had ample time to recover and then kick on with my training again. 

Although my diet and nutrition were not as strict as they had been in the build up to the Vanguard marathon I had trained hard and felt I had progressed well. However the week or two before I really didn't feel good and struggled to train and was not in the greatest shape on race day. Over training, illness, mental/nervous/anxiety issues, poor diet/nutrition or a combination of some or all of these I am not sure. 

The race itself went really well though and I put in a solid performance which I was pleased with aside from the PB time which of course was very satisfying.

3/3 South Weald - 27th October - time: 4.34

Race report here

Easily one of my most enjoyable events, in terms of the route, the scenery, my performance and my overall race experience. A really tough route that rates as the second hardest course of the five marathons I have ran so to come away with my third faster marathon time and my fastest off road marathon time felt really rewarding. I definitely noticed an improvement with my marathon running and my mid race strategy and mental planning. 

The magical sub 4 hour mark

As well as the challenge of completing three marathons in a relatively short period of time and keeping up with the demands of training over a several month period my real goal was to try and break that magical sub 4 hour mark. 

Although in my second marathon I managed to smash my PB by 16 minutes to a time of 4.10 the elusive 4 hour barrier was not to be beaten. The main reason for this however is not my fault as the first and third marathons in my challenge were incredibly demanding off road trail marathons which are the type of events that are PB black holes. If all three marathons had been on nice flat roads and if I had performed in the same way I think I would have been pretty confident of running a sub 4 hour marathon as I improved my training and continued to get stronger and gain a better understanding of the marathon distance. 

Performance wise my marathon running over the three marathons definitely improved, in comparison to the other two marathons I had ran prior to this challenge I feel my third marathon of this sequence represented my best running performance of any marathon I have ran.

So what now?

Well I have rested and reflected and I am now itching to keep running to maintain my current fitness levels as well as working on getting even stronger and fitter.

I plan on working on my strength and speed work over the winter, I plan on becoming very accustomed with my new training partners Mr Lunge, Mr Squat and My Burpee. 

I haven't entered any races as yet and am eagerly planning what events to enter throughout 2015. I hope to manage o fit in at least three marathons along with a couple of half marathons as well as maybe venturing into the world of ultras and longer events.

First stop is going to be a 10K in January so I can put my winters strength and conditioning work to the test.

Watch this space for more running challenges and adventures on the horizon! 

Marathon preparation trail porn

With a week to go to my next marathon I wanted to run some trails to prepare myself for the type of terrain of the marathon and to break in my trainers to the world of muddy trails as they have so far in their short life been limited to road running.

I didn't want to have to run far to get onto the trail so I headed for a less familiar route which I have never previously ran but have walked before.

It was a glorious autumn morning all be it a bit on the warm side, I was dripping with sweat from very early on in the run.

The trail was magical, the peace and tranquility, the rustic autumn colours, the leaves carpeting the ground all spoiled somewhat by an abundance of nettles and plenty of sticky squelchy mud!

                      

                

I enjoyed running it so much, I was so pleased with my decision to choose this route but at the same time so disappointed to have not come this way more often!

I covered around 13km with a slower pace due to the stoppages and slow downs caused by particularly muddy or nettley sections of the trail. 

My run took in a variety of surfaces, grass, gravel tracks, mud, soily trails with the odd bit of tarmac. I think it has set me up well for the conditions next week in the marathon where the course as far as I know will be mainly muddy off road trails. 

I felt my running was OK and I feel alot better in the build up to this marathon than the last. 

My trainers are now well and truly inducted into trail running and all I can do now is rest, eat well and hydrate in the build up to marathon number three in the last three months! 

Robin Hood Marathon 2014 Preparation Evaluation

Robin Hood Marathon 2014

The robin hood marathon marked my 4th ever marathon and the second in my three in three months series.

I found the last few weeks in the build up to the run tough to say they least as you might have gathered from some of my previous posts, here and here. 

In the few days prior to the race I didn't feel ready to run mentally or physically and kind of stopped thinking about it in the hope that it somehow wouldn't happen. 

I was annoyed with myself for being so unorganised as well. Usually the few weeks prior to a big event I am very organised and focused on my preparations and rehearse my race build up and warm ups to replicate what will happen on race weekend. But due to a few other commitments the last two weeks didn't go to plan and I wasn't able to practice as I would have liked coupled with the fact I didn't feel well enough to run long and my preparations were far from ideal.  

