Queasy

I had a 5-mile jog this morning - I felt rather queasy. I don't know if that's because of last week's sickness. I think I ate too much yesterday! I felt rather weak most of the way, but got more into my stride into the last mile. 40:59 in all.

My plan this week is to get in one longer run early in the week, and then just do a bit more to make the mileage up to about 32. I'll keep an eye on my fellow marathoners' blogs who are aiming for similar-ish times to see what they're up to: those who've done this before seem to have more of a clue than me! Various articles I've read talk about speed-work, but I'm really not sure how this works out in practice.

David
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Another week over - not quite as planned

After Monday's long(est yet/ever) run, and Tuesday's recovery jog, I ran again on Thursday, a fast run of 7.1 miles. This took me 50:38, which was 11 seconds faster than I'd done it before - the improvement was in the last couple of miles, which is a good thing I think.

Then, though, I had a diarrhoea and vomiting bug on Thursday night, together with the rest of the family (one of my children began on Wednesday) - out came Thursday's dinner, and I didn't eat another bite until a piece of bread Saturday morning.

That meant that I couldn't meet this week's target of 45 miles - this was meant to be a final tough weak, before beginning a taper (easing off) until the race day. As it's turned out, though, with all that's intervened in the last couple of months, I've scarcely increased my weekly mileage since I got up to 36 miles 8 weeks ago.

Never mind! As a first-timer, I have no experience to inform me as to what I should be aiming for anyway! After eating nothing on Friday, I felt a bit better today, and had some fish fingers for lunch, before running 5 miles at tea-time. I ran really gently, though when I finished I was surprised to see a time of 40:38 - I was expecting 43 or so. I think that only one day of D & V means I won't have been affected too much; just a bit weak and needing to start eating again to recover my strength. 39.2 miles for the week in total; the race itself is just 23 days away. Tomorrow I'll be, all being well, carrying on preaching the sermon series which can be downloaded here: http://www.gracebelper.org.uk/audio.php#acts.

David
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Recovering

Yesterday I ran 5 miles after getting out of bed. Lots of bits felt quite stiff and sore after the 22 miles the previous day - I think the first couple of miles felt almost as bad as the last miles the day before had! But, by the end, I was feeling more normal again.

David
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Brisk 5 miles

I found an unexpected spare bit of time to fit in a quick 5 miles... 35:36. That's actually the quickest I've run my 5 mile circuit, but I wasn't trying to beat my best time until the last mile or so - I'd just been going at a comfortable though brisk pace until then. It's just the general improvement in fitness in the six weeks since I ran my 5 mile record which allowed me to do this. And the fact that I've run less miles this week than any of the last 7 weeks, so I was fresher and there was plenty left in the legs for the last mile and a half.

David
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5 miles before breakfast

I ran 5 miles before breakfast today - all I'll have time for today I think. 39 minutes. That makes 27 miles so far this week - about 10-15 short. Hmmm. Still, it could be worse. I've been remarkably blessed to be so injury free since beginning training.

David

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Little recovery jog

I went for a 5 mile jog today. The only aim was to complete the 5 miles - which I managed! My legs felt like they were made of lead most of the way. It is unusually humid, which makes me feel quite lethargic.

The new running shoes seemed fine. They're half a size bigger than the previous pair - that pair make my left foot feel like it was being squeezed once I've gone a few miles. We'll find out in due time whether the problem was with the shoes or the foot! (The old pair were already half a size bigger than my normal shoes).

I've now passed 400 miles since I started training! But there are only 26 which will count in the end...

David
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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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