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

The final curtain - the third of three marathons in three months

Tomorrow is the third of my three marathons in three months? The marathon in question is the Brentwood South Weald Marathon in Essex. 

How am I feeling about it?

In a way glad it is going to be over but at the same time sad that I will lose that long term goal and the short term focus from every day life.

My preparation since my last marathon just 4 weeks ago has gone well. I very much stuck to the less is more training mantra and only completed one long run of note a 18 mile run commute home.

My challenge for tomorrows marathon will be the course as the route is 12 laps of a 3.5km course. I have thought quite a bit about how to deal with this and have tried to play it down and just think of it as a normal run. My coping strategy if I need one will be to follow the 'run in the moment' advice of Scott Jurek, the idea of breaking runs down into the current situation and not thinking about what has gone before or what lies ahead. There is a great video interview that I watched this week that you can see here. 

I have been looking forward to this marathon as it really my local event as it takes place a few miles a way and will only take 15 minutes to drive. I must say it is nice not to have to travel away to race and to not have to plan and arrange travel and accommodation etc.

So the stage is set for this third marathon, I have a few niggles to my calves (a constant issue with me) and to my right ankle but other than that I feel strong.

My marathon supplies for before, during and after.

My preparation this last week has been good and my legs feel pretty fresh and eager to run. I have done a few slow, gentle sessions on the stationary bike and have found these to be really beneficial.

The only negative in my preparation is that tonight, the ever so important pre-race night is the night of a family occasion so I will be out for Dinner and a night at the local greyhound races. Any other night I would be really keen for such an evening as I enjoy a night at the dogs but just not tonight! 

So fingers crossed for tomorrow! Thank you to everyone for your support and well wishes. Good luck to everyone racing this weekend and a massive well done to anyone who has taken on the grueling Beachy Head Marathon today! 

Marathon preparation check list

Marathon training demands a lot of time, effort, dedication, determination and preparation to be successful. The foundations for success need to be put down in the weeks and months preceding an event, however the week before a marathon is still a key time. Here is my guide to the final stages of marathon preparation based on my own personal experiences: 

Eat lots don't be hungry 

There is so much advice on pre-race nutrition and the importance of carb loading such as these great articles from Runners World and RealBuzz, 

Also you should also check out this video from Buzzfeed which gives you an entertaining yet informative guide to how the carb loading process works. 

But as well as eating more carbs its also important to just eat more. 

While preparing for a race it is common to cut down on your food intake to try and lose weight to be in the best shape for race day but in the final stages its all about fueling your body to be ready for the demands of the upcoming 26.2 miles.  

So I let myself go a bit and eat if I feel hungry as long as its good stuff I am eating. Regular readers will know I have enjoyed the carb loading phase from previous marathons as you can see here. 

I tend to snack a lot on dried fruit, Brazil nuts, almonds, peanut butter, flap jacks, tortilla wraps and that kind of thing as you might have seen in previous posts or seen on my twitter feed if you follow me on twitter @beoutrunning. 

My other advice is a common recommendation of eating familiar things, food you eat a lot, that you enjoy and that you know suits you fuels you correctly. 

I also try and stick to the mantra of eating little and often so that I am not overloading my body and I am providing a constant steady flow of calorific fuel for energy. 

Sleep lots don't be tired  

In the week or two post marathon I focus more on getting to bed that bit earlier as well as cutting down on the early morning training to perhaps once or twice a week.

Giving your body plenty of opportunity to rest and restore its self so it is in the best condition possible for race day is really important.  

Although relax if you don't end up getting as much sleep the night before a run because of pre-race nerves or a change of routine due to travelling for a race is fine and wont impact on your performance.  

Walk lots - well not lots but maybe a bit more than usual.  

As my training is cut down in the lead up to a marathon I try to replace this with a bit of extra walking. This is for a few reasons, to keep my legs ticking over all be it with a much less strenuous form of exercise and to keep burning off a few calories while not training so much. 

My other bit of walking related advice is to where running trainers as much as possible pre race. Your feet are important so its important to look after them and keep them as comfortable as possible. 

Roll and stretch 

If not already part of your daily routine it definitely should be in the build up to the big run. Keeping your legs nice and loose and getting rid of any stiffness and tightness is key to a great performance on race day, its amazing how brilliant and energetic your legs can feel through the week with a reduction in training but an increase in rolling and stretching. 

