4 weeks until London Marathon

It's now 4 weeks until the London Marathon. I've more than doubled my fundraising target and have just received my race pack; I'm looking forward to the big day!

However, training for London hasn't gone as I intended. I wanted to work hard on my core and leg strength from January onwards, to do a quality speed session once a week, and another longish run midweek. However, I've struggled to fit in the midweek runs that keep my fitness up, and quality speed sessions haven't happened regularly. However, I've done Pilates once a week and managed a weekly long slow run. I've also had a couple of leg massages to ease any tightness.

VLM 2015 training, weeks 1-12

I delayed the start of my training for London because I didn't want to do too much too soon, like I did last year when I peaked too soon for MK Marathon and got a hamstring injury. But, I feel like I've done the polar opposite and not done enough training this time. I've also struggled with stomach problems, which has made long slow runs tricky. And I'm still bordering being overweight despite my efforts to lose a few pounds.

Long runs are the hardest part of marathon training; they are both mentally and physically tiring. Finding someone to run with you even some of the way can help with the mental aspect. This year I've had a few great social runs with friends. However, I've mainly tried to avoid having company because of my dodgy stomach, so I can feel comfortable knowing I can do my own thing if I need to. Not everyone wants to run loops around my house!

After taking advice on my diet, I decided to try a new meal strategy last weekend, aiming to eat a large carbo-rich meal on Friday rather than Saturday, and just having something small on Saturday evening. It was a good week to test the strategy because I was running in the Oakley 20 mile race on Sunday!

The race went OK, I didn't have stomach issues, despite taking two gels during the run. The difficulties I had related to a stiff hip, which made the last 7 miles very hard. But I persuaded myself to run most of the way, and I only walked briefly to take on fluid at every water station (they were roughly every 3 miles on the route), and up one long hill that I decided would be quicker to walk up than attempt to run up. I finished 20 miles in 3:16, which puts me on course for a 4:15 marathon, which is my aim.

The next 4 weeks will be a gentle taper towards the marathon itself. I say gentle, because I'm planning to run 16-18 miles at the weekend!

The Hilliest Run I can think of, and MK marathon week 16 training plan

Northern hilly long run

The route for my long run this weekend has been planned for several months! I like to run at least once when I visit my parents in Lancashire, usually with my sister. I enjoy the challenge of running up some impressive hills: it makes a change from the relative flatness of Bedfordshire.

In 2011 and 2012, my sister and I used to run between 5 km and 10 km together. The 10 km route we run is a loop of Great Harwood, Clayton-le-Moors, and Rishton that is an undulating course; there are three distinct hills that are either steep or long. Tough, but good for training.

A few times in 2013, when my sister was training for her first half marathon, we started running a different route, a 9 mile hill loop through Great Harwood, Read, and Sabden that takes in the lower part of Pendle Hill. There is a huge climb at the beginning of the route, but that means there is a lovely downhill stretch at the end. We've never run it all the way though, my sister doesn't appreciate the fine art of running all the way up a hill ;-)  

I got chatting at a Christmas party with my sister's husband and his friend (who are both cyclists and fellow Strava fans) about creating the hilliest running route local to them. They both said that the Sabden route was hilly, but running up Whalley Nab from Whalley to Great Harwood (Moor Lane/Shawcliffe Lane) would be really testing, and I knew I wanted to try it next time I was up north.
This weekend I visited my parents, and I was really looking forward to finally trying out my hilly training route. I had to run about 18 miles, so I planned to warm up with the 10 km "undulating" route (with my sister), then to run the 9 mile route on my own (all the way up the huge hill without stopping!), and finally to add on a 3 mile home run over Whalley Nab. 

I was very happy that I ran up the hill to Sabden all the way, only having to stop for 2 cars on a narrow lane. The run down into Whalley was great, and I was feeling good (14 miles in). But I could see the hill I had to cross looming large. As soon as I put my foot on the incline I knew I would be crazy to attempt to run it as my 15th mile! Not crazy in that I would injure myself, or it was impossible to run, just that with 14 miles in my legs it would be as fast to walk it. So I walked up the Nab, and enjoyed the recovery time, then ran the rest of the way home. Including up one final hill (Bowley), which is steep but short.



Total elevation on the run was approximately 1700 feet! Total mileage was 17.7 miles (half a mile was run before my Garmin picked up satellites). I ran out of water on this run, but not until mile 16. I also tried SIS caffeine gels for the first time, pretty yukky compared to the High 5 gels that I'm used to, although they did the job. One happy Sarah.

At dinner that evening, my brother-in-law challenged me to run over Pendle Hill, rather than just the lower part of it. Perhaps he will cycle behind me :) I WILL run over Pendle sometime this year, and my sister and I have decided we will run to Whalley and back over the Nab, all the way NO STOPPING ;-)

Last week...

