A SPRING IN MY STEP

It was a gorgeous day in London today. Blue skies, barely a cloud to be seen, and running groups aplenty out enjoying some of their last timed / long runs before the taper. 


The funny thing about doing a big race like the London Marathon is that you KNOW that half the people out there are going through the same thing as you. The streets become more crowded from January onwards as training picks up, and on days like today (the first positively glorious spring day of the year) every runner was taking the opportunity to enjoy some sun and heat after a season of dark runs, cold feet, gloved hands and getting soaked. 


So if I smiled in a rather insane way at you as I pootled around Green Park, Hyde Park and The Mall this morning, I'm sorry, it was the weather wot made me do it. 

ONE MONTH UNTIL THE VIRGIN LONDON MARATHON 2011

Today, I realised on my morning run, is exactly one month away from the Virgin London Marathon. I received my race pack and number in the post yesterday and it's all dawned on me that this is really happening. I will be running 26 miles.


I'm feeling pretty good about it, but am obviously nervous. I tend to not sleep very well before a race and get psychosomatic leg cramps and as a result my race times are rarely as good as my training times. Luckily, I'm not the competitive type and my main aim in any race is normally to finish it rather than smash some PB (although that would be nice). 


I ran my mile repeats at a time of about 8.30 m/m with 400 minutes of recovery today and 2 miles of warming up and cooling down either side. The one remarkable thing about all this marathon training is that I can now run 9 or 10 miles without a second thought - it's simply not a distance that scares me anymore, just an everyday run, a fact I find pretty bonkers and reminds me how far I have come since I started running 3 years ago. 


Regardless of what happens on the day I can say that whilst this training has been exhausting and time consuming, it's really been great to do something that makes me proud of myself - achieving small milestones from a PB distance to getting that little bit faster. So rarely in our day to day lives do we take the time to set ourselves goals or push ourselves, and I'm really glad I've got the chance to do so. Unlike 5k, 10k or half marathon races, you can't really 'wing' a marathon, so you have to stick to your schedule and force yourself outside come rain or shine, and my discipline has also really surprised me. I always thought those people running after work, early in the morning or through the pouring rain were mad, but now I'm one of those people too. 


I wonder if I'll feel like this after the marathon? Or if I'll curse the day I decided to enter?

Stella McCartney for Adidas Seamless Image Tight - Results

Okay, people, here they are...the Stella McCartney for Adidas Seamless Image Tight. 

I confess that I haven't worn them out yet as I feel a bit like I robbed a rude girl in Lewisham and (warning T.M.I. coming up) as I wear my running tights commando the slashes on the upper right thigh come dangerously close to, well, you know. Still, that shouldn't matter as I'm just running in the bloody things. Can I get away with them? Comments please, because I don't want to make an idiot of myself. 

Energy Gel Experiments - Results

Well, it's been a month and I've had 4 long runs in which to test these energy gels that I bought from Runners Need. As I've said before, I'm not a massive fan of energy gels, but I recognise they work and all I need to do now is decide on what I'll be taking with me when I run the Virgin London Marathon. 


Power Bar are made by Nestle, so they are out, which is okay by me because they're not unmissable. Shotz seemed to give me a stitch every time I tried them, so I've discounted those, and Torq had the worst consistency and taste of the lot, like a midway point between congealed sports drink and a science lab. Ick. 


I really do like the Gu consistency and will definitely use them because they seem the most effective at giving me that burst of energy (am thinking my last 45 minute of the Marathon), but I must say that Clif Shot Bloks are also great. They come in packs of 6 and you chew 3 to 6 every hour, and I say chew, because they are like cubes of jelly from the packet, with slightly less give. Unlike gels, you don't end up with sticky fingers and I know it sound stupid, but they give you something 'do', because chewing them takes a while. They only sell Mountain Berry, Strawberry and Orange in Runners Need, but as I hate hate hate orange and strawberry when they're not in their original forms (jams, ice cream, cordial drinks) I'm stuck with Mountain Berry. Their website shows more flavours...perhaps I make use of my parent's trip to NY next week? Another bonus about Shot Bloks is they also actually taste like human food too. As in something that might consume if you weren't running non stop in the rain on a Sunday morning. Which can only be a good thing in my book. The Limehouse 'loop' is where I expect I'll need these, as it's the one area of the course I know less well than any other, and when I don't know where I'm going I tend to perceive distance as much longer than it actually is...anything to keep me going. 

MY SUNDAY RUN IN NUMBERS

14.66 - miles I was at when my Garmin battery died, grrr
21+ - miles estimated that I ran in total, time about 3:35 ish 
9 - pain level from 16 miles onwards (out of 10)
4 - hours sleep the night before (hence the pain level, I can only suspect)
9 - Cherry trees in blossom in Hyde Park 
1 - dog rolling in fresh horse manure, easily the funniest thing during the run 
30 - minutes of torrential rain 
3 - cases of runners rash on my body 
15 - minutes of stretching, performed in front of bemused tourists 
1,000 - hours I could sleep for right now 

Foam Rolling

My legs still feel like lead. I foam rolled last night, and today I think a visit to the gym to foam roll and stretch on the power plate is in order. Then I'm going to test the waters and try for a 10 mile run. Normally I wouldn't even question a 10 mile run, but after my running experience yesterday I'm scared my legs might not comply again. 


I was bemoaning the state of my legs to some of friends yesterday and mentioned that I had to foam roll more. They had never heard of foam rolling, despite being triathletes who will be competing in a half iron man this summer. I think they're going to appreciate these exercises, because as much as I hate them for the pain they cause, they really do work. 

A Lesson in Laziness

I ran 20 miles on Sunday. Monday was my rest day, no problem. I was a bit stiff, but went to the gym to get 15 minutes of stretching in, and felt a bit better, but the rest of the day was hectic and by 7pm I was on a train to Newcastle. Despite bringing my kit I did something naughty - I skipped TWO ENTIRE SESSIONS of running on the Tuesday and Wednesday. A 4 miler and 7 miler the next day. I was a bit tired and slightly unsure of where to run in Newcastle so I just tried to ignore the nagging guilt and let my legs get tighter and tighter (I wasn't doing any stretching either).


This morning I got up and thought I'd run a 7 miler today instead (on what would have been my rest day if I'd moved my butt earlier in the week) but my legs would not play ball. They felt like lead and didn't ease up. I managed 4 miles and they were the longest 4 miles of my marathon training yet, and no, the strong wind didn't help, but the problem was definitely of my own making. This run was far more painful and difficult than any of my previous miles, even the last handful of my LSD runs. There was nothing in the tank. 


I've been having a glass of wine every other night, so that's stopping. I will stretch and foam roll for 20 mins a day and I'm going for 8 hours sleep a night minimum. I've learned by lesson.