Hydration

Water water everywhere! 

There is an abundance of advice on staying hydrated so I wont bore you with that only reiterate its importance. Stay hydrated and drink loads in the days building up to your marathon! 

Along with lots of water I also enjoy drinking a variety of herbal teas to help hydrate and refresh me. As well as this they also provide a sweet touch that might be lacking from your diet as well as providing other digestion and health benefits. 

Nutrition 

As well as trying to eat a well balanced nutritious diet in the marathon build up heres a few personal specifics I throw into the mix. 

Vitamin C - Load up on some vitamin C, something that should already be plentiful in your diet but especially necessary in the final stages of a marathon training programme to ensure you can fight off any illnesses while you body is more susceptible to attack due to the strains of training and to ensure you are as fighting fit and healthy as can be come race day. 

Coupled with an increase in vitamin C i have also found taking a cold and flu remedy such as Beechams is a great way to top up your body's defences and keep you feeling tip top!  

Protein - In race week as well as stocking up on my carbohydrates I also try to increase my protein in take to help my muscles be fully repaired and raring to go!

Specifically I opt for plenty of protein shakes and chicken throughout the week along with a steak dinner a few days before interspersed with plenty of protein rich snacks like almonds.  

Good digestion - To help make sure my stomach is settled and can cope with the high amount of carbohydrates along with potential pre race nerves I make sure I have a couple of spoons of natural yogurt in the morning and evening just to be kind to my gut in the hope it is then kind to me! 

Preparation  

Along with all the training and nutrition advice the best piece of advice is to be prepared. Mentally prepared for the challenges that lie ahead as well as physically prepared taking care of the practical and logistical arrangements of; how am i going to get there? What time so i need to get up/leave? What am I going to wear? Etc, etc

Its good to have these arrangements clear in your mind a few days before so you can relax and just focus on the actual running. 

One last thing most importantly:  

Don't forget to enjoy yourself! Enjoy the run, the challenge, the atmosphere, the experience, the location and the scenery, embrace it all so you can remember it in the future. 

Good luck!

Robin Hood Marathon Race Report

The Robin Hood Marathon, Nottingham 2014, the second time I have ran this marathon in addition to the two times I have completed the half, my fourth marathon overall and the second in my three marathons in three months series.

Despite experiencing an awful build uphttp://www.beoutrunning.com/2014/09/48-hour-marathon-countdown.html the run had a very satisfying if surprising outcome I must admit.

Although I missed out on my sub 4 hour target I still achieved a PB of 4.09.55 some 16 minutes knocked off my PB time!

The Robin Hood Marathon has started advertising its new route as being flat with great PB potential and this proved to be very much the case. Any hills I remembered from the old route have been taken out to leave a course as flat as a pancake!

Arriving in Nottingham on Saturday afternoon I was eager to stretch my legs after the long car journey and I did so with an enjoyable walk along the Trent to the race village.

Its always nice to settle yourself by seeing the start area the night before and to get an idea of things before the storm of some 10,000 runners hits!

The only other preparation I did was to make sure I drank plenty of water so I was well hydrated and to lay out my race kit ready for the morning. 

Along with a steady 5 minute jog on the hotel treadmill I also had a good stretch before treating my legs to a relaxing 10 minute Jacuzzi session which I found most beneficial!

Saturday evening I picked a local Harvester restaurant for my pre race dinner as I thought this the best option to replicate my usual pre race dinner. I ordered a half roast chicken with mashed potato and tucked into a bowl of salad from the salad cart managing to restrain myself to not adding any of the tempting but fat filled diary based sauces and dressings. For any regular harvester customers in case your wondering, the salad cart really loses its appeal when you take the sauces and dressings out of the equation!

I did cause a certain amount of confusion from our server when I requested a side order of a jacket potato in addition to my mashed potato. I don't think anyone had ever not ordered chips as their potato based side before and the shock at someone wanting to order what is surely the least attractive side option in the form of a jacket potato was clear to see by the   confusion on his face. Still I managed to get enough calories and carbohydrate from my evening meal to stand me in good stead for the race ahead.

Race morning came around after a pretty good nights sleep and despite the same lack of enthusiasm for marathon running that had haunted me all week I felt OK.