Lots of running last week, my weekly total was 36 miles, which I think is the most miles I've ever run in a week. I'd completed 10 miles by Tuesday evening, then I ran 8.5 miles on Thursday at run club (including 5 miles on the Greenway in the dark), followed by my long run on Saturday. Not much cross-training though, circuits was cancelled and I missed Pilates because it was half-term. I wanted to swim on Thursday while my kids had their lessons, bu work stressed me out and I finished too late to get myself organised. So I grumpily sat and watched them instead. 

Next week's training plan...

Monday: Interval run (5 miles, alternate 0.25 mile fast/slow)
Tuesday: Pilates
Wednesday: 8 miles @ marathon pace 
Thursday: Running club
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: NHRR First Saturday 5K
Sunday: 18 miles

MK marathon: week 5 training plan

Last week was cutback week and I ran 10 miles with some of the club. It was a good long run, nice and slow, but the route wasn't ideal. After meeting a bin lorry and a bus on the road to Ickleford, I vowed to only plan routes on roads with a pavement.

I did a quick 5K on Monday in between school drop-off and circuit training, just to give myself something to do rather than sit at home looking at the dishwasher and thinking about work. Circuits was pairs, I was with Duncan and we did OK I think, apart from when I kept forgetting what number I was on. Poor Dunc holding a plank while I'm muttering "I think that's six, I'll do some extra".

Tuesday was another club run, 2.5 miles with the beginners, followed by an extremely difficult Pilates class. My abs and arms were not happy.

On Wednesday I took myself out for a 5 mile run, alternating slow and fast 0.25 mile intervals (instead of my planned 0.5 mile intervals). I was a bit rushed for time really, not my best mental state (although I read in Runners World this month that running when mentally fatigued is good marathon training). Anyway, the run felt terrible, I thought it was slow and I definitely could've gone faster. Plus my right leg felt huge compared to my left leg, a very odd sensation. I have retrospectively put this down to not eating lunch. 

I had to miss running club on Thursday for various reasons. I did manage to catch everyone at the end for a chat though, so that stopped me feeling too sad at not being able to run 5 miles in the freezing cold...

Friday, I dropped the car off in Arlesey for my husband and ran home. Not a long distance (2 miles) but miles none-the-less. Slightly odd sensation of running with no feet after I lost all sensation in them because of the cold weather. Bit like running on stumps. I imagine. 

Today I ran in NHRR's First Saturday 5K, a festive Santa run. I wore my Santa hat and finished in 25:20. Quite happy with that, I didn't push hard so it's a sign I'm getting more comfortable running at 8:30s. 

Next week's training plan...

Sunday (Week 5)
13 mile run (@ marathon pace, 9 min/mile)

Monday
5K run after school drop (AM)
Circuits (AM)

Tuesday
Running club (PM); a 2 mile run or speedwork
Pilates

Wednesday
Tempo run (AM); 6 mile run with 1 mile alternate fast/slow

Thursday
Can't make running club! Sadness indeed. I'll do a home workout if I can be bothered. 

Friday

Thursday's run, after school drop off, 7 miles or so.

Saturday
14 mile run (slow)

MK marathon:week 4 training plan

Next week's training plan...

Sunday (Week 4)
Rest day (did the run yesterday)

Monday
Circuits (AM)

Tuesday
Running club (PM); a 2 mile run or speedwork
Pilates

Wednesday
Tempo run (AM); 5 mile run with 0.5 mile alternate fast/slow

Thursday
Running club (PM); plan says 6 miles, will do whatever everyone wants to do

Friday
Rest day (or Tabata workout)

Saturday
NHRR First Saturday 5K

Long run plan

On Saturday I ran 12 miles with a couple of friends. The pace was slow and steady, and my heart rate stayed mainly under the 70% threshold; I was very happy! 

Some friends have questioned why I've started training for MK Marathon this early. Here's my long run plan, to show that it's not too early at all, just base training during the winter months. The earlier-than-normal taper is because I'm on holiday so won't have time to run long distances, hence the increase in speedwork sessions.

Week 1   (Sun Nov 10; week after Stevenage half): 10 miles (the run with the crashed car in the hedge)
Week 2   (Sun Nov 17):    11 miles (the run through Letchworth that was a bit too fast for me)
Week 3   (Sun Nov 24):    12 miles (this week's run)