I was also unorganized about a few other important factors including:

Pacing - In thinking about what kind of pace I was going to try and run, should I try and push for sub 4 even though I didn't feel like i was in the right shape to do so?

Trainers - I knew i needed new trainers prior to this race but left buying them too late and although I still had around 3 weeks to wear them in I didn't feel that this was enough. 

Race hydration & nutrition and logistics - I kept deliberating and procrastinating about what to do during the race. Should I wear my hydration pack? Should I bring energy gels or rely on the lucozades on the course? If I choose to carry gels should I then bring my hydration pack to carry them in or hold them in my waist strap? Should I carry my phone with me on the run and if so should I use my arm strap or pop it in my hydration pack? 

Toilet troubles - Over the last few runs prior to the marathon I was troubled by toilet troubles and needing to stop for both number ones and number twos! Not ideal preparation to leave you in a positive mindset! This issue was weighing heavy on my mind as no runner wants to have to factor in bladder and bowel complaints into their race strategy.

So basically I think I got a bit psyched out by the mental challenges that a marathon presented and I got too caught up in things without focusing on the basics of just running. 

Hopefully that's lesson learned and I wont fall into the same trap again! 

While thinking about marathon build up I wrote an article called Final Week Marathon Preparation for takitinyourstride.co.uk, please check out not only my article but also the site as an interesting and useful running resource.

Thanks for reading, I would love to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences, full race report to follow...........

A bad last long run

Yesterday was 2 weeks to the Nottingham Marathon and as such my last long run before the event.

I had penciled in somewhere between 25-30km and I wanted to employ my race strategy of trying to run the first 15 to 20 km at around 5min/km pace which I think will give me the platform to finish strong and go under the 4 hour mark.

Sunday morning I got up at 4.15am to get some carbs in me before getting up for real at 6.00am for my real breakfast and to be ready to head out for a run at 8.00am.

Breakfast done I was just chilling for a bit before I started my pre run preparation and warm ups.

But I felt so tired!!!

Really tired!!!

So tired I had to stop myself falling asleep, its not due to getting up early or not sleeping well it was just the kind of tired you get when your just not feeling right.

I thought I would liven up when I started warming up or after an energy drink and coffee but I didn't.

Heading out to run I still felt jaded, to make things worse my calves were awful!

My blog hasn't featured much if anything about my calf problems as for the last 18 months to 2 year they have been fine. Prior to that though they were my main running injury problem and I was diagnosed with compartment syndrome in the front my calf muscles. Painful business and very difficult to train a lot with or run long distances. 

So the run was a struggle and turned into a real mind battle where my mind had to fight my body to hang in there.

I covered 19.5km which under the circumstances I was happy with.

Post run I was OK I had a cold bath, stretched and later on paid special attention to my calves when foam rolling.

Come the evening though my list of concerns were mounting up, dodgy calves, a sore right big toe, a sore right foot and a right knee that feels inflamed. 

By today even after a light gym session, some recovery work, stretching and rolling I am still a bag of aches and pains with my lower back, weary quads and sore hips adding to the mix.

I know it is just a case of hitting a training wall where my body has endured enough and is starting to get pretty fed up with this marathon training lark!

My focus is now all about self preservation, recovery and being as match fit ready and able for the Nottingham Marathon on the 28th September!

Wow! I am running in a 24hour team relay event!

This weeks training has been some what disrupted. I had planned on putting in more shorter runs in the form of some speed work. On Thursday I had planned to go for a long run which was going to be another attempt at me running the full 15 mile+ distance all the way home from work. 

But I scrapped my training regime earlier in the week as my plans for this weekend have changed rather drastically as I am now going to be running in the Spitfire Scramble 24 hour event!

When the event was announced earlier in the year I was incredibly eager to take part either as a solo runner or as part of a team. However I had to reign my excited self back in as I had already committed to my three marathons in three months which I am currently slap bang in the middle of.

My real desire and interest in wanting to be involved in the event were that it is being held in my local country park which is a place I hold dear as I have done the majority of my training in and around the park over the last 6+ years.

My late entry into the event happened when I saw a tweet from the race organisers asking for runners to come forward to fill places in a team left short of runners through injury.

Being local and having no other plans this weekend I quickly put my name forward and now I find myself 24hours away from partaking in a 24hour team relay race as part of the mighty teamred!