By OK I mean that I felt tense, pensive and all together not in a good mood but physically just about alright.

The race itself

My aim was clear, I knew to have any chance of running under 4 hours I needed to clock the first half at comfortably under 2 hours and I was aiming for around the 1 hour 50 mark.

After some terrible organisation and lack of communication with runners the race finally got under way along and I set off along with around 10,000 other runners.

As you would expect from a large race for the first few miles I was somewhat cramped in and unable to run at a natural pace and had to very much go with the flow. I was still happy enough with the early pace and once I got settled into a rhythm decided I needed to work hard through the next few miles to get myself on track for hitting 10K and then halfway on target.

The early miles were plagued by concern over my bladder as soon after the start I started to develop toilet urges, luckily these were only for a straightforward call of nature for a number 1 and the dreaded urge for the far more complicated number 2 never came.

Most of the scenery in the early part of the course was pretty grim as we ran around the roads in and out of the Boots factories and warehouses so I was able to concentrate on the running. I did work hard and managed to get ahead of both the 2 hour half marathon pacer and the 4 hour marathon pacer. 

After several miles in I was pleasantly relieved to notice the worst hill (going through the University of Nottingham campus) I remembered from previous years had been completely taken out! 

We were soon heading back towards the city centre and out onto the Trent for the split at 11 miles where the marathon runners go on to complete their 15 extra grueling miles away from the buzz of the city centre and race village. 

I think it is this race that has galvanised in my mind that I much prefer smaller events with a few hundred runners as opposed to the mass participation city centre affairs. With this in my mind the split with the half marathon runners held no fear for me, to give you an idea of the split and the solitude of the marathon around 1500 people complete the marathon compared with some 7500 half marathon runners. As I approached the marathon split it must have been easily a 80%+ split of runners heading to the finish to complete the half marathon.

With the marathon now well under way I felt pretty motivated as I kind of thrived on the sense of having a superiority over the half marathon runners as I was partaking in a grander challenge.

I duly hit the 13 mile mark in a little over my target time of 1 hour 50, now it was time to get to work and focus if I wanted to finish in and around the magical 4 hour mark. I set myself a target of 25 minutes for the 16 mile mark and my next energy gel, 8.20 mile splits pretty tough going but attainable. I rose to the challenge with relish trying not to focus on the scenic part of the course around Colwick Country Park.

16 miles was hit in my target time and I allowed myself to walk for a bit while I adjusted my hydration pack, took on an energy gel and gathered my thoughts for the remaining miles. I felt good with a feeling of having plenty in the tank and knowing that I was still ahead of the 4 hour pacer made me feel confident. 

As I prepared myself to start running again half a dozen or so runners breezed past me running strong, a white haired gentleman in the middle had the 4 hour pacer flag attached to his back.

Gutted! A real body blow punch tot he stomach kind of feeling! 

Undeterred I was confident I could keep with them until at least the 20 mile mark. The pace however I found a bit much and I fought to keep up, by mile 18 I realised maintaining the faster pace was not only not doing me any good but was not sustainable.

I had to slow it down, I have always considered miles 18-22 the toughest miles in the marathon, its where many runners hit 'the wall' and even though you have broken the back of the race 8 miles is a hell of a long way to go and there is a whole lot of running ahead of you!

Miles 18 & 19 were tough, it was a constant battle to not walk while I tried to push myself to keep going as fast as my legs would carry me.

The mental battle raging in my head was not helped by the sight of at least three other runners on the road side looking in a bad way receiving medical attention. On the one hand I was trying to push myself to my limit while the plight of other runners passed out on the floor warned me to not push too hard.

Luckily these miles didn't drag on too long and mile 20 was soon in sight. This was the part I remember vividly from my last attempt where my aim had been to run to the 20 mile mark. Mile 20 is the point of the course where you come out onto the great expanse of water that is Holme Pierrepont the former national water sports centre.The lake is 2km+ long and a few hundred metres wide and the marathon route encompasses about three quarters of it. Many runners find this section completely soul destroying as the water seems to go on forever, which to be fair it pretty much does! I was prepared for it though and stuck to my tactic of only allowing myself to walk small pre defined sections before running again.

