Training Recap – 9 Weeks to London Marathon

It’s starting to feel real with only 9 weeks to London Marathon.

But while the miles are building and my base fitness has improved, I’m getting lazy about everything else. The laziness has to do with core and rolling, life in general, my diet and all the other stuff I need to be doing to get me to start line of the London Marathon.

I blame February, or more specifically, the weather. I noticed last weekend how grumpy so many folk are. I think it’s the time of year and the everlasting and never ending English winter. Every run is in the cold and about 75% under cloudy skies, if not in the rain and/or dark. It’s been pretty grim for months and it’s making me a bit of a grump – sorry folks!

I know running helps but I think it might be time to deploy my ‘how to deal with English weather’ arsenal. I moved to the UK from Brisbane almost 17 years ago. While I don’t miss the heat of summer at home, my first few winters here were awful. Ten hours sleep a night didn’t help – I was exhausted all the time and really bloody miserable. I’ve experimented over the years on how to better cope. In past years, this has involved taking Vitamin D, using a lightbox and trying to get away somewhere sunny for a week or two.

Since running, the winter grumps haven’t been nearly as much of an issue and I’m grateful for this. So I see my current grump as a very short term blip that I’ll get over soon – days are getting longer and even a little warmer!

And to be honest, there is no reason for me to feel this way. I’ve had a really good week which included a good slow and steady 14 miler, had my first ever tweet up (meeting folks from twitter in real life) which included a great chat and a 10k, some folks trying some of the blog and posting photos, I’m moving forward on some non-running related projects and I’ve got a fun and very much running related weekend lined up.

So here’s to spring, hopefully some sunshine and being a little less of a grump!

 

Training Recap – 9 weeks to London Marathon

 

Saturday – 5.5 miles, slow and steady. I was scheduled to do my long run but I reassessed when I woke up to snow and sleet. It wasn’t sticking but the thought of running 14 miles in those conditions, having just gotten over a lurgy, didn’t fill me with enthusiasm so I ended up with a much shorter run. Rolling and core.

 

Sunday – Lazy day!

 

Monday – LSR of 14.2 miles and with lots of sunshine. It was so windy and there were times I felt like I was running backwards! It was a good run at a slow and steady pace. I was exhausted by the time I got home and too lazy to do core and rolling. Had a shower and a nap instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday – Core and rolling and a pilates class. Also lots of wandering about.

 

Wednesday – First ever tweet up with Richard. A 10k from St James Park, around Battersea Park and then back again. Running with others does make the time fly. Bought new running shoes, wandered about though a little frozen by the time I got home. Again, failed on doing core and rolling.

 

Thursday – 4.2 mile run, usual pace though with what I like to term ‘lazy legs’. My mileage is increasing so this is no surprise. I did manage to do core and rolling. The rolling part doesn’t hurt nearly as much as it used to and the core exercises are now much easier so some real progress.

 

Friday – wander about, core and rolling.

 

Total – 30.1 miles at slow and steady pace

 

Happy training all and here’s to the beginnings of spring!

 

(February 2017)