Training Week 21 - 1 month left!

Another very good running week!

Again no booze, instead we have: Wellman's vitamins, Cod Liver Oil, Echinacia drops and vitamin C bullets (grapes...).

5 runs this week, I figured I'd up my weekly runs to 12km or so and then attempt a 24km run on the weekend.

Tuesday: 12.5km - was a little worried for the first half hour or so with both shins giving me some grief, though once they warmed up properly it was plain sailing

Wednesday: A very fast 8km run with a big uphill followed by a big downhill, was out to dinner after this one so didn't do my ice routine..which I've now learnt is a bad idea

Thursday:12.5km - legs not in good shape, definately understand the value in icing my legs after each workout, still managed a good distance but at a very slow pace..much icing afterwards!

Friday: Legs still not that great I figured on a gentle 5km run on my lunch-break to give me a good 48hour break before my 15 miler attempt.

Saturday: Day off, on the couch watching rugby and icing injuries

Sunday: Fellow marathon runner Charles and I headed out on what should have been a 24km run.

It was a nice day but my shins were still giving me grief and as it had been raining the last couple of days, this route didn't involve many parks as they would be too slippery.

We went a pretty steady pace for the first 16km and probably slowed a bit between 16 and 20km due to fatigue, getting a little lost with googlemaps not being 100% accurate, and what turned out to be a mammoth very long hill.

At about the 22km mark it was all downhill so picked up the pace again and finished suprisingly with a bit of a sprint.

When I mapped the detour it turned out we ran an extra couple of miles or 27km total, and the time 2 hours and 34 minutes..and even better no new injuries and I actually felt I could of ran another couple of km's..if I really had to....

Week 21 Results:

Distance Covered: 65.3km
Total running time: 6 hours 09 minutes
Average speed: 10.6 km/h
Money Raised: £19.00 Big thanks to Grandma, Grandad, Mum and Mark

Training Week 20 - Fantastic result!

Over 60km's run last week and no new injury and no new illness, couldn't be happier!

Fruit and vitamin intake - Gratuitous
Alcohol intake - Nil
Bedtime - Early
Social Life - Hanging by a thread

5 very solid runs this week.

Monday- 11km run from work, legs a bit sore for the first couple of km's but came right

Tuesday- 10km run from work, to compensate for the tendonitis I made this run mostly grass, legs came through fine but was feeling pretty fatigued by the end.

Wednesday- Day off, legs elevated and iced, early night had.

Thursday- Back into it, 10 km run from work, again tendonitis causing issues but altered route back onto grass and legs coped better.

Friday- A little worried about the tendonitis for the half marathon I figured I'd just do a short run in my lunch-break to maximise rest time before Sundays run..unfortunately I did manage to somehow get a little lost in Croydon..and lose track of the time, 9km later I was back at work.

Sunday- Absolutely beautiful day! Unfortunately I woke with a bit of a chesty cough, by midday and after a good helping of bacon and eggs I felt well enough to give that half-marathon a crack - map here => http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2655036

The first 10km's went pretty well, though by the 15km mark the heat and effort was definately being felt.

At about 18km I was feeling noticibly light headed and really had to concentrate hard to do things like cross roads or tram tracks.

At 19km, I was beginning to wish I'd brought along a second bottle of water and that I hadn't wasted my last carbo-gel at the 17km mark.

At 21km, I was verbally abusing myself for planning a route that was clearly a whole kilometre more that a half-marathon and thereby physically impossible to accomplish with my current fitness levels.

At 22km, I was now cursing myself for putting in a staired railway overbridge at the end of my run..no way could I get up there!

At 22.15km and over the darned overbridge and the end of my run I'm stoked about finishing well and have new respect for the full marathons 42km requirement.

And my time - 2 hours 4 minutes! (about 14 minutes faster than my goal)

Anyway a very successful week, now to build on it

Week 20 Results:

Distance Covered: 62.25km
Total running time: 5 hours 46 minutes
Average speed: 10.8 km/h

Training Week 19 - Missed the half, but going to have a crack this weekend..health willing

Well I waited as long as I could, but Saturday night still with a sore throat and a harsh cough I made the call not to run the half-marathon. My main goal is the full marathon and it wasn't worth the risk with injury or illness. I'm sure I could have finished it, probably not with the fastest time, but as the race was so far away from home I would not have access to my normal routine of icing injuries and re-fueling nutrition so I really needed to be in grat shape which currently I'm not.

