Introduction; 5 miles today.

(My full marathon website: http://david.dw-perspective.org.uk/marathon)

The Dublin marathon, should I make it, will be my first. I did a bit of running when training for another sport 10 years ago. Once I ran a 12-miler (or so - wasn't measured) as part of that. This April I was sitting at my desk, listening some invigorating music, when I decided to go for it. Beware of invigorating music.

As I'm a Christian, I won't take part in Sunday sports. (To understand this, you really need to see the scene in "Chariots of Fire" where Eric Liddell gives a magnificent delivery of these words to the Prince of Wales. The future king of England was pressuring him to run in the Olympics on a Sunday for his king and country (link):

Eric Liddell: "God made countries, God makes kings, and the rules by which they govern. And those rules say that the Sabbath is His. And I for one intend to keep it that way").

That severely restricts the options for which marathon to run! I only found one other this year - the "Seven Sisters" marathon near Eastbourne. The website for that says that it's hilly and will take you half an hour longer than a road marathon... so that was an easy decision!

So far I've clocked up just about 336 miles. Time to get some new trainers before they fall apart the week before the big day!

Today and yesterday have been pretty hot. But I haven't run any fast runs this week, so today I felt I had to go for one. 5 miles in 35:57, which is my new record. There's a 5-mile circuit from my house which includes 3 good hills. After 2 miles I felt I'd definitely set out way too fast; but after the biggest hill there's a nice sheltered downhill run for about half a mile, and I felt better after that. Everything feels like it's in working order still.

David
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