Week 4   (Sun Dec 1):     10 miles (cutback week)
         (Sat Dec 7):     5K race
Week 5   (Sun Dec 8):     13 miles
Week 6   (Sun Dec 15):    14 miles
Week 7   (Sun Dec 22):    15 miles
Week 8   (Sun Dec 29):    12 miles (cutback week, planning a hilly run)
         (Sat Jan 4):     5K race
Week 9   (Sun Jan 5):     15 miles
Week 10  (Sun Jan 12):    16 miles
Week 11  (Sun Jan 19):    15 miles (Folksworth 15 race, @ marathon pace)
Week 12  (Sun Jan 26):    17 miles
         (Sat Feb 1):     5K race
Week 13  (Sun Feb 2):     14 miles (cutback week; Greenway run)
Week 14  (Sun Feb 9):     18 miles
Week 15  (Sun Feb 16):    4 + 13 miles (run to Baldock + Baldock Beast half marathon, @ half pace)
Week 16  (Sun Feb 23):    18 miles
Week 17  (Sun March 2):   19 miles
Week 18  (Sun March 9):   20 miles
Week 19  (Sun March 16):  15 miles  (cutback week)
Week 20  (Sun March 23):  18 miles
Week 21  (Sun March 30):  20 miles (last long run) 
Week 22  (Sun April 6):   10K  (cutback week; speedwork increases)
Week 23  (Sun April 13):  12 miles (taper begins; speedwork)
Week 24: (Sun April 20):  14 miles (Greenway run; speedwork) 
Week 25: (Sun April 28):  10K (taper)
Week 26: (Mon May 5):     race 

Pilates delusion, and the importance of goals

I always thought that Pilates was the sort of exercise class that old ladies went to for a bit of a stretch and a relax. It was only when I was forced by my physio to start classes last year (during the knee injury saga) that I realised how wrong I was. After tonight's class my stomach feels like it's been pummeled flat and will never recover. (I don't really want it to recover, if I'm honest!)

My stomach isn't the only part of me that's sore. My thighs ache and so do my shoulders, due to circuit training on Monday. I finally made it back to class, after a month or so of hectic work schedule making me think I couldn't go (I could have, I just needed to be more organised and focused). I'm hoping to keep going every Monday now, it's a habit I need to get back into.

Running...

Last week I ran over 26 miles in total, 7 on Tuesday, 8 on Thursday, and 11 on Sunday. Thursday was a good club session, a fairly fast 2.5 miles with one of the "beginners", who was running away some stress, and then a 5 point something run with the intermediates. Ran an out and back route and the back leg was definitely a lot faster than the out leg. In fact, there was a bit of silent competition going on I think... I blame Strava.

Sunday's long run was too fast for me, 9 min/mile pace meant I was shattered and my heart rate was in all the wrong zones. I'm viewing it as a tempo run! This weekend's long run will be done on my own to ensure it's slow enough, plus most of my usual co-runners are running in the Ashwell half marathon. (I can't run in the race and I'm sad about it.)

Tonight's run of 2 miles brings me to 100 miles for my arbitrary month, a target that I set on Garmin Connect. That's the second 100 mile "month" I've managed since September and I'm quite pleased that I've been focused enough to complete them both. I almost didn't go running tonight but being 2 miles off my target was a great incentive! That's why goals are important.

Week 3 plan
Monday: circuits
Tuesday: short club run, Pilates
Wednesday: aerobics workout at home
Thursday: long club run
Friday: ab workout at home
Saturday: rest day
Sunday: 12 mile long run

Marathon planning, it's Week One!

Now I've got Stevenage Half out of the way, and I'm still buzzing from my new personal best time (*skips about the room*), I'm starting to think about training for Milton Keynes marathon. I really want to do my best at this distance, because I don't know if it'll be the last one I do (the last one, again!).

Based on my 1:45 half time, the pace calculators I've looked at seem to think I can manage a sub 4 hour marathon. Well, I know it's not that simple! My aim is to beat 4:58, remain uninjured, and finish knowing I've run the best race I can.

There are 26 weeks between now and May 5th. I've made a rough plan of my long runs, and I've decided to cut the long run distance in half and run that as a tempo midweek. So that means I'll be running 10 miles with some fast sections on the Thursday before I run 20 miles on the Saturday or Sunday. There will be at least one other run midweek, on the Tuesday (of about 2 miles with running club), and then perhaps a 5-6 mile alternate recovery/tempo on Mondays or Wednesdays depending on my work schedule. As far as I see it, the long run is important, as is fitting a longish tempo in if I want to maintain my speed and fitness.

This week is Week One, and I'll be running 5 miles on Thursday and 10 miles on Sunday, and possibly a fast run today, if I manage to get my arse in gear.

Other stuff this week, I'm recovering nicely from Stevenage half, my legs aren't destroyed, although my calves feel a bit sore. I had a good recovery run last night with the beginners group at the club, and a lovely stretch out later at Pilates.

I've also weighed myself to check I've not ballooned after gorging myself on smarties and pasta on Monday and Tuesday. I've lost 2lb, which brings me to 47lb total weight loss (since I began counting in Jan 2011). I'm nearly back at the magic 50lb lost mark, which I've been aiming at all year! It was good motivation for me to eat a healthy lunch, rather than open a tin of curry and eat it all (I do have a habit of eating to excess when it's cold outside, when I'm working, and when I'm a bit distracted).

Random thoughts purged, time to work before I run later.

EDIT: I ran 4 miles in the rain, not fast though, I couldn't manage fast...