The event is pretty simple, run as many laps of the 10K course as you can in the 24hour time period one runner at a time, and in our case we need to try and rack up more laps than out opposition teamblue.

The nature of the challenge has now started to dawn on me!

How will I cope running multiple laps over a 24 hour period?

What am I going to be like running in the dark, in the night, in the cold?

How will I rest and refuel inbetween my laps?

What kind of times will I be able to run? And how will these vary at different times of the day and throughout the event?

As with any challenge it is the nature of the unknown that is exciting and provides  the thrill of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone!

I am really looking forward to the challenge ahead, seeing how many laps I can complete and how I hold up during the event. I am also excited at being part of a brilliant event, contributing to the success of a team as well running what will be some great trails amongst an interesting, beautiful landscape.

Thanks for reading, good luck to anyone running in spitfire scramble or any other events this weekend. If anyone has any advice on how to approach such an event I would be very pleased to hear it!

Marathon countdown - Less than 24 hours to go

So less than 24 hours to go to the 2014 Vanguard Way Marathon.

The training has been done, the hard work has been put in and there is not much preparation left to do, a mixture of nerves and excitement as the race looms large on the horizon.

The last week has gone well, I have scaled down my training and only covered 27Km in the last week, I have eaten well and enjoyed my carb loading, kept hydrated and managed to get plenty of sleep.

So all in all its all gone to plan and now I am just left to rest, eat well and relax with just one day to go. 

I am feeling quite nicely not overly excited nor nervous. I am a bit concerned that I am a bit under cooked in terms of having only completed one run in the region of 30Km due to illness and injury but you always have last minute regrets over what you could change or have done differently.

Now my concerns are about the weather with heavy rain forecast in the build up to the marathon and I am apprehensive about how hot and humid it might be and how this will impact my running.

On the injury front I am not hampered by any fresh injuries, my big toe problem that restricted my training a few weeks back has calmed down and although it is still an almost constant pain it is minimal and isn't affected by running.

I am increasingly convinced the problem with my toe stems from my new trainers as I fear my right shoe is a fraction too big and has caused my toe injury and is also causing an issue with my right ankle as my foot moves around a little in the shoe. Anyway there is nothing I can do about it at the moment so I will hope it doesn't affect me in the marathon and will address the issue afterwards. 

So I feel good my legs feel fresh, my preparation has been good, I have eaten well and rested up so fingers crossed everything goes to plan tomorrow. My mind is a wash with thoughts about how the run will workout and what my splits should be but I am feeling quite relaxed. 

My aim is for 4.15 as I think the magical sub 4 hours mark is slightly out of my reach. Thanks for reading and for all the support given over the past few months, best of luck to everyone else racing this weekend!

Marathon countdown

Now into the final week before the Vanguard Way Marathon on Sunday 3rd August. The marathon on Sunday will be my third marathon but more importantly the first of three marathons I will be running in three months.

Sunday was my last longish run, I set out with an aim of maybe around 15K but with the main aim being to run well and feel confident with a good run under my belt.

It has been pretty hot and humid the last few days with temperatures pushing 30degrees and this morning despite heading out soon after 8am it was still humid and reasonably hot.

I think the heat and humdity has taken its toll on me as I felt pretty jaded. My legs felt quite leaden and heavy I think as a result of not recovering that well from my two longer runs in the week. 

So all in all I struggled from the start to feel comfortable and run at a decent pace so I decided to scale things down a bit and aim for just over 12K. I thought it better to successfully complete a shorter distance than to struggle with a longer distance.

So now into the final few days countdown, my priorities are eating well, staying very hydrated, looking after my legs, getting good quantities of protein in the early part of the week and plenty of carbs in the 3-4 days before the run.

It is lookong like a busy week at work so I need to make sure I focus on looking after myself, staying relaxed and doing the little bits of training I want to do this week.

All in all I am looking forward to it, the course looks both challenging and scenic and I am well up for pushing myself to achieve the challenge in front of me.

I have scaled down my original hopeful aims of a sub 4 time to a more realistic 4.15 target. I am not lowering my ambition but being realistic as the course will be mostly offroad and undulating and steep in places plus I feel slightly under cooked having missed two long training runs due to illness and injury.

Thanks for reading and look out for more updates later in the week as well as a race report about the marathon on Sunday. I am always all ears when it comea to marathon advice and tips so if you have anything to offer please let me know!