Random thoughts, used to be about running
Random thoughts, used to be about running
Not long now … nervous, excited, filled with trepidation – this is how I’m feeling with only a few days to go until the London Marathon 2017 as you can see from the photo! I’ve been a little reflective of the last few days about how far I’ve come in training. The long runs, the races, and the added miles throughout the weeks have not always been easy. I started from a pretty poor base with Parkrun feeling difficult on 1 January. Since then
One week to London Marathon and what will be will be. A few more miles to do to keep my legs ticking over. But the dreams. I’m not one for remembering dreams on the whole. This has been some crazy stuff. Dream 1 – turn up at the start point in a panic as I’m late. I look down only to discover my kit is all wrong – wrong top, wrong shoes and no number. I have also forgotten my gels and jelly babies. I wake up in a panic wondering why I haven’t got my gel belt on. […]
Ahh, the tapering runner! I’m so grateful it’s only 2 weeks to the London Marathon. While the miles are down, my legs feel heavy and unresponsive and I’ve got too much time on my hands and way too much energy to know what to do with. Slight irritations are turning into major ones. I’m stuck in sucky thought loops that go something like this ‘This is going to be a disaster…I’m so unfit…I’ll never finish…Nooooo…’ Maranoia hasn’t hit yet so that’s something to look forward to.
So it’s 3 weeks to London Marathon. This week has been a great confidence builder as well as a reminder of why I run. My running week starts Saturday. I started the week by helping out at the beginners’ group. My club holds 2 x 8 week sessions a year for beginners. I get to meet some great people and we chat as we run. And why do I go along? I get a lot out of it. I meet great people and every now and again I get to run with someone who is convinced they will fail. But […]
4 weeks to London Marathon and it’s starting to feel real – an 18 mile run, arrival of the registration form, making arrangements to meet up with folks at the Expo, it’s all happening. I’m caught between excitement and paranoia. I had to defer the London Marathon last year 3 weeks before the big day due to facet joint issues in my lower back. This year I’m working it a little differently with regular core and stretching (OK, so it’s meant to be daily…), pilates and the occasional sports massage. Any niggles I’m getting on to straight away. Last week […]
This has been a week of irritations, mainly in my left calf and only 5 weeks to London Marathon. After a short set of hill reps last Thursday, I felt a bit of an ache in my calf muscle. On Friday it hurt a little more. I tested it out on my long run on Saturday and it seemed fine – a few slight niggles but no pain as such. If there had been pain, I would have stopped. Come Sunday and Monday, my calves felt tight so off to the physio I duly went. As suspected, I have either […]
With only 6 weeks to London Marathon, it’s been mixed when it comes to running. There have been highs and there have been lows. But it’s spring so I’m slowly getting over the winter blues. However, on Sunday, things did not go to plan. I apologise now to anyone who came across a very grumpy runner swearing very loudly. That was a bad run that seemed to go on forever. I just couldn’t get it together. I can’t blame the gels as thankfully I didn’t have any issues with them – perhaps doing a fast run Thursday, sports massage Friday […]
It’s only 7 weeks to London Marathon and it’s been a week of highs and lows. My long run was slow and steady as planned and I ran part of the route. It did give me shivers – not long to go now! But then things got tricky. My run on Tuesday was awful – one of those runs that makes you question the point of it all and if I can really do this – the bad run. I know this is normal as the miles start to build and I’m running on tired legs. My run the following […]
8 weeks to London Marathon! Last year was a rubbish running year for all sorts of reasons. It was one of those extended periods where running took a dip, I mainlined Netflix and my favourite pair of running shoes gravitated to the back of the wardrobe. On very rare occasions, I’d look on the scales – the numbers didn’t change much but clothes got a little tighter and I was feeling soggier around the edges. This brings me to the wonders of London Marathon training. Again, the numbers on the scales really haven’t changed but I’m soon in need of […]
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 […]
Having the lurgy sucks. Having the lurgy when it’s only 10 weeks to London Marathon really sucks. To run or not to run, that is the question? I had to answer this on Sunday morning for which I’d planned a 12 miler. I’d done Parkrun the day before. I’d woken up with a bit of a tingle at the back of my throat but was otherwise feeling fine. And it was a good run – faster than training pace. After the routine mocha/hot chocolate with my running buddy, Mary, I headed home. I mooched about in the afternoon, did core and […]
With 11 weeks to London Marathon, I’m doing something a little different to avoid my endless rounds of injuries. I’m taking on the advice that seems sensible – exercises that your physio and all the running magazines tell you to do and you tend to ignore it because to be honest, it’s pretty bloody boring. Yes, I’m talking about core, rolling and general strengthening. I’m never going to be a fast runner but I am working on being a less injury prone one. So with exercises from my physio, a few pilates moves I’ve learned this year and my trusty […]