Mile 22 came around pretty quickly and with it the smell of the finish line. By now I was in a great routine of running as far as I could, slowing down to a walk, taking a few deep breathes, counting out ten paces before setting off running again. The tactic was working well apart from a sharp pain that kept reoccurring in my left hip which did curtail my efforts. 

The last mile or so of the course  really tests your mental toughness as you head back towards the finish all be it on the wrong side of the river. You can hear the cheers from the finish area, the commentator welcoming runners to the finish but although you are only a few hundred metres away there is still over a mile to go, so near and yet so far! 

The relief at crossing the bridge towards the finish life injected me with a shot of caffeine like energy for a few hundred metres at least. The last half mile I managed to keep a steady jog going as I pursued my new target of finishing in under 4 hours 10, unfortunately my watch was out of sync with the official timings so I ended up a bit close to comfort to my target!

Overall I was pleased with my performance and felt satisfied with how well I ran. Being honest I know I wasn't in as good as shape as my last two marathons and my last two weeks of preparation left me in a much weaker state physically and mentally than I had been previously before a marathon. 

My initial reaction to finishing the marathon was to repeatedly mutter 'running is horrible!' which indeed it is! I came close to a Steve Redgrave moment of almost declaring to my wife I didn't want anything to do with another marathon ever again but I knew the pain and anguish would only be temporary.

The last few days since the marathon have reminded me how great running is though as I reflect back on my achievements and bask in the glow of a great accomplishment. The great feeling of running a marathon that lasts for 2/3 days after running one is an almighty feeling that drives me on and motivates me to want to run more marathons despite the hardships of training and the pain endured while running.

Vanguard Way Marathon Report

Time to reflect on my third marathon yesterday and my first of three marathons in the next three months. Warning this blog may turn into a bit of a marathon read and doesn't even fully cover everything that happened along the way! 

Yesterday I completed the Vanguard Way Marathon, a small local trail marathon starting out in South Croydon following the Vanguard Way trail out to Limpsfield and back. The race was organised by a member of the 100 marathon club and I was in awe of some of the runners I ran with who were rightly introduced and acknowledged at the start of the race, a few had run in the region of 500 marathons and one gentleman was on the verge of completing his 1000th marathon in the coming weeks! If that didn't motivate me to run then I don't know what would have!

The run turned out to be really enjoyable with some great trails, countryside and scenery to experience. I enjoyed some great running and felt stronger and ran more than in previous marathons. I also experienced some great camaraderie with my fellow runners along the course. 

The marathon turned out to be a rather eventful few hours of running.

Preparation

In the week leading up to the marathon I had very much enjoyed 'the fun part to marathon training', that is the bit where you get to eat loads under the guise of 'carb loading'. Despite eating lots I managed to keep it all healthy and clean with lots of potato, flapjacks and tortilla wraps, you can read about some of my carb loading fun here. 

I felt pretty good in the build up to the run although I had missed out on a few long training runs due to illness and injury, see previous blog articles here.

The start of the marathon was about an hours drive from home, so I made sure I was all organised and ready to go the night before with only a little bit of packing in the morning. We set off in good time and we managed to find our way their easily and got there in plenty of time. I say 'we' as although I wasn't running with anyone I had my number one supporter my wife with me acting as driver, support crew, photographer and cheer leader.

This was my first event with my camelpack and I must say it worked out well as it was comfortable to wear, allowed me to stay well hydrated throughout the run and I was able to carry energy gels a lot more comfortably than my running bum bag I used previously.

The Actual Run

The marathon was a small scale trail marathon only in its second year. The course was marked out with tape and spray paint arrows which required a certain amount of self navigation and awareness to ensure you stayed on the right track.

Lets just say that although I didn't have any real running problems my navigation wasn't as successful! 

Detour number 1

After around 3 or 4 miles I was part of a largish group of maybe ten runners coming down a trail picking up a decent speed enjoying a decline in the trail. We came to the bottom of the section, over a crossroads in the path and I followed everyone through another gate up onto the next part of the trail. As the trail started to get steeper I was now part of a group of maybe 20 runners when 2 or 3 runners started to raise questions over whether we were on the right path and if any markers had been spotted. After a bit of discussion they decided to head back but I made the decision to press up following the majority of the other runners ahead of me.

