Week 5

am posting this a day early because I have had a fab run today and am feeling positive . The rest of the week, my legs have felt incredibly tired and I ended up abandoning my interval session on Thursday because they had turned into lead weights and refused to move quickly. I think it was because I had run every day since Sunday and have also been wearing in my orthotics (which has meant my calfs were tight and sore as my feet and legs adjust to a 'normal' position). I have also been very tired and experiencing the same thing as Kay in waking up ridiculously early despite being so tired. Anyway, I was apprehensive about my run this morning to say the least and really had to force myself out of the door. BUT - it was brill! I went on an undulating route, got lost when I ended up on a farm track which was also very muddy, and had fun trying to move forwards in the wind. The invisible treadmill running must have been very funny to watch as I was running incredibly hard and literally moving nowhere! At one point I think I even went backwards as well. It took me 2:29, but I didn't mind considering the conditions in places. So this week I have done 5 recovery, 7.8 medium run with run club, 3 tempo, a few intervals and 16 mile long run. I will be finishing the week with a 5 mile recovery run tomorrow evening bringing the total for this week to 41 miles.

Tough Challenge

This is certainly the toughest challenge I have faced both physically and mentally, but I need those challenges to keep me going . I do tend to set myself high targets and, following a conversation with Tom, I think I will have to set myself a lower target for Edinburgh. Two reasons: 1) I don't think I am capable of a 1:35 half marathon yet and I know I really need this to achieve 3:30. 2) I really want to do London and if I can get under 3:45 I will get a gfa place and if I aim too high and miss it I could blow my chances of a London place. I am doing my physio and stretch exercises as often as possible although I don't have time to do it every day. I have done this volume of training before although not at the same intensity I don't think and had no problem with it except being a little more tired. So I was trying to work out what was different and came to two conclusions - I am working more hours than before and I am having difficulty refuelling straight after a run. This is because most of my runs are done after school while madam is in aftercare or clubs and I can't eat until I get home which could be an hour later. If you have any ideas as to what I could take to eat in that 20 minute window I would be grateful. Please don't suggest nuts though (the packet I bought with hope after our marathon meeting went home with Kay last night!).

Week 4

Well it's a quarter of the way through training now and I have had a good week's training. Tuesday was a tempo run along the route Kay suggested which worked much better and I was able to hold the pace. Wednesday was a recovery run. Thursday was 6 x 800m intervals which was not easy, but I managed the right pace in all but one. Friday was my medium run of 7.5 miles (all I could fit in while madam was at Brownies). Today I was aiming for 14 miles, but missed a turn on my route, tried to make up the distance later and ended up at 15 miles. Mileage for this week: 37 I know that I am achieving the speeds and distances required by my schedule, but I am wondering whether I can possibly be ready in time. Today's long run was tough going and my legs felt very tired. It was a hilly route and quite windy this morning, but I had thought that the training I have been putting in over the last year or so would have meant that that distance would have felt like relatively easy. I did manage to pick up the pace at the end and finished in 2:13. Is it normal to feel like this at this stage of training? When does it start to feel like it is coming together?!

Podiatrist Visit

I finally got a name for my knee problems today - I have equinus. This means that my foot doesn't flex properly at the ankle and my foot points downwards. It could be something I was born with, or caused by walking on my toes for 33 years! I have been fitted for orthotics and she tried some templates under my heels and I was amazed at the difference just 4mm made - I could actually bend my knees! Thinking about it, it is no wonder I have difficulty with hills. If my foot doesn't flex upwards and my knees don't bend, I can't possibly have the power needed to push my body upwards. I'm going to awfully disappointed if these don't turn out to be a panacea when they arrive in a couple of weeks!

Week 3

have been really sensible this week (for a change!). I didn't feel brilliant on Tuesday so stayed near home instead of run club and cut my run a bit short as well. I also took Wednesday as a rest day which meant two in a week which is a bit unusual for me. Thursday I attempted a tempo run, but I think I was still feeling the after effects of the bug I had because my legs did not want to move as fast as I needed them to. Also found that there where I thought would be fairly flat near work wasn't that flat. Need to try to find somewhere else for future runs. Friday was much better and I did a 4 x 1 mile interval session. Got some strange looks from the police as there was an accident on the route I found to run around so had to run past them 3 times. Saturday was parkrun and I took it easy. Today was a 12 miler which I really enjoyed. Quite a hilly route, but I finished in a reasonable time and completed the week on a high note. More reasonable mileage this week at 33 miles which my knee has been grateful for I think. Podiatrist visit on Tuesday afternoon and I am really hopeful that they will be able to help me complete the higher mileage I know is coming up very soon with little or no pain.

Week 2

How quickly have the last two weeks gone?! It will be May in no time at all at this rate... Week 2 done and dusted and (no surprises here...) I did a bit much this week. Not that I feel that I have done too much, just know I should have done a bit less. Monday - 4 mile recovery, Tuesday 7.8 mile run club session. Wednesday didn't go as planned because Tuesday night I didn't sleep because my leg was aching from the physio on Monday and I couldn't get it comfortable. I thought I had escaped lightly this week, but during my Wednesday session I got my numb leg after 2 of my 3 1.5 mile intervals on the track. It's so frustrating when it goes because it just turns into a dead weight. I did mention it to the physio but she said it was understandable because she had stirred my leg up lots and not to worry. Easy for her to say when I ended up dragging myself back home. Luckily it went off again after an hour or so. Thursday I battled the dreadmill. I just can't get my head round why it is so hard nowadays when I used to love it. Still, I did a mile warm up and 4 miles tempo at 7:30 min mile pace. I was very glad to finish though! Friday was meant to be a rest day, but I needed to see my doc and the appointment they had meant that if I didn't run there I wouldn't get there in time and it's only 2 miles each way and I didn't push it - honest! Saturday was an easy 3 miles at HPTT. This morning was a toughy. I have been tired all week despite not being at work (fighting off another cold maybe?). 10 miles supposed to be at 8 min mile, but the tiredness and the horrendous wind this morning left me exhausted. I did it, but slower than I wanted averaging 8:25. I'm not worried though because it is still early days. Total mileage for this week: 40.41 Stretches and physio exercises also done almost every day

Week 1

Okay, so one week in and so far so good. I have done 5 training sessions this week and got out of them exactly what I wanted. Tuesday's hills were a killer though! The thing that I have been most pleased with is my pace judgement. I have been absolutely amazed (and I'm sure Rick will be as well lol) to have done 3 approx MP runs (2 of 4 miles and 1 of 8 ) without having to be beeped at by my Garmin. They averaged at 8:03, 8:04 and my 8 miler today I completed in 1:03:44 - spot on! Total miles for this week: 26.33.