Anyway onto the training for the week. Well as I was firmly on the road to recovery I decided to celebrate on Monday with a gentle 4km run on my lunchbreak followed by a not so gentle 16km run home after work, I felt good fitness wise and thought I was pretty set up for the half marathon unfortunately I went to bed with a nagging sore throat and by Wednesday couldn't get out of bed. I took it easy until Friday when I tried for an indoor run to see how the fitness was, I managed 6.5km but felt incredibly fatigued afterwards. Saturday was another rest day with the hope I'd be alright for the big race, although I didn't manage the half I still went out mid afternnon and ran a relaxing 10 km.

Now is definately the business end of the training especially taking into account my run of injuries and illness of late, my plan from now is early nights, strictly no drinking, eating plenty of fruit and remembering to take my vitamins..In addtion I'm aiming for 4x 10km this week topping it off with a half marathon distance to run on the weekend..fingers crossed!


Week 19 Results

Distance Covered: 33.6 km's
Total running time: 3 hours 9 mins
Average speed: 10.6 km/h
Money raised: £0

Training Week 18 - Official Half Marathon this weekend coming..and sick with a cold...again

Well trying to continue with last weeks momentum I tried an energetic 10km outdoor run after work on the Monday, unfortunately my left leg had other ideas and I was forced to limp home after a paultry 6km. Tendonitis again my afliction, mostly now in my left leg, anyway with a bit of rest and ice over the next two nights I was then well enough to have another run on the Thursday.

This one I tried at the gym so to reduce the impact on my legs, I managed a pretty good paced 10km, thanks mostly to whoever got the TV's on the treadmill working properly allowing me to zone out to this weeks 'The Rugby show'.

I had plans to head to Oxford on the Friday night so managed a fast 5.5km run on my lunch break and a beautiful 8.5km run along the Oxford canal on the Saturday, really enjoyed this run, its amazing how much easier a run is when the scenery is invigorating.

I was back London way on the Saturday night and although I had plans to meet up with fellow marathon runner Charles for a run together on the Sunday I had to cancel due to a very suspect Burrito eaten the night before, I won't go into detail here but running was not an option.

Its Tuesday night now, and unfortunately I have come down yet again with a cold..which is getting a little beyond funny now, I think save for 3 or 4 days I have been sick now in various capacities for over a month. The official half marathon is this Sunday so I'm going to have to make a call on whether I run it sometime in the next couple of days. I was feeling fine yesterday and managed a good 16km run with still plenty of gas left in the tank so I think if I can just shake this cold by Friday I should still have the fitness to compete, albeit at a very relaxed pace. Don't really have a clue whats going wrong with my health, I have lost another couple of kg's in the last 2 months and my bodyfat is at an all time low. Fingers crossed things will improve shortly.

Assuming I make it there, the half marathon is taking place on Silverstone race track, where the British leg of the Formula 1 took place last year, so to give me that added advantage I have got hold of a guide video from Jacques Villenueve on how best to approach the race.

Week 18 Results

Distance Covered: 30.4 km's
Total running time: 3 hours
Average speed: 10.2 km/h
Money raised: A massive life saving £164.00!!!!! This has really righted the ship, so a huge thanks to Esther & Milton, Jenny, Isaac & Nikki, Tomo and Mary - I realise this is a small fortune in New Zealand dollars so am very humbled, you do realise now that no matter how sick I get even if I have to drag an IV line behind me I will be running this marathon!

Training Week 17 - Slack on the updates but things getting back on track

Righto very short one, been really busy lately with course work, study, getting back into regular training!! and writing a convincing application for work sponsorship which according to their rules the amount donated is dependent on the quality of my application so fingers crossed!!!

Anyway cough is nearly gone!!, sore throat is barely noticable and deep sexy croaky voice is now but a pleasant memory.

4 runs this week on the comeback trail, all outdoors due mostly to the after effects of the cold..as mentioned last week. I also managed a long run of some 17km, this was actually supposed to be a gentle non-injury inducing 8 km around the park but as I finished up about 8pm at my flat I discovered it was locked up and I was without keys, phone, wallet and travel card so I resigned myself to laps around the block until a flatmate arrived..




Week 17 Results

Distance Covered: 44.8 km's
Total running time: 4 hours 20 mins
Average speed: 10.2 km/h
Money raised: £0