It turns out we had missed our turning and had ended up going up and around the golf course rather than along the bottom of it an up the other side. After a mile or two we met up with the proper route again and I think the detour only added a short distance to the course. Although I was at fault for not observing course markings and getting caught up with the group I don't consider this error to be my fault which is frustrating as it cost a lot of time in deliberating and discussing which way to go and how to proceed.

Detour number 2

Just after the half way turnaround I was running with another guy who I had been running with for several mile and we had struck up quite a bit of conversation about the course and the run. The route took us onto a bridge over the motorway and back onto an off road track into a wooded area. I was confident we should then veer off to the left down a few steps onto another trail. Following the guy in front I kept my eyes peeled for this passage to the left but couldn't see it so I thought I must have been mistaken and kept on running up the track. A few minutes later and I started having serious doubts over where we were heading and sure enough shortly after the other guy stopped to question me. We consulted the map and decided we were unsure of where to head so should continue to the next junction before deciding how to reconnect back with the real trail. We were soon caught up by another runner who confidently reassured us we were on the right path and should keep going straight on. I voiced my concerns that we had missed a turning to the left through the woods and although the other two thought this might be correct we decided going back would waste too much time and we should just try to reconnect to the real route. After pressing on for several minutes with the three of us having contrasting views on how to proceed I decided it was time to whip out my phone to consult my mapmyrun app which had been tracking my run. I quickly identified where we had gone wrong and where we needed to head to reconnect with the route. A few hundred metres down the side of a busy road and we met up with familiar territory and the course. Easily a mile wasted and more time lost in discussing where to go. 

Worse than the detour upon trying to quickly navigate the most direct route through a field of cows I failed to notice a rather large muddy patch and ended up taking several large squelchy steps. As if that was bad enough the mud wasn't pure mud and contained the kind of smelly stuff you unfortunately find in cow fields! My trainers got pretty dirty and wet which made them heavy for the next few miles but the worse thing was the stinking smell caused my the cow excrement coming from them which thankfully only lasted for a few miles! 

Detour number 3 

Coming into the last 4 or 5 miles the trail passed through some woods before coming out onto residential roads towards the finish in Lloyd Park. I was managing to find my way OK while trying to make ground on two runners a few hundred metres ahead of me. I remembered from the way out that there was a tight poorly signed corner which I think I managed to take, I was then heading straight along a path for ages waiting for the path to come out onto roads. It took me too long to realise I had gone to far and obviously had missed a turning. Upon consulting my phone to check mapmyrun My heart sank as I realised I had ended up a long way off course. I quickly planned the most direct route to link me up with trail again determined to get back on course and complete the route. My heart quickly sank as I realised it was around 3 miles to join me back up towards the finish line and the start of this journey was a steep long hill! I walked/jogged my way towards the finish carefully checking my map to make sure I was heading the right way and taking the most direct route. 

I decided to keep going until I hit the marathon distance and then to just concentrate on getting back to the finish line. I had spent so long looking at my map and trying to navigate that my race time had suffered greatly.

After an age I caught sight of the park where the finish was, I felt like a right idiot heading towards the finish line in pretty much the opposite direction of the actual course and my wife was shocked to see me creep up on her from the wrong direction! 

So the finish brought a range of emotions, I was so pleased with my actual running performance as I ran throughout the 5 hours it took me to complete the course and my legs were full of running in the final miles. I was so disappointed to have messed things up so much though! 

I was very downhearted to have put so much effort in and sacrificed so much to end up with a disappointing time caused largely by my detours and the delays and stoppages they caused. 

Recovery

Post race apart from the anguish, frustration, disappointment and annoyance of taking so many detours physically I felt good, really good! Throughout the day I kept waiting for the pain to hit me but it never came. 

Directly after finishing I did a bit of a shakedown and cool down and as well as taking on plenty of water I consumed an energy drink, a protein shake, a banana, a mars bar and a tortilla wrap. As well as no physical pain I didn't suffer any stomach issues either during the race, directly after the race, after eating or during the drive home.

I did take a huge amount of satisfaction from feeling so good after such an effort and knew it meant I had trained and prepared very well.

First thing I did when I got home? Before I jumped in the shower I popped my favorite source of post run dirty carbs in the oven and as soon as I was washed up I devoured it pretty much as quick as I could.

A Chicago Town takeaway style filled crust pizza, hits the spot every time! 

Thanks for reading and I plan to share more thoughts from the marathon and my experiences